A schedule of screen meetings. A feeling of monotony, of exhaustion, of anxiety. A drowning instinct.

We all struggled to keep our heads above water the past few months with the weight of school and a global pandemic pressing down on our backs.

Add in an election that had even the sanest of us on the edge of our seats. One thing is apparent: simply surviving this year is something that every one of us can take pride in now.

Worry is no longer something that we are told to let go of. Anxiety is no longer a rarity.

Mental health problems are more common than ever, and much of that is reflected in young students’ struggle.

When we tried to think of a theme for this issue to encapsulate our community and our staff’s emotions, it became apparent that attempting to put a label on it was close to impossible. Instead, we went for a metaphor — the metaphor of trying to keep our heads above the water.

This concept seemed like something straightforward, a phrase that was tossed around; now, we all can somewhat relate to the idea that merely making it through the day is much harder than any of us had bargained for.

We are back on campus. Life no longer is about living vicariously through a small computer screen, but with this positive change came so many more battles; each one of us had to face.

Exhaustion from making the transition into classes over an hour hits us the moment when we get home from school, and maintaining a distance of over six feet from people we have known for years is more challenging than we ever imagined it to be.

We are still in a pandemic, and our troubles are smaller relative to others’ concerns, but that doesn’t invalidate our experiences.

Getting through the day is something to hold pride in, and by keeping our heads from falling beneath the surface, we are succeeding in more than just surviving … we’re staying afloat.