Hamber’s Hopes for the New Year
ROBERT HENRICKSON/INSTAGRAM
As the last wisps of autumn die down and bring forth the beginning of the winter season, the question of what happens as the clock strikes midnight on the first of January creeps up. The New Year: a time for changing, hoping, fresh starts and resolutions. It’s common knowledge that after the end of December, many people often come up with a list of goals and wishes for the next 365 days. So, what are some of the students at Hamber hoping and planning for this upcoming year?
One thing that is especially important for students in the new year is the transition from the first semester onto the second at the end of January. Zachary Lukan (9), is looking forward to having an easier workload next semester, since three out of four of his core academics are taking place currently. The disproportionate distribution of courses has shown to be a common theme expressed by students concerning the new semester system. However, this new workload also provides an opportunity to set new academic goals and meet new peers.
But nothing feels more stressful for a big majority of grade 12 students than these next few months as university application deadlines near. One of these students, Jenny Li (12), talked about the struggle of juggling completing applications while still trying to enjoy her last year of high school. With how fast time has seemed to fly by these past few months, Li, probably along with most of her peers, hopes for a final hurrah to accompany the end of their high school careers, wishing for the possibility of an in-person graduation and prom for the first time in two years.
On the opposite end, grade 8 students have a similar desire for COVID-19 restrictions to ease up. Sophie Jung (8), expressed her wish for assemblies to take place live in the auditorium like previous years, saying, “[The online assemblies] aren’t that engaging, some people are just on their phones the whole time. But I’m excited for things to hopefully seem more normal again.”
And this statement might come sooner than expected. In the case of travel and entertainment restrictions, things seem to be looking up, with students and teachers alike planning for the upcoming Winter Break and the opportunity for getaway that comes with it. Another grade 8 student, Charlize Ng, is planning on travelling to Los Angeles over the winter break alongside her family, with the opportunity for travel opening up as vaccination rates rise.