To maintain connectivity and hang out with friends, students are finding different ways to keep in contact with each other during quarantine.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many students have not been able to see their friends in months, so students are finding other ways to stay connected. According to senior Ally Pham, she has been staying connected through social media apps and Zoom calls.
“My friends and I hosted a zoom meeting and stayed on all day for a whole week. It didn’t matter if we had something to say or if we sat opposite sides of the screen scrolling through social media,” Pham said.
While some students are using video messaging partners, other students are finding ways to stay connected in person. According to sophomore Clare Hassett, she has been hanging out with her friends while continuing to follow social distancing rules.
“My friends and I have been going on walks, bike rides and hikes while staying six feet apart. Recently my friends and I have been biking to parks and setting up our hammocks in the woods and just hanging out and talking for hours,” Hassett said.
Similar to Hassett, junior Halina Saydam said that she has been hanging out with friends in parking lots while still maintaining six feet distance.
“We met up at a parking lot and sat around in our trunks. We also learned how to jump start a car when a friend of mine’s car wouldn’t start,” Saydam said.
Many students are trying to make an effort to continue friendships even through this hard time. According to junior Alexa Peters, staying connected to your friends is important during this time.
“Just because we are far apart doesn’t mean we need to be socially closed off. Communicating with friends and maintaining social interaction in safe ways is crucial to maintaining good mental health,” Peters said.
Similar to Peters, junior Jack Schembri also agrees that keeping friends during this time is important because mental health is a big deal right now.
“People are having a rough time and don’t want to talk about it so it’s up to real friends to talk to their friends and have them open up,” Schembri said.
Not only does it help mental health, but according to Saydam, friendships also provide support during this tough time.
“It’s as simple as: we need each other. It’s a whole lot easier to get through the day when there’s someone who’s got your back each step of the way,” Saydam said.
However, since places are opening up and restrictions are easing, students are taking the opportunity to start visiting other students in person. According to Pham, her and her friends are starting to meet in person to have more of a social connection.
“My friends planned small places to travel to over the weekends. They consist of places to hike, eat, explore, etc,” Pham said. “Going on the senior week trip will definitely make our friendship go back to the way it started.”