On June 21st, 100 days will have passed since the last day of in-person schooling at RHS. For some, it feels like barely any time has passed. For others, it feels like years. So what have we done with all this time?
Beyond our hair growing to awkward lengths and the occasional patchy beard, we have undergone larger changes. We have enjoyed more sleep, watched an obnoxious amount of movies and television, and gamed on our old consoles. Some rewatched the Office, rediscovered the beauty of Animal Crossing, deep-dived on Reddit, read a book, or discovered a new podcast.
Quarantine meant more responsibility. We suddenly needed to motivate ourselves to complete our assignments. We needed to take accountability for our education, and we needed to record time-lapses of our gym workouts, as much as we hated it. We saw our teachers’ kids and homes and saw our peers with their families as well. We learned to cook, took on more chores, and learned that birds never shut up. We got to know our siblings and parents better than ever before, even when we did not feel like it, and we found virtual ways to stay in contact with friends and family.
There were some tough times. Times when we or our families felt or were unsafe due to the virus. Staying inside got lonely, and we missed our friends. We even missed the people we would have light conversations with in the hallways, and the familiar faces we never even greeted in school before. We missed our sports seasons, the chance to bond as teams. We missed our clubs, the competitions, and events that got canceled. We missed bubble tea and going into town after school.
But despite the struggles, we made it. Nearly 100 days! And we are still here, bracing ourselves for 100 more. Quarantine gave us the chance to learn new things: piano, guitar, gardening, cooking, biking, skateboarding– whatever we pleased. Quarantine gave us the chance to rally together like never before: many RHS students tirelessly fundraised to support Valley Hospital, and more recently, rallied behind the Black Lives Matter movement. We have protested here in Ridgewood and across Bergen County. We have shared our solidarity on social media and in person.
As much as quarantine has taken away from all of us, it has given us a whole lot of time to think. To think about the people we care about most. To think about our biases. To think about what we all can do better. And for that, we can all be grateful for these 100 days.
Alex Jerdee
opinion columnist
Graphic: Jacob Baskin