“Communication is important in any relationship”, your mom tells you as you cry over a bucket of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream because your significant other cheated on you. Little did you know, less than a year later COVID-19 would come barging into your otherwise unremarkable Californian suburb, proving her right. 

While coverage surrounding COVID-19 only escalated as time progressed, RHS seemed to be in a completely different dimension. Initially, emails issued from RJUHSD simply about being aware of the virus came out. Next, the quiet emergence of sanitation wipes and hand sanitizer bottles in every classroom. Finally, the cancellation of common areas, events, sports and clubs. 

All of this is to be expected considering the circumstances. But the one thing missing from this equation? Any sense of cohesive communication surrounding the actions taken. Accompanying all of these developments has been vague emails about health regulations and preventative action. Actions taken justified by hard to read graphics. 

Yes, it’s self-explanatory that sanitation wipes and hand sanitizers are showing up in classrooms. Sure, your second period teacher has decided to let you know the common areas during ROAR are closed because of COVID-19.

However, all of the communication as to what is happening to the very school that students attend on a daily basis is either implicit or optional. Personally, I believe that the best and most accessible coverage of how RJUHSD has been handling COVID-19 has been from Eye of the Tiger News. 

This lack of communication has only added to the hysteria that COVID-19 has inspired internationally. The inconsistencies of setting extremely restrictive measures on what students can attend at school is only more evident when RJUHSD refuses to decisively take action and completely close campuses. Every day is another opportunity for RJUHSD to issue more policies that contradict ones set the day before. 

Students do not know whether or not to anticipate the next day of school. Students do not know if the extracurriculars that they enjoy will still exist tomorrow. Students don’t know if their extended family members will be able to see the guitar show they have been working on for months. 

Students do not know.