8:58 am, Monday, December 14: I’m in Newspaper. I feel the throbbing in my head, the weakness in bones. I have two quizzes today and a lab in class, I can do it. It’s just one week and then break, everything will be okay. 9:10am. I went up to fill up my water. Breathing heavy, I filled it up as I felt drained. Trudging back to my seat, like a soldier through 4 feet of snow, I made it back. I got out my salted crackers, the only sustenance that I can manage, and set to eating them. One bite, two bites, I am suffering.

No. School is important, but not worth risking your health and the health of everyone around AMHS. There is a Magnet Culture that it is worth it to suffer through school rather than stay home and feel better, but this is a dangerous concept. Looking up “going to school while sick” there are multiple sites with suggestions on how to effectively go to school while sick. The “10 Commandments for Going to Class Sick” include statements like “Thou shalt keep all thy possessions to thyself” and “Thou shalt not sneeze nor cough upon thy neighbor”. The best prevention of any illness would be just to stay home. If you’ve had a fever of 100 or above within 24 hours, do NOT come to school. You’ve been vomiting? Stay away; I enjoyed my meal and I don’t want to see it again.

You know what is better than going to school and spreading contagions to the other students? Laying at home in bed and healing your ailing body. Why wake up early and drive all the way to school when you could be sleeping in and enjoying a nice reprieve from learning and homework? In all seriousness, teachers understand that their students cannot always be in optimal conditions and may need to take a few days off to recover from a sickness. They have their students’ best interests in mind and just want to see their students back and well.