Last year: The football game student sections were always full; students were packed into the stands and personal space didn’t really exist. 

This year: Everyone has to keep a distance of 6 feet and wear face masks at all times in public, which calls into question sporting event attendance. 

COVID-19 has had a great impact on football season. At first, the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) pushed it to the spring; however, after the season was soon reinstated. The downside? Only two fans were allowed per player in the stands. 

This changed on Thursday, Oct. 8, when RHS Principal, Neil DeLuca sent out a school-wide email explaining that MHSAA changed the capacity for spectators to 30 percent outdoor events and 20 percent for indoor events. With this new ruling, each player is now allowed four fans in the stands. 

“I was very happy to be able to go to football games this year considering it is my senior year and these are my final few high school football games I have left before I graduate,” senior crowd member Aidan Kowal said.

Rochester Community Schools started the 2020-2021 school year virtually and the Fall 2020 football season was initially canceled, but then reinstated by the Representative Council of Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) after Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Executive Order 176. 

 RHS students will be returning in person on Oct. 19th, for the first time since March 11 but the school will be split into two different cohorts and everyone is required to adhere to coronavirus procedures.  

Cohort A will feature students whose last name starts with A-K, and Cohort B will feature students whose last name starts with L-Z.  

“I am very excited to be back because I would much rather be taught in person rather than staring at a screen,” Senior Ana Hernandez said.