Fourteen months ago, we lived in a completely different world. One where we saw friends every day at school, met up with grandparents, aunts and uncles at every holiday, and didn’t wear masks wherever we went.

In the world of Covid-19, many are struggling to cope with long-term separation from family and friends, and are finding ways to see them whilst remaining mindful of the pandemic.

Rachel Drechsler, a Junior, remains in contact with her grandmother in Canada through email, and messages friends and family often.

“I also bring groceries to my other grandma every few week,” said Drechsler. “My sister (Carly Drechsler, class of 2017) also goes on walks with our aunts in the mornings. They stay on opposite sides of the street, but they get to see each other.” 

Mindfulness and vigilance of the Coronavirus is especially important, given the seemingly exponentially increasing number of variants and mutations. Other students, including Hank Flandreau, a freshman, have found other ways to socialize while also maintaining social distancing.

“To stay in touch with my friends,” said Flandreau, “I’ve been doing a lot of movie nights over Zoom. And for holidays, we have zoom get-togethers as a family.” 

Ending on a high note, Sophomore Maddy Emery has decided to make the best of the pandemic, while also giving back to her community.

“I’ve joined a bunch of Blanchet clubs so that I can meet new people, and talk to more people than just my classmates,” said Emery. “I’ve also been working on doing service hours with friends.” 

While it is painful and difficult to remain apart from people we have grown to rely on, and are accustomed to seeing often, it is important to remember that we are maintaining social distance for the protection of others, and so that we can return to how things were pre-pandemic.