It has almost been a year since Staples first closed its doors due to COVID-19. The past year has been miserable in some form for everyone. Loved ones, jobs, senior years, school dances, parties, events and family gatherings have all been lost. But as conditions improve and vaccines are distributed in large quantities, many Staples students are looking back at the things they gained from the pandemic and being in quarantine for many months. 

With so much free time on their hands, many students were able to dive into new or pre existing hobbies. Gavin Rothenberg ’23 took the time to pursue his interest in broadcasting and started his own podcast. 

“Prior to the quarantine, I always knew I had an interest in podcasts and radio as I took the class my freshman year,” Rothenberg said. “The quarantine provided me the time to be able to pursue that and actually start up the podcast with a friend and get content out there.” 

Quarantine also provided a time for families to spend more time together than they ever had before.

“My family definitely got closer over quarantine because of how much time we spent together and how we all had to entertain each other because of how little there was to do,” Tucker Lawrence ’21 said. “We always played games or watched shows and found something fun to do every day.” 

With so many people losing loved ones and not able to see their older relatives, many realized just how valuable spending time with grandparents can be.

“Because of the pandemic I wasn’t able to see my grandparents for months on end,” Dean Moro ’21 said. “I wasn’t able to spend birthdays or holidays with my grandparents, and it made me realize how much I value being able to spend time with them.”

At the start of quarantine people all over the world did their part in lending a helping hand to hospitals, frontline workers and those suffering from COVID. Arden Scherer ’21 donated over 80 masks to hospitals when there was a shortage. 

“I started sewing masks to donate in April because I wanted to help after hearing the hospitals were collecting and needing homemade masks,” Scherer said. “It was really great to be able to donate so many masks knowing there was a serious shortage.”