Quarantined: Stories From The Inside

Stay Inside

By Sofia Nordvedt

Throughout this pandemic, I have been seeing a trend that is disturbing to me. As everyone must know, the governor of California issued a Shelter In Place order across the state. This means that citizens are not supposed to leave our homes unless it is necessary.

Although most people I know are following the social distancing guidelines, there is an awful amount of people - teenagers and otherwise - who are deciding these rules do not apply to them. These people are going on trips anyway, hanging out with their friends in each other's houses, and acting as if there is no worldwide pandemic that could kill them.

These people may not realize they are doing this because they are participating in fewer activities than they usually would, but still not staying at home like the rest of us. They think the rules don’t apply to them for some unknown reason, and I find this atrocious.

This behavior is not only putting them in danger but the people around them. They are potentially endangering every person they come in contact with, especially family members. They could be spreading COVID-19 in every place they encounter and they wouldn’t even know it. The Coronavirus is sneaky because you could have it for two weeks without showing symptoms, and throughout those two weeks you could be spreading the disease to every supermarket you enter and every person you touch. It is reckless and just plain stupid to disregard what the leaders of the world are saying because you want to have some fun.

Overall, I believe we should all follow the rules and stay inside; practicing social distancing could save your life.

Opinion

Economy vs COVID-19

By Alan Zaragoza

Shelter in place is not a colorful rainbow for anyone but it is something we have to do. While it helps to prevent the spread of COVID-19, it affects several other important factors in society, the economy being the most important. This is true but if people were better informed, then they would know to act properly.
When people were told to stay at home, many businesses closed down, sending their workers home. This means that the business will not receive any income, causing workers not getting paid. A survey conducted by prominent academic economists stated that “the outbreak [coronavirus] was likely to cause a major recession,” in an article published on The New York Times online platform. A recession for the country will mean that the economic activity will decrease and many people will not have a job.
Another problem that is affecting everybody, and which has been the target of memes, is the precious toilet paper. As stores run out of supplies, toilet paper or hand sanitizer, the prices of these and other goods rise making it even more difficult to obtain basic necessities.
This has made people act without thinking. “Panic buying” is the right term for this, which means that people buy large quantities of a product(s). This is a problem right? Well, if they keep doing it, then it is a problem.
This might seem horrifying, but we need to be better informed and hear more economists' perspectives to see the full image of this problem. This full image includes the solutions that if followed by society, then we could keep stores’ shelves full of supplies.
One solution is to increase prices in the items that are out of stock, so people stop buying them in large quantities. This will start creating a surplus in the stores leading prices to go down, as Jeffrey Dorfman commented in The New York Times. These solutions may seem to harm people but in the future, it benefits them.
It is important that we all learn how we can help when we face situations like these. If we had been informed of these solutions, we would not be suffering from not finding toilet paper or the high prices caused by those who panic.

Opinion

What is Replacing Sports

By Sam Norgrove

   In this crazy and hectic time many people have a lot of extra time. This is leading to different forms of entertainment. This is especially the case for the sports world. With basically all live sports canceled or postponed there's not much entertainment for the people who love to watch sports. Huge sporting events like NCAA March Madness, UEFA champions league semifinals and finals, and the MLB opening day have been postponed or canceled due to COVID-19.
   With sports being a large entertainment industry and the pro leagues not wanting to lose fans interests, they are coming up with ways to try and entertain fans. This has led many sports to start replaying some of their most exciting games on their respective channels. They are also doing features on some of their most interesting players and showing what their lives are like this crazy time.
   The most interesting thing that the organizations are trying, is using the respective sports video game. NASCAR is using iRace simulators and airing the race live while the drivers race from home. The MLB has streamed some tournaments of some players during tournaments on the baseball video game MLB The Show 20. And the NBA players are going to have a 2k tournament that will be aired on ESPN over a couple of days. This is all just fills in for the real sport, but if you love sports then there are still ways to get your fix.

As a teenager myself I don’t see a huge problem with going on social media, I do it often too, but with all the negative news out there it may be better for one’s mental health to consider taking small breaks from it. Almost everything in the news right now is about COV-19. It is very important to stay informed when it comes to this pandemic; however, looking at negative news and related content on social media can lead to depressive and pessimistic thoughts. That is the opposite of what you need during mandated isolation. According to a study by Professor Daves at Sussex University and published by TIME, elevated amounts of negative news are significant mood-changers that will produce feelings of sadness and anxiety. I know that not seeing your friends is very difficult but instead of being locked up in your room scrolling through social media, try reading a book or watching some funny tv. I recommend choosing an outlet that is the opposite of reality. Don’t log onto Netflix and watch “Pandemic” or “Outbreak”, don’t read a book about the apocalypse (unless you really want to), chose something a little sweeter or a stupid comedy. I am not going to recommend you don’t stay in your room for all eternity because that would make me a hypocrite, but we both know you should be helping your family. I know quarantine is bringing everyone down into the dumps, so instead of making it worse by constantly monitoring social media, take a break and distract yourself with a good book or show.

A Good Distraction

By Malia Llerena

We’re all experiencing the effects of quarantine differently. Some people are sleeping all day, some are watching tv and reading books, and some scroll endlessly through social media. And, of course, we can not forget the few teenagers that are actually being helpful to their families during this time. Hats off to them! Whether or not you are cooped up in your house, you are probably starting to feel the effects of isolation from friends and the outside world. Things are changing and there isn’t an end in sight but it is important to stay positive during this time.

Opinion

Sports

Stuffed Animal Slippers Deserve Better

By Aniesa Vasquez

A fuzzy friend and durable footwear? What more could someone ask for! Stuffed animal slippers were common when we were younger and our parents were the ones dressing us, but it’s time to bring them back. Forget about slides or sandals, animal slippers is the only thing you will ever need to tackle your foot’s needs. A high quality fuzzy shoe, with a sole that can last you a long time, and a magnet for compliments. If you don’t own stuffed animal slippers, you’re just missing out at this point.
   Stuffed animal slippers have gone more and more unrecognized the older we get. Teens tend to replace this warm spot in their heart with cold and lifeless slides, simply due to the logo of the brand showing on the front of it. Brands like Nike and Adidas have become more and more popular for their easily accessible footwear that takes little to no effort to put on. This is the exact same argument you could make for stuffed animal slippers, except they’re 10x cuter than your average slide or sandal.
   The amount of times that I’ve gone in public and got compliments on my stuffed animal slippers that I own are just too many to count at this point. They’re eye catching, loved by all, and easy to clean. For those times when you accidentally get dirt on them, just throw them in the washing machine and they’re good to go. Would you rather have to sit and scrub the dirt off your slide or toss your stuffed animal slippers in the washing machine and let it do your job for you?
   Slides usually range from 30-40 dollars with popular brands while stuffed animal slippers (according to a quick amazon search) cost around 15-25 dollars. Let’s recap, shall we? They’re cheaper than your typical name brand slide or sandal, they’re warm, comforting, and soft at the touch, and you’ll receive tons of compliments. With that information said, think twice about your next footwear purchasing journey!