Alexa David-Lang, ‘22

April 2020

Hello everyone! If you’re like me (and I know you are because we’re all doing the same thing right now), you’re probably stuck inside because of quarantine. Millions of people around the world are getting sick and dying, and many bad things are happening because of coronavirus. So we’re just going to talk about literally anything else. We’re obviously going to be stuck like this for a while, but why dwell on all of the horrible things happening when we can avoid it like the mentally stable people we are?

First up, you must be getting a ton of sleep. Without having to wake up and get ready for school and leave time to take the subway, you probably get to sleep in for at least another hour or two, if not more. Even if you have a first-period class at 9 am, you could get up at 8:50 and still get there with plenty of time to spare. And speaking of online classes, they are so much more tolerable than regular classes. Even though they can be a difficult adjustment and be hard to learn from, you can deal with them much more easily. For example, you can turn off your camera and mute yourself and space out if you can’t handle class. Not that I’m encouraging you to do that, you should always, 100% of the time, pay attention in class, for sure. Yep.

But I get it, school is still annoying to do from home, and some teachers are just giving an unreasonable amount of homework. So let’s talk about stuff outside of school. Even with all of the work and classes that you may have, you still can’t deny that you have way more time on your hands than before. And that time is all going to a good place. Whether you’re catching up on that book you’ve been meaning to read, binge-watching Tiger King or helping your family members, it is all definitely a better use of your time than school. Imagine yourself sitting in a building for 6 hours a day, listening to a professor drone on about how to understand math philosophically instead of just memorizing a formula like every other normal high school kid. You are either being productive in a way that you want to be, getting some much-needed relaxation, or taking some of the weight off of you re loved ones. I don’t know about you, but that seems pretty positive to me.

But maybe you’re getting sick of your family. There are lots of people in crowded in your house which has suddenly shrunk down to at least half the size. It feels like there’s no privacy, and you are seeing them 24/7. You feel like there’s no escape. While I can’t deny that that can be extremely overwhelming, I can offer you some smaller forms of relief. If your family allows it, take a walk. As long as you stay 6 feet away from everyone and wear a mask if you have access to one, it should be a nice and relaxing way to take a breather. But maybe walks aren’t your thing, after all, they can get pretty boring. So if you’re looking for some inspiration, let me give you a rainbow. People (well, mostly kids) all around the world are drawing rainbows and putting them up in their windows for hope. Then they are recording them online so that you can find them near you. It may not seem like much, but it’s super cute and amazing to see all of these positive actions that are helping even just a little bit. You can find it here. 

But maybe for some reason you don’t like rainbows because you’re a psychopath, I don’t know. You can still find your sense of community and hope in other ways. For example, every night at 7 pm, people all around New York City open their windows and doors and cheer for the essential workers like doctors and firefighters. I find it so refreshing to see this sense of caring for others who are going through a lot right now, even if you don’t personally know them. Especially in a place like NYC, where you’re surrounded by millions of strange people who usually aren’t connected. But we are starting to come together, just like the hundreds of global pandemic movies predicted! Whether it’s gathering around to watch Andrew Cuomo’s daily briefings or all being super psyched that regents are canceled (seriously, I was not looking forward to that chem one), we’re going through this together. We’ll get out of this together, too.

Even if you feel stuck going through the motions for who knows how long, keep going. I am definitely starting to feel the boredom and annoyance set in more than ever, but we’re doing important work. You may not think of it this way, but technically, you’re saving lives every day by choosing to stay inside. You’re a freaking superhero! Yeah, this time sucks you-know-what, but guess what? It’s not going anywhere. Not for a long time, at least. So my honest best advice to you is to suck it up and find something that makes you smile. I know that it’s super cheesy to say that quarantine will only be what you make it, but it’s true. I’m not saying you have to completely reinvent yourself. You don’t have to start eating vegetables with every meal and exercise for 4 hours a day and become a 5-star chef, just don’t spend these next however many months moping around and complaining because then it’ll feel like centuries. Even the people who are doing okay during this time don’t want it to last forever.

(also you all should watch Some Good News with John Krasinski, he pretty much is doing what I’m doing; that is, nagging you into seeing the good in the world; also it’s really funny)