How Students Remember March 13th
By Erin Sheedy
On March 13, 2020, all of our lives became filled with uncertainty and fear. We had just crossed over into what felt like the Twilight Zone. Stores were being raided for food and necessities, nursing homes shut their doors to outsiders, and schools announced their “temporary” closures. As with any unprecedented occasion, all of us had our own reactions. Some of our peers from Mahopac High School have documented their recollections of this day that will live in infamy:
I’m part of the school paper and I’m doing a segment on everyone’s recollection of March 13, the day everything went downhill in terms of the Coronavirus. Would you be able to share your memory about that day? What did you do, what did you realize, etc.?
Avery Farrell, Junior:
I honestly didn’t think it was going to be too bad. I thought everyone would stay inside for a week and the virus wouldn’t touch Mahopac, but as it turned into months, I became exhausted and bored of my room. I also realized that a lot of people In this town don’t take the virus as serious as they should.
Hannah Devanny, Senior:
I remember everyone had been talking about Corona and that week my friends and I had been really stressed out, really needing a break. At the end of ninth period the announcement came on the loud speaker and my friends and I were really excited. We were finally getting exactly what we wanted- a break.
Chloe Lowe, Senior:
I remember being initially excited and happy to not have school for a few days. I was also able to miss my SAT so I was also happy about that, but I didn’t expect to be hit with no school for the next 6 months.
Michelle DellaMura, Senior:
From what I can remember, March 13th felt like a normal day. I had school, a really hard math test, and the softball tryouts. I remember at my tryouts my coach telling us that they were closing school for a few days. I didn’t think much of it, i expected to be back in school with my friends, playing softball with my team in no time. I didn’t think the Coronavirus was going to turn into a whole pandemic from what was happening that day. I didn’t think it was anything to worry about. I was actually excited to get to have a few days off from school.
Isabella Valle, Sophomore:
I remember worrying about it faintly and having slight concerns until it got closer. We had heard about cases around the world and then in the city but it really started to worry me when it hit Westchester. The day they closed schools, everyone was celebrating but we had no idea how long it’d be.
Connor Atton, 2020 Graduate:
My big recollection of that day was I realized that my whole senior year would change. I remember thinking about what would happen for senior prom and graduation and if everything would somehow go back to normal. Once everything didn’t go back to normal it really made me worry and sad because senior year is supposed to be the best year of a teen’s life and it was sad that it was ruined.
Colleen Kelly, Senior:
In the morning I remember checking my phone in anatomy to see if anything was posted about school closures. I was also hoping the SAT would be canceled that Saturday because I was signed up to take it and I didn’t study. The rest of the day was pretty normal, except ninth period when Dr. Lawrence came on the loud speaker to tell us that we were going to be closed for the next two days. I had a Science National Honor Society presentation thing to go to, and I remember asking Mr. Quackenbush when he thought we’d be back. He said he didn’t really know and looked kind of upset.
Max Semegran, Senior:
I remember the last day of school having an ominous aura around it. For starters, it was Friday the 13th. The morning of that last day, my father took me aside and told me that I would not be going to school the next week out of fear of me catching COVID. At the time, I didn’t take his word seriously, thinking that there was no way he could enforce it. After that, the day passed as each did before it. Periods rushed by without any passing thought that this would be the last time that I sat in each classroom. Then, for some reason, track practice was canceled on account of weather, despite the fact that there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. This was a sign of things to come. School was canceled for a few days the upcoming week. At first, I was elated. I saw it as a brief break, time to sleep and relax. Then, days turned to weeks, weeks to months. My elation turned to worry, then despair as event after event was canceled: my spring SAT, the prom, then the entirety of my spring track season.
Makena Kraus, Senior:
At first when it was announced that school would be closed for the week of March 13th, I figured spring break had gotten an extra couple days longer. But as the seriousness of the virus began to set in, the mood in my household and many other student’s I’m sure began to change. My parents along with myself began to limit our exposure to the outside world and tried to strictly follow the quarantine rules put in place. I remember we would stock up on supplies once a week in hopes of limiting our need to go outside. At that moment, I began to realize it was going to be a really long time until life went back to the way we knew it as. Like I said at first I thought the virus would blow over in a few weeks but as it set in, I realized the pandemic would be lasting much longer.
On March 13, 2020, all of our lives became filled with uncertainty and fear. We had just crossed over into what felt like the Twilight Zone. Stores were being raided for food and necessities, nursing homes shut their doors to outsiders, and schools announced their “temporary” closures. As with any unprecedented occasion, all of us had our own reactions. Some of our peers from Mahopac High School have documented their recollections of this day that will live in infamy:
I’m part of the school paper and I’m doing a segment on everyone’s recollection of March 13, the day everything went downhill in terms of the Coronavirus. Would you be able to share your memory about that day? What did you do, what did you realize, etc.?
Avery Farrell, Junior:
I honestly didn’t think it was going to be too bad. I thought everyone would stay inside for a week and the virus wouldn’t touch Mahopac, but as it turned into months, I became exhausted and bored of my room. I also realized that a lot of people In this town don’t take the virus as serious as they should.
Hannah Devanny, Senior:
I remember everyone had been talking about Corona and that week my friends and I had been really stressed out, really needing a break. At the end of ninth period the announcement came on the loud speaker and my friends and I were really excited. We were finally getting exactly what we wanted- a break.
Chloe Lowe, Senior:
I remember being initially excited and happy to not have school for a few days. I was also able to miss my SAT so I was also happy about that, but I didn’t expect to be hit with no school for the next 6 months.
Michelle DellaMura, Senior:
From what I can remember, March 13th felt like a normal day. I had school, a really hard math test, and the softball tryouts. I remember at my tryouts my coach telling us that they were closing school for a few days. I didn’t think much of it, i expected to be back in school with my friends, playing softball with my team in no time. I didn’t think the Coronavirus was going to turn into a whole pandemic from what was happening that day. I didn’t think it was anything to worry about. I was actually excited to get to have a few days off from school.
Isabella Valle, Sophomore:
I remember worrying about it faintly and having slight concerns until it got closer. We had heard about cases around the world and then in the city but it really started to worry me when it hit Westchester. The day they closed schools, everyone was celebrating but we had no idea how long it’d be.
Connor Atton, 2020 Graduate:
My big recollection of that day was I realized that my whole senior year would change. I remember thinking about what would happen for senior prom and graduation and if everything would somehow go back to normal. Once everything didn’t go back to normal it really made me worry and sad because senior year is supposed to be the best year of a teen’s life and it was sad that it was ruined.
Colleen Kelly, Senior:
In the morning I remember checking my phone in anatomy to see if anything was posted about school closures. I was also hoping the SAT would be canceled that Saturday because I was signed up to take it and I didn’t study. The rest of the day was pretty normal, except ninth period when Dr. Lawrence came on the loud speaker to tell us that we were going to be closed for the next two days. I had a Science National Honor Society presentation thing to go to, and I remember asking Mr. Quackenbush when he thought we’d be back. He said he didn’t really know and looked kind of upset.
Max Semegran, Senior:
I remember the last day of school having an ominous aura around it. For starters, it was Friday the 13th. The morning of that last day, my father took me aside and told me that I would not be going to school the next week out of fear of me catching COVID. At the time, I didn’t take his word seriously, thinking that there was no way he could enforce it. After that, the day passed as each did before it. Periods rushed by without any passing thought that this would be the last time that I sat in each classroom. Then, for some reason, track practice was canceled on account of weather, despite the fact that there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. This was a sign of things to come. School was canceled for a few days the upcoming week. At first, I was elated. I saw it as a brief break, time to sleep and relax. Then, days turned to weeks, weeks to months. My elation turned to worry, then despair as event after event was canceled: my spring SAT, the prom, then the entirety of my spring track season.
Makena Kraus, Senior:
At first when it was announced that school would be closed for the week of March 13th, I figured spring break had gotten an extra couple days longer. But as the seriousness of the virus began to set in, the mood in my household and many other student’s I’m sure began to change. My parents along with myself began to limit our exposure to the outside world and tried to strictly follow the quarantine rules put in place. I remember we would stock up on supplies once a week in hopes of limiting our need to go outside. At that moment, I began to realize it was going to be a really long time until life went back to the way we knew it as. Like I said at first I thought the virus would blow over in a few weeks but as it set in, I realized the pandemic would be lasting much longer.
