By John Ballowe

With the coronavirus situation becoming more severe in the United States, lawmakers and government officials have been intensifying their fight against the disease on the home front. Virginia Governor Ralph Northam implemented a stay at home order (Executive Order 53) on March 30, effective through June 10, meaning all gatherings of ten or more people are prohibited, as well as the closure of all learning institutions in the state through the rest of the academic year. This followed the previous stay at home order (Executive Order 51) put in place on March 12. Non-essential businesses were also directed to close down in response to the growing pandemic.

As a result of this, many restaurants have had to adjust to carryout only, or carryout and delivery, with gathering in the restaurant prohibited. This has caused local restaurants, like Shagbark and others, to furlough much of their staff because of the lack of traffic in the restaurants, leading to a spike in unemployment. With limited spending in the community due to disadvantages circumstances, money cannot be spent back into the economy, resulting in slower growth. As of April 17, the unemployment data for March had risen to 3.3% in Virginia, a .7% increase from the 2.6% unemployment rate in February, and the number of unemployment claims in the state continues to go up.

On a personal level, this virus has impacted high schoolers across the country like myself. With the closing of schools for the rest of the semester, sports seasons have been canceled, spring plays will not have shows, and the last four months spent with senior friends are gone. This change has caused malaise in the local community.

Personally, I am missing the last season I get to play baseball with some of my senior friends, who I have been on a team with for the past four years. Many memories have been made with this team, and the bus rides, team dinners, and games are greatly missed. Sports practices and spending time with one’s team are some of the most enjoyable moments spent throughout the year. Not being able to see teammates every day has taken a toll on many, but the ability to continue to learn online has been a silver lining. Heth Alexander (‘21) says, “Obviously, it’s been really tough not being able to see [my friends], whether it be at school or at practice, but thanks to online school we are not totally left in the dark from our social circle.” 

In light of this, playing cooperative video games such as Call of Duty and Fortnite has made being quarantine easier. Hunter Milligan (‘21) has been able to play “video games… with a lot of my friends.” He has said it allows him to “relax and laugh a little, because that’s the closest we are gonna get.” This sentiment is shared by many of my friends. Some games allow groups of up to 16 to play together and communicate while enjoying themselves, even if it is virtually.

Growing up, many children are told that screen time is bad for their eyes, video games are going to rot their brains, and time can be spent much more productively. While this all may be true, the gaming platform has allowed for friends to communicate and enjoy themselves while being socially distant. My mother Hylah Ballowe (‘90), a initial non-believer in the gaming movement, says, “video games have helped kids keep in touch with their friends and keep their minds off of everything they are missing.” 

In addition to playing video games, the Google Chrome extension Netflix Party enables groups to watch their favorite shows and movies on different screens while chatting, a feature Liam Ryan (‘21) has used. Ryan enjoys “watching shows and movies with your friends while remaining socially distant.” Another way friends are catching up with one another is using Zoom, a video meeting service Collegiate has been using for online learning. The software allows one person to share their screen with other members in the Zoom, and talk to one another while watching. Katherine Williamson (‘21) likes “being able to just watch TV with my friends and talk to them,” keeping some normality in her life with all of the chaos. Local organizations like Focus have been using the program to hold their weekly meetings as well, something that used to be done at households on Wednesday nights.

Since Collegiate is a private learning institution, the school can continue remote learning with the resources they have, something many schools in Virginia cannot do. Collegiate made the decision to switch to virtual learning, giving students the ability to connect with friends, even if it’s just over a webcam. Brude Stoever (‘21) says the worst part about the situation is that “it’s sad not seeing [my friends] every day, and I miss the interaction with the people I do not normally see outside of school, but the online platform gives me an opportunity to see people over the computer.” Like Stoever, junior class president Henry Mountcastle (‘21) shares the same sorrow of not seeing friends, and he misses the little things, like not being able to “play UNO in the Commons during free period.” 

Once the quarantine is over, Jack Stepanian (‘21) is excited to “go to restaurants and see friends,” something we are all missing right now. The virus has upended all of our daily lives, and we have had to adjust accordingly. While nobody can be sure when this situation will pass, practicing social distancing and washing your hands can almost certainly bring the end to the more foreseeable future.

Featured image credit: Collegiate School.