Amira Al-Jassim

Amira+Al-Jassim

Amira Al-Jassim

Amira Al-Jassim, Rhetoric & Composition Student

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the lives of millions over the past few months. Thousands of people have died, and countries across the world have gone on lockdown. Normal day-to-day life has changed and will never be the same again for a very long time. Baseball games, concerts, and eating in a restaurant are far from being possible. What was once a simple activity is now completely unthinkable. This pandemic has forever changed the way we live, and the future of this virus is unclear.
I am a high school senior. These last couple of months of school were supposed to be the celebrations of many “lasts.” Due to the pandemic, school was originally canceled for only two weeks. At the time, I never would have thought my last day as a student at Chester High School would have been what it was. Now that Governor Pritzker has officially canceled the school year, it has finally hit me that my senior year has been ripped away. Events including senior decision day, senior tea, senior skip day, and project graduation will not happen. I will never have that final day of pulling into the parking lot at 7:50 a.m., rushing to make it up to the third floor before the tardy bell. I will never have that final run to lunch, hoping Mr. Blechle wasn’t lurking around the corner waiting to catch us. I will never have that final walk through the tunnel out to the parking lot at the end of the school day. Finally, I will never get to spend those last few moments with my classmates. The people I have made friendships with over the past four years will always have a special place in my heart. We have spent every football game, basketball game, homecoming dance, and late night cruise around town together. It has really upset me that I won’t get to spend those final days with them, especially before we all go our separate ways as adults.
Besides all of the heartbreak, I am still grateful. I am grateful to live in a country with amazing medical care, whereas other countries are not so fortunate. I am also grateful to go to a school with a considerate administration, who has not canceled our prom or graduation. Many schools across the country have already had their proms and graduations canceled. But my prom has been moved to late July and graduation moved to early August. I hope every day that this quarantine will be over by then. The Chester community has also done very well in recognizing the senior class of 2020. The First Baptist Church has started to put the names of Chester High School’s seniors on their marque. Each day four graduating seniors will be recognized. The high school administration has also joined in the “Be The Light” campaign in which schools across the country turn on their football lights at 8:20 for twenty minutes to honor the class of 2020. A Facebook page has been created called Chester High School Seniors. Each day a picture of a senior is posted along with their future plans after graduating. Many of the posts describe what each individual was involved in while at Chester High School and the college they are attending in the fall. The high school staff has also surprised each senior by placing signs in the yards of their homes. I took a picture with my sign to be put in the yearbook.
Quarantine has not been an easy thing to transition into. I have been stuck at home for weeks and haven’t been able to see many of my friends. I constantly worry if I have the virus or if my parents have brought it home. Many people have mild cases, and others don’t even get sick. I never realized how easily germs can spread until now. I often find myself watching how many times my family members don’t wash their hands or how many surfaces they touch. My parents don’t allow anyone in the house to share drinks anymore in case one of us has the virus. My mom and I often take groceries to my grandmother because she can’t do it on her own anymore. When we drop the groceries off at her house, we set it on her deck and don’t get close to her. It is really heartbreaking that I can’t visit her like I used to. The virus has taken so much from our daily lives, and I can’t keep going on like this. Social distancing is not living.
If it weren’t for technology, I have no idea how I would entertain myself. My days usually consist of homework and Netflix. I communicate with my friends through social media a lot, especially Snapchat. My friends and I often have nightly video Facetimes where we talk for hours on end. I also spend a lot of time on the new app TikTok, which has grown really popular in the last few months. TikTok is an app where anyone can make videos to different sounds or music. Once I downloaded the app, I became addicted. My iPhone can average my screen time since I’ve been quarantined. I average four hours and forty-seven minutes a day on my phone. The quarantine definitely doesn’t help the way our society is glued to their phones. But I still try to exercise as much as I can and often take walks with my mom. The difficult times we are currently living in really make one appreciate the small things. I will never again take for granted a sleepover or a trip to the mall with my girls.
I currently reside in Randolph County, which has one of the highest numbers of COVID-19 cases in the state of Illinois. “As of April 26, 2020, Randolph County has a total of 106 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Of those 106 cases, 57 are current cases with 54 quarantined at home and three hospitalized. There have been 48 recovered cases and those people have been released to normal activity” (“COVID-19 Update”). This number of cases is a lot, especially for a non-city region. But there are several factors that have caused this. In Randolph County, we have Menard Correctional Center, Chester Mental Health Center, and Gilster-Mary Lee Corporation. All of these facilities have thousands of workers, who come from all over Illinois and Missouri for work. Both of my parents work at Menard Correctional Center, so I have a clear understanding of the situation. From what my parents have told me, prisoners have been isolated away from each other in their cells. When workers arrive for their shifts, their temperature is taken. If their temperature is high, they are sent home immediately. As of April 28, there have only been a couple of workers test positive for the virus at Menard. A freezer in Menard has been cleared out to store bodies. The freezer is a back-up morgue to store bodies in case the funeral homes in the area become overwhelmed with deaths. This was really shocking to hear because I never would have thought the virus would come to this.
The effect of the coronavirus can take a toll on a family, especially if that family member passes away. The head of the Gilster-Mary Lee Corporation, Don Welge, passed away April 16, 2020. Gilster-Mary Lee Corp. released the statement, “It is with great sadness that we must advise you of the passing earlier today of Don Welge after a short illness. Those who knew him certainly understood his love of the food industry, the company he helped build, and the relationships with customers, suppliers, fellow employees, and other business associates he established over his 60 plus years in the industry” (Gilster-Mary Lee). This was absolutely devastating for me to hear, considering Welge was so well-known in the Chester community. I have had the pleasure of serving Welge and his wife at Joe’s Pizza, and he was always very kind to me. He never failed to say thank you and always had a smile on his face. I have been friends with his granddaughter, Lauren Welge, for a couple of years now. So this news of his passing was especially sad. I can relate to how she is feeling, having lost a grandfather from cancer. But this type of death was so sudden. No one would have thought this virus could turn into what it has.
The state of Illinois has a very large number of COVID-19 cases. As of April 28, 2020, according to the Chicago Tribune, “The statewide total of known cases now stands at 45,883 in 96 counties, and the statewide death toll is 1,983” (“Coronavirus in Illinois Updates”). With Chicago being one of the biggest cities in the U.S., this number comes as no surprise. Governor Pritzker has extended the stay at home order through May 30 as the number of cases continue to rise in the state. This means non-essential businesses are to remain closed. For example, hairdressers, clothing boutiques, and certain restaurants are closed. Many of the restaurants that have remained open have been doing pickup orders and deliveries to maintain social distancing. Starting May 1st, facemasks are going to be required in public places. This comes after a recent study declared the virus can be passed along in the air. “The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is primarily transmitted through droplets containing virus, or through viral particles that float in the air. The virus may be breathed indirectly and can also spread when a person touches a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touches their mouth, nose, or eyes” (Harvard Health Publishing). I have recently received a mask of my own to be prepared when I go out in public.
The coronavirus has caused many businesses to remain closed, which has caused the unemployment numbers in the country to rise dramatically. “With the coronavirus outbreak shutting businesses in every state, fresh evidence of the economic devastation was delivered Thursday as a government report showed that 6.6 million more people have lost their jobs” (Cohen). This report by the New York Times was published on April 16, 2020, and the numbers have since then gone up. If the quarantine continues for the next couple of months, a lot of people across the country will be struggling. The government has just recently been giving out stimulus checks of $1,200 to people who qualify for the aid during these trying times. There have been a lot of people I know personally who have applied for the stimulus check. My family has been lucky enough to not be unemployed. My parents are still going to work at Menard, and I still have my job at Joe’s Pizza Chester. The only downside to still having a job is the risk of getting the virus from others.
The United States currently has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the world. According to CBS News, “The number of COVID-19 cases in the United States passed 1 million on Tuesday as the death toll climbed 57,000 nationwide. There have been over 3 million cases worldwide and more than 213,000 deaths globally” (Reals). The number of cases in the U.S. continues to rise every day as more testing becomes available. Although cases are rising, some states are beginning to open up again. At a recent COVID-19 briefing, President Donald Trump has laid out a three-step plan to reopen the country’s economy. Before entering Phase One, a state must pass the “gating” phase. This includes “a downward trajectory of documented cases within a 14-day period” (Edelman). If a state passes the “gating” phase, then it can enter Phase One. “Under Phase One protocols, large venues like restaurants, movie theaters, sporting venues and places of worship would be allowed to reopen if they operate under strict physical distancing protocols” (Edeleman). Once a state passes Phase One, they can move on to Phase Two. “Under Phase Two, schools and activities like day care centers and camps could reopen and nonessential travel could resume. Visits to senior care facilities and hospitals would remain prohibited” (Edeleman). By Phase Three, the state would be almost back to normal with very limited social distancing protocols.
The coronavirus pandemic has changed the lives of millions over the past few months. Cases have reached a couple of million worldwide, and thousands have died. The future of this virus is unknown, and going back to normal could take a long time. No matter what happens, I have learned to appreciate the good in the world. I was very upset that my senior year ended so abruptly. I focused more on the bad than the good. But now I am thankful for the life I have and understand I can’t take anything for granted. From now on I will cherish those visits to my grandmother’s house and that Post Malone concert. We never know how good we have it until it is all gone. No one is guaranteed another day, so we must appreciate the time we have now on this roller coaster we call life.

Works Cited

Cohen, Patricia, and Tiffany Hsu. “’Sudden Black Hole’ for the Economy With Millions More Unemployed.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 9 Apr. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/04/09/business/economy/unemployment-claim-numbers-coronavirus.html.
“Coronavirus in Illinois Updates: Here’s What’s Happening Wednesday with COVID-19 in the Chicago Area.” Chicago Tribune, Chicagotribune.com, 29 Apr. 2020, www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-coronavirus-pandemic-chicago-illinois-news-20200429-jwsjclnzkbcu3mxxt6aoxgcayq-story.html.

“Coronavirus Resource Center.” Harvard Health, Harvard University, www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/coronavirus-resource-center.

“COVID-19 Update.” County Journal, 26 Apr. 2020

Edelman, Adam, et al. “Trump Unveils Three-Phase Plan for States to Reopen amid Coronavirus Pandemic.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 17 Apr. 2020, www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-announce-guidelines-reopening-u-s-amid-coronavirus-pandemic-n1185666.

Gilster-Mary Lee Corporation. “Statement on the Death of Don Welge.”

Reals, Tucker. “Coronavirus Updates: COVID-19 Cases in U.S. Top 1 Million.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 28 Apr. 2020, www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/coronavirus-latest-updates-2020-04-28/.