By Avrena Ghatas
Despite the Huntington Beach Union High School District’s shift to online learning for the start of the fall semester, registration took place in-person with mask-wearing and social distancing guidelines in place. Six Barons share their thoughts about the registration process and how their first week of distance learning went.
“The registration process, for me at least, was quite simple. The first week of school, however, was a little overwhelming. I liked the fact that registration was in-person because it was fun seeing some of my friends for the first time in a while. The registration was fine. In my opinion, it wasn’t missing anything. I appreciate that teachers are trying their hardest to make learning as effective as possible in the circumstances that we are in,” junior Youstina Meseha said. 
“My thoughts on registration this year is that this year’s registration went on pretty smoothly and my first week of school definitely had some problems due to technology but other than that a lot of my teachers were very patient with us and were considering the problems we had. I personally liked in person registration because it was very organized and went by really fast. If it had been online I know that there would have been more technical problems. Registration was very effective this year and since we were in our cars the 6-feet distance rules also remained. Other than that there were also some problems with the baron store and some people have still not gotten what they had ordered. So that was a problem with in person registration. However, I really appreciate how all the staff tried their best to make sure this registration process went as smoothly as possible,” sophomore Taniya Khattra said. 
“If I had to say how the registration went, I’d say extremely quiet and peaceful. The only negative was that I didn’t get to run into my friends, and couldn’t say hi. Now the first week of school however, was very chaotic. I mean every first few days of school is really messy. I had to get used to getting homework everyday, and that was rough. Not only that but zoom, made participation credit harder to get. I think registration should’ve been online because it would have been easier for me. Registration was very fast and easy to get through, but it was hard to get there because my mom had to go to work; my sister took me,” sophomore Ciara Orna said.
“Registration this year was different. The line was exceptionally long; however, it was moving. It was rewarding having registration at school, at least for me, as a senior because this is my last year. Also, I think it would have been difficult to register online because many students needed to communicate with some counselors and other staff members. In-person registration gets tasks done and is more effective. For instance, I needed to change one of my classes, and if I have emailed my counselor, it would have taken much longer since counselors are working extremely hard to make changes and desires for every student. I think our staff did a great job organizing and planning everything to go well on the registration days. Lines might have been long, but getting our ID pictures and picking up our super baron benefits from the student store didn’t take much time. The first week of school was unlike what I ever expected. The first day was a bit tough, but as the week went by, it got better. I am loaded with so many assignments, and I already have three tests next week on the same day. Some of my teachers are giving out too many assignments, unlike when we were back at school. Difficult times will often arise, but everything is achievable through hard work, patients, and faith. Good luck, barons!” senior Josyan Guirgis said. 
“The start of the year was definitely unique. So registration was really short compared to the other years because of [COVID-19], which meant I couldn’t see most of my friends. I know that’s the whole point of social distancing but would’ve been nice. Skipping to the first day of school, I wore pjs, in my bed, with a ton of snacks next to me. Unlike previous years, I was never hungry in class, which is a total win. Though, with everyone now online, my WiFi was TERRIBLE. You could see that my teacher’s screen was delayed as she talked and nothing matched up. Learning online is definitely a struggle but I’ll get used to it sometime later. Overall, both were successful considering we had little to work with,” senior Emily Le said. 
“I really liked the way the registration was planned out this year because I felt that the process was quick, easy and very organized. It was convenient and the school made sure that everyone was feeling safe and following social distance guidelines. There were staff members to guide us through the process and help us. Usually there is a long wait during registration and it takes about an hour, but this year it took me less than 20 minutes. I find this method a lot more efficient. The first week of school was easy and nicely organized by the teachers. I believe it would have been a lot more convenient if we had a small break between our periods,” junior Emroz Sandhu said.
