Life in Quarantine by Evelyn Thomas

Preface: In March 2020, the TRIP@WTHS'20 session was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the program ended early, our students continued to pursue their interests, to grow, and to adapt. In July, we invited our TRIP@WTHS'20 alumni to reflect on how they spent their time in quarantine. This is Evelyn's story.

This quarantine has given me a new outlook and appreciation for life and all of the good and bad that comes with it.

Hello again! It has been around 4 months since the quarantine has started, and the end of TRIP. I want to start by saying that even though my experience with TRIP was different than previous years, I still learned so much from Dr. Purdy and Dr. Gardiner. Through the Saturdays I spent at the lab, I was able to learn about various lab techniques, such as micro pipetting, become a better problem solver and critical thinker, and of course, I learned all about flies! TRIP is an experience that I will never forget, and I am so thankful to have been a part of it!

​Even though I was upset about the end of TRIP, there was a more pressing issue at the time: the coronavirus and the quarantine. When my school announced that we would be out of school for two weeks, I have to admit, I was pretty excited. During these first two weeks, I slept in, watched Netflix, and was very lazy. Then two weeks turned into a month; the number of coronavirus cases was still increasing, and I knew that there was no chance of the quarantine being lifted. I knew that I would regret it if I didn’t put my extra time to use, so I decided to re-read the Harry Potter series. Yes, I am aware that this may have not been the best use of my time, but I did enjoy it, and I thought it was a great way to spend the extra time I had after online classes and studying for my exams. I also decided to try my hand at baking, so my dad and I decided to bake bread, and it was really good if I do say so myself. I also decided to redecorate my room which was a process. Finally, I caught up on some TV shows and started and finished watching Criminal Minds-which is now my new favorite show. Then a month later, we were informed that school would be online for the rest of the year. At this point, I knew I needed to find more productive things to do.

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I got a job as a sterilization/sanitation helper at the dentist clinic I previously shadowed at. I love working there because I get to learn on the job. I get to watch some of the procedures and learn about the different equipment they use as well as interpreting some of the x-rays of patients’ teeth. I started prepping for the SAT (i know gross). I’m sure most students are not fond of standardized tests, and I fall into that group, but this test is important for college admissions, so I decided that I would get a head start. I also continued to read books, but they have been books with more sustenance. My favorite book so far has been The Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell where he discusses in-depth about success. He talks about why the “self-made man” is not true, and there are various underlying factors that go into becoming successful (I don’t want to spoil his claims and conclusions!!). I also took up a new hobby: calligraphy. I always loved watching people write calligraphy because I found it so aesthetically pleasing, so with the ample amount of time I had, I decided to finally try it. I am not the best right now, but with practice, I know I can become a lot better. ​

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I was also able to attend a protest in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and the end to police brutality. This protest was truly enlightening because I was able to hear the experiences of my black brothers and sisters in my own community. I saw, heard, and stood with them in their fight for justice and equality. I spent a lot of time truly educating myself on police brutality, signed various petitions, and emailed police departments to get justice for the lives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, and so many more. It is upsetting to see how far away we are from true equality, and I am glad just to have been a small part in hopefully reaching it.

Overall, this quarantine has allowed me to do so much, but it also gave me a chance to reflect. It gave me a chance to step back and be grateful for the little things in my life. I saw the hardships that people were going through during this time, and it made me extremely grateful for my healthy family. It made me realize that I took for granted the little things in life. I took for granted all of the times I hung out with my friends, hugged them, and took silly pictures with them. Even though I’ve been able to FaceTime and text them, it’s truly not the same. I took for granted going out without a mask. I think it’s crazy that just a few months ago, we walked around with no protection, and now I feel weird without a mask. This quarantine has given me a new outlook and appreciation for life and all of the good and bad that comes with it.

I hope that everyone reading this stays safe and healthy, and don’t forget to wear your mask! Signing off!