Dalat 2022-2023: A New Beginning

 By David Kilgo

With the dawn of a brand-new school year upon us, many new students and returning students are left wondering what the 2022-2023 school year will look like. After more than two years of seemingly endless lockdown cycles, cancelled school trips, and missed time with friends, there is certainly great excitement among the student body regarding SOP changes that none of us ever would’ve imagined two years ago. I like to believe that we have finally reached the light at the end of the tunnel.

When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit in March of 2020, the senior class were freshmen. I vividly remember some of us being kind of excited at the prospect of not having to come to school and working from home. A global pandemic was something none of us had ever experienced before, and the novelty of it was exciting in a weird kind of way. Besides, we all naively thought it would be gone in just a few months. That initial excitement quickly waned.

The next two years were tough for both students and staff. For students, not being able to see friends, play sports, go on school trips, and do many other activities associated with student life at Dalat was a huge blow. Morale was low, and many of us felt discouraged about hopping on Zoom every morning. The change in setting was arguably even more difficult for Dalat staff who had to change their curriculums and exams to fit the atmosphere of online school.

According to Mr. Jerry Nichols, “It was a real shell shock to do it [Industrial Arts class] online because it’s such a hands-on class. I was freaked out by the prospect of having to teach it online. Luckily, I was able to utilize YouTube videos [to teach students] on how to use the tools properly. But the most difficult part was finding projects at home for the students to do.”  

Naturally, the pandemic came up in conversation quite often over the last two years. There really wasn’t much else to talk about at home. However, the Dalat community pulled through and everyone kept their heads up the whole way through. The same virus that took time away from family and friends also taught us an important life lesson: you don’t know what you have until it’s gone.

Now here we are, two years later, and almost everything is back. No more curfew. No more ban on sports or school activities, and most importantly, we can fully connect with those around us once again. I’m thankful we as Dalat students learned this important life lesson early on in life rather than decades later when it’s too late. From this point forward, the sky is the limit and the Dalat community will take advantage of the opportunities provided to us but more thankful than ever before. We as a community have waited a long time for this moment, and we deserve it.

Class of 2023 at CB 2019