COVID-19 vs Summer Plans

Students reflect on their unique summer experiences amid the pandemic

Sofia Brickner, Staff Writer
September 25, 2020

There’s finally a chill of fall in the air, and the hustle and bustle of school is back in full swing. With the uncertainty of future school plans, students are now feeling the weight of responsibility, as what once was endless days of sleeping in and staying up late has now turned into a monotonous routine of waking up early. Summer is now officially behind us as we indulge in what seems to be the quickest year ever. After more than 6 months spent out of school, many students are left reflecting on how they spent their summers. Making the most of the ongoing pandemic, despite having to adapt to changes in plans, many found themselves either being productive, travelling, or accomplishing certain goals during the summer.

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"This summer, instead of having a typical experience of going to Kennywood, having swim practice at North Park, or coaching summer league swimmers, I spent a lot more time at beaches, in the woods, or in a car. I ended up taking a lot of road trips with my friends to Lake Erie for a beach day. The beaches and restaurants were very clean, and the other patrons practiced social distancing and wore masks, so we kept going back because of how safe it felt. I also ran and hiked along the trails in North Park or up in Allegheny National Forest. Because of all the safety guidelines, it took a long time to get back in the pool to start swimming, so running or hiking trails with my friends, dogs, or cousins kept me active outside of the pool. Driving around became something I also did a lot with my friends. Those spontaneous rides in the car listening to music with no particular destination made the summer feel almost normal. Even though COVID-19 caused the summer to look different, being creative and taking precautions to stay safe still made it, at times, feel 'normal.'" - Olivia Kisow