Since late November, a sickness has infected Edgemont High School. Don’t let the lack of at-home testing and masks fool you…this is just as serious. The effects of this illness may include the very bending of time itself (as fifty-minute periods transform into ninety-minute matches), checking your phone every time you have a chance and gaining interest in a sport you have never watched before. You may also have trouble paying attention in class—even more than usual! As horrifying as it sounds, some agree that these symptoms feel slightly better than listening to the details of a test that determines your quarter grade, but that doesn’t say much.
Since even social distancing cannot stop the spread of this illness, teachers are catching it too! The largest pandemic the school has seen since 2020: World Cup Fever has taken EHS by storm!
World Cup Fever’s symptoms can be hard for students to tolerate. Sometimes, those infected will get absorbed into the 60th minute of a match, just to hear a seventh grader yell “GOAAAL” with a voice crack from across the E-building, because their livestream is fifteen seconds ahead. And as annoying as the spoiler is, it is more unpleasant when Consortium breaks down and you miss what is happening completely.
Another major con of the sickness is when you are watching a game and the bell rings, so you have to go to another class. You miss what is going on because you are walking from one building to another in the five -minute transition period. The worst of it all is when it is the end of a match, and your forty-minute Fox Sports free trial runs out, so you are forced to watch on another person’s device, or on Telemundo.
“It has been a distraction but also something that feels unifying and exciting. It is nice to see people excited about the same thing.”
World Cup Fever does not involve joining any Google Meets, but it has caused lots of EHS to be just as focused on technology. When asked about its effects in the classroom, Ms. Fischer says, “It has been a distraction but also something that feels unifying and exciting. It is nice to see people excited about the same thing.” Also speaking on the topic of unity, Mr. Wuttke explains, “It is a cultural experience bringing people together globally.” Ms. Fischer further opines, “You have people telling each other the scores of games while they should be doing their work, but the vast majority of students always get their work done. I’m interested in the games, but it has not taken over my life.” Ms. Fischer also worries that perhaps a different variant of the fever will surface in a few months. She says, “Because everyone is so distracted [by the World Cup], I am not excited for March Madness!”
“School takes place for ten months every year. The World Cup only occurs for one month every four years, so I hope I am not expected to pay attention in class and avoid it.”
One of the side effects of World Cup Fever is that students might be entertained watching the games (even if they should not be watching in the first place). Josh Topf (‘26), a World-Cup-Fever-infected student, says, “School takes place for ten months every year. The World Cup only occurs for one month every four years, so I hope I am not expected to pay attention in class and avoid it.”
“The World Cup is fascinating, but it is not at all worth the excitement it is getting. To me, it is just another soccer match.”
But not all students have succumbed to the fever. An anonymous EHS student who has been able to avoid it thus far explains, “The World Cup is fascinating, but it is not at all worth the excitement it is getting. To me, it is just another soccer match.” But as we know with our newfound knowledge of pandemics, illnesses spread fast. Due to the contagious nature of World Cup Fever, even those who think they can avoid it might catch it soon!
World Cup Fever has taken everyone out of the classroom and into the matches, following countries they may unfortunately never otherwise would have known even existed. Teachers and students alike have been infected, and as of now, no vaccine is in development. Maybe one will be available by the time the next World Cup comes around in 2026, and a whole new set of high-schoolers catch the disease. Until then, stay safe out there!