On any given night, long after the halls are empty, the theatre at Bridgeport High School is bustling, rehearsing lines, painting backgrounds, and enjoying every spare minute with their second family.  As Broadway has gone dark, so has the stage at BHS, leaving a void for students and confusion about if and when all their hard work will be showcased for the 2020 season.

 

Like all extra-curricular activities, students and parents are in a state of mourning as they adjust to the screeching halt of practices, meetings, and the general routines of what it means to be part of a team, a troupe, a club.  The after-school activities offer students the opportunity to bond with others they might otherwise not even know. They work hard, they play hard and they navigate life’s lessons and share life’s burdens as they prepare for the next scene, the next race, the next competition.

 

Over the last week, the sadness was palpable for each of these groups as practices and events were postponed or cancelled. Students, staff, parents and the community were all blindsided by the effects of the pandemic, ending the week with so many unanswered questions.

 

Unlike when snow days are announced, there was no joy at BHS upon hearing of the cancellations at the local, state and national level. Students, staff and administrators were saddened by the sudden halting of sports, extra-curriculars, events and the closing of school. This is not viewed as a vacation or a break, but, for many, a severing of a necessary social connectivity that is vital in so many lives.

 

Teachers at BHS love teaching, they love their students, they are passionate about their content areas and they did not go into the field to instruct via computer. Teachers’ first thoughts involved feeding those in need, helping with the mental health impacts of isolation, empathizing with the disappointed students, and giving options for making the best of a bad situation.  Knowing that safety is the number one priority, the administrators have been phenomenal as they communicated constantly-changing information to the students and staff, conveying a sense of safety and encouragement as events get cancelled and new avenues get implemented. 

 

Thespian Troupe 7549 was scheduled to perform their one-act play, Elephant’s Graveyard, at state competition.  Cat in the Hat, Horton and the rest of the childhood favorites were preparing for Seussical’s opening night at BHS in April. The troupe was also slated to travel to participate in the International Thespian Festival this summer.            

 

DECA students had worked for months to qualify for international competition in Nashville next month. After every single student who competed in state competition, qualified, the cancellation of the international competition was announced. 

 

Those who play sports, whether actively competing or beginning their seasons, were told that not only their competitions, but even practices are cancelled for at least a month.  Local, state and national events cancelled one right after another, leaving a wake of disappointed and saddened students and so many questions unanswered.

 

Seniors and their parents are perhaps the hardest hit by the isolation, questioning whether treasured traditions like prom, graduation, and senior trips will take place, unable to spend their last few weeks of the year with friends, and trying to navigate scholarship season with uncertainty.  Dresses have been bought, caps and gowns hang in closets, venues have been booked for graduation parties, the rose breakfast planning has begun, and yet, seniors and their families must endure the waiting, the anticipation, and the disappointments alongside so many others.

 

Students who are used to serving their community each week are now confined to their homes, trying to find ways to adjust to their new normal.  But adjust they will. In these unprecedented times, the resilience of the students, the families, the staff and the community will be what remains long after this time of darkness passes.  

 

The ripple effect of the pandemic, whether economically, spiritually, mentally, physically, intellectually or socially, may very well be devasting.  The people of Bridgeport, however, will find new ways to connect, to encourage, to nurture each other and find contentment in unpredictable ways.  We are champions, not only on the field or the track or the court, but in the ways we care for one another, the way we spring into action to help each other, in this case, the way we mourn the loss of so many experiences together. 

 

Just as Broadway will eventually shine again, our shows will go on as well. Maybe not in the ways expected, but predictability is not the only path to happiness. With strong leadership, dedicated teachers, community support and resilient students, Bridgeport High School will use this as a source of strength to make us an even stronger family than before. Championship will take on a whole new meaning and we will all be among those celebrating it.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo is a file photo of an empty Bridgeport High School hallway, while Trina Runner is shown at a past graduation with one of her students. Bottom photo shows Runner with DECA students during a flower planting volunteer session at the Clarksburg sober living home. Bottom two photos courtesy of Trina Runner.