From the week before Thanksgiving until this last week, a majority of students were back home to celebrate the holidays with their families. COVID has impacted every part of life, including the happiest time of the year.
Many students worked home town jobs to save up for the upcoming semester. The pandemic has shut down inside seating for many restaurants, which makes it difficult to get hours. Shanghai Palace is one example of a restaurant that can only do takeout or delivery.
“I worked back home because I was trying to get money for college and with COVID happening, I didn’t have many hours because the pandemic slows down the amount of people that come in to eat,” Banny Soto, freshman and Criminal Justice major said.
Other students got to spend time with friends and family. Though the pandemic prevented big gatherings, students still got to see parents, siblings, and hometown friends they had been missing.
Bethany Jones, a junior and Sports Management major, spent time with her family. She generally goes skiing, but with limited capacity she decided to spend most of her time at home. Jones got her wisdom teeth out and dyed her hair, along with other fun pandemic-friendly activities.
“My family and I went to the Maverick Hotel to Devils Restaurant for the first time to have my brother’s girlfriend’s birthday dinner and it was great! I also took pictures in front of the ‘Home of the Mavericks’ sign at the mall which was fun. I also went to Glenwood Springs on a day trip with my girls, and went to the Iron Springs hot springs and dinner,” Jones said.
Huge family gatherings for holidays were simmered down, which made things quiet and peaceful. Smaller portions for holiday could be made at home, but you could still Zoom your family.
“Break went well, it was really long. It definitely felt more isolated because usually during Christmas time I go to both sides of my family, visit my grandparents and aunts and uncles. This year, none of that happened but I got to spend time with my immediate family which is what I needed at this point in the pandemic,” Alyssa Zurow, senior and Political Science major said.
With the vaccine out, students are hoping upcoming breaks will hold a little more adventure. The general consensus, however, is that spending time at home is what CMU students needed to get through the rest of the year.
