When it was announced last summer that CCHS would resume in-person instruction in the fall, students felt the relief of returning to normal life, to being physically in school instead of just being connected online. After having in-person school taken away for over a year, many students appear to have a new appreciation for it: seeing friends every day, collaborating with peers in the classroom, attending football games, participating in extracurriculars, and all the other things that they were denied. Now that Culver High students are back on campus, it has been encouraging to see them develop a COVID culture where they willingly comply with safety measures in addition to school rules to help combat potential new waves of infection and ensure that in-person instruction continues uninterrupted.

The school’s official policy is that masks only need to be worn indoors, but a quick glance around the campus between classes or during a break reveals the vast majority of students voluntarily wearing masks outdoors and only taking them off to eat or drink. Junior Emily Gilbert said, “I know we don’t have to wear them outside, but I just like doing it anyway to be cautious.” 

Her sentiments echo how a lot of students feel. Most students on campus want to do whatever is necessary to reduce the spread of COVID so they can continue to attend school in person and participate in their extracurricular activities. Another junior, Elliot Wright, who plays on the football team said he prefers to eat lunch near the basketball courts rather than in the crowded lunch area; he is motivated to take extra precautions to lessen the risk of having to quarantine and miss the football season. 

At the first home football game, the stands were filled with CCHS students choosing to wear masks even though they were not required to do so simply because they wanted to take the extra precaution against the large crowd in the stands. 

More than just the students, the Culver High community of parents and staff also seem to be embracing whatever is necessary to keep our COVID cases low, and keep our students in school. CCUSD was the first district in California to pass a vaccine mandate for its eligible students, and although there have been a small number of families opposed to the mandate, it was largely accepted as something necessary. Current data shows about 87% of people over 12 in Culver City have been vaccinated, and that number can only grow with the school’s mandate.

Watching CCHS students and the community embrace COVID policies wholeheartedly and work together to help keep kids in school is something I am grateful for, and it reminds me of how lucky I am to live in the community that is Culver City.