By Chelsee Sawai
Staff Writer

After months of virtual learning, Mid-Pacific students experienced a “first day of school” in November.

Ninth grade started on Nov. 9, followed by the rest of the grades’ returns staggered throughout the week. All grades attended Friday, Nov. 13.

Some students said they enjoyed being back on campus because of the ability to see their classmates face-to-face and understand the curriculum of their classes.

“The first day back at school was sort of nerve wracking. I did really like having to interact with that many people, but it was nice to be back in-person because I found it a lot easier to understand the material,” said sophomore Adam Ward.

Senior Brooke Johnson said that she is glad to see people, but isn’t used to seeing her teachers in the classroom right in front of her.

“It’s kind of exciting seeing everyone, but it feels different to actually be in the same room as the teacher when they’re explaining things,” she said.

Students used their face masks and shields throughout the day, even though they reported some problems with them.

“I dislike wearing the face shield because of the winds in Manoa. It kind of blows everything around the place so I’m scared it’s going to fly away,” said senior Christopher Wong.

Some students said they struggled with safety protocols such as directional arrows.

“It’s kind of confusing with the traffic patterns, but I think a lot of us are kind of ignoring them all and people are walking everywhere,” said Johnson.

Wong said he is used to the coronavirus safety guidelines but understands that the whole Mid-Pacific community needs to get used to it with time.

“I’ve been working on the weekends ever since June/July so wearing a mask, staying six feet apart, plus me wiping down things, I’m kind of used to it at this point, but I do understand that for my fellow classmates and even friends, they might have a little harder time with remembering,” said Wong, who works at BRUG Bakery and Hollister Co.

The changes made on campus for the safety of students to comply by are simple and shouldn’t be hard to maintain, said Ward.

“Just follow the arrows, wear the mask and wear the shield. It’s a simple easy thing to do, they’re not asking very much,” he said.

Staff Writers Erin Goya and Tyrael Goo contributed to this report.