Fourteen weeks ago, school started. Since then, the community has experienced a long fall semester of exhausting Zoom meetings, late nights working and more than our fair share of stress. The next two weeks will bring a much-needed break for everyone — from work, from screens, from stress.

The U-High Midway staff needs a break, too. So from Dec. 19, 2020, to Jan. 3, 2021, the Midway will take a hiatus from reporting and publishing new stories. Throughout the break, we have scheduled some coverage we think is our best or you may have missed.

Throughout this fall, we published more than 170 stories covering a wide range of news features and opinion: the Instagram account U-High Stories, defacing of the primary school’s Breonna Taylor memorial, the Faculty Association’s request for an injunction to halt in-person school, fostering puppies, students struggling with substance abuse and the need for adjustments to curriculum to match the challenges of distance learning. With the added news of a global pandemic and a polarizing presidential election, covering the effects on students, faculty and the community has been a challenge. 

This fall pushed all of us. Although we are always ready when winter break rolls around, this year, it feels like a necessity. We are very proud of the work we have done this fall and plan to hit the ground running when we come back in January, but now it is time for a breather.

Over this break, we plan to:

“Spend time with my grandparents I haven’t seen in a while.” — Grace Holleb, features editor

“Pleasure read and finish ‘Cyberpunk 2077.’” — Berk Oto, managing editor

“Sleep eight hours every single day.” — Peter Pu, News editor

“Catch up with my brother over break.” — Caroline Hohner, assistant editor

“Relax, this last week has been pretty stressful.” — Lucia Kouri, city life co-editor

We hope you also have the opportunity to do something you haven’t been able to during break. Have a restful, recharging and relaxing break. We look forward to covering the community in 2021.

Inspired by an editorial by the Daily Gamecock at the University of South Carolina.