The Catalyst / Photo courtesy of Lillian Del Chiaro
Lillian Del Chiaro, senior at Mercy High School
Lillian Del Chiaro, senior at Mercy High School
Since many schools have closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, many high school students are going to school online in what is called distance learning. Some of them communicate with their teachers via email or websites, like gClassroom and Schoology. Others participate in online classrooms via video conferencing apps, like Google Hangouts and Zoom. The Catalyst interviewed Lillian Del Chiaro, a senior at Mercy High School, about her experiences going to school online.
The Catalyst (TC): What is a typical day of school like for you?
Lillian Del Chiaro (LDC): A typical day is I wake up literally right at 7:55 a.m., sign into my class, which is usually a question on Schoology, and then, if I need to join a Zoom chat, I will. The day is really easy and, although there’s a lot I’m still figuring out, I’m really enjoying it and it’s very calm. I normally feel like I have too much on my plate and, as soon as I figure out what the best way to stay in touch with my teacher is, I’ll be all set.
TC: How are you coping with shelter in place and keeping in touch with your friends or significant others?
LDC: I’m gradually getting more and more sad as this pandemic keeps advancing.
At first, I thought of it as a vacation from school because I didn’t realize how bad it was. But, as more keeps happening, I’m realizing the extremities of it all. I’m sad that I’m losing all the last mementos with my senior class at Mercy and that there’s a chance we’ll never have a normal school day with them again.
However, I am extremely thankful for my job at Trader Joe’s because they are still taking good care of their employees, and they are trying to hire those that have lost their jobs.
I’ve been keeping in contact with a few friends through FaceTime and Discord, but I’ve also met a lot of new people through friends that I haven’t talked to in years. Last night, I met two new people and we were in a call of about 10 people, just talking from about 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. These interactions are really keeping me going.
I also just impulsively bought a [Nintendo] Switch, so my coping mechanisms are everywhere right now, lmao.
I’ve also been calling my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandma to check up on them, every now and then.
TC: Are there any activities that you’ve done either by yourself or with your family that you have found to be entertaining?
LDC: Other than constantly being at work and doing school, I have found myself having a lot more quality time with my siblings. It reminds me of the times when we were younger and just goofing off, doing stupid stuff. I’ve also been watching a lot of YouTube, doing a lot of cooking, and playing a lot more video games.