Maybe Try Smiling

11 April 2022Jensa NG, Mack ‘22

“You can smile, chew gum, or whistle” or “Maybe try smiling” commented Head Prefect Jacob Hart at Assembly last week. These are all things that can be done in the absence of masks.

While shifting to masks, social distancing, and sanitizing seemed daunting at back in March 2020, it soon became a part of our routine. Going to class? Bring a mask. Hopping on the bus? Bring a mask. Wandering the halls of your boarding house … might as well bring a mask.

Drifting away from all these mandates, however, has seemed to be just as drastic a change.

Classes? Maskless. Crooks Hall? Maskless. Even the Killy Theatre? Maskless.

After over two years of uncertainty, confusion, and cringing at the sound of your desk neighbour coughing, things finally seem to be getting back to normal.

Am I being a touch dramatic? Possibly. Since September 2020, while we were in class, in person, on our stunning campus, hundreds of millions of students across the world were only slightly half-awake in their bedrooms dreading their next Zoom class.

Thanks to British Columbia’s Provincial Officer of Health, Dr Bonnie Henry, and our COVID team of Mr Sullivan, Mr Burton, Mr McPherson, Ms Murtland & Mr Patel, Brentwood has been as close to normal as possible since September 2020.

Now, tournaments are on, both indoor and outdoor. Break trips are a go – starting with Mr Lee’s May long weekend Rocky Mountain Tour, where after lunch in Kamloops, BC they will “head to Bear River for a safari, then a walk along Lake Louise, and then explore the town of Banff, Alberta” says Mr. Lee. The group will then continue to explore Lake Minnewanka, take a wildlife tour, and enjoy a farewell dinner before heading back to Brentwood.

Dates on the Gillespie field were just about the only romantic or social outlet for Brentonians these past two years. But now, we can look forward to Spring Formal for the seniors, House Prefect dinners, the Lifer’s Dinner, Graduation Ceremonies, and much, much more.

So folks, grab your Crest whitening strips, pop a 5-pack of gum, and cover up that pimple because as we head into the Spring of 2022, mandatory masks are now a thing of the past.

… Well, let’s hope so!

Jensa NG, Mack ‘22