Flores, Travis, The Great Pandemic

The Great Pandemic

Travis Flores

The beauty of life is clear, But now we live in fear. Is there a cure for this disease, If not, stay indoors please.

Our elders are in extreme danger, But the youth selfishly gather. Beaches, bars and Covid parties, Droplets of infection travel with liberties.

We long for loved one’s hugs, But we avoid them like bugs. Birthdays celebrated from cars, Signs of love pass like shooting stars.

If we want to win this fight, We must do what’s right; Wear a mask, keep social distance, Take precaution and witness perseverance.

Superior to Anger Jamie Syroczynski

An extremely strong reaction of anger, shock, or indignation. An emotion we have all experienced in our lives for one reason or another. It is greater than a simple anger; it can be paralleled to deep fury combined with a surprise element. This concept is often not discovered or understood well as youths, but it is developed through adolescence. A feeling that develops in some with maturity and others with wisdom. It is a firework that explodes from deep in your soul. I am outraged; this is an outrage; this is outrageous! It can be triggered by outright offense of one’s beliefs and actions, or strong passion for a certain cause. Although a strong emotion, is being outraged justified in most instances? In some instances, there is little rationalization behind this emotion. This year especially has made outrage a relevant feeling throughout the course of the coronavirus pandemic. In the beginning months of learning about a foreign virus entering America, endless thoughts of who is at fault and who is responsible caused people to develop these feelings that made anger seem inferior; it almost seemed ridiculous. However, with each news report and study released related to COVID-19, citizens have made their premises clear, many having differing opinions from one another. People’s outrage, if not obvious, was not easy to miss. Not all statements were understandable, however; some were just chaotic, baseless claims that became the new normal: “The open raw markets in Wuhan are to blame for this! Who decided that eating a raw bat would be a wonderful idea? Patient zero should have stayed in China. People on cruise ships should stay there for weeks, they might have the virus. Staying at home for two weeks is impossible. Online school is hopeless. There is no toilet paper to be found!Wearing masks should not be required. Everyone is getting laid off, and the unemployment rate is skyrocketing, so the government needs to supply us with stimulus checks. The news is not reliable and cannot be trusted.” In other situations, this intense rage can be defended. Some have voiced their outrage in more rational ways than others. Frontline workers are rightfully outraged at people for disobeying proper personal protective equipment etiquette and not being responsible outside of their homes, hence,possibly resulting in more hospitalizations due to the virus: “Put your mask over your nose, only covering your mouth does nothing. Do not stand so close, stay behind the lines marked on the floor, they are there for a reason.” Essential workers in businesses, both large and small, have also faced similar great angers. I have firsthand experience with this emotion as an essential worker in food service myself. A majority of people have no problem complying with COVID-19 procedures, yet I have dealt with some who were less than willing to follow policies. Customers at times during the pandemic have demonstrated lack of respect or decency for human life with their choices that should be common sense: “It is our company policy that you enter the store with a mask, or we cannot serve you. Please stay behind the plexiglass shield, it is for our and your safety.” Some of these statements seem like they may just cause anger for people, but not to the point of outrage. This is true. The degree that one feels about acertain subject could determine their reaction to things and the claim they make about it. These examples, both indicative and unsubstantiated, reveal that it affects each one of us separately. The pandemic has proved to be a complex challenge for the population all over the world. It is

important for us to realize that nobody is alone in being outraged at our lives in the moment. Acknowledging our true emotions, rather than suppressing them, may be a way for people to cope and feel they are not alone in atime when we are trying to physically stay distanced. Sometimes being more than just angry brings our true emotions to light, and when rationalized, it helps us relate.