Students excited for the return of social activities

 Senior Maya Cranz still remembers the day she performed during her sophomore Homecoming quad day in the fall of 2019, and the exhilaration she and her fellow dancers felt as countless weekends of hard work finally came together.

“As someone who choreographed some of the dances, I finally got to see it recorded on SHSTV, and that just made me really happy back then,” Cranz said. “I just remember feeling really good.”

This year, Cranz was the co-choreographer for the All Girls’ Dance and partner dance for senior quad day. She observed a big increase in participation from sophomore year.  

“I don’t think many did [the quad days before COVID-19] because people weren’t as spirited, but after all of us were forced to stay indoors for so long, everyone understandably wants to be social again,” Cranz said.

During quad day practices, the dozens of dancers were encouraged to wear masks, and like past years, practice outside in spaced out areas such as the quad. Despite the new precautions, Cranz and her co-choreographer, Kaylie Wong, aimed to make dance practices fun through new formations and intricate choreography.

“Getting closer with my peers and spending time with all of them [through these events] is such an unforgettable experience,” Cranz said.

Sophomore Eva Semin, who moved to Saratoga from Germany during the pandemic, appreciated how social school events have played out so far this fall. 

“I met most of my friends at [the Hoco Reveal],  so this is definitely a great way to meet new people,” Semin said.

She added that she felt safe at these events because of the safety precautions enforced by the administration. 

      According to assistant principal Mathew Torrens, the bathrooms are sanitized during school events and only SHS students are allowed to attend. The main difference in social activities this year is that dances are being held outside instead of in the gym, so people still eat and mingle safely.

Emerging out of a year in isolation, social activities have garnered a lot of participation from students as a much-needed return to normalcy. 

“We can recognize how far we’ve come from freshman year,” Cranz said. “Through practices, different dances and the mass amount of participation this year, it really brought everyone together.”