Wrapping up the semester: A 2020 virtual year

Emily Won, Editor-in-Chief|Published December 22, 2020

Truthfully, no one expected a pandemic this year. The couple of candid shots that I took was to demonstrate how much COVID-19 has affected me this year. While I cannot speak on behalf of everyone, this virus has inexorably caused us to sacrifice a lot of our enjoyments this semester.

School feels quite “optional” and motivation is slowly dropping. It’s harder to focus when classes are all on a tiny screen.
“Make sure you finish your lab by the end of class…grades are due Friday, by the way,” my chemistry teacher said.
Selfies are rather difficult when you have to wear a mask. But masked photos are cooler anyway. #Pandemic #Corona #Selfie
Either way, we’re still high-fiving, right? My friend and I respect the six-foot distance guideline, and we try our best to limit interaction and converse with masks instead.
The Chicago Picasso with street art of a masked woman.
As Oscar Wilde said, “Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul.” It’s almost surreal seeing how much of “mask-culture” has affected art and the media. No longer is it a joke, but our current reality.
I hoped Halloween would be cancelled this year so that COVID-19 cases would drop.
Talking with friends over FaceTime can never replicate a personal interaction, but it’s the closest we can get.
“Wait it’s like we’re taking a selfie, but not really!” Simran Bansal said.
I love shopping with my mask. It makes me feel like the main character. The one plus-side to masks is that I no longer have to worry about accidentally seeing someone from school.
You’d expect empty soda cans, cookie wrappers or old gum to litter our high school ground. No masks left behind.
Properly dispose of your mask, please. It’s mask season now. Even on the streets of Downtown Barrington or your local supermarket, discarded masks will be there as a reminder of this pandemic.

*Last updated on February 9th, 2021