Show choir is one of Kennedy’s most beloved extracurricular activities. The rhythm, vocals, and dancing mix to create a wonderful performance opportunity for students. But what happens when over half of the performers are unable to practice for over a week due to COVID-19?

On Jan. 8, 2022, Ankeny Centennial hosted their Mid-Iowa Show Choir Competition, where several show choirs across the state came together to put on a massive show. The event lasted a day without a mask mandate. After such a large gathering of people, a wave of COVID-19 hit our show choirs at Kennedy.

Sophomore and Happiness Inc. member Levi Hodge contracted COVID-19 after the event.

“I don’t think this’ll have a big impact on the show choir season. We’re just gonna have to work really hard, and then we can be back to where we were at Ankeny— or even better,” said Hodge.

Hodge noticed many people weren’t wearing masks or taking safety precautions when in crowds, which he believes was a major factor in COVID-19’s spread. 

However, not everyone believes there won’t be an impact on the season. Sophomore Protégé member Riana Kraft attended the Ankeny Centennial competition and didn’t catch COVID-19. Kraft socially distanced and double-masked everywhere except when she ate or drank during the competition.

“We just came back from the holidays, so everyone was with their friends and family, and [the Ankeny Centennial show] was very packed, and not many people wore masks there,” said Kraft.

Riana believes if other show choir competitions are similar to the Ankeny Centennial show,  there may not be many show choir competitions left. With too many kids out sick, she thinks they wouldn’t have enough time to practice or prepare.

As of right now, Kennedy show choirs are going to continue to compete at the upcoming show choir competitions while still being cautious about wearing masks in large crowds. Most who were exposed to COVID-19 will have returned to school by Jan. 24. They plan on continuing their hard work as kids return to make their shows even greater.