As the education system works to adapt to the circumstances brought on by COVID-19, University Interscholastic League (UIL) announced on Mar. 19 that it will be extending its suspension of all UIL activities from Mar. 29 to May 4 at the earliest. 

“While the immediate future is unclear, we are committed to providing these much-desired activities to all Texas students and will prepare for all possible outcomes, including extended school closures,” UIL Executive Director Dr. Charles Breithaupt said in the UIL press release.

Students have dedicated time during the school year preparing for these events, but are understanding of the postponement given the current situation. 

“I participate in prose and poetry,” junior Taryn Sutherlin said. “I was excited about my pieces, but I understand that this is for the best. I’d rather sacrifice a competition than have Corona spread.” 

Alongside academic events, athletics events are also being postponed, leaving seniors unable to play in their last season on a high school team. 

“[Our coach] has been sending us workouts that we can do at home that require no type of gym equipment since most of us don’t have access to anything like that right now,” senior softball player Leah Taylor said. “Everyone is pretty upset that our season is messed up, especially the seniors. We have been working hard for the last four years for this moment to be taken away from us.”

It is currently uncertain when UIL district, region, and state will take place or if they will even be occurring this school year. UIL has mentioned that they will continuously evaluate the situation and provide updates through their website and social media accounts.  

“Looking at how other states are handling schools and education, I would be surprised if we returned this school year,” teacher and literary criticism coach Jasen Eairheart said. “This may be a year where all UIL activities, unfortunately, end abruptly.”