Category: Community

What It’s Like Being in Quarantine for an 18 year old High School Senior

By Hodon Yassin

I’m eighteen years old and it’s my senior year. I attend Whetstone High School. I’m also attending Columbus State for university. My hobbies include art, drawing, animation, etc.

Sadly, because of COVID-19, I couldn’t do as much of that as I would like.

COVID-19 stands for “Coronavirus Disease-2019”. It may have started in a supermarket in Wuhan, China. It has expanded to touch nearly every corner of the globe. Only one continent, Antarctica, is immune so far. Hundreds of thousands of people around the world have been sickened and thousands of others have died. How many people

The World Health Organization has declared the virus a global health emergency and rated COVID-19’s global risk of spread and impact as “very high,” the most serious designation the organization gives. There are a total of 21,131 people in the US who have the disease and over 1,271 have died. As for the entire world, there are a total 3.94M people who have it and over 275K deaths. However, many have recovered from the illness. There are a total of 182K in the US and 1.32M in the world who survived.

Covid-19 is mainly caused by physical contact, such as high-fives, hugs, etc. But it is also an airborne virus that you can breath if someone close to you has coughed, or even flushed a toilet. Because of COVID-19 becoming even more intense, many schools closed down. My school was one of them. The absence was going to last through weeks, but because it got even worse than before, it was extended to the entire school year. In order to avoid many students getting the virus, they cancelled prom, the school play, etc.

The past three weeks had been alright. I mainly just drew my artwork, watched TV, spent time with my family, etc. The only times we exit the house is to run errands, such as grocery shopping. Still, my teachers give me and my classmates online work. I always worked hard on each assignment doing the best I could.

I even had my 18th birthday during quarantine. Turning eighteen means I was finally going to be an adult. I mainly just watch a movie, each tons of junk food, call my friends, etc. My grandmother even called me to sing “Happy Birthday”. It was an alright birthday.

I really hope they find a cure for this disease. Even if I can’t go outside, I grew closer with my family while in quarantine. I get to learn more about my cultural roots and talk to my loved ones online using Zoom. I also became even more calmer than before because of drawing and talking about my emotions with my family. It even warms my heart to hear that many people have defeated COVID-19 and thank doctors for their help. In conclusion, I hope they find a cure.

A New Normal: Impacts of a Pandemic

By Olivia Cobbs

March 13th

You never really know how lucky you are until everything you know is gone.

This was just a normal day before we were all put on quarantine. No masks, no gloves, no 6 feet distance rule, just high school students enjoying each other’s presence. We didn’t know what was coming. None of us knew that we wouldn’t be able to hug each other until the world woke up again. They said it would be like a “long spring break”. They also said it wouldn’t hurt us. But look where we are now. 89,915 people have stopped breathing. They stopped hugging their family. Laughing with friends. Living their lives. They couldn’t even say goodbye before they finally closed their eyes forever. When will this all end, and how many more will leave us without a sound?

Enjoy running while you can. Breathing is a luxury that we don’t even acknowledge. We all fail to acknowledge the things we have until there is a risk of losing it. This is just human nature. Health is one of the most precious things a human can be blessed with. Don’t let your health pass you by because it can be taken in an instant. So run while you can breathe. Don’t wait until the cane to know how lucky you were.

Being a kid is great. You have a whole life laid out in front of you to explore. You can create who and what you want to be. Experiences are fresh and beautiful to young eyes. Even when you age you still have time. Many adults don’t realize it but you don’t have to be stuck. There is a lot more to discover besides the same desk and the same water bills. Live life to the fullest and don’t stop until you’re proud of your life. There is a certain triumph when you can lay down at last and say “I’m proud”.

The world is damaged and the people living on it aren’t any better. Although these days are lonely and trying, good things can still be found. This is a time of healing. It came in the most unexpected way but nothing good comes out of expectation. The world needed to breathe for a second. Life was so busy that there was no time to sit and remember what life is all about.

So, while we are all waiting for life to resume, let’s enjoy this time we are given. There may never be a break like this in our lives again. There are people dying and struggling so count yourself lucky if you don’t fall in that category. Be aware but don’t be paranoid. Don’t take all the groceries and toilet paper. Listen to certified people for information. And above all, stay safe and stay smart.