by Aleena Khan

March 13th, 2020 is a day that will forever be remembered as the day the United States (and most of the world) shut down. The “pause” was supposed to only last for two weeks. Little did we know that our lives would not return to normal for nearly two years.

In the weeks leading up to the nation-wide shutdown, we were all hearing about Covid-19 on the news. However, most people (and who could blame them?) didn’t grasp the severity of the situation. I remember hearing friends, parents, and teachers comparing Covid-19 to the flu. Little did we know that this virus would change lives across the globe.

The March 2020 quarantine was only supposed to last two weeks so schools could be cleaned and Covid cases could be contained; however, we did not return to school until until September of 2020. Being quarantined and staying cooped up in the house was not ideal, but it was the best thing for students, teachers, and parents. Wearing masks to school became the norm, and this continued until April of 2022.

In May of 2021, Oceanside Schools decided the cohort policy of blue and white should be lifted and it would be safe for everyone to go back to school together. It was a relief to finally see friends after being locked up in the house or separated by cohorts. When we returned to school in September of 2021 everything was back to normal to an extent – the masks still had to be worn, but the school was filled with students and we were able to see and interact with our friends in person. Later that year, the mask mandate was lifted for one day, and one day only when New York thought it was not necessary to make students and staff constantly wear them – this decision was short lived, however, and we kept wearing masks until the spring of 2022. The pandemic soon started to slow down and the mask mandate was lifted across the country; things finally felt normal again. It was so relieving being able to see people’s faces in public rather than the frightened faces underneath the masks. 

Looking back at COVID and 2020, it truly will forever be a time that people across the world will remember as a life- experience. The COVID-19 pandemic was a tragic and trying time for us all, but, ultimately, the pandemic brought our community together and shined a light on the love and support that we are capable of providing each other in times of need.