The Last Week of Normalcy By: Jack Hill

        People young and old are often reminded that there are some days in life that will never be forgotten.  I can attest to this statement and believe that all of my classmates, my family, and the rest of the United States will never forget Thursday, March 12, 2020 and the days leading up to it.  Memories of this fateful March will be shared at family parties and described in books for years to come.

        For me it began on March 9th. The stage was being set for what would lead up to one of the biggest events in our country's history.  I recall the beginning of my classes where the topic of discussion was about the virus and everyone weighed in on their opinion.  Would our school close and what was really happening in the state and country?  Chatter filled the hallways about a new virus that ended up in the US in Seattle, WA.

        On the following day, after my student council meeting, I remember walking back to lunch with two of my classmates discussing the coronavirus.  I specifically remember telling them that we would only be out of school for two weeks and we would return by March 27th.  My classmates nodded their heads and agreed but little did we know, this would be far from the truth.

        I will never forget March 11th.  This was the night when the severity of the coronavirus hit me like a ton of bricks!  As I began my homework the country was still "normal" but by the time I finished writing in my last answer to a math problem, my Dad told me that the NBA had suspended their season because the center of the Utah Jazz, Rudy Gobert, tested positive for COVID-19.   I quickly turned on the news where President Trump addressed the nation about closing travel from countries all over the world.  In that moment, the country would forever be changed.  After a multi million dollar organization suspended their season and the President of the USA closed borders, citizens of this country knew the severity of the situation.

  Link of Video: https://time.com/5801628/donald-trump-coronavirus-foreign/

        This brings us to March 12th.  I can recall an uneasiness in the air but there was as sense of hope and denial for some.  Maybe the borders would reopen or reports would claim that the virus was a misunderstanding.  Fast forward to sixth period.  I learned that all of the College Basketball Conference tournaments were being canceled.  For a big college basketball fan like myself this was very disappointing.  As seventh period came along, I remember the principal saying on the loudspeaker that all indoor activities were going to be cancelled.  This was the moment when I officially knew that my two week projection of no school may be longer.    

        Later that day at our lacrosse practice, an injured upperclassman relayed a message to our team that he received from Honeywell saying, "All Sparta Schools will be closed on Friday, March 13, 2020."  After lacrosse practice my quarantine began.