By:  Alli Frick

Before the start of the Corona Virus, no one ever saw this coming, and we would say that our lives were “normal”. Having a routine every day, whether that was getting up for work and or school, and was Being able to see all my friends in school making my senior year memories and walking the halls of my school without a worry of who was around me. I was able to play the sports that I love. Seeing the administration every day made my day ten times better when talking to them. Working at Kohl’s, so going to work when I could was actually fun to me because I made great relationships with my other co-workers. I was able to go spend time with the loved ones who needed family around them as much time as they had, and hanging out with my friends such as going shopping. The mall was a place that we would get together and just walk around. Just being able to go where I want and hang around with who I wanted without having to worry about anything. 

This time has changed my life more than I ever would have imagined. I am not able to work at the moment because Kohl’s is not an essential place, so all I can do work wise is help my parents around the house. People aren’t allowed to go out to any store without a mask on to help the spread and have to remain six feet apart away from others. My schooling isn’t really school. Having all classes online and getting assignments weekly and getting graded on my appearance at the meetings and the work that is turn in. It is so weird not being able to see or talk to my teachers regularly to create better bonds that we already have. But on the bright side, I have found some different hobbies that I enjoy doing Such as painting on canvases, going outside more, taking walks and hiking. Just the hardest part is that I can’t enjoy doing those things with my friends. I have to find excitement by just being myself. 

I believe that life will always be looked at through the lens of this pandemic and how much it has changed our country. I hope it turns out to be something we take more precaution on next time, to help all those businesses before they would have to shut down again. I hope people reflect on this, and see that people are trying to help the spread but everyone just wants to go do the things that they want to. I think if anyone is to go shopping again, places will possibly have some restrictions just not sure what. Getting essentials will hopefully be easier to get and not all sold out in every grocery store. The restocking for all the items will be available but they might keep the set limit to how many things you buy for those things. 

If you look at everything, global warming is actually being affected as well, farmers have to get rid of fresh milk and kill some chickens. The air is better because not as many people are diving here and there, plus the water supply is so much clearer. This helps us in the long run, but might not stay that way. All this tragedy has affected everyone, but all we can do is pray to come out stronger. 

By:  Morris Hess

What was my life before COVID-19? On a typical Monday to Friday I would wake up at 6 AM get ready for school, leave at 6:50-7 AM, maybe stop at Saylor’s before school starts for a snack or drink for my day. Go to 1A,1B,2, then go to flex and lunch with my girlfriend. Then go to 4AB and 5th to finish up my school day. Next, I would head home to take a shower before leaving to go work at my job. I work at the Walnut Bottom GIANT as a cart attendant, and cashier. Work for 4 to 4.5 hours. I would work that night, head home, make something to eat and head to sleep to repeat it Monday through Friday. Weekends would be me sleeping in as much as I can, Working my shift, hanging out with my girlfriend, or working on our cars.

At present time, I’m currently having meetings daily, Monday through Friday with my teachers. I  talk to teachers for 30 minutes, doing two activities they provide to get credit to finish my senior year in high school. My work has made us wear masks for the past week and ‘till this goes away. I’ve been told to keep 6ft distance from everyone if possible, wear a mask, wash hands very frequently. Count how many people enter and exit the store. Sanitize all carts that are brought into the store for customer use. 

I expect life after this is over to be different. Most people will still be sensitive to the situation even once it is over just to take extra precautions. Nothing will be the exact same as we left it. No more school for this year it’s all online so i can’t go see my friends and make school memories. I can’t wait for car shows and meets again.  I find it funny that people get together over something they have in common and all want to modify or do something to their car and learn more. That’s one reason I love cars, and car meets/shows.

By:  Hannah Varner

Everybody is currently aware of the huge pandemic happening right now all around the world. COVID-19, which doesn’t sound that life threatening, but that’s not the way people are handling it. My life has dramatically changed over the past couple of months just because of this virus.

First, let’s address how my day has changed with school. Instead of waking up every single morning at 5:30 am, picking out an outfit, getting ready for school and then hopping into my car to pick up my boyfriend just to head into school, I am now meeting with my teachers over a video chat and watching my fellow students glitch in and out of the video, that’s if I’m lucky. Teachers are accompanied by their children, students have parents watching nearby and myself. I sit and listen with my camera off and muted. Personally, not much has changed about myself. I still sit silently listening to the teacher and complete my assignments when I am not working. I do admit that I miss the social interaction with friends and teachers, and I am saddened that as a senior I won’t be walking the halls ever again.

Next, let’s talk about my work. Now when I was in school, I was mostly working 6-10 pm maybe 3-4 times a week and this was usually super slow and I was the last register open for the night as self checkout remained open. I’d close my register and clock out, then would go grab a snack to eat for dinner because when I arrived home my parents would usually already be in bed. I typically would switch in between self checkout and register, they were my only two jobs. Now, I find myself standing at a register with a glass shield placed in front of me and a mask on my face twenty four seven and being told “Go wash your hands!” every hour until my hands are completely dried out. I also have been assigned to close the self checkouts at 10 pm because our store’s hours have changed and we now close at 10 pm instead of midnight. I also have been told that I have to clean every single register after every person, which can be a hassle watching customers, cleaning registers, letting the line director know what registers are available and trying not to get yelled at. Oh, have I mentioned that too? People don’t like when you stand too close to them and or tell them they have to wait in a line of 60 people till a register opens. I went from working 3-4 nights a week, to working almost every single day, but at least we got a $2 raise for working during the virus. On another note, Easter was a complete nightmare for me because so many people came in and it was a wreck. We also added one way traffic to our isles, even though people don’t follow them. I could go on and on with all the rules and regulations that have come into play with this whole virus pandemic. Also, did I mention how toilet paper and hand sanitizer are basically considered gold nowadays, who would ever believe that?

I’m not sure when things will ever end up returning to normal, but hopefully it’s soon because I already lost my senior year; I don’t want to lose my summer too. I’m hoping more people consider the fact that if they don’t stop meeting up with each other in large groups for fun, the virus is never going to end. I’ve seen a lot of out of state people wandering around, which doesn’t help anything either. I’ve also spoken with different people in other states that claim their quarantine isn’t that serious. I think all the states should have an equal set of regulations that need to be followed in order to eliminate this virus.