What The Students of NHS Are Doing During Quarantine

The students and staff of Nutley High School have not been in the building since Friday,  March 13 due to the spread of Coronavirus across the country. They transitioned to virtual learning that began the following Monday, March 16. Staff had the option to come in that day for training on the Schoology Learning Management System. 

Students are experiencing something surreal and are still learning to adjust to this current standard of living. Although they are given schoolwork, students are still left with a lot of time to fill. Seniors Samantha Gabriele and Maria Marucci are missing out on significant and memorable moments of their final years of high school. Stuck in quarantine, they have spent their time wisely, but they still miss reality. 

USA Today wrote an article that listed 100 different activities to do while social distancing. Some of those included staying active, reading a book, watching movies, television shows, writing poems, and journaling. Maria and Samantha share similar activities. They have each done art, stayed in touch with friends, exercised, and watched TV series like Ozark, Stranger Things, and The Office. Maria explained that she has been “playing soccer, going on runs, and throwing javelin.” With the loss of her final Track and Field season, she has still been practicing her techniques. Samantha has taken advantage of the nicer weather and has “gone outside to tan if it's warm enough.” 

Buzzfeed News explained, “connecting with other people remains incredibly important.” The article indulges in the creative ways that people around the world have been with their social distancing. Maria expressed, “I stay in touch with my friends by FaceTiming and Snap Chatting with them.”

Keeping in touch with friends and family are beneficial during these hard times because it is a sense of human connection that has been lacking. Samantha says, “I have been using Netflix’s new feature, Netflix Party, where my friends and I can all watch the same movie or show and interact through the chats.” People around the world have significantly modified their everyday lives, but they are hoping for things to go back to normal soon. 

Students around the world, including at NHS, never imagined missing their normal school routine. “I miss being able to see my friends at school, playing the sport I love, hanging out with my friends, and seeing my extended family,” Maria said. 

It has been weird for students to go from seeing the same people every day for the past six years then going to not seeing them for over a month. It has been a wake up call for people and what they have taken for granted. Samantha stated, “I want to be in school and experience all our lasts and special events.” 

As seniors, Maria and Samantha are hoping they can still attend their prom as well as graduation. Sam continued, “Once this is over I am looking forward to spending every minute with my friends before we all go to college. I definitely will not pass up any fun plans in the future.”