Most people have been affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic in some way, maybe some more than others. Many people had different experiences throughout the pandemic. Many people’s lives have been turned upside down by this life-changing event. Teachers and students have had to go online and in person many times over the past couple of years. They have learned how to teach remotely and in person.
Trevor Parent is a high school adulting/leadership health teacher and Samantha Drost is a high school social studies teacher. Both have taught both pre- and post- pandemic.
Students and teachers learned how to adapt to the challenging times. They thought of new ways to keep people safe.
Trevor Parent is a former student athlete. He graduated from the University of Maine at Presque Isle in 2007 with an exercise science degree. Trevor has been teaching at the high school level for five years, but has been in the education field for 15 years. He has some perspectives on the effects of the pandemic in school. “It has affected teaching profoundly in both positive and negative ways. It emphasized the social climate issues, such as feeding students, sheltering students and having a safe environment for students–in other words… keeping kids safe.” Trevor also said, “My relationships with my students have been positively affected. When the students came back for in-person learning, relationships were more valued.”
Classroom alternatives are a popular form of education for modern families. But how do these options actually work?
Some may think that homeschooling lacks the structure or foundation that sets kids up for the real world. Many homeschool parents would reply that this alternative helps their children gain confidence, connection and sustainability.
Ashley Mitchell’s Chilren Listen to a Guest Speaker and learn about the civil war at the Lincoln public library.
Ashley Mitchell of Lincoln, Maine, said, “I know it’s controversial, but I really don’t think you have to push kids to learn. I really think you can just be an assistant and let them lead the way.”
But without a strict curriculum, will children meet the standards? Mitchell said, “I believe that we are always schooling, at all times.”
Most homeschoolers identify that they began schooling from the very start. Mitchell’s five children, ranging from 3-years-old to 12, have been cooking, cleaning and learning at home from the get-go. Learning always followed natural curiosity in their household. Mitchell’s son noted a favorite musician who drove him to pursue music deeply.
COVID-19 has lasted for two harsh years. It has affected every aspect of our lives. The hardest hit areas have been the medical community: specifically, nurses. They have a hard enough time without the threat of a global pandemic to add to their already stressful jobs. These are the real heroes.
Misty Clark has wanted to be a nurse since she was 16 years old! Twice in her life she almost gave up out of frustration in both her professional and personal life. She realized that after having kids she might need to just settle for being a Certified Nursing Technician. “There is nothing wrong with being a CNA, but I want more.” So, she dove, headfirst, into the nursing program at Tarrant County College. Misty graduated at the top of her class. Texas Health Resources (THR) was so impressed that they offered her a job before she even graduated. They offered her a job in the same labor and delivery (L&D) area where she has been a CNA for the past decade.
Local nurse at THR facility labor and delivery department. She is admitting a new patient and wearing an N95 mask as part of the new guidelines. Photo by: Misty Clark
Elaina Faulks has been a nurse a little bit longer than Misty. She went straight to college for nursing and after graduating she was hired by THR. She has worked in the emergency room and for the surgery department before she landed at Labor and Delivery. Unlike the other departments, labor and delivery doesn’t deal with too much trauma, so she feels that it is not as stressful.
Online school has been around for a long time. It was not until COVID-19 hit that it took off. Schools all across the world had to shut down and quickly think of a solution to continue education. Schools went online temporarily until restrictions were lifted. It is no question that many students were itching to go back to in-person school. But what about the students who do not want to go back?
Many Class of 2020 Graduates Alter Post-Graduation Plans.
Social anxiety is the fear of interacting with a large group. The feelings that come with this anxiety are fear and discomfort. Social anxiety rates have grown by at least 2 percent since COVID-19. Social anxiety can affect many areas of life. It affects schoolwork and friendships.
Many people experience social anxiety. Students may have it harder than some others. Schools have a strict schedule when students must be active. It is hard to leave a class at school because of anxiety. Once anxiety starts, it is difficult to focus in class. The only thing that the students are aware of is their overwhelming fear and anxiety taking them over.
Online schooling has given the chance for students with social anxiety to stay at home. Ilia Ivanik prefers being on Zoom instead of a physical classroom. Ivanik is a first-year college student who has mental health issues. “I think that there is a psychological thing at play. Whenever I am at home, I feel more at peace. While at school, I feel exposed. I do not feel comfortable seeing teachers and students. I see online school as a way to avoid my social anxiety.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every business in some way. Most have adapted to the new way of life. Others have not been so fortunate. Movie theaters have faced many challenges in the last two years. Normally, a night at the movies is relaxing. Now authorities have advised the population to avoid large crowds and enclosed spaces. Theaters have had to get creative or temporarily close their doors.
Movie theaters in Bangor are back open.
In the spring of 2020, the pandemic had forced all movie theaters across the country to close. The U.S. had imposed lockdown safety measurements. Due to the lockdown, movie theater chain giant AMC closed its nearly 600 domestic locations. The lockdown also included Hollywood productions. The movie business had come to a standstill.
In the summer months, as restrictions eased, theaters slowly started to reopen. Theaters required masks and social distancing. Theaters struggled to draw traffic without new releases. The second largest movie theater chain in the U.S., Regal Theaters, decided in October 2020 to shutter the doors of its 536 locations indefinitely.
During this time, movie theaters continued to operate with lower capacity and less staff. These theaters had to adapt to keep customers coming in. According to Madeline Keefe, a manager at Premiere Theaters in Melbourne, Fla., they played classic movies at a reduced cost. “We were offering movies for $2 a show. I think the nostalgia of seeing some movies in the theater again had its draw. But people were still very nervous about coming back out.”
The box office totaled $2.28 billion in 2020. That’s the lowest box office record in nearly 40 years. In 2019, the box office totaled $11.4 billion. While physical locations suffered, digital revenue increased 33 percent. People turned to streaming services for entertainment. Some production companies took notice. They chose to release new movies directly to streaming services.
Warner Bros. and HBO Max struck a partnership. They would release new movies simultaneously in theaters and on the HBO Max app. Disney decided to do this as well. They gave customers the option to rent the latest releases on their Disney+ app. Consumers benefited from being able to watch from the comfort of their own homes.
Some theaters could not adapt to the challenges they faced. Arclight and Pacific Theaters closed their locations permanently in April of 2021. Cinemagic temporarily closed theaters in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts in February of 2021. They did reopen these locations in May 2021.
By the spring of 2021, Regal Theaters started to reopen their locations nationwide. By summer, theaters were seeing an increase in traffic. Keefe had noticed this trend as well. “Numbers have been continuously trending up since July. I think due to more and more people becoming vaccinated. The older crowd is the last to make its way back out, but we are starting to see more of our regulars again.” The movie theater industry had entered the fourth quarter of 2021. Sales have started to improve again. Big budget movies tend to come out in the months of November and December. The box office deficit should start to close.
Experts worry about another surge in the pandemic in the winter months. We most likely won’t see as many theaters closing their doors. But this will provide more challenges to theaters just as they are starting to recover. Hopefully, movie theaters will not be hit as hard this time around. Oscar Matute, an avid movie fun, is looking forward to returning to the theater. “Going to the movies is one of my favorite things to do. I can’t wait to get back to normal.”
“How you love yourself is how you teach others to love you,” Rupi Kaur, famous illustrator, poet, author and photographer, said. Loving yourself presents a challenge in today’s society. There are many expectations. This can create feeling of pressure. Many question how are we supposed to look? Or act? “I believe that social media is the main reason for negative body images. Think about it? We have apps to completely change ourselves. All into something we are not, using Photoshop. If that is done all the time, then it makes people think they need to Photoshop. All to look perfect. People only post what they want others to see. If they feel bad about themselves, they don’t show it. This makes people (young men and women) feel awful about themselves,” 18-year-old spiritual activist and local native, Jasmine Nerderman, said. These feelings of negativity are hard to deal with and many feel pressured to look a certain way.
The way we treat ourselves matters. Many of us have experienced body shaming at some point in our lives. “I’m the worst about body shaming myself. I do feel people should not be body shaming other people. I am an advocate for body positivity. I know the feelings of pressure being placed on me to be perfect,” 19-year-old mom, body positive activist and proud supporter of the LGBTQIA+ community, Allie Campbell, said. Many feel the stress of trying to be perfect. It makes it hard to be yourself when everyone wants you to be someone else. “I grew up heavily body shamed. It took a huge mental toll on me. From hating myself, to having full blown eating disorders…some I’m still fighting. I’ve been through hard times. I would hate to be the one to put someone else through that,” Nerderman said.
Mental Health Matters.
These negativities can lead to eating disorders, self-harm and lack of self-confidence. “Everyone is different and everyone has different ways of dealing with body images. I believe we need to find the things that make us love ourselves. Make time for them. This is a massive societal change that needs to happen. I change my appearance using hair dye, haircuts or makeup. I have struggled with suicidal thoughts because of body image issues and eating disorders. Not because I don’t get loved, but because I feel I’m not worthy of love,” Campbell said.
COVID-19 has changed the entire world in many ways. People have had to get used to wearing masks, online school, small gatherings and more. These all affect the overall morale of people. Schools are turning to extreme measures in order to prepare their students for the outside world. Nicole Quinn (23) and Kayla Noble (20) are both nursing students preparing to join the workforce. They have studied both before the pandemic and during.
Quinn began school in 2016 through a program offered by Dutchess Community College in New York. She graduated in 2018. After that she started the nursing program at Columbia Green in New York. She began in September 2021. She has noticed differences in her school during this time.
Quinn beams to her mother on her first day back at nursing school in 2021.
“Our experiences are limited in the clinical setting because many hospital policies are rapidly changing as the pandemic evolves. For example, we have a clinical rotation in the operating room this semester. However, all elective surgeries have been canceled. So some students are left with a free day instead of being able to watch surgeries.” Quinn was able to be in a nursing home many times a week and learned that way. Even though her education changed, she still feels her school is providing her with many opportunities to learn on the job.
Noble began school at Western Connecticut State University for eight months before moving on to Jersey College in Florida. The largest difference she notes is that everything is connected back to COVID. “Because it’s so relevant, professors are connecting all of their curriculum to COVID. They are asking their students how everything they’ve learned can be used when dealing with COVID patients,” Noble said. Prior to the pandemic, professors taught with a wider approach that helped her with more scenarios.
COVID-19 has changed the entire world in many ways. People have had to get used to wearing masks, online school, small gatherings and more. These all affect the overall morale of people. Schools are turning to extreme measures in order to prepare their students for the outside world. Nicole Quinn (23) and Kayla Noble (20) are both nursing students preparing to join the workforce. They have studied both before the pandemic and during.
Noble poses in her scrubs, excited to begin classes.
Quinn began school in 2016 through a program offered by Dutchess Community College in New York. She graduated in 2018. After that she started the nursing program at Columbia Green in New York. She began in September 2021. She has noticed differences in her school during this time.
“Our experiences are limited in the clinical setting because many hospital policies are rapidly changing as the pandemic evolves. For example, we have a clinical rotation in the operating room this semester. However, all elective surgeries have been canceled. So some students are left with a free day instead of being able to watch surgeries.” Quinn was able to be in a nursing home many times a week and learned that way. Even though her education changed, she still feels her school is providing her with many opportunities to learn on the job.
Noble began school at Western Connecticut State University for eight months before moving on to Jersey College in Florida. The largest difference she notes is that everything is connected back to COVID. “Because it’s so relevant, professors are connecting all of their curriculum to COVID. They are asking their students how everything they’ve learned can be used when dealing with COVID patients,” Noble said. Prior to the pandemic, professors taught with a wider approach that helped her with more scenarios.
“To be the best, overcome the worst,” longtime Arrow TV character Sara Lance said. Many have reported that living in the middle of a worldwide outbreak has been a challenge. A lot of students suffer from mental health issues. A significant number who are in college feel their experience has changed, “My experience has been so much harder and less fun. Last year, the dining hall did not exist. We were not allowed to visit other students. This really affected my ability to form new friendships,” driven college student Kate Kemper said.
It is hard to deal with the feelings of stress and worry caused by COVID. “It’s stressful because some people aren’t mindful. They don’t care. They could bring it into public areas. It’s affected my mental health by adding to the stress I have to deal with daily. I have been nervous around people as well,” current Tractor Supply Co. employee Evan Philbrook said. Every day brings a new level of stress. This causes feelings of anxiety. “My well-being has lessened over the course of college. The worry about getting myself or my friends sick has really weighed on me and every decision I make. My choice to attend an event causes stress and doubt. I cannot go over to a friend’s apartment for a relaxed night of board games without having to weigh the risks,” Kemper said.
This disease has brought questions of what a new normal looks like. It has brought more feelings of worry than hope. “It’s made life stressful because people have been getting worse and its scary!” Philbrook said. These feelings of constant worry in life have had an impact. “Yes, I think my mental health relies on my social life and friends. My mental health and support system have been affected,” Kemper said. A new life with COVID has left students feeling exhausted. Their mental health and overall well-being is being influenced.
With good reason, many who are in college feel that their way of learning has been affected. “COVID has affected my ability to learn. In changing it from in-person to virtual, it has been hard. I can learn through virtual learning, but it is difficult. I become distracted. In a classroom environment, I am more focused,” Kemper said. This is true for many. The feelings of frustration rise as virtual learning is taking over. These students mental health is further influenced by this. They feel many emotions, but are excited for the world to return to normal, hopefully, sometime in the near future.
After opening Martha and Mary’s Kitchen’s doors, the volunteers saw folding tables piled high with various foods. There were baked goods on one table, vegetables on another and fruits on a third. Additionally, there were multiple fridges stuffed with various cold goods. These would be the paints used to color the takeout boxes of patrons.
Food insecurity is a long-running issue in Maine. According to Feeding America’s 2019 data, Aroostook County had a food insecurity rate of 16 percent. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have increased these rates. Feeding America’s 2021 projections show a 0.6 percent increase of food insecurity in Aroostook County. The State of Maine as a whole ranked sixth overall in highest rates of low food security. The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines food insecurity by the quality and variety of food eaten. Very low food security is the frequency of skipped meals. Local food banks and soup kitchens are integral to serving these community needs. They’re also reliant on volunteers for daily operations.
Tables of donated foods for soup kitchen patrons.
Brightly colored wall posters detailed all procedures a volunteer would need to know. Everything from set up to clean up was in bold marker. The most important details circled and underlined. One requirement that often appeared was the meal serving time, marked as 3 p.m. The time was 12:30 p.m. Two and a half hours to make a well-rounded hot meal for roughly 70 people. Part of daily procedures was to tally every person served. This information is then used to determine how much food to make on future days.
