March 13, 2020: 4 Years Later

On March 13, 2020, the world as we knew it came to an abrupt stop. Around this time four years ago, people experienced their last taste of normalcy before the global pandemic known as “COVID-19” brought the entire world into lockdown. It’s a point in time no one will forget, when we were informed of a short “2-week” break from school, which ultimately stretched into nearly 2 years of remote and hybrid learning and a completely altered way of life. Now, after 4 years, we take the time to reflect. 

March 13, 2020, started like any other normal Friday. Everyone was excited for the weekend, but the announcement of a 2-week break from school triggered a multitude of emotions across the community. Having everyone so excited for basically an early spring break to spend time with friends and family. 

In March of 2024, LHS students shared their reactions to the news they got on that fateful day 4 years ago.

Junior Alex Wong recalls his excitement, stating, “I was so excited when I found out we were going to have two weeks off from school.”

Junior Sofie Gaevaya, then living in Europe, was excited to return to America and to have off from school but she also states, “At the same time I was shocked and surprised because I’ve been hearing about this disease going around and never thought it would get so bad.”

Senior Daylin Martinez was initially excited for an extended spring break but never anticipated the prolonged closure, mentioning, “I was so excited because they said spring break was going to be [3] weeks instead of one but I thought we would come back.”

Lastly, Liv Meester, junior, shares, “I was excited to do school virtually because it meant not having to go to school, I was looking forward to staying at home for two weeks.” Most students were extremely excited to be getting a long break from school.

Following the initial two-week break, disbelief surrounded the prolonged lockdown. Alex Wong expressed surprise at its duration, additionally Daylin Martinez explains that she believed they would be coming back after the two weeks, however after that was proven otherwise she “never thought it was going to be a year.” Liv Meester also expected an extension but not to the extent that it occurred. No one foresaw the lockdown and ensuing global pandemic reshaping our lives for almost two years.

The impact extended beyond staying home; it changed daily lives and perspectives.

Daylin Martinez shares her newfound struggle with anxiety which was a consequence of the pandemic, explaining, “After covid I developed bad anxiety which I never had before so it was something new that I had to learn to live with.”

Liv Meester reflects on altered relationships and heightened vigilance towards health, noting, “A lot of my relationships with people changed because during covid I wasn’t able to see people. There were a few people I remained/became very close friends with but I also lost contact with a lot of people. Another change in my life is I have become a lot more cautious in terms of germs and trying not to get sick.” When asked about March 13th, 2020’s significance in societal approaches to public health, work, education, and social interaction, Liv emphasizes heightened awareness of illness and the mental toll of isolation, stating, “One effect was how aware people became of illness and how many people became more cautious. A social effect I believe it had on people was that they realized what it was like to stay inside for a long period of time as well as the mental health changes it caused.” Lockdowns and COVID-19 irreversibly transformed pre-pandemic life, leaving lingering effects on society.

Looking back at March 13, 2020, it was a big deal. It showed us how easily things we take for granted can be shaken up, but also how strong people can be when faced with challenges. Without that day, everything we do every day would be totally different.

Edited by Adam Zaki ’24