In March of 2020, the world was struck by a terrible pandemic which caused many people to suffer. 9 months later, the United States as well as many other nations are still in self-isolation, otherwise known as quarantine.

For the students of Poway High, COVID-19 has heavily impacted how we live our lives. Everything from what we can buy at the grocery store to where we can travel has been limited, and many of us are worried about the health and safety of our family members.

Due to San Diego’s re-entry into the Purple Tier, Titans have once again been prevented from returning to school. While a few of us enjoy attending classes through Zoom, most of us miss being able to see our peers in person as well as other advantages that come with being in an actual classroom.

While there are many reasons for stricter restrictions being implemented as case rates rise, one of these is the unfortunate choice students make when it comes to attending large parties. These parties, filled with Titans who are more than likely not being tested for COVID-19 have the potential to become super-spreaders, regardless of how “safe” anyone says they are being.

One of the most frightening things about COVID-19 is that a good portion of people who are infected are asymptomatic, meaning that they don’t show signs of having the virus. It is these people that run the risk of infecting everyone at a birthday or Halloween party, who will then return home and risk infecting their family members.

For many students who have spent these past nine months limiting their social interactions and/or fearing that their senior year will be stolen from them completely, it is extremely disheartening to see other Titans be a part of the problem. If anyone at a party becomes infected, that would likely mean many more weeks in quarantine, as well as many more months spent battling its struggles and worries.

Regardless of how Titans feel about the mask mandate or the stay-at-home order, no one can say that COVID-19 has not made an impact on their lives, and has created significant hardships for a majority of Titan families. 

Those who are practicing social distancing do not want to leave this school year without seeing their classmates in person, nor does anyone want to lose someone close to them. This being said, party-animal Titans need to stop their selfish and irresponsible behavior. 

While the need for social interaction is understood, the need to stop the spread of coronavirus should be more important. The desire of the few should never outweigh the needs and safety of the many.