On Wednesday, August 11, along with all of the other Gunn students I set foot on campus feeling like being in-person was unusual and “normal” at the same time. Despite the multitude of events that had occurred since the last time I had really been at Gunn, the crowded halls, blistering sun during fire drills and seagulls progressively returning to campus felt vaguely familiar. Seeing admin zoom through our campus on golf carts and electric scooters were experiences that I remember from my freshman year and am now reliving as a junior.

After the implementation of the stay-at-home order last year, being stuck at home for so long ultimately blurred my perception of time. One day I was going home for a long break, and the next day I was back again. Since returning on campus, I’ve constantly found myself forgetting that I am no longer a freshman. Now my friends and I are upperclassmen, getting our drivers licenses, taking the SAT and attending prom. But what exactly happened during that time in between?

While a lot of time passed during quarantine, the exciting early days of lockdown became monotonous and repetitive. In the middle of the pandemic, days quickly took on the same pattern: attending Zoom meetings, doing homework and sitting on my phone.

Quarantined life made me fall into a routine, making time spent during the pandemic less memorable. In many ways, having a constant routine affects our perception of time since repetitive events are less significant and harder to remember. Conversely, important events are more memorable and seem to slow down time. Even outside of the pandemic, remembering what had happened on a relatively recent weekday was more difficult than recalling what had occurred during the weekend was much easier. Many, including myself, have still not completely wrapped our heads around this “time jump” and the amount of time that has in fact passed by.

Compared to my freshman year, where I did not participate in homecoming events. I hope to compensate for the lost time by partaking in future events, though the events this year remain uncertain. Gunn has a multitude of ways to get involved and show school spirit, and everyone should take advantage by participating in opportunities that they may have previously opted out of.

Since the future of the pandemic is still uncertain, we must not let this school year become as monotonous and repetitive as the last. Especially as homecoming is just around the corner, I hope to engage in more school activities and break the repetitive cycle that I found myself in last year. By attending the abundance of activities surrounding homecoming week at Gunn, such as Airbands, float making, the homecoming dance and others, we can create high school memories and make up for the time we’ve lost.