Outlook December Digital Magazine

28 29 December 2020
THE OAKTON COMMUNITY’S
HOPES FOR THE NEW YEAR
We asked Oakton community members about
their hopes for the New Year
To say the least, 2020 has been a challenging year. In March, the coronavirus pandemic drastically changed life for Americans, and
the health complications and precautions have been devastating. Social and political implications have also stirred the country,
causing extreme conflict. It’s unclear when things will go back to “normal” in the way that everyone seems to dream of, but for
now, many hope that some barriers will be broken down in 2021. Here are the hopes of some Oakton community members for the new
year.
“Obviously safety is our top priority and we need to be able to maintain that, but I
would love to see a lot more students back at school on a more regular basis, so that we can just get
back to a little bit more normal… if we can’t, I hope that we continue to get better at virtual learning,
and my number one priority in all of this is maintaining a sense of community and connection
amongst Oakton staff and students and the community. When the shutdown happened, it aligned
with a lot of our renovation process and that has not shut down… now there is going to be a lot of
beautiful new common area spaces, and a lot of beautiful new classrooms to enjoy, a lot of courtyards
and it just makes me smile everytime I go in it, so I hope it does the same for students. I think
in general, there’s always a silver lining to everything, and we just need to look into the positives of
whatever the situation that we are currently in. So, continuing to encourage everyone to find those
silver linings and positive influences and positive stories to bring us together and if anyone ever
needs anything, we are here, we are in a different format right now, but we are always here. That’s
the number one message I want everyone to get.” - Ms. Lane (Principal)
“This year, I hope we can tell our friends and our family how
much we care for them. Another hope for this year is that we make connections
with people that we lost touch with. I also hope that this new year everyone learns
something new. Do something that is...you. I hope is that this year we can share our
knowledge, teach a friend, a sibling or even a grownup. My biggest hope is that this
year we all help make this world a better place.” Anita Murthy (Parent)
“I hope that I get good grades and learn new stuff. Since
I’m a freshman, I’d like to be able to make new friends from different schools and
get closer with the track team and spending time with them. I also hope for a decline
in covid cases and going back to a normalish life.” - Krishiv Argawal (9)
photo courtesy of ken lee joo
"I’m hoping to be able to keep my grades up and get into my top college, but I’m
keeping my expectations realistic because at this point, you never know what is going to happen.
I’m hoping that in 2021 things will go back to normal. If [restrictions] will help everything go back
to normal, if [restrictions] will help others stay safe, I will do it… I of course hope that there are
less restrictions next year, but I’m trying not to get my hopes up. I hope more than anything that all
of my loved ones stay safe and healthy.” - Zoe Siamon (12)
“
My personal hope for the new year is to complete junior year
successfully. I also want to change more peoples lives for the better in 2021. Earlier
this year I reached out to a nursing home to send letters and find a pen pal.
Unfortunately, they never got back to me. My goal in the new year is to reach out
to the nursing home again and send letters. There are so many people that can not
see anyone during the times we are living in. I want to give those people hope and
company. When they feel happy, I feel happy.” - Ryan Brittenham (11)
“I hope that we will be able to return to school and a semblance of normal. I also
hope that the number of cases and hospitalizations will go down. That the restrictions will become
more lax and we’ll be able to meet with other people again. I hope that I can drop lots of time in swim
events, learn a new language, and learn to play 15 songs on the ukulele.” - Allie Wheeler (10)
“As a senior, I really do bank on College Apps to give me hope
for the new year. I look forward to being able to live my own life once the
pandemic lessens and get into a school with a major I love.” - Jakob A (12)
“I hope that we can go back, but I also want us to be safe.
I think that continuing to find creative and innovative ways to make this time
even more special is what I’m most hopeful for. I think my biggest hope for
any extracurriculars right now when it’s safe is just finding ways for students
to be involved and finding a balance between screen time and fun. I think one
of my big hope for the year is more listening throughout our country. Our
country right now is very divided. No matter what side of that divide you
may be on, I think that we could really benefit from more listening.” - Ms.
Goodwin (Spanish teacher)
harriet limkin | staff writer
haley longfellow | editorial board
photo courtesy of david zydd