Giving up my safe space for a new one

By Editors of the Rampage

Published 09/21/20

Giving up my safe space for a new one

Our editorial staff shared musings about what the last few months have been like for them.

We’ve all made sacrifices for the greater good, and while the seriousness seems to be behind us, we still need to remain vigilant.

Felicia Lentini, 2021

The Cheshire High School Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) provides a safe space for all students, mostly on the queer spectrum. I used to attend this club every Thursday, and as the co-president I discussed LGBTQ+ topics with attendees, but I also was there to support students who needed it. These kids and I no longer have this safe space to express ourselves, but it is for our own safety (during the current pandemic) that we do not meet. Students who cannot tell their parents that they associate with “gays” would not be able to attend Google Meets even if we held them, so for this reason the club as a whole is taking a meeting hiatus.

Logan Wolff, 2021

Since the beginning of Covid, I along with the rest of the population, have had to sacrifice something I love in order for the wellbeing of everyone else. For me this has been theater and all of the people and memories that come with it. Although everyone is trying their best to make it work under these circumstances, I know it won’t be the same for a long time. Through our shared sacrifices, whatever that might be, we must attempt to come together as a community to uplift one another rather than let our struggles divide us.

Neeha Zaman, 2022

Since school closed last year, most of the population has been doing their part to stop the spread of COVID-19, myself included. I've had to sacrifice seeing my friends and family, and I had to live with Covid scares because my mom is a nurse who had to take care of Covid patients. We are still sacrificing now, as I used to be very active during campaign season but now can't do much to help. However, in the grand scheme of things I don't mind missing all of this, because there are bigger things to worry about.

How COVID saved a life.

Julianna Distante, 2021

While the COVID pandemic was thought to be an excuse for a short vacation, we quickly learned it was much more than that. To find light during an isolating pandemic, if my family hadn’t been home one life-altering day, my father would not be alive. One morning at the end of May, my father had a massive, damaging stroke in our home. After reflection on that day, I could not be more thankful for COVID. At the time. Our family was so lucky to have been forced to work at home and catch this before it had been too late. Soon, we would see the devastating effects of COVID on the recovery and healing process.

Fiona Byers, 2022

Due to the circumstances of this pandemic, plenty of things in my life have changed, for better or for worse. I’ve missed my first concert and been forced to stop ice skating for the moment. As difficult as this is, it’s hard to be angry about it knowing that even if these cancellations hurt me, they are truly for my own good and the good of those around me. Precautions taken by shutting events down will help my loved ones be healthy. Sacrificing things I can’t do helps for the pandemic to be handled sooner and for normalcy to come back even more quickly.

Lily Date, 2023

During the seemingly endless Covid summer, most gatherings were cancelled for the safety of others. For me, this meant giving up friend and family meetings, and wearing masks everywhere I went. Early in the year, my family had to skip a visit to my cousin's college, as well as an acrobatics show. Many club meetings were also cancelled, meaning I had no way to see some of my friends. While this was frustrating, I knew that it was what had to be done in order to keep myself and the people around me safe.