From cancelled family trips to indefinitely-postponed birthday parties, the COVID-19 pandemic caused many students’ summer plans to be put off or abandoned entirely. Despite the global panic, students still found ways to keep themselves entertained and maintain some sense of normalcy.

While visiting their friends, many opted for a masked and socially-distanced gathering. 

“Whenever I did go out, I would always wear a mask,” sophomore Ellie Lian said. “For the most part, I just went to my friend’s house or I would go to the nearby park.”

For those who were stuck at home, virtual summer camps and classes provided students the opportunity to further their education from a safe distance.

“The best thing I did over summer break [was] probably attending an online summer camp that I wanted to learn about, specifically a biomedical camp,” senior Joon Kang said. “Because of quarantine, I couldn’t go out. I couldn’t do anything physical, so learning about something that I liked was probably the highlight of my summer.”

Although international travel restrictions have been tightened since the beginning of the pandemic, some students were still able to visit new places and spend time with loved ones living in other countries. 

“I had the opportunity to go on a trip in my own country,” junior Ashley Chung said. “I went to Sokcho, Korea. It’s one of Korea’s seas, and since I was in New York last year, I couldn’t go to vacation or a trip with my family. There, my family and I had a precious moment.”

Though this summer was definitely memorable for unique reasons, students remain hopeful that the pandemic will subside, according to Lian. Until then, Zoom parties and digital learning will have to do.

“[I am looking forward to] a lot of things. For one, going out without a mask,” Lian said. “I really want to go thrift shopping and go to the beach and go to things with a lot of people that I’m not able to do right now.”