We are living in unprecedented times in America — Covid-19 has shut the country down and  triggered an astonishing economic collapse. But it’s also personal, and it’s being lived out in the homes of thousands of Granite Bay High students, faculty and staff. GraniteBayToday.org staffers and other students have been keeping journals reflecting on and reacting to what’s been happening during this crisis, and we are publishing some of the entries each week.

Stay strong, and wash your hands.

The Editors

Week 6 (through April 24)

April 24 – I’ve realized during this time that mental health is so important and to make sure you are taking care of yourself. You can’t keep all of your emotions inside and you have to talk to someone about how you’re feeling. It’s really hard for a lot of students during this time and knowing that you aren’t alone helps. Getting exercise and eating right it’s really important to stay healthy. I’ve found that waking up at the same time everyday helps to start your day right and not fall out of routines.

-Daryn Conner 

April 21 – I played some tennis today with my dad. It was nice to switch it up a bit and get back to tennis again. We haven’t played in a couple months so we definitely weren’t playing like professionals, but it was fun to get back to a sport that I enjoy. Today was also kind of hard because I was thinking about my dog, Daisy, a lot. We had to put her down fairly recently and it’s been difficult to be home so much when she isn’t here anymore. She brought so much love and life to my house and sometimes I just feel so sad about her being gone. I just wish more than anything else that I could hold my dog right now and still have her running around all over the place. It’s indescribable the hole that she’s left in my heart, and I know that quarantine with her around would be making this whole experience so much better. It’s difficult to constantly be surrounded by her absence.

–Ali Juell

April 23 – I saw that certain colleges have decided to begin their fall semester online and it really makes me worry about what the future holds in terms of college for me. I got into a school I was really excited to go to, but there is no way that it is worth it to pay tuition for online schooling over just going to junior college for it. But that also means I would have to reapply and it isn’t guaranteed that I get in the second time. The more I think about the future, the more I see how messed up its going to end up being and the more I wish everything would just go back to normal.

-Sean Turner

April 22 – I have never been so tired. I slept at 3 in the morning last night. My sleep schedule is really messed up now because I feel like that’s when my friends and I can talk most, but not only that I have also felt so down about life. I just wanna give my friends a hug. I was looking through my camera roll and it made me really upset which caused me to stay awake at night. After I went to bed, I woke up and tried to stick to doing my work, but I feel like I have no motivation anymore. Every time I try to sit down and do it , I just can’t. This week was such a drag.

Ria Dhamejani

April 23 – I’ve gotten back into working out after giving myself a break. However, I’ve realized how much of this disconnection from the real world and lack of positivity has gotten over me during quarantine; I’ve been looking in the mirror a lot more, counting the amount of cookies I’ve eaten, and spending too much time comparing myself to ‘perfect’/fit bodies on social media. I could see why they caution about mental issues or disorders being on the rise during isolation, and I’m not saying that I’m easily defining what it is or asking for attention, but it did take me a long talk in the shower to snap out of it. 

– May Lin

April 22 – I have been going on daily walks and realized just how many people are spending time outside in the midst of other people without wearing masks.  Today, an old woman decided to approach me with her dog to have a conversation, failing to maintain a proper six feet distance.  I understand that she didn’t have harmful intentions, but I still think that people should be a lot more aware of the severity of the situation we are in.  Masks should be a norm, especially in places with a lot of people.  We need to stop assuming that we are safe and that interacting with people without necessary precautions wouldn’t lead to detrimental consequences because that is simply foolish.

-Heba Bounar

April 22 – The days all just seem a blur. I wake up not knowing what day it is, and without the urge to know, because everyday seems the same. Although my daily schedule has given me a sense of control and familiarity with this unusual life, it is extremely unmotivating to have nothing new to look forward to. The most variation I get in my day is changing up where I decide to do schoolwork, and even that is uneventful. Outside on the lawn, outside on the lawn chair, outside at the table, outside on the bench, inside in the kitchen, inside in the dining room, the list is endless. Hopefully in the coming future, we will find a sense of normalcy again.

-Mareesa Islam

April 24 – I had a decent day today. It’s hard to say that the days are “good” due to the fact that they’re so monotonous. I find that the relationships I have with my family and friends aren’t necessarily strained, but rather more difficult than before. Yet, I still find myself searching for a glimmer of hope, wishing that soon there would be some sort of news regarding an end to quarantine or at least some type of positive outlook for once. The unknown is scaring me more than the known. I worry everyday that the return to normal life will not be normal at all. These times are not easy, for anyone. I worry about never having a satisfying end to high school, a graduation, or first quarter of college. At least I know I’m doing the right thing, I haven’t left my house to go do anything that could possibly have negative implications on the curve. For now, I’ll just keep going through my monotonous routine. Thank god I have coffee.

-Cori Caplinger

April 24 – I woke up with the majority of my assignments finished and focused on editing and Euro and the AP exam this may and try to cram all the info, and still not heard anything from my English teacher after almost a month of trying to reach him might have to email an AP.

– Julietta Golovey    

April 23 – Today I ate dinner six feet apart from my grandparents in their driveway. The meeting was bitter sweet, bitter because I want nothing more than to hug them but sweet because it’s better than seeing them through a screen. I can tell that they both hate staying alone, if I could stay with them I would. Both my grandma and my grandpa have underlying health issues, not to mention they’re old and are at higher risk of dying from the virus. I miss being able to go inside and watch movies with my grandma and being able to play board games with my grandpa. 

-Dylan Rowe

April 20 – Today was one of the loneliest days I’ve had in awhile. I’m not really sure why – it just felt different from the rest. My mom was gone working at her warehouse today, and my dad was working in his office, and my house just felt empty for some reason. We’ve been in quarantine for over a month and it’s starting to get so difficult to handle. I miss having in person human connection. I miss my teachers, my friends, and even the kids I babysit. I just miss normal life.

-Lindsey Zabell

April 20 – I keep thinking about the snowy tree in the high school’s parking lot on Saturday. It’s hard to believe that a group of friends went to Tahoe and shoveled snow and a tree into the back of their truck just to dump on the blacktop outside of GB. We went to it and it was like a sight of beauty. It was the first (and most likely last) time I’d ever seen snow in my hometown. I don’t know what about that tree was so fascinating to me. They spent hours driving and working just for a joke people wouldn’t have seen if it weren’t on Snapchat. Why would you want to drive and work without doing anything else in the mountains? What is the point? Then, I realized – it was the act of putting so much into something which, in the end, didn’t matter. The only important thing was the time they spent with the people around them. It might be cliche, but it’s true that you don’t know what you have until it’s gone.

–JJ Hill

April 22 – I am doing alright, and these days, that is almost as good as doing well. I don’t know. I don’t know about my relationships, about my future, about everything I use to deem important. I’m having a really hard time falling asleep at night and I’m having a really hard time feeling motivated. I wish I could be more optimistic, but I feel like there’s no future for me or for our country. I can’t wait for quarantine to be over, to engage with real human beings and to exist in the world again. 

-Ashley Yung

April 24 – I feel as though I have become desensitized to the act of staying inside. I’ve found newfound appreciation in the little things that change up a mundane daily routine. Including walking to the mailbox, surprise conversations with strangers, and more. I constantly crave the adventure and spontaneity my life once included. And looking into the future is as equally daunting as the present when I foresee the future plans of seniors completely crumbling. I’m not sure what else COVID-19 can dare to take from us. From the class of 2020, the healthcare workers, the economy, and everyone in between-how much more can we withstand?

-Ashley Lucia

April 22 – Today was fun. I listened to new music, made a new playlist, talked to some friends, had a little FaceTime dance party, and got a little bit of work done. I read MLKs Letter from Birmingham Jail for a gov assignment, and I remembered why it’s one of my favorite pieces ever written. When the world is bad, you don’t stop fighting; you fight harder. While the problems of today’s world are different from the 1960s, I hope that people understand how serious the situation is and how much needs to change. I think it’s more important than ever to fight for what’s right. In this situation, that means not encouraging people who aren’t quarantining, staying at home, and voting in November for a president that will take care of us in dire times. I think Coronavirus has pointed out major flaws in American society, from health-care coverage to wealth inequality to simple selfishness. It’s absurd to see how old American flaws that MLK pointed out 60 years ago are still applicable today. He reminded me how important it is to push for change. He reminded me that the good eventually do win, but only if they stick it out. 

-Shreya Dodballapur