Looking back on the past year of COVID-19, things that once seemed normal are no longer seen in the same light. Between social distancing and mask wearing, people have been inhibited from participating in events, activities and traditions that they never questioned before. On top of that, people are now more aware of the spread of germs and the various ways it can happen. To the right is a thread of things people can’t believe they did before COVID-19 put health concerns in perspective.
“It’s weird to think that it’s a tradition for people [to] blow out candles on a birthday cake since COVID. I used to not think anything of it, but now it just seems nasty.”
-Emma Kinder (freshman)
“I used to get gas all the time without immediately putting on hand sanitizer. I never really considered how gross that was until COVID. Our hands are so nasty all of the time, and I can’t believe we used to live in a world where hand sanitizer wasn’t an immediate go-to.”
-Alaina Abbott (sophomore)
“It’s weird to think about how so many people would pack into one space for concerts. I couldn’t imagine people standing that close together anymore.”
-Mary Claire Banks (junior)
“I went with some friends to Passion Conference 2020. There were tens of thousands of us there, and when looking around the arena, I felt a sense of awe. Looking back at videos I have from the event, it all seems so surreal, especially after a year of social distancing.”
-Camden Marshall (senior)
“Now that we stand so far back from one another, it’s interesting to me that we used to stand so close. We used to be so close that sometimes you could feel someone brush up against you. Now that we’re more conscious about germ spreading, it’s crazy to think people used to, quite literally, breathe down our necks.”
-Jamica Gaither (senior)
“Personally, I can’t believe I dapped people up before COVID. I only do fist bumps now.”
-Adam Dawidow (sophomore)
“I honestly can’t believe we touched railings on stairs. I also can’t believe we all used buffets. We all touch the same utensils and breathe over the same food? Yeah. OK.”
-Sydney Hammond (senior)
