Items

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  2020-05

  How COVID-19 Altered Some of Life’s Most Memorable Times

  The COVID-19 lockdown began in March 2020 of my senior year of high school. At first, it was just a two-week vacation break, then it soon became unknown what the rest of senior year would be. I was extremely devastated when the pandemic took away my senior year because the last year of high school is one of the most memorable times of your life. Although it was a rough time, my friends, family, and I did what we could to make the best of every big moment. The first monumental moment taken away from me was my 18th birthday on April 20, 2020. My friends and I have always gone all out for each other’s birthdays such as concerts, dinners, gifts, and big celebrations. My family always went out to our favorite restaurants or had extended family come over to celebrate as well. For my 18th birthday, we made the best of it by my mom making my favorite dinner, and my friends planned a drive-by parade past my house with signs, balloons, and cards. Although it ended up being a nice day, it was still hard to enjoy it with wondering what the day could have been. Senior prom is an exciting moment that you look forward to your entire senior year. My childhood best friend and I planned to go together. My friends and I had bought our dresses back in January, so we were all ready for the big day. Due to school being shut down and social distancing guidelines, a senior prom was not possible. To make the day the best it possibly could be, my friends and I put on our makeup, did our hair, and put our dresses on to have our own prom. We took pictures together and had a little party at my friend’s house. The best part is that our version of a mini prom ended up being more fun than an actual prom. However, it is still bittersweet that we never got to experience the last dance with our senior class. Missing out on a graduation ceremony was the hardest part for me. It was the final closure to have with your classmates and teachers before heading off to college to begin a new life. I did not get to see any of my classmates walk the stage and share such a sentimental moment with them. We did receive our diplomas, but it was not the same as being on the football field with 300 other classmates and the bleachers full of family and friends. Senior banquet occurred after graduation where everyone got together at the school and had a fun night one last time. After a couple months of worrying, tears, and longing for more, it was time to move on. Although senior year did not end the way we wanted it to, the memories of making everything the best with the people I love mean the most to me.
• 2020-03-13

  The Banquet

  It was my junior year of high school and a Thursday night in March at DePaul College Prep. My bowling team boys and girls had gathered for our annual end of season banquet, a last hurrah. We had fun; ate pizza together, talked about memories made during the season and more. At the end we started to talk about how 50 kids had called out of school that day not including teachers and how crazy the flu was this year. It wasn't the flu, but we didn't know that it would be our last time at school for the year and seeing each other in general. My boyfriend who played baseball was talking to the bowling and baseball coach about the Nashville trip the team was going take over spring break the next week, the coach said it might get cancelled. This was due to the way COVID was effecting it people down there, we laughed it off and said whatever its just the flu, it wasn't the flu. He got the email it was cancelled that night and the following night we got the email school was shutting down for an extra week after spring break. Yay we said "an extra week of break" but it wasn't just a week its months and still going.
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  2020-11-24

  Mother and employee

  Dana Adkins is a Mother that works at a summertime resort. She discusses how the pandemic impacted her job. Also discussed is how her children handled the changes to their routines.