It seems that it was only a couple of months ago that the term COVID-19 was a far off thought in our minds and the only things everyone was focused on was school and our daily lives, but now things have drastically changed. 

COVID-19 has prompted the cancellation of  schools and sporting events, essentially bringing the world to a halt, and the virus has certainly affected the DHS student body in different ways. 

While some students are stuck inside their homes with a lot of free time, other students have been identified as essential workers and are forced to leave their homes on the daily. 

Sophomore Rebekah Doyel is one of the students who has been deemed an essential worker. Doyel works at Chick-fil-A in Mission and has seen her job take precautionary measures to keep everyone on staff safe. 

“We aren’t allowed to have as many employees in the store at once [and] non employees are not allowed inside the store no matter what,” Doyel said.

Another student who has had a similar experience is sophomore Emma Klinger, who works at Chick-Fil-A in Lenexa. 

“We get our temperatures taken every day and we’re doing the best we can to keep everyone safe,” Klingler said.

There have also been many efforts on the staff’s behalf to keep customers safe. 

“We wear masks and gloves no matter what job we’re doing and we give people their food in little baskets to keep it contact-free,” Klingler said. 

As for how customers have adjusted to the changes, “Customers are being very precautious, but a majority have had no complaints and seem very impressed with how we have adapted to the situation,” Doyel said. 

Seeing her fellow classmates work during this scary time has left sophomore Keeley Chambers with a lot of admiration for her  classmates working during the pandemic. 

“I applaud all the students working during this time. I know it must be scary interacting with so many people daily,” Chambers said.