Due to the COVID -19 pandemic, staying at home for both the spring and summer was necessary to stop the spread of the virus. With not much to do, the quarantine led the students and staff to be able to try something new to keep themselves busy.  

Boredom Busters is the term used to refer to the different activities many did to avoid boredom. Many of these activities intended were different ways to express creativity through painting, drawing, coloring, arts and crafts, etc. 

Counselor and Advisory teacher, Noemi Bobadilla said she was inspired to paint during her free time, “I wanted to try something new, so I decided to buy canvases, paint, and paintbrushes. I painted Lil Uzi’s album cover. It has to be one of my favorite paintings I have done so far.” 

Others put their talents to use cooking and/or baking. Cooking and baking was a great way for some students and staff to spend more time with their families and do their best in making food for others and themselves. Sophomore Diego Nuñez spent his summer preparing healthy breakfasts with the help of his family, “I did it because I had spare time and eventually I’m gonna leave the house and have to take care of myself. My mom, grandma, and aunt helped me.” 

Apart from creative endeavors, the quarantine was a big opportunity for people to work on themselves and make changes in their lives, by improving mentally, physically, and emotionally. 

Exercising was one activity many students and staff have worked on to feel great. Sophomore cross country runner, Marco Nuñez found some self-motivation. “I’ve always wanted to run on my own time but I had so many things to do both in and out of school that I never got the chance to… with Cross-country coming I’ve wanted to get in shape and prepare myself for the long-distance running. It was challenging at the beginning but it has gotten significantly easier,” he said. Planning out his routine to run every day, except Sundays, by running and doing some burpees, lunges, and planks helped Marco gain the condition of running long-distance and work out the rest of the body. His daily schedule was to usually run at 1:30 pm or 2:30 pm for 30 minutes, approximately 2-3 miles, and run through the Monte Bella neighborhoods but make sure to keep his mileage the same. Running was his activity that not only helped him stay occupied and train for Cross Country, but also helped him feel healthier and good about all that he has accomplished. 

Apart from exercising, many students had fun by changing their look and improving their confidence. Junior Jania Sanches said, “During the summer I researched a lot and did my skincare. I had time so I thought that it could be a beneficial way to pass time… I started to watch this YouTuber Hyram who is a skin care specialist and had a lot of videos that helped me understand my skin better.” Jania used to just wash her face and now has a 4-step routine of using a cleanser, moisturizer, serum, and sunscreen. Now, she found a great difference in her skin, she noticed how fast her acne scars had disappeared thanks to Hyram’s skincare tips.

Being indoors all day and spending time with our family, and got to have fun with their family by getting to know each other more.  Freshman Betzabet Romero had fun this summer playing a lot of board games with her family and friends such as Loteria, Checkers, and Tic Tac Toe. “We were actually all planning to play because we wanted to have family time and spend time. We just played those three games. I had these games for a long time and we all just decided to play, it was fun” she said.  Betzabet would originally play Loteria and Tic Tac Toe with her family and cousins ever since quarantine started and as for Checkers, she learned how to play the game with her dad. She now feels they all got much closer, “I think I feel more comfortable and yea I think we got more closer and yes we do play once in a while.” “It was both fun and competitive.” With there being a lot of extra time in one’s hands, it was a great opportunity to unite all family members and have fun at the same time.  

When the lockdown lifted, many took advantage and did a little traveling. Junior Avril Hernandez, spent some time on a houseboat, “I slept on a houseboat for four days on Lake Shasta. I loved the experience. Had a break from social media and using my phone… My aunts and uncles planned it.” 

During quarantine, it was up to staff and students to make big or small changes in their lives through exercise, change of look, travel, and/or try something new that seemed interesting to give it a go and know what they are capable of. After all, this unexpected summer was a great opportunity for students and staff to use their imagination in finding a fun way to spend this summer away from boredom.