By PantherNow Opinion Staff
Produced by Gabriela Enamorado
Throughout the pandemic, FIU students have faced a slew of difficulties and changes. Many have gone through personal hardships in their relationships, some have had changes in their political beliefs, others may have found their true passions. FIU panthers stuck through it all and remained strong throughout these difficult times.
We officially reached a year since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. This series is aimed to highlight FIU students’ stories throughout the tumultuous year. We at PantherNow want to share our stories with the student body for anyone who has gone through similar situations to see that at the end of the day, we are all going through this pandemic together.
From their highs to their lows here are our stories:
A Year in the Pandemic: Finding My Silver Lining by Sergey Podlesnykh
Sergey talks about how despite the hardships he and everyone else has faced throughout the pandemic, he chooses to focus on the positive things he has discovered about himself. He hopes others can do the same.
Socially-Distant Love: Relationships in a Year of COVID by Julia Gomez
Julia takes on the topic of being in a relationship during the coronavirus pandemic and the difficulties that come with having to maintain socially-distanced love. Julia’s boyfriend Chacid is immunocompromised and she has only been able to see him a few times since the pandemic began.
What This Pandemic Has Meant To Me by Hayley Serpa
Hayley talks about how her hobbies and interest have shifted since the pandemic began. She speaks on how the free time during quarantine helped her find new things to be passionate about, such as escapism in the form of reading.
“I’m Sorry For Your Loss” Words I Wish I Never Had to Hear
Cristina, our entertainment director, opens up about losing her dad to COVID. She speaks on what is is like dealing with grief for the first time and wishes to share her fathers story.
How the Pandemic Has Changed Me: A 2020s Frame of Mind
Robert has viewed the pandemic as something that has affected his mental health and his political views. In politics, he’s gone from a moderate democrat to a more progressive democrat. In terms of mental health, he’s gone from being frustrated at the state of the world to recognizing his own blessings.
Dealing With ADHD During a Pandemic
Amanda realized she had been struggling with her attention span and came to the conclusion that she has ADHD. She speaks on what it is like dealing with ADHD in a time or remote school and how the pandemic helped her realize she has this condition.
Last Year’s Lockdown Changed Me For The Better
Nicole likes to view as the lockdown from last year as something that challenged her to become the best version of herself. From finding out who her real friends were and practicing self-love, she has gone through a complete change in a year.
Coming To Terms With What We Lost
Jacob has struggled with the loss of many friendships throughout the pandemic. The isolation of the pandemic has brought this to many friendships and is an all too real reality of coronavirus that not many talk about.
Meeting Myself Through Isolation: COVID-19
Mia has struggled throughout the entire pandemic. From being separated from her mom that’s sick to navigating COVID in a brand new city, it has been a bumpy road. But, she’s discovered her own resilience through it.
Would you like to share your pandemic story with us? Contact us at: gabriela.enamorado@fiusm.com
DISCLAIMER:
The opinions presented within this page do not represent the views of PantherNOW Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.
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