The COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020 was a worldwide cultural flashpoint, especially for young people. In this dispatch for the Strawberry Prism, reporters from The Lion’s Roar recount their experiences navigating the pandemic and quarantine as teenagers.

Kennith Woods:

Sorry in advance to my mother before reading this; I wasn’t always the smartest kid, especially during COVID. 

“School” got out in May 2020, right around when the official quarantine in Louisiana was lifted. During this time, I would sneak out of the house to hang with my best friend, Chance Rodenkirch. 

I say that as if I projected this edgy, brash personality or was some rat-pack rebellious teenager, wailing against the oppressive state and my mother’s strict rules. Really, I’d just sneak out during the day on my bike, just to either go hang at the neighborhood park or ride with Chance to Raising Cane’s, then promptly return an hour or two later.

I’d usually ask my mom before leaving, but after a while I stopped asking. Unsanctioned visits to Cane’s were the height of my teenage rebellion. 

We’d eat in his car or at the park, and belt out a litany of songs in preparation for next school year’s musical, if one was really happening. Chance is a phenomenal singer; even now, as a vocal performance major, hearing his soaring tenor will leave all listeners awestruck. 

I was never as good as him, and I remember being so frustrated by my limitations as a vocalist. Five years later, I just miss our COVID car rides. Being the greatest singer doesn’t really matter to me anymore. 

One time, Chance and I took a routine trip to Cane’s, only to sit in the drive-through line behind my mom on her lunch break. I launched the shotgun seat all the way back, reclining my whole body 180 degrees, where I lay, terrified, for several minutes. 

Again – sorry, Mom. I love you. 

Christian Bankovic:

When quarantine locked us inside our homes, I found myself becoming increasingly connected with people, friends and strangers alike, on online chat forums. I remember staying up late at night and hearing the crazy stories of quarantine from afar: how the lack of interpersonal interaction drove people mad, how many had so much more time on their hands, how many had too much time on their hands, how many were trying to search for supplies, how many were struggling to make ends meet without a job, and many, many more.

In all of these, though, a common theme stuck out: the absence of school or work during the day caused many schedules to shift around the clock. The structure of day-to-day events was what defined each day, and without them? People started staying up late and waking up early, becoming night owls.

It struck me as odd that this hadn’t happened to me. After much thought, I realized my mom was the prime culprit. During the summertime, in order to help my three siblings and me manage our day-to-day activities, she popped open an analog clock and drew on its face, marking sections of it for various activities. Some of the day was for chores, some of it was for video games, some of it was for eating, and bedtime was the most notable portion of the clock.

Despite me and my siblings hating how restrictive the clock was to our activities (we would give anything to play video games all day), it ended up being our saving grace during lockdown. I am forever grateful for her fruitful efforts in supporting our family.

Lindsay Miller:

When school first sent students home to quarantine for two weeks, I was excited in all honesty. I got a free vacation, away from the stressors of my senior year of high school. 

I, along with pretty much all of my friends, quickly realized that this would be more than just a little vacation. We kept waiting for the signal things were going back to normal while we watched the world continue to descend into more and more chaos. 

Things would be reported as “getting better,” and then a new variant would come back, ushering the world back into their homes. 

As time went on, I found myself staring at my ceiling, restless. I’m a person who always needs a plan and something to do so COVID completely turned my world upside down. Once my eyes got tired of staring at my ceiling, I began spending more of my time outside. 

As rules loosened a bit, I found myself making sure I went to a park every chance I got. I ended up going often, considering the amount of free time I had even though I was still working. 

After getting vaccinated, my friends and I joined in the fun together. We would hike, set up hammocks and watch the days pass as we anxiously awaited the grand reopening of the world. 

In a way, I was able to find peace with myself and the world during these times even though it was filled with chaos and political restlessness. 

While I actively engaged in these conversations, I found myself able to process the information and understand what was going on because I had the chance to recharge. 

I find that now the world has gone back to “normal,” it is hard to find the time to fully reset and recenter. Even so, engaging in even the smallest acts of self-care is incredibly important to maintain mental and physical well being – so make sure to take care of yourself.