Allergy season seems to be at an all-time high at Monroe-Woodbury High School. 

Although Spring can be beautiful with the new growth of flowers, grass, and other shrubs, it is often associated with pollen and seasonal allergies. Many students and staff members have come to the conclusion that this year allergies have been worse than ever. 

Some students and teachers explained that in the past they’ve never had problems with seasonal allergies, but now, all of a sudden, they’ve been experiencing allergy symptoms. 

“I feel like this year my allergies have been really bad, and it has prevented me from doing my normal routine. It’s weird because in previous years [allergies] have never really affected me,” said Junior Luke Russell. Russell explained that he had to take a few days off from school because of the severity of his allergies. 

“Allergies are like a smack in the face by the universe because it doesn’t  like you,” expressed Junior Brennan Ortiz. 

“Before I moved to New York, I used to live in California, and I never experienced any allergy symptoms; however, this year I’ve noticed that I have them now. I constantly have a stuffy nose. I’ve also noticed that with a lot of students. They have  a stuffy nose, itchy eyes, and lots of sneezing. I’m always out of tissues, and go through two to three tissues boxes every other day. I’m not sure if it’s because of allergies or the flu and colds as well,” explained Ms. Maguire, an art teacher at M-W.

“I’ve been having allergy issues recently, but I’ve never had them before,” said Junior Bell Ropiecki. 

“I feel like allergies are worse this year because people stopped wearing masks. The last couple years people have been wearing masks because of Covid, and they were not inhaling the same allergens that they were before. I never had allergies in my entire life, but this year they just started,” said chemistry teacher Mr. Demarco. 

One student explained that severe allergies weren’t new for them. 

“I’ve always had issues with allergies, so it isn’t a new thing for me. It’s really annoying though, and it feels like I have a cold all the time,” added Aedan Neubauer.

Students at M-W have also voiced that seasonal allergies have impacted their ability to learn. 

“My allergies have been so bad that it’s been hard to concentrate in class. There’s been times where I had to come into school late because of them. My eyes have been really itchy, my nose is stuffy and constantly running,  and I can’t stop sneezing. I’m allergic to a lot of types of pollen, so it’s been really hard. It’s a huge disruption to my everyday life,” said Junior Kashaf Jafry. 

“I feel like my allergies have been making it difficult to focus in class,” said freshman Milina Pitts. 

Other students explained that they haven’t had any issues regarding seasonal allergies. 

“I haven’t been experiencing any seasonal allergies, but I know a lot of my friends have,” explained Alexia Joseph, a junior. 

“I don’t have any allergy symptoms,” added Jupiter Tijo, a sophmore.

One teacher explained that he doesn’t think that the severity of allergies has really changed this year. 

“I have noticed that some students and staff have been severely impacted by allergies, I wouldn’t say that it’s been worse than other years. There have been years where it’s so terrible that in class it looks like they [students] have been physically beaten because of the swelling, redness, and everything. It’s a challenge for people who generally suffer from it, but I would not say it’s the worst it’s ever been this year,” said Mr. Filie, an English teacher.