Perseverance cannot be masked

By Patrick O'Connor, 2021

Published 3/3/21

The COVID-19 pandemic has been tough to say the least, but winter sports and clubs have stayed resilient, proving that the Coronavirus is no match for Ramland. The student body of Cheshire High School has been finding ways to safely participate in winter sports and clubs all while having a good time doing it while doing it.

Students are continuing to participate in extracurricular activities to honor their commitments and traditions much like any normal year. They are finding ways to pursue their passions in a safe manner. However, winter sports have certainly been unique this year.

“The pandemic sure has made cohesion tougher,” said Matt Cardinali, a senior on the CHS swim team. “The policies to avoid the spread of the disease makes it harder for us to be there when our teammates are competing.”

Still, Cardinali and the team have found ways to enjoy themselves. “There definitely have been fun times, though. Breaking out into small groups was a great experience because it gave many of us the opportunity to get closer with some of our teammates.”

Other organizations at CHS have also found ways to meet the challenges of COVID-19. The school’s Best Buddies program continues to hold regular meetings via Google Meet and has had drive-through events at the school.

“Not being able to see everyone face to face has been quite a challenge,” said Best Buddies Chapter President Josh Goldstein. “It is much more difficult to foster friendships between peers with and without disabilities when you can’t see them in person. Luckily, we have been able to use the internet and Google Meet to accomplish this goal.”

The mental toughness of the student body, coaches, and volunteers has shown that sports and clubs are still thriving at Cheshire High School all while during a pandemic. Students participating in athletics and extracurricular activities have not let their circumstances define them.

There have been many obstacles, but there is one thing that remains clear: you cannot put a mask over Ramland spirit.