A Farewell to the Open Campus
In-person learning will hopefully return, but for seniors, the open campus will not.
This past week, Boulder High began to reintroduce students back into the building. In-person learning will now be postponed until mid-November, but for some, the few days they were allowed on campus were viewed as an opportunity to reconnect with classmates or get to know teachers. For others, it was only a reminder of what was lost: the open campus.
The campus will not remain closed forever; many will return next year to find the rice balls at Alfalfa’s just as delicious or the candy at the gas station just as sweet. But for us seniors, March 12, 2020, very well may have been the last time we could step outside and venture beyond the campus for a momentary respite in the middle of the school day. And with that, a proper farewell is owed.
I have reached out to a few seniors mourning the loss of the open campus and have asked them to share a few words.
Tess Kuzcun: “Throughout my high school career, the gas station introduced me to caramel M&Ms as well as strawberry wafer cookies and I will always be grateful for that. Though I realize a closed campus will ultimately be beneficial for my health and my finances, I can’t help but tear up at the thought of Depak not being a part of my senior year. I can assure you that at a minimum, I will miss the hit of adrenaline I have become accustomed to from sprinting across 19th Street in front of oncoming traffic.”
Ella Heidman-Pinkner: “Alfalfa’s, it was a toxic relationship—you took all my money. But now that it’s over, I realize how much you meant to me.”
Ruby Link: “I will definitely miss getting kicked out of Alfalfa’s on the daily [for having my backpack] and my lunchtime pop tarts from the gas station.”
Margaux Helson: “I spent many off periods at Alfalfa’s complaining about how overpriced everything was, but only now am I realizing that we weren’t just paying for the yerb, we were paying for the memories. Some of my fondest school memories took place in that store. RIP”
It appears to be unanimous that you, Open Campus, were not without faults. You caused immense financial stress, you encouraged tardiness, you discouraged homework doing. But you were an essential part of the Boulder High experience. And hopefully those who will return to school next year will have a greater appreciation for you than we had. You will be missed, Open Campus.
Amelia Chapman is a senior this year at Boulder High and a new member of The Owl. She loves creative writing but hasn’t had much exposure to journalism, which is why she is so excited about joining the paper. By being apart of The Owl, Amelia also hopes to further develop her own writing skills and immerse herself more into the Boulder High community. Whenever she has time, Amelia can be found trail running up steep mountains, watching Spanish telenovelas (Las Chicas del Cable is her favorite), or hiking/napping with her dogs (all of which are rescues and two of which somewhat resemble rodents). Amelia also enjoys spending time with her friends and eating good food and frequently combines the...