It’s that time of the year again: flu and cold season is upon us. What began as a single case has rapidly worked its way through the heart of our campus. Students and faculty are dropping like flies. The immune system of our beloved school community is weakening one cough at a time. But how dangerous is this common cold, and what impact does it hold on us students? 

Yes, we are all somewhat aware of the diseases that lurk in our halls. Most of us can all name a friend or two who have been sick this year. “Too many to count,” says Alma Gazziniga. Kailyin Plummer reveals that “almost all of Chorus” has caught some form of a contagious bug.

A day off of school doesn’t sound too terrible. After all, everyone deserves a break once in a while. But when a sick day turns into three, and those three turn into a week, we begin to face a real problem. 

Plummer shockingly reports that she has been sick “five times”, and 11th grader Zy Washington states that she has missed ”10 days” of school! And if that isn’t scary enough, 12th grader Shravya reveals that she has been sick with a cough for a month, and has “47 Absences”.

It isn’t difficult math. Absences are piling up; ergo, so is the missing work. Students are faced with a troubling choice: go to school while sick to stay caught up with work, or stay home to recover, only to return and find themselves overwhelmed with assignments when they come back. The right answer varies from student to student as there are several external factors that determine a student’s attendance.

Yet when individuals were asked if they felt pressured to go to school while being sick the answers unfortunately remained synonymous. Plummer states, “I feel very pressured because if not I won’t get my work done.”

“My teacher gave me one day to make up all of my missing work, and I am still trying to catch up,” another student told us. The final result is a never-ending cycle. Sick students feeling pressured to come to school to avoid falling behind end up spreading germs and bacteria. This, in turn, leads to more sick students, more absences, and eventually, more missing assignments. We can only hope for this to end with the arrival of warmer seasons, but it is paramount that we recognize the severity of the problem at hand. But I implore those of you who have not been sick this year… beware of the Catamount Cough.