March-Looking Back At A Year In Quarantine

Helaina Ballou, Staff Writer|March 11, 2021

The first covid-19 case in Virginia was reported on March 7, 2020. One year ago this week, Newport News Schools closed as the whole world had to go into lockdown and everyone had to stay at home to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus. Thousands of people were dying from the coronavirus daily and people all over the world had to cancel their plans for the of the year. A lot of things have changed for people over the past year so we asked our writers what has changed for them, how they have changed in the past year, and what advice they would give to Menchville students to help them move forward.

How have you changed in the past year as a result of the pandemic?

What has changed most for you in the past year because of Covid-19?

What words of advice would you give to move Menchville students forward in a post-pandemic world?

Julian Banks, Staff Writer-I have changed the most by being inactive and unhealthy. I was playing basketball and going to the gym but when quarantine hit I had to stop. I also started eating healthier but that kind of took a turn.

Helaina Ballou, Staff Writer- I’ve changed in the past year by becoming less motivated and inactive. The thing that has changed for me the most is that I have been staying home more often. The words of advice I would give to move Menchville students forward in a post-pandemic world is to try to hang out with friends more because you don’t when it will be the last time you’ll see them.

Matthew Swanenburg, Staff Writer- I have changed in the past year as a result of the pandemic by becoming less motivated. With nowhere to go, and nothing to really do there hasn’t been any incentive for me to get out of bed and be productive, and this was especially true at the beginning of the quarantine. The thing that has changed for me in the past year is I have become a horrible studier. Due to everything being an open-notes, I haven’t felt any need to really study and prepare for any assignments. Finally, I would tell Menchville students to not take the sporting events, hangouts with friends, and school experiences for granted.

Kailani Vera, Staff Writer-My sleep schedule could be better. Before the pandemic, I used to go out frequently and set a lot of plans that required in-person interaction, because of the pandemic, I have been significantly less productive. I would advise other students to continue looking ahead to the best of their ability because time will still move them forward.

Kalaya Gross, Staff Writer-I would tell students to enjoy everything that school has to offer. Because, despite how stressful school can be everything about school would be missed, especially when you can’t go.

Breanna Patierno, Staff Writer-I have changed in many different ways since the pandemic hit but one way, in particular, is that I have gotten into a better, healthier mindset that has made me feel happier than I did at the beginning of 2020.

Beth Ellis, Staff Writer – Covid-19 was definitely an unexpected setback for me in the beginning due to the sudden and extreme changes it has caused in my daily routine. Between school existing online, events and activities being canceled, and me no longer feeling comfortable around large groups of people during the pandemic, I found myself spending a significantly larger amount of time indoors; however, lately I have been trying to see Covid-19 as a positive opportunity to re-evaluate my priorities and focus more attention on my physical and mental health. This pandemic is going to continue changing the world we knew pre-pandemic, so we must take things one step at a time, act responsibly, and be patient with one another in order to properly evolve and adjust to the changes that are presented.