When Hill community members said goodbye to each other on their ways home for spring break, they did not think those would be goodbyes for the rest of the school year. That is exactly what happened, though, and for some, it was a goodbye forever.

While the entire community was certainly aware of COVID-19 (what we then knew simply as coronavirus), no one foresaw the national pandemic that was to come. Even saying that spring break may be extended seemed like an overdramatic rumor to many. Then, when break was in fact extended to April 13, people were surprised, but still certainly did not expect the school year to be cancelled. Soon, though, as the disbelief and bewilderment that surrounded the virus turned to pessimism, it began looking less and less hopeful that our community would reunite. And finally, on March 24, the Hill School closed its doors indefinitely, likely for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

While most understood that this action was a necessary precaution to protect the Hill community, teachers, students, and staff were still saddened and disappointed by it. A common criticism of Hill held by many students was that it took too long for the school to come to this decision and make this announcement. Why was Hill so afraid to take charge in the realm of private schools and lead the way themselves? Why did they hide behind schools like Westtown and Lawrenceville, who closed their campuses well before Hill did theirs?

It is understandable that students would be upset by the school’s action. However, it is important for us to think about how we students felt when schools like Westtown spearheaded the trend of closing for the year. Before that monumental moment, while things certainly were not looking good, the community would have been utterly shocked by a full closure of campus. Over time, though, as other schools began to follow suit, the announcement became not just likely, but expected. In a way, Hill’s delayed response made the pill of the announcement a little easier to swallow.

Furthermore, the world was (and still is) changing so much every single day that Hill needed time to truly process the situation and consider every possible alternative before shutting down. It would be hypocritical for us students to judge them for that as they did not know what was to come any better than us.

Overall, the problem that seems to create a disconnect between Hill students and the administration seems to be that we do not fully understand the thought process and discussion that results in their decisions. Instead of asking why Hill did not know more about the severity of the pandemic earlier, we students should ask ourselves how they could have known. Instead of asking ourselves why Mr. Lehman will not confirm whether we are closed for the year (as of this writing), we should ask how he could possibly know how this situation will develop in the coming weeks and months. Instead of being disappointed about all the lost events like spring sports, the Sixth Form Dance, and Commencement (and the memories that come with them), we should ask ourselves how the outside world would react to us partaking in these activities in such a trying time.

While it makes sense to be disappointed with what has unfolded in the last month or two, we should remember that the people involved in the school’s response to COVID-19 are our teachers, coaches, dorm parents, and life mentors. They take a special interest in each of our individual lives and we can only trust that they have collectively made the decision that is in the best interest of our community.