In these times of uncertainty, students have had to face the challenges of Covid-19 and just recently a snowstorm, nicknamed Snovid. They are trying to find ways to stay connected with family and friends whether it may be through Zoom or family dinners/events etc.

Q: If you had to describe the year 2020- 2021 what would you say?

Sophomore Cayden Miller: “Stressful.”

Sophomore Amelia Lackey: “I would describe the year 2020-2021 as thought-provoking. All of the events of 2020 gave me a new outlook on life. Because of my separation from people and the rest of the world during the COVID-19 quarantine, I was able to be more grateful for my family, house, and neighborhood. I was also able to gain new excitement over the small things in life, like seeing my friends and visiting the grocery store. My friendships with people were tested and while I lost some relationships over this year, some of my friendships have grown through all we have faced. I learned that I am not in control of anything and that God’s perfect plan for my life is what I have to trust every day because He has all of the power to control my life that I do not.”

Q: What are some ways you have stayed connected with family and friends this year?

Miller: “Usually through my phone but I’d visit them occasionally.”

Lackey: “I have stayed connected with friends and family in a multitude of ways this year. At the beginning of the quarantine in 2020, I met with friends and extended family over Zoom and during birthday car parades, but very rarely. I mostly just spent time with my family at home taking walks, baking, and really having a great time at home. Once school started, I started communicating with people a little more frequently. I go to band Zooms and I was attending after-school marching band practices and football games, but my interactions with people were definitely different than they had been before. I felt more nervous around people, but I was always really excited to see them, even if I didn’t talk as much as I used to. My first real in-person interaction with people was before school started, though. I met with my church Sunday school group, a couple of girls, and we did Bible Study outside at a park. We went back to in-person church as well and I was overjoyed to see all of my friends there. Church has been my main source of interaction with people my age since last March. I also started a Bible Study via Zoom and getting to worship God and get to know the people in the Bible Study has been really great and has given me a way to continue sharing God’s love with people, even from a distance.”

Q: How has this past year changed you?

Miller: “I’ve matured and become a better person.”

Lackey: “This year has brought me closer to my family and close friends. I have learned how to lead a Bible Study and learned to be more grateful for the little things. I have also learned to monitor my own schoolwork and to do my schoolwork on my own, without the classroom interactions with fellow students. Where I used to have to collaborate with my classmates to do my math assignments, I am finding myself more and more able to solve problems by myself (with occasional help from my dad or my Algebra teacher) with more confidence and consistency.”

Q: As you a virtual student, what are some of the struggles?

Miller: “the struggles I face are social interaction and not being able to be in the classroom.”

Lackey: “This year I have struggled with tests. Because I am not able to write on my tests, I sometimes find them a little more difficult to take. I also struggle with tests when I am not able to go back and change my answer once I have moved on to the next question because if I were in the classroom I would be able to fix my mistakes if I realized I had done something wrong. I also struggle with the band because I am not able to hear how my instrument balances with the band, making me less confident at sectionals. I am glad for my teachers, parents, and fellow students, who have done as much as they can do to make this year go by as smoothly as possible.”

Q: What are some fun things that you still do with family and friends?

Miller: “We usually play card games.”

Lackey: “My family has started taking a lot of walks and bike rides, watching Hallmark movies, and playing board games and card games. My younger sister Sofia and I have a bunch of inside jokes from when we would do puzzles together during the quarantine and my sister Olivia and I play Solitaire all of the time. My sister Laiken has enjoyed giving the entire family dancing lessons. We have had many campfire dinners, roasting hot dogs and making s’mores for dinner. One game my family plays at dinner every night is the “No Laughing Game,” in which we competitively try not to laugh while being ridiculously hilarious, which has given us a myriad of jokes in our house that no one understands if they were not present during the “No Laughing Game.” We also sing Hamilton songs “Non-Stop” and there is never a moment in my house where there isn’t music, whether it be music playing, someone singing or humming, or the viola, flute, or piano. I love the fun environment of my house, and this year that has only grown as my family spends more and more time together.”