Everyone who was alive during the September 11th, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center has been asked the question, “where were you during 9/11?” Many people are prepared with an elaborate response, detailing the circumstances and events that lead to them finding out about the national tragedy. These moments arguably changed the lives of everyone in America, and are forever cemented into our memories. y. Considering the tragedy happened nearly 19 years ago, most of Generation Z did not witness this disaster first hand. In contrast, because of the 2020 global pandemic, we, including Generation Z,  e are all witnessing the world slowly falling into chaos. 

because they both caused massive amounts of suffering and hardship for countless people, it  would be unfair to try and equate one of these tragedies to another. What we can say about these two events is that they truly defined a generation. 

In the eyes of most highschoolers in America, Covid-19 started as a far away threat that seemed nothing more than a meme. . As it began to spread, the joke only gained more traction. But this joke very quickly lost its humor once it started to uproot their lives, and became a tangible tragedy as it became apparent that it would disrupt major life milestones. For high school seniors, it really hit home when their graduation ceremony suddenly was in doubt.

Now students  nationwide are being kept home from school and forced to self isolate. As a result, they are not in an environment to prepare for AP testing or get ready for their senior prom. Now, of course, when families are unemployed and depleting their savings while others are dying in overcrowded hospitals,  it seems a little unfair for people to be upset about their last year of high school being cut short.. Nevertheless,t everyone is feeling the pain of this pandemic in some way.

“I’m really sad I can’t go out and hang out with my friends. Being in quarantine, though important, has been really hard for me. The lack of everyday interactions with people really is saddening and should be taken seriously,” Highland senior Javi Hernandez said. 

Although it can not be helped, this quarantine is forcing people into a position where they need to adjust to the idea of not getting the much needed social interaction that they would normally receive. .  Consequently, self-isolation puts a lot of people who are suffering from mental health issues in a vulnerable position. This vulnerability is one of the biggest challenges that many young people will face during social distancing. 

Beyond the serious issues that people are being faced with there is one that is not as serious but more demanding than anything else in the minds of many people. Boredom. Boredom is an all consuming feeling that we are all learning to deal with.

“One thing isolation has taught me is the value of some very little things. I’ve spent a lot of time at home playing video games and watching movies, but the other day I had to drive to go pick something up from a friend’s house, and the car seat was the most comfortable chair I had ever sat in. For the first time ever it felt incredible just to sit in my own messy car,” Highland senior Hayden Bracken said. 

In the years to come when people ask, “What did you do during the pandemic?” We will all have our own story to tell.