These last couple weeks have been a little crazy for everyone, so I just want to say that you’re doing amazing and encourage you to stay strong during this time! That being said, one of the biggest challenges I’ve heard from a lot of people is that a lot of us are really bored right now, considering we’re all kinda stuck at home because of “social distancing”. 

However, I would like to encourage you, rather than thinking of this as a time of waiting, see it as a time to actually relax and do some things you’ve never had time for before! I’ve been enjoying painting, occasionally baking, and reading, and I’ve found it to be a lot of fun! And as I’ve talked to some other students at Elkhorn South, I’ve found even more inspiring ideas and encouragement on ways to spend this time at home.

Sophomore Isabella Showalter has enjoyed being able to get a  break from school, and even if the break wasn’t always fun, she has still found ways to make the most of it. “Honestly I haven’t had a ton of fun over the break, but it was relaxing the first week,” Showalter said. “I had a good time organizing and cleaning and going on walks… I’ve also sort of taken up gardening.” And, if you want to be really creative, she and her family also made Easter Gingerbread houses with leftover candy, proving that sometimes you have to think a little outside the box to find things to do when you can’t leave the house. 

For some students, this is a great time to be productive, through possibly studying or earning a little extra money at work. Junior Tai Prauner has had plenty to do at her job, as well as at home. “ I’ve mostly just been working the drive-thru at my job and doing chores,” said Prauner. “I’m hoping to use this time to bring back some old hobbies like gardening, archery, and learning languages.” 

I also talked to junior Grace O’Neel, who has been spending a lot of her time relaxing and resting, but she has also found a lot of great ways to tackle the boredom that comes with social distancing.  “I actually found some jigsaw puzzles and I’m doing a 1000 piece right now, and it’s taking some time. I also love to go outside on bike rides or walk with my dog.” said O’Neel.

“I’ve mostly been chilling but I enjoy playing my flute and the piano.  Plus Netflix always helps with the boredom.” 

While this new lifestyle is very unfamiliar to a lot of us, students overall seem to be fairly optimistic about all of it: specifically the idea of e-learning. While many are very indifferent about it, Prauner offers a beneficial take on the idea:

“I feel like it may take some time to get used to but I believe it will all around be preparing us more for college,” said Prauner. “On top of that it allows students to work at their own pace which I think will be beneficial to students who work faster and easily get distracted or for those who would like to pause, rewind, or teach themselves and then ask questions.”

This is of course great for high school students because we’re constantly searching for college prep, and it’s a really positive take on the idea!

Along with new hobbies, it’s important to remember not to isolate yourself! There are plenty of ways to connect with friends, whether that be zoom or facetime, or over text and in groups of less than 10! Along with talking to friends, doing a little e-learning a couple days a week, and whatever new hobbies you may decide to try, I hope that this gives you some inspiration on how you can enjoy this time away from school!