How COVID Affected Gen Z?

It’s hard to believe it’s been five years since COVID-19 tore our lives apart. It was first heard of in late 2019 and the first case in the United States was reported on January 21, 2020. Less than two months later, the pandemic was declared on March 11, and the world shut down on March 13. We wore masks and socially distanced all the way until March of 2022.

When the pandemic hit, I was in eighth grade on the stage crew for a play that was cancelled at Woodglen Middle School and was preparing to enter Voorhees High School. I had my diploma handed to me in my driveway that June.

I asked students here at Centenary about their memories of that tough time, because I was curious as to how they dealt with it. COVID was a tragedy for everyone, especially for Gen Z, which most undergrad Centenary students are.

Some were initially happy to get a break yet unsure how long it would last.

“When the announcement was made, I was in science class. My friends and I looked at each other with a shock on our faces. We were happy not to have school for two weeks, but we were uncertain,” said freshman Taylor Albrecht.

“I didn’t think it would last long. I thought people were panicking,” said sophomore Laurine Hyppolite.

Many really missed seeing friends.

“I stopped seeing my friends; I fell behind in school. It was awful,” said freshman Alison Renfors.

“I was in physics class and got a PA call that the next week would be all virtual. I remember saying I’d rather just be in person. I had my last bus ride home. I remember going home and then not seeing people again,” said senior Jibran Uddin.

“I was a junior in high school. I stayed home with my mom and dog. I’m supposed to be a senior but took some time off to do something else and spend time with my ex- boyfriend,” said sophomore Nicole Kilbane.

Some dealt with cancellations and, for others, life – or at least school– didn’t change much.

“I was a few days from opening Spamelot. I was in my sophomore year. I missed a lot of important time in school like performing,” said junior Kayleigh Pitts.

“I was already homeschooled so not too much changed. I did a lot of stupid things during quarantine,” said freshman Button Graham.

Some have memories of losing jobs and family members.

“I had a job in a coffee store. We went on strike and I lost my job to COVID,” said freshman John Mcaffery.

“I lived in Long Island with my mom. I remember virtual school and losing my grandfather to COVID,” said freshman Jack Henry.

And all of us missed a lot of important time in school.

“I was a sophomore in high school. COVID took out my sophomore year and all of my junior year. It was a rough time, because junior year is the most important year of high school due to the SATs. We weren’t allowed to have fans in the gym during sports and that was difficult,” said junior Sofia Mendez.

To get another perspective, I also gathered information from two staff members.

“People still have negative effects from COVID,”  said Annette Smith, assistant director of the Counseling Center. “Some people might still be recovering from symptoms. Some people are still grieving as well. Some people are more anxious now than before COVID. People are struggling with going out, being social, and making friends. Since we’ve never known anything like COVID, we don’t know how long it’ll take to get back to how it was before COVID.” 

Dr. Noah Haiduc-Dale, professor of history and University archivist, did some research with one of his classes by making lists of places to find old supplies like masks, hand sanitizer, and social distancing signs from the pandemic and having conversations with Student Life and Facilities. He took me into the archives in the library to talk to me about it.

“I was teaching Public History last school year,” said Haiduc- Dale. “It’s a class that deals with museums, monuments, and anything else that’s public. I had two students who wanted to know how Centenary dealt with the 1918 Influenza Pandemic, but there was nothing in old yearbooks. The rest of the class was working on creating an archive of COVID at Centenary. Having no record of 1918 gave us added focus to making a record of COVID. We interviewed people and took pictures of the masks and virtual classes.” 

During my visit with him to the archives, I saw a lot of boxes full of artifacts like masks and signs stating the mask requirement on the shelves to keep a record of COVID.

Meanwhile, if you’re still struggling from COVID, you’re far from alone. You can overcome it. I got re-involved in theatre after the pandemic ended and performed with three major roles my second half of high school, one of which I was elected the MVP. I was even inducted into the International Thespian Honor Society. I also became a dedicated stage crew member, won a fundraising award, and made numerous friends. 

Centenary also has resources to help with post-Covid concerns. You can book an appointment, or just stop by the campus Wellness Center located at 605 Grand Avenue, Hackettstown, that offers both medical and counseling services Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.