Quarantine Spotlight with Clay McClintock

As students, faculty, and countless other families throughout our district continue trekking through the trenches that is the global pandemic of COVID-19, our community continues to advance into this new transition of a lifestyle. Although the dark shroud of stress has been invoked by this virus, thoughts and opinions of the Greater Latrobe student body will not be silenced. Whether simple acts of practicing social distancing from friendships or joining various groups in order to assist people in these tough times, students from all grade levels through the high school have taken the initiative.

Clay McClintock, current member of the Greater Latrobe graduating class of 2020, has allowed you as the audience an inside look into his life since the closing of its gates at the senior high. The recurring theme of being lethargic has most certainly consumed the students of our school district. McClintock opens up about feeling this way, however reveals the positive gain from being given an immense amount of time.

“I feel that quarantine has made me less active. I spend more of my free time sitting around but it has also given me more free time in the first place,” McClintock says. “It has also changed the way I do school work too. I am able balance out my work so I don’t have to worry about getting it done the very next day.”

It is no wonder students have felt less active since the first few days of quarantine, but because more time has been added to the daily lives of students, this allows for students to pace themselves in the school work they are assigned. From creating art projects in Mrs. Page’s Drawing and Painting course, to writing weekly stories for the High Post, students are now able to submit superb work knowing there is no need to rush for the following day.

Although an uber amount of time has been distributed throughout the student body here at Greater Latrobe, it still does not make up the fact of how that time was a sacrifice to numerous days and events scheduled throughout the year. Gaining this time has meant the loss of spending last school days with people that have been together since preschool. For the senior class, this has meant the loss of a last Prom, final senior nights for spring sports, a wrap for students part of Greater Latrobe’s ensembles, never being able to perform a concert on stage for this very community. Clay dives into how he has felt about these losses, and remarks on a positive outtake on the situation.

“I started off this quarantine looking at the things that I was missing but then I realized that we can’t dwell on those things that we don’t have. I really don’t like looking at it as what it has taken away,” Clay reflects. “Instead I am looking back at all the amazing and good times I did have in this year and the years before.”

Of course losing these events has devastated the class of 2020, it is important to reflect on the years spent together. Although hoping for these feelings of nostalgia to not manifest until after graduation, celebrating the friendships and memories made together will always bring emotions of happiness and joy to one’s heart.

Since the prevention of people entering our local businesses here in our community, students have been figuring out ways to take up time, as well as helping those throughout the Latrobe and Greensburg area at the same time. McClintock opens up on what he has been doing, and the several activities he has participated in. 

“I still have work at Lowe’s to go to and I help a family from my church out with some of their house work too. One of the bigger things I have been doing is 3D printing the face mask clips to keep the straps off the ears as well as face shields,” remarks McClintock. “I started doing the clips just for family and friends and for my mom to take a couple to the hospital with her but now I am in a group called the Covid Avengers that are doing this to donate to places that need them.”

The courage and strength Clay has shown through aiding to those in need is a reflection on the community of Latrobe. Efforts of helping those on the frontline demonstrates the heroism that comes with the hearts of people throughout the community. 

Tough times like the days we are living in now is no doubtedly testing the students, faculty, and their families. Though the COVID-19 has taken much from various communities throughout the world and is a silent and strong force, members of the Latrobe community have displayed their courage and strength and will rise above the dark shroud of worry into the light of prosperity and hope. McClintock offers words of encouragement to the readers of the High Post, in hopes you are able to find that sliver of hope.

“My encouragement would be to go back and look at all the good times that we have had and don’t be so focused on the negative,” McClintock says. “We don’t have to lose sight of all the fun times and good memories we have already made.”