As the students of the Greater Latrobe School District continue their lives through social distancing and self-isolation, opinions and thoughts are still circulating throughout the community. Whether it is the loss of motivation to do school work at home or offering advice on the activities others are participating in to pass time, the outbreak of COVID-19 is forcing all GLSD students to fill in the time. Hoping to understand the feelings and hear the thoughts of our class body, senior Will Enfinger reveals the new lifestyle he has adopted and what it means to him while being in quarantine. 

The motivation to complete school work in an environment as comfortable as one’s household is a recurring theme for students. Enfinger remarks on how he feels with school work, and even just life itself.

“I have become extremely unmotivated,” Enfinger says. “Finding little gratification in completing my work.”

Of course it is no lie of the lack of motivation that exists for students while needing to complete work. 

However, for senior students, the new “Pass/Fail” system that has been implemented into our school’s grading system has taken a toll on the GLSD senior class. Already being accepted to college and other career institutions, students are losing their focus and hopes to put forth the effort into a school year that has already ended. Losing class field trips as well as a significant high school dance such as Prom, COVID-19 has taken a lot away from students, especially class of 2020. For Will, he dives into what was the hardest activity that was taken away due to this global pandemic.

“I’d have to say either prom or the National Honor society trip. I never got a chance to go to prom and I worked very hard for the grades I got,” Will states. “Not having the NHS trip is quite a bummer too.”

More and more as days turn into weeks, students are losing their own opportunities of final moments with classmates while being under the representation that is Greater Latrobe. From cancelled spring season sports like baseball, or even a trip sponsored by the National Honor Society to New York City, the senior class of GLSD is wrapping up their final moments away from each other.

Due to the encouragement of social-distancing and self-isolation from people in the community, students find themselves participating in activities they hope will pass the time. Enfinger explains the ways he is trying to pass time, in hopes that these tough times pass soon.

“I’ve been watching YouTube and doing yard work around the house to get outside,” says Enfinger.

From the comfort of one’s bed with a Netflix original series playing like “Tiger King” or cutting the grass to feel the fresh air, quarantine has forced students to figure out how to replace the eight hours in which was spent in the halls of the senior high school.

Although time cannot replace the hopes and dates that were lost due to the closure of our school, words of encouragement from fellow students are able to bring somewhat of hope to students throughout the community. 

“I know it seems bad but for the class of 2020 and yes it really does suck, but the class of 1940 had to stop what they were doing and leave their families to go fight a war. All we need to do to fight this virus is be stuck with ours for a little while,” says Will. “Be responsible and stay isolated because this too shall pass and we’ll all move on together.”