A new normal

By: Liberty Kessler

During the early days of the pandemic, it took me a bit of time to adapt to the transition into quarantine and the abruptness of losing everything I once thought was normal. I don’t think I’ll ever be fully adapted to life in quarantine, but for now, this IS my normal and I just have to accept it. No physical closeness, no school in person, and masks on at all times. A year ago, kids were joking saying “it’ll only be for two weeks.” Little did we know we’d be spending a year and counting living through this wild pandemic.

Coronaversary

By: Isabelle Pala

When I think about this time last year, I laugh at the fact that I really thought we would be back in school in a matter of weeks. I think it’s safe to say everyone has gone through pretty similar stages of quarantine over the past year. First we had the productive “I’m gonna bake and knit and bike” phase when we had more time than things to do, the depressed and nostalgic phase when all we wanted was a normal high school experience, and the burnout phase, which I think many of us are in now. I’ve learned a lot more about myself, who I am when no one else is influencing my opinions, what I wear, and who I choose to be friends with. Personally, the past year has been one of the best and worst years of my life, but I am grateful for the experiences and realizations that wouldn’t have surfaced without the pandemic.

Let’s put corona in the past

By: Julia Weinrod

When I was little, I loved the book Fever 1793 about the Philadelphia yellow fever epidemic. Kind of weird, but I thought it was cool to read stories about wearing masks and dodging infection. Now, after a year of doing it myself, I no longer think it’s so exciting. It’s bittersweet to remember how happy I was a year ago thinking spring break had come early. I returned in-person exactly one year after leaving, and it was a sad reminder of what school used to be. I hope this spring brings less time on a screen and more kids back in school.