Positives from the pandemic

The wincing of one’s eyes while a mask is donned has become the new normal as to how we all communicate a smile to each other during a global pandemic. Everyone could talk for days about how this unprecedented event has impacted his/her life in a negative way. But what about the positives? Even at such a time of division across our nation and our world physically and politically, there are numerous notable examples of times where humanity has been displayed. When corresponding with fellow Milford High School Seniors Aspen Snyder, Tess Wyniemko, Alena Johnson, and Addison Krzyzak, they all had a few positive remarks about this whirlwind of events.

Many have seen quarantine as a time for strengthening relationships. “I think the pandemic has made me realize how important my friendships are to me,” Snyder noted, “I think all of my friends and I will come out stronger than we were before when this is over.” In a similar light, Johnson touched on her relationships with her teachers. “Through all of this, we might not get to see each other face-to-face, but it has shown me how much they truly care about all of us and are working hard to help us all get through this. All of them are keeping me going, and I am really glad I have them for support,” she stated. Though many of us are apart physically, we are all there for each other in spirit as everyone is trying to navigate new and troubling times.

Not only are relationships with others important, but there is no relationship more important than the one with oneself. Being isolated has created a lot of opportunity for individuals to work on who they are as a person. Wyniemko stated, “During quarantine, I had a lot of time to do a lot of reflection. I learned so much about myself. I started to like who I am as a person so much more because, for most of my life, I’ve never had the time to sit back and think about myself like that,” She continued, “I started going out by myself and going on drives and walks and basically just hung out with myself and it was actually really nice to be content with being alone. Of course I still really value the time I get to spend with my friends and family, but I now know that I can survive being on my own.” Wyniemko is only one example of how many have been able to slow down from their fast-paced lives and take some extra time to better themselves in this unique predicament.

Seniors are not only surviving a pandemic, but they also have college on the horizon, where they have a chance at new beginnings. The college application process is a stressful time for everyone, but Johnson and Krzyzak have found that they have had a weight taken off of their shoulders with new options for seniors this year. “It definitely has made it a lot easier, in my opinion, to get into college because of the test-optional portion,” Johnson stated, “I’m a good student, but not the best when it comes to standardized testing, so this made a lot of stress go away when it came to applying and not knowing if I would get in just because I didn’t have the scores.” Krzyzak shared a similar viewpoint: “It allows seniors that aren’t very good test-takers to still get into good schools and showcase their talents outside of test-taking.” Though some schools have been test-optional for years prior to this one, many schools adopted this policy exclusively for this year.

Though the negatives tend to outweigh the positives in a time like this, the positive aspects are some things we can all be grateful for and can keep us going. Quarantining and staying away from people you love can be very difficult, but in the end, these measures will get us back to the ‘normal’ life that we know and love. This pandemic is not a pause on our lives–it is a time to safely create new memories that you will definitely never forget.