The government issued quarantine due to the spread of COVID-19 has left many with a feeling of isolation. Specifically for EC and students everywhere, many are lucky enough to be quarantined with our families, yet still the lasting separation from friends and classmates is hard for many students. Of course, Google Meet classes have allowed contact between students, but for those who aren’t in classes with some of their friends or don’t have time during class to catch up with their friends, this sometimes isn’t enough.
Despite these setbacks, many EC students have found interactive ways to stay in touch and communicate with their friends and classmates outside of simply Google Meet classes.
Obviously it’s lucky we live in the digital age, but texting and calling can be repetitive or mundane, especially when people are used to seeing each other every day. Well, junior Emmanuel Dyer has outlined a multitude of different ways he has communicated virtually with his friends as “I feel that game pigeon is a cool way to communicate with someone without using any words. It’s short and quick and can easily lead to a real conversation.” Junior Aidan Sehulster also says “I'm usually on my computer playing games like Minecraft or Destiny with my friends. These allow me to connect with others who are really far away so we can keep checking in on each other when we need to.”
Other than electronically, is there any way to physically see your friends without risking becoming sick. Lack of physical interaction can contribute to feelings of isolation, so is there any way to mimic that while saying safe? Well, going outside in itself is a risk, however, there are ways to do it safely. The CDC has suggested staying at least 6 feet apart, for reference that’s half the width of the average street, and also wearing masks and/ or gloves if at all possible. Aidan describes his experience experimenting with walking with friends as “I live in Haledon just down the street from the high school, so I'm in close proximity with a lot of my friends. I usually have about 1-2 walks every week where I go out into North Haledon and see my friends. I've also seen some teachers a handful of times. We always keep our distance as best we can though.”
There are ways to stay in contact with people and make this quarantine easier, while still remaining as safe as possible. With this, the most important thing is making an effort. Aidan describes this as “Although it's been tough for me, the best thing to do is to REACH OUT. You're not the only one who is starved for human contact. Whether it be a text, a call, a Google meet, or even finding a way to talk face-to-face, you want to be able to have at least a little connection with those you care about. Most people can't do much during spring break, so try to find a way to get a group of friends together and just talk about how you're doing.”