By Grace Cornell

It feels like the first few months of quarantine was a lifetime ago, rather than about nine months ago. While doctors and epidemiologists said the pandemic could potentially last this long, many people didn’t anticipate that we would still be living in the pandemic by December. However, while millions of people were stuck at home for the last eight to nine months, some decided to make the most of it. Members of the Collegiate community began to try new hobbies or resurrect old ones. Ashley D’Ambrosia (‘21) wrote in The Match last spring about all the new hobbies people were trying out to stay busy during the quarantine. I wanted to know if those hobbies have lasted.

A home-knit hat. Photo credit: Ashley D’Ambrosia (’21).

In a survey sent out to Collegiate’s Upper School student body in November, students were asked what hobbies they started in quarantine. Did they bake something new, start a workout routine, go on many walks, start making puzzles, or make a painting?

The top three results of the survey found many going on walks, baking or cooking, and trying at-home workouts. When asked how dedicated they were to their new hobbies on a scale from 1-5, the majority of people gave a four. However, when asked about the dedication level since school had started, most people’s answers dropped down to a two or a three.

Nate Sawitzki (‘21) began to learn a new instrument over quarantine and started learning how to code. When school began, his dedication to his new hobbies fell off, but he says, “when the mandatory sports season is over, I’ll have the time.” Like Sawitzki, Olivia Nolt (‘21) says her many hobbies “were fun, but I just feel like I don’t have time to continue doing them on a regular basis.” D’Ambrosia began to crochet over quarantine and made multiple hats; she has since stopped crocheting, but “wants to get back into it.”

As home workouts became increasingly popular, Anne Carrington Hall (‘24) says, ”I did Chloe Ting [workouts] every day in quarantine, but I haven’t done it since.” Many students loved starting new hobbies, but it was hard to keep them up with the stress of school and sports. Some activities, however, could help with that stress. Upper School Spanish teacher Monique Voss started yoga during quarantine and now wants “to do yoga forever and ever!”

Bracelets.

Just like my classmates, I tried some new hobbies too. As quarantine started in March, I made an effort to feel more productive while watching hours upon hours of Netflix, so I decided to try my hand at arts and crafts. While watching the series Grey’s Anatomy and Quantico, among others, I began making bracelets. I bought a large pack of string off of Amazon in late March and made over twenty bracelets. The bracelet-making did indeed make me feel productive while watching Netflix, but, sadly, I began to forget about them as the summer rolled around, and I haven’t made a bracelet since July. My new hobby made my months at home a little brighter, but as the summer was ending, I found myself losing the excitement I once had.  

Strawberry Poke Cake.

Quarantine also provided me with the opportunity to resurrect an old hobby. I’m a regular baker, but I tend to stick to basics, like cookies and brownies. Being at home more than usual allowed me to try many new recipes that I normally wouldn’t have the time to.

Since spring break, I have made strawberry poke cake, raspberry-lime poke cake, variations of brownies, blueberry muffins, Oreo truffles, red velvet Oreo lava cakes, red velvet Oreo truffle fudge birthday cake, edible cookie dough, strawberry Jell-o cookies, s’mores cookies and cake, brownie batter cheesecake, and more. Baking covers all the bases when it comes to distracting me from my surroundings. I have something to do with my hands, my mind can’t wander, or else I could make a mistake, and I get to eat something, whether it be the finished product or the ingredients leading up to the finished product. Baking wasn’t a new hobby I took on because of quarantine, but the amount of baking I have done has certainly ramped up. My parents may complain about the amount of baked goods in our house, but I never will. 

S’mores Cake.

Almost a month into quarantine, my family joined the growing trend of having virtual Zoom happy hours. My mother Jennifer Cornell, a major gifts officer at UVA and former Collegiate employee, started having virtual happy hours with her Alpha Chi Omega sorority sisters from UVA. They met on Zoom every Tuesday night at 8 p.m., drinks in hand, to reflect on their weeks and catch up. They have continued meeting almost every Tuesday since April and now have more contact with each other than they did pre-COVID. My mom says, “the happy hours have given us an opportunity to talk more and have brought us closer together.” 

Space Night.

My entire family has also participated in a regular Zoom meetings with my godparents and god-siblings. Every other Thursday, starting in late March, our two families log onto Zoom from up to five locations around the country. My mom, dad, and I log on from Richmond; my eldest brother, Drew Cornell (‘15), from Arlington, VA; my other brother, Brad Cornell (‘18), from Raleigh, North Carolina; my godparents and godsister from Bethesda, Maryland; and my godbrother from Los Angeles, California. Each meeting would have a theme, decided by whoever was in charge that week. Our themes included Craft Cocktail/Mocktail Night, Space Night, complete with astronaut costumes and space trivia; Broadway Night with trivia; Paint-By-Numbers Night, where the best painting was voted on, and more. The Zooms are a quarantine activity that I didn’t want to die out, because they kept us in contact with our second family and always brought a smile to my face. 

My family and I also decided that quarantine would be the perfect time to work on some puzzles. We ordered four puzzles off of Amazon and got to work. We completed an N.C. State puzzle that my mom desperately wanted my brother to take back to school with him, and a complex KISS puzzle, complete with every one of the classic rock group’s albums. However, those were the only puzzles we put together before our hobby died down. An untouched moon puzzle and a Carter Finley Stadium puzzle still sit on the hearth of our fireplace. 

As we enter the tenth month of the COVID pandemic, I believe that continuing new hobbies will continue to help people stay positive. As winter approaches and the virus continues to spread, many of these activities can help people stay close to their families and stay in contact with friends. People tried new hobbies as a way to pass the time in the spring, but I think it’s important to not let those hobbies die out. Making time to do things for yourself is important and should be prioritized. So, make some cookies, learn a new song on the ukulele, crochet a hat, try a new workout with your parents, and FaceTime a friend. Have fun with your new hobbies and stay positive, because one day we’ll be all together again.

All photos by Grace Cornell unless otherwise noted.