Covid-19 has affected many people’s after school activities. These activities include clubs and sports, but also spending time with friends after school. A lot of activities were moved to Zoom or now require masks, which has changed sports and clubs significantly. 

One OMS club that has changed since the pandemic is art club. During a normal year, the art club would meet in the art room and create art using the materials they had in the room. This year, the club is mainly held over  Zoom, although members  have met in the field some days to create art together. The club’s  new online meeting space has changed how the club is run, because people are using their own materials and working in their own workspaces. Some kids might not have as many materials as others, or a quiet workspace to be in, and that can make it harder for students to enjoy their clubs. Ms. Ford, an OMS art teacher remarked that, “The big downside [about art club being virtual] is that kids do not have access to the art room and all the fun materials we usually have access to. The upside is we are finding ways to connect and to reach more kids!”

Another activity that has moved to Zoom is karate at Elite Freestyle Karate in Arlington. An eighth grader from OMS shared, “At first I thought it wouldn’t be fun or it wouldn’t even work but it has turned out to be great!” Some people might have small places to do sports like this in, and that can make it tricky. A student from OMS that participates in gymnastics over Zoom says, “I don’t have any of the major equipment needed, and I only have smaller scale items which only help a little. Also, I don’t have a ton of space to actually do gymnastics.”

An activity that is still in-person is dance at Dance Place in Arlington. Despite their in-studio practices, the pandemic has still changed many aspects of dance for Dance Place. Between masks, hand sanitizer, significant amounts of cleaning, and keeping a six foot distance, dance has changed quite a bit. These precautions have impacted many sports this year aside from dance, and can be seen as both a positive and negative depending on how people look at it. 

After school activities not only consist of sports, but also of seeing friends. Many students have not gotten the chance to see friends in-person for a while. Former OMS students have mentioned that they used to take the bus to Arlington Center with friends after school. However, in light of the pandemic, taking public transportation has become a potential risk for many. Instead, FaceTime and Zoom are now popular ways to socialize, and playing games such as Among Us are fun to do with friends, while still keeping safe. 

Although Covid-19 has changed many after school plans and activities, people are still finding ways to do what they love.