“The virus made me see that I need to treat every day with my loved ones like it’s the last.”
The impact of COVID-19 on Boston students’ families after a month of quarantine
Being at home was a dream come true, but now it’s getting old
By Daniel Merchan, Staff Writer
Boston College High School
At the beginning of the COVID-19 quarantine, I was unaffected by the solitude. However, being alone and without social contact has become more of a nightmare than I expected. I was surprised to feel a longing to be in society again because before the pandemic it was my dream to just stay home, play video games, watch esports and be with my family. Yet, after a few weeks in quarantine, my family has been going crazy about what to do since it has been the same routine of work, watch TV, eat, sleep and repeat.
The problem I have with the quarantine at the moment is the lack of fresh air. I usually experience it whenever I am on the train and walking to school. Now, I am crammed with four people in my house who are breathing the same oxygen.
Additionally, every time I watch my esports there is no audience or crowd cheering for the home team. This makes my watching experience worse when I watch my favorite teams compete because I can’t hear the booing of the away team and the vibrant excitement of seeing honorable players.
My entire family has grown quite lonesome because we have to socially distance from our friends and family members. This means that my family is anxious about their wellbeing with the pandemic going on. My family is also worried about me because I’m not that social when it comes to quarantine. Outside of the home, I talk a lot to my friends, but now I have to be alone and my parents are wondering why I’m so anti-social.
We’re going crazy at home since we are only watching movies and watching the statistics on COVID-19 cases and deaths. The issue I have with the quarantine is that all I can do is watch the numbers go up as people panic for their safety and wellbeing.
Staying connected with family and friends feels essential
By Michaelle Mota, Staff Writer
Boston Arts Academy
Update:
It felt nice to leave my house yesterday. I haven’t seen my friends for a long time. The adults I grew up with were so shocked to see me and my dad was so glad I came. I hadn’t seen them in a year but staying at home really triggered me to leave my house again. I was always so busy before and I had no time for anyone. I would use my Saturdays and Sundays for myself, but even then I would squeeze in some work.
I also felt like I needed a glow-up because I haven’t been trying hard to dress up while home. Since I was super bored yesterday I went all out with my makeup. When my mom saw me she started laughing and said it was strange because she’s never seen me with a full face of heavy makeup before. I showed up at my friend’s house and all the adults were astonished, complimenting my father for having a beautiful daughter. Some of them even said I looked older, and, I mean — I am 16.
So we all know the 6-feet apart social distancing thing, right? As soon as I arrived I said hello to everyone with my elbow, but my best friend’s mother was so excited to see me that she reached in for a hug. My other friend’s mom was all like “No, but she’s right, she’s keeping a distance ’cause of corona.” And my best friend’s mom said “Eeh Corona que menina! Eu nao vi ella pra um ano!” meaning she hadn’t seen me for a year. She even made me sit on her lap …
Anyway, it was nice and I got to “ketchup” with everyone. But let’s just rewind for a bit, shall we? Before I had the sudden urge to visit my childhood friends, my mom and I wanted to take a walk outside the whole neighborhood. The weather was nice, but there was a bit too much wind. We had masks in possession but we weren’t wearing them, so when we were crossing the sidewalk this lady got startled as we were getting closer. I swear she was about to bolt out of there.
My mom and I were on our way to buy some more groceries and almost everyone was wearing masks — it’s like a new fashion trend, don’t ya think? Inside Shaw’s, there were huge stickers on the floor in red stating, “Keep a distance of two carts.” In every aisle you can see them — just like stop signs. Meanwhile, we were too busy to care as we were arguing over ice cream and its prices, as we were supposed to get two. As you may already know, people are getting laid off and not being able to work. Eventually, my mom yielded and I was able to get the ice cream of my choice.
What? She originally didn’t want any, but I don’t mind sharing. I got cookie dough. Tehe~
Bringing together family in Boston, Iowa and China
By Bendu David, Staff Writer
Boston Latin Academy
As a very family-oriented person, I consider those close to me to be family, and not being able to see my loved ones has been difficult.
When quarantine first started, my mom and uncle came up with the idea to hold nightly devotional Zoom calls to connect with family and keep in touch since we can’t be with each other at this time. These zoom calls have served as a time for the family to come together and share what we’ve been up to, to sing someone happy birthday, and to pray for sick family members affected in different parts of the country and the world by this virus. Family members from Boston to Iowa to China all join every night.
I miss my little cousins a lot and not being able to see them, especially with my going off to college soon, has been hard, since I was seeing them two to three times a week usually. Though modern technology is a blessing, it quickly has proven to not be the same as being together in person.
I’m part of the youth group at my church, named HYPE, or Helping Young People Excel, and every Wednesday during the school year we would meet for two hours to connect. We would talk about what we’ve been up to, watch movies together, play games together — it was always a great time with them. Now that we are all homebound, we can’t have those meetings anymore, but last week we were able to get on call and it was almost like we were all together, making jokes and laughing.
As we continue to watch the news and learn more about how long to expect to be inside, I’m doing the best I can to stay connected with the people I can and stay close to family and friends.
Reflecting on my roots in quarantine
Cristian Dubon-Solis, Staff Writer
John D. O’ Bryant School
It appears that the average person’s daily routine during quarantine is just to eat, work, sleep, repeat. However, it doesn’t all have to be boring and repetitive. In fact, this simple routine gives me a chance to talk more with my family and spend time reminiscing about the past.
On a particularly uneventful day, I came up with the idea to help my mom prepare a meal. I didn’t really care what the meal was, I just wanted something to do, but it ended up being way more enjoyable and emotional than expected.
As we were preparing the meal, it was way too quiet for my taste, especially in a Latinx household, so I started to ask my mom questions. In particular, what our life was like before moving to the U.S. and how to chop vegetables correctly (knives aren’t really my thing). She started to talk about the small farm we had in El Salvador with fields of corn, stables of horses and even a chicken hut. Slowly, but surely, I also started to remember some of the stories she told me in the past about our life on the farm. On one occasion, when I was around 2 years old, I remember her telling me that my cousin and I used to love to play with the little chicks when they hatched and how we would watch them move around. One of the weirdest and cutest moments of my time there.
It’s so weird how I have such strong family ties still in El Salvador, but I don’t feel it because I’m not living there anymore. Having this conversation with my mom has certainly put things in perspective for me, and has definitely made me value my place in America; A nation where there are certainly some problems, but also a nation where people like my family can pursue a better life. I’ve learned to love and appreciate my past and am determined to make the most of the life my mom has given me in America.
On top of this, I got to enjoy a very tasty meal.
The pandemic has forced me to take nothing for granted
By Aayana Stevenson, Staff Writer
Fenway High School
COVID-19 has impacted me in many ways. One day I’m hearing about someone I know dying and the next day I find out there are more cases in the U.S. than any other country. Throughout the years I have been alive, never did I think that it would come to this. I really wasn’t prepared for this. From the food we eat to the paper we use, everything we have now is sacred. I’m just trying to enjoy this scary time and I need to because I worry too much and I don’t want to worry anymore.
Since my mom is working from home she has actually found it a little easier to make her calls from the house. She sometimes gets bored from sitting down all day and it seems like the day takes longer to end but she has to make do with it. My dad got laid off and it’s been tough for him to stay at home because he is usually a very busy man.
My time at home has let me reflect on myself, my surroundings and my wellbeing. Now when I struggle with school work I don’t have teachers on my back and I can take things as slowly as I want. Yes, virtual homework has been tough but I’m trying to get used to it. It will take a while but I will get there. The virus made me see that I need to treat every day with my loved ones like it’s the last. I know this virus is terrible but I feel like it changed me for the better. I’m glad that I can try to be a different person and see things differently now.
It has not been easy adjusting to staying home and I don’t think it ever will be. It’s not easy to think about how this virus is killing people every day. I just try to think about the good things to get over that but it’s hard. Life will never be the same after this pandemic and I just hope things get better.
Want to read more student stories? Read about how the pandemic is impacting students’ academics here.
