What Does COVID-19 Look Like?

Having nothing but time on our hands is a foreign concept to our family. We used this newfound freedom to take to the garden that hadn’t been tended to in far too long. We hadn’t spent that kind of quality time together in a while, especially outdoors. A lot of the things that caught our eyes were everyday creatures that we usually take for granted: rabbits, birds, worms, ants, and this toad who ...

I had these photos printed in December, but I still wasn’t sure what I wanted to use them for at that time. After a couple weeks of being stuck at home, I found myself missing my friends a whole lot. I decided to put the photos up on my wall so I can see my friends’ faces whenever I’m in my room. Though my friends aren’t actually here with me, the pictures have made my room feel a little less...

With the onset of quarantine, many familiar settings that were once a source of rest are now becoming more of a passive prison. In spite of this, it is rejuvenating to explore the outdoors while maintaining parameters. When spring agrees to cooperate with warmer weather, my brother, Joe, and I walk our dog, Sarah, around various routes in our neighborhood. This particular night, Tuesday, April 7, we wal...

  Zoom has become a major part in schooling at home. With four kids dealing with online classes, my family had to adjust to the many zoom calls that my siblings and I have. My sister, Rebecca, says “that Zoom calls have been a very easy way to stay in touch with teachers and friends.”  With Zoom students can learn from the comforts of their own homes.

Since quarantine has begun, many of the ways we used to entertain ourselves have lost their entertainment value, forcing us to find different methods of distraction. My mother, Melody, is seen here doing a jigsaw puzzle, a hobby she enjoyed doing often when she was a child, and something that she has since decided to reexplore in the free time afforded by social distancing.   

With the recent closure of all schools in Missouri, I’ve had my learning moved to be online. In order to receive teacher’s lectures and assignments, the students must use programs like Google Classroom and Zoom.  As a result of having to learn at home and not at school, many students have taken it upon themselves to find a designated workspace in their homes. Having a workspace can make it ...

Not much has changed, save for getting this puppy, as well as the extra free time to be extremely bored. We also are currently watching over a bird but the bird isn’t as hard to watch over as this adorable demon.

Dear COVID-19, You are a blessing but a curse. You let me and my family spend way more quality time together than usual. We have spent not only more dinners together but even breakfast. Projects are getting done around the house and so many games are being played. Yet you are also hurting my family. Jobs have either been lost for good or just for now. With the stress of looking for new jobs has ...

With the recent closure of many public buildings, many people have become bored, and almost to the point of feeling stir crazy. This includes me, as I no longer attending work, go to my dad’s house, and like many other students in the area, attending school online. It’s hard to not be able to see people that are loved and cared about unless it’s talking through the phone....

Social distancing has taken a toll on everyone’s personal lives. Not being able to interact with friends and some family is challenging for many, but, for some people, having pets staying with them at home makes it a little better. For example, my two cats curl up to sleep by me providing a nice, small distraction for the chaos.    

It’s been a little rough. Extremely weird and a little rough. I have been trying my best to look at the bright side of things, but it’s still rough. I’ve gotten closer with my neighbors; one is my age and the other is five. We drew pictures on the driveway with chalk. I hope life is normal again sooner than later.

Although social distancing has led to ghost towns, some locations are still densely populated. Not only do grocery stores pass the “necessities-only test”, but fast food does as well. Ian Ingram works at Chick-Fil-A, providing food for people who cannot make it themselves. Although COVID-19 has led to a loss in sales, this is not correlated to occasional drive-thru lines that back up to the main ...

Since the day the Jones’ family heard about not going back to school for a while, many things changed. There are specific things that need to get done before homework begins. That means figuring out what to do first and for how long and where to do it at. That wasn’t hard to figure out. There’s a kitchen table to do schoolwork. But now the tricky part is to have motivation to do all that work ...

Desperate for the sunshine and some exercise, my mom, my sister Hannah, and I went for a walk along the trail at Rabbit Run Park. While we were walking, we made sure to practice social distancing with other walkers, even though there were very few people around. The walk allowed us to get out of the house after sitting around for days doing school and work while avoiding the general public.  ...

COVID-19 has allowed for a lot more free time in everyone's lives. Since the beginning of online learning sophomore, my sister and I watch a movie together every Wednesday night after they complete their daily homework. This helps to fill a little of their free time while enjoying a good movie together.

The Wolfe family has spent a lot of our time over break playing board games and card games. My mom, Christie, says that, “spending this extra time together as a family is a fun way for us to pass the time.” We like to do lots of things outside as well. We all get along which makes this whole quarantine a lot easier to get through.

With no more school, going outside is how I’ve been escaping the boredom of staying indoors. Two daily walks a day with my dog and going for runs are how I’m staying active. COVID-19 has given my family a new sense of responsibility because we have to also support our family in Mexico by sending in money and goods from Amazon. My brother has been the “hero” of the house with going to New Yor...

Due to my parents being immunocompromised, I cannot leave the house and have spent most of my time doing my school work. My family has divided the house so no two zoom calls are happening at the same time in the same area. This is a frustrating change, as I have a large family all stuck together while I juggle, school, Zoom calls, and mental health. 

For a refreshing break from schoolwork and staying in our house, my family has been going on multiple hikes each week. This usually includes me, my younger brother, and my mom; however, when my dad is not at work he will join as well. My dog tags along on the shorter trails that he can still handle as he gets older. Hiking has been a great way to find peace and bond as a family now that our schedu...

These past few weeks at home have been consumed mostly by my dog. Daily walks around the block, playing fetch in our backyard (although I would hardly call throwing the ball and never getting it back fetch), and people-watching in my room. Bailey likes to watch our neighbors on their trampoline and bark occasionally.

To avoid having to leave the house, my family has been having groceries and other necessities delivered to our house. My mom always makes us disinfect everything, even if it is just our order from Papa John’s. My Grandma even sewed us masks. In this picture, my little sister Emme disinfects our groceries. Even though it feels silly to clean everything, it gives us peace of mind.  ...

April 11 is no different than the past few weeks for the employees at Walgreens Pharmacy who have been working non-stop during the pandemic. From cleaning every crevice to wearing a mask at all times, we, the workers, have been forced into a state of paranoia. However, despite the growing danger of staying open during this time, all the workers remain positive and have developed a sense of normality...

Throughout this quarantine, my family has been spending time together while also doing our own things. Both of my parents are working at home while my sister and I do online school. My dad, Rob, likes to play solitaire on his tablet after work. “I think that with everyone constantly together in the house, it helps to spend some alone time doing things we enjoy,” said Rob. “That way, we don’t...

With so much new free time and the order to stay home, my dad has found the final solution to all of our boredom: yard work, yard work, yard work! Thankfully my allergies have spared me from the thick of it, but no one is safe in this yard restoration mania. My neighbor has been enlisted to help re-mulch on a salary, and it’s only a matter of time until I have no choice but to participate as well. ...

Pearce was having fun with the cherry blossoms, and I decided to stick one behind his ear. I’ve been spending a load more time with him and with nature — a blessing in disguise. School keeps us cooped up inside mostly, so it was a literal breath of fresh air to run around in our backyard.

...

Since classes are now online and from home, I can find time between classes to brew a pot of tea. Performing a seemingly dull, simple, and brainless task gives me a welcome break from schoolwork and thinking.

My brother and I have found many games to occupy the time we spend laying around the house. Other than doing homework and going on walks when it’s nice, we like to hang out and provide each other with company. “I’m so bored,” Brick says approximately 42 times a day. Finding small hobbies and activities to do passes the slow time by just a little bit faster.

In a time of solitude and sorrow, there is still joy. There is still hope. There is still community. To honor math teacher Roxanne Fetsch, who has been battling leukemia throughout the past few years, teachers, administrators, and students got together to plan something big. Mrs. Fetsch recently found out that she is cancer-free. To celebrate this huge milestone, teachers and students caravanned to her ...