VV_June July Web 20-compressed

COVID-19:
A STUDENT'S VIEW
Village Voice June/July 2020
The past few months have moved at a very slow
but steady pace. After the initial panic, we all
more or less eased into an eerily relaxed routine
– wake up, banana bread straight into oven,
attempt exercise, fall asleep and start again.
Collectively, I think we can agree that there is
only so much banana bread one can make
before the reality of the situation finally hits; we
need to get back on track...
I am set to graduate at 20 years old, in
November. Currently studying Marketing and
Communications, I am at the final sprint of my
course, in a more unusual way than I had
initially planned. Weekly lectures have been
replaced with video web calls, and whilst this
has been a relatively seamless transition, it has
been made increasingly difficult to contact
tutors I would usually be able to access by
walking down a corridor. It is important to put
this into perspective; each lecturer has their own
families and personal hurdles during the
pandemic. Remaining tenacious and proactive
in situations out of our control is my best tip for
young learners – perhaps trying a new craft or
hobby to immerse yourself in when workloads
may feel stressful.
I am sure we all have household or distant
family members that are facing some sort of
challenges, whether they be personal or business
related. Hundreds of us with key workers in our
families, continuing to work hard every day
despite the risks they may face. Whilst my mum
may not be a key worker, she has indeed faced
her own problems as an independent small
business. Falling into the government’s ‘grey
area’, her business has faced constant
uncertainty as to whether or not they will stay
afloat amidst the pandemic. However, she has
not let this get the better of her, taking it upon
herself to produce scrubs in the spare time she
www.pennandtylersgreen.org.uk
has for the hard-working NHS staff. There are
now numerous hard working ladies in and
around the village who are working completely
voluntarily to produce these scrubs, often taking
time out of their usual activities to ensure these
are complete. I admire the selflessness of these
people, and am sure we can all agree that
although we may see lots of doom and gloom
on our screens every day, there are certainly
plenty of positive and hopeful stories amongst
our community. Perhaps we can take a moment
every day to think of the good that’s happening
in the world – whether the achievements are big
or small, they are nonetheless a symbol of unity
in our period of isolation. Niamh Herron
Pink Moon
Photos by Ian Petrie of
a recent
phenomenon
where the moon
appears a pink
hue after the
Spring equinox.
Photgrpahed April
7th, just after the
start of lockdown.
31