Art and Dialogue by Max Sartor
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MASK MANDATES:
Because of the pandemic, it is required here in America to wear a mask wherever you go: local stores, flights, malls, etc. However, you’ll have at least a handful of people that will not comply. I have heard many reasons why some people would refuse to wear a mask but, this is a quote that takes the cake: “The government is trying to control us! Don’t you see? COVID-19 is a man-made virus!” If you think social distancing is non-existing in America, consider mask wearing too.
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Quarantine: Will it Ever end? This March would mark exactly one year since we all have been locked away in quarantine. We are locked away from socializing, school, work, and the outside world... fundamental necessities that all humans will need to survive. If you felt the urge to yell out or felt yourself slowly losing your sanity, you are not be alone (the author writing this is very close to hurling his computer out of a 10 story window..). Staying home and doing whatever you wanted was fun for the first couple of months but when two months became four, when four months became six, and so on, staying home has become the LAST thing anyone would want to do.
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America’s Toilet Frenzy: Who knew that toilet paper is the number one necessity in households? According to research, almost half of the stores in America were completely sold out of toilet paper on April 19th of 2020. The toilet paper shortage was bizarre enough to become meme worthy on social media and was even the highlight of the 2020 pandemic.
In America, toilet paper is a sacred tool for every restroom, from calming loo breaks at home to having the “liquid runs” at work from too much coffee. Statistically, the average household uses 409 rolls of toilet paper in a year. That’s a lot of paper....
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Zoom classes: Zoom classes must be one of the worse ideas to ever exist. To think that our classmates would be more engaging online than in person is foolish.
Many students refuse to talk out loud in class unless they are forced, plus they feel no need to. With Zoom chats, it bottles up many students and make classes bland and less engaging (unless they typed something pretty hilarious). Next to chat-only conversations, the cameras would be shadow black. You see them one moment... the next you don’t. Since today’s college and high school students are Gen Z students, you can expect most of us to be leaving our camera off while we doze off or escape class through social media (been there). If that doesn’t convince you, some people aren’t necessarily the luckiest when it comes to perfect internet connection.
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Quarantine Blues: Ever have a sudden feeling of sadness that gets in the way of you being productive? Sounds like you have the “quarantine blues.”
This is also responsible for making you cranky, tired, or (if you’re an artist) art block. Because socialization and large gatherings are not recommended, there are some things that you can do to keep yourself sane and most importantly, happy.
1) Keep in touch with friends via email, Facetime, Instagram, Discord, Snapchat, etc. Doing this allows you to keep in touch with both new and old friends and it keeps you from being separated in a never-ending pandemic. 2) Watch something inspiring: Inspiring films or tv shows can get the brain motivated artistically (especially if you are an art student or majoring in the arts). 3) Take a step outside: Just because we are in a pandemic does not mean you cannot step outside occasionally. Your body could be vitamin D deficient which could be behind a sudden episode of depression. You can easily do this in your backyard, or you could take a walk (masked up and socially distancing yourself). 4) Keep music on standby. No one can live without music! 5) Learn a new recipe or learn to bake: This keeps your mind active. Not only that, but food! Who doesn’t like food?
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Quarantine 15: Remember Freshman 15? You venture off to college on your own and get to do whatever you want... no one telling you when to go to bed, when you can go out or especially what to eat (especially if your parents are health nuts). You eat and eat until you realize one day, you can’t button up your jeans or maybe that shirt you wore only last week just doesn’t fit the same. Now apply this to quarantine. Do you feel different? Out of breath after climbing only three steps? Your cabinets are easily emptied within a week, and you can’t fit your clothes much anymore? Well, bud... you have experienced Quarantine 15. The dreadful experience that mostly everyone is embarrassed to talk about.
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