With many businesses closed around the country, students from everywhere in the world now have an excessive amount of time on their hands. Pelicans are finding methods to keep themselves connected in both productive and unproductive ways, and we writers at the LC Log are excited to share the ventures of our community members in isolation. Hopefully during their time stuck at home, at least a few students will be bored enough to actually read our articles.
Recently, I was able to have a talk with Ray Khan ’20, a senior whose life has been greatly impacted by the current situation, with the cancellations of prom, an in-person graduation on Memorial Day Weekend, and much more.
“I was heartbroken, like the rest of my class,” said Ray, who was unable to return to the Island for his last trimester as a student.
Seniors face a unique challenge as they find methods to substitute time usually spent enjoying the rest of the high school experience.
What may be even more tragic than that, however, is that Ray might eventually be forced to live at home in Calgary, Canada, where every normal weekend probably feels just as boring as a coronavirus lockdown anyway. For now though, he is staying with his cousins in the aptly-named town of Corona, California and is admirably making the best out of a bad situation. He exercises daily, enjoys takeout often, sleeps a lot, and once he returns to Canada, will likely walk his pet beaver.
In our community, students in their final year are perhaps most impacted by the consequences of the virus, unable to walk down the senior path in late May, unable to say final goodbyes to friends and faculty, and unable to reach new heights in spring sports. But despite how easy it would be to mope around and complain, Ray is cherishing what he currently has\; he keeps physically fit and spends time with cousins, maintaining hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
“I’m just trying to make the best out of it,” Ray said, “the first days felt terrible, but hopefully everyone will be able to meet up again soon.”
Although his last moments as a Loomis student have been cut short, Ray has made connections and memories that will last a lifetime.
Ray’s story is only scratching the surface of how Pelicans are reacting to these strange times, and there is much more to be uncovered as this plays out.