Dear Students and Staff:

Many people believe that Covid-19 is a bad thing, and that may be true because it eliminates so many things: sports, extracurricular activities, human interaction, and so much more. There is a mindset that Covid stinks, but what if you thought about Covid in a different way? What if you could think of it as a positive thing?
Many people are thinking about the negatives of Covid-19, but I believe that Covid-19 could be turned into a new opportunity. You happen to now have extra time on your hands, so why not try new activities that you have never done before. Due to the extra time given to me, I have learned how to sew, bake, and many other opportunities that I would have never had the time to try if it hadn’t been for Covid-19. I believe that in this Covid-19 crisis, people need to change their mindset to not think about all the things that are going wrong, but think about all of the new things they have accomplished. You may have made a new friend or received all A’s in school. You could be spending more time with your family. You may have learned something about your family that you never thought was possible. You may even find yourself getting along with that pesky brother or sister. Either way, you are still spending precious time with the people you love; building a bond that will never break. In this time with many of our parents working from home, you have time to play games with them, talk to them about their day, or even go for a walk outside in the cool Wisconsin air. However you choose to spend your day can help you make precious memories with those that are important to you. One final thing that you could do during your time at home is to eat healthier. I do know that most of you would want to go on top of the fridge and crack open the cookie jar, but before you do, think about what you could do to your body. At this time many of us are not eating school cafeteria food. You could go home and eat fruit, protein shakes, or anything you want. You have time to get your body into shape before the pacer in gym class or that big jump in diving. You could change the way that you eat and build a stronger healthier body. However you choose to spend your time in quarantine, I would just encourage you to not be miserable and think this is the worst thing that could ever happen in your life. Instead, be happy and think about all the things that have been gained because of our time at home. If you have a passion, pursue it. If you have a goal for the school, accomplish it. If you need something to do, pick up a new craft or activity. Find the important things in life. Have hope in the future ahead. Thich Hjat Hanh said, “Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.” Don’t focus on the things you can’t control. Be encouraged, and live your life to the fullest.

Sincerely,

Myah Wenzel, Class of 2024