Students have returned to a much less restrictive environment this school year.

    Due to COVID the past couple of years there have been many restrictions at WHS. Restrictions included having lunch split to where there weren’t as many students in the lunchroom, a removal of the salad bar, having school dances outside, not having assemblies with all grades at the same time, and social distancing. This year restrictions have been dropped.

   “The restrictions were no longer mandated by the health department and our central office made the decision to lift the social distancing and mask recommendations,” principal Danny Morrison said. 

   The restrictions being dropped opened up more opportunities to students. 

   “I personally love the restrictions dropped, it feels much more open as a student to do more things,” sophomore Haylee Cobb said.

   The restrictions affected mainly students. 

    “I feel that I didn’t have as many opportunities as I do now due to having restrictions in the past,” junior Laney Arnett said.

   Many friendships were affected by the restrictions in place, now that they are lifted, students can get back to making new friends. 

 “I think it is amazing that we have the freedom we used to have. I honestly feel like a lot of friendships get made now that we can see each other more,” senior Abigail Feltrop said.

   For the class of 2023, this is their first completely normal year of high school. Their freshman year, in 2020, school was closed for most of the fourth quarter due to the national Coronavirus outbreak. Each year since, the class (along with other classes) have endured masking, social distancing in classrooms and at lunch and cancellation of assemblies and dances.

   “I think they did a good job letting it go this year. I’m glad because it’s my senior year and we have the freedom now,” Feltrop said.