Ellie O’Hare, Reporter
@EOHare_Courant
The closing of schools and restrictions of almost every social gathering have left most of us stuck in our houses with family feeling bored, stressed, and agitated. However, many students and alumni have used this opportunity to their advantage, and they have taken up new or lost hobbies that didn’t get the time to fit into their busy schedules pre-quarantine. Check out these students who used this dark and scary time full of unknowns to bring some light into the world in a special way— through creativity.
Jack O’Hare, class of 2019, purchased a mixing board and is using this time to pursue his love for music that he never got the chance to do before. He has been experimenting with different music styles and teaching himself the functions of the mixing board to create mashups of some of his favorite songs. He wishes to expert this skill before making songs of his own and sharing them with his other musically inclined friends at the University of Wisconsin upon their return.
For another group of alums, they’ve been using this down time to get outside and get active. A group of class of 2016 boys have started a running club, where they add a fun competitive element to stay in shape, whether it be for fitness requirements for D1 lacrosse players Kyle Smith and Peter Swindell, or for just simple fun.
“Basically we use the app Strava, and we have a text group, snapchat group, and a group on the app. It shows what workouts you’re doing; running, biking, hiking etc. You then post your workout like a social media post where people can like/comment. It’s a good way to compete against your buddies when there’s nothing else to do, and the day usually starts with a text from Andrew White saying ‘anyone get a sweat in yet?’ said Kyle Smith, class of 2016.
Senior Christine Stadnik has been expanding her clothing and art brand, “Awake the Soul,” by experimenting with new and different mediums for her Instagram followers to see. She has now started stitching designs onto t-shirts, hats, and shoes, something different from her usual style of painting on old denim. She has also started making stickers out of her abstract drawings using her own secret technique, and she says, “Quarantine has been a great time for me to dive into new mediums to explore thoroughly. It’s been cool that many other artists are doing the same thing, so I have gotten easily inspired from the work they share online,” Christine said, “Also, this downtime has given me the opportunity to think about what direction I want to take Awake the Soul”. More importantly, she has just debuted her first mural in collaboration with Norwalk CT Murals to show color and positivity through these dark and confusing times through her art.
Senior Skye Risom has used this pause from her busy and overwhelming school life to devote more of her time to something she really loves: food. Skye recently created an Instagram account to display the fun, healthy, and delicious recipes she’s been experimenting with during this time off. The feed @im_just_rly_hungry is a way for Skye to casually take part in cooking, which she said she previously didn’t have much time to participate in due to school and her work load, and then post the pictures with her friends with funny and personal captions. This healthy and tasty way of eating is also intended for others to find inspiration in her recipes to continue on a nutritious yet enjoyable lifestyle during these stressful times.
