Governor Ned Lamont recently announced that Connecticut will accelerate its COVID-19 vaccine rollout, with all adults over the age of 16 being eligible for the vaccine as of April 5. Is this the light at the end of the tunnel? Will we finally be able to close this terrible chapter of history and move on with our lives? Who knows? Until then, the Life Section thought it would be a good idea to imagine life as fully-vaccinated citizens, with all the perks and privileges that come with it!
Gino Giansanti
Staff Writer
I think it’s completely fair to say that the COVID-19 pandemic really did our generation dirty. I mean, flash me forward 10 years when I’m in the working world; sure keep me trapped at home for a couple months. Flash me back 10 years, absolutely I’ll take a break from the public school system of my hometown. But while I’m in college, while I’m trying to figure out my future and have a little fun along the way, are you really gonna screw me over like that? And seriously, my fellow 1999 and 2000 babies will be the only age group to understand celebrating 21 at home with your parents.
Therefore it should be known that my fully-vaccinated self will be enjoying all the luxuries and privileges that befit a typical 21-year-old American in a typical year. I’m talking about clubs, bar crawls; the works. I want to drown my sorrows in booze without having to worry about hitting my head on the plexiglass box they’ve encased me in, and be able to bump into total strangers on the dance floor without needing to sanitize with the off-brand Purell they have stationed at the door (which always smells terrible and has an uncomfortable sticky-feeling to it).
And while this will expose me as a total theatre nerd, I can’t wait to get back into New York City to see a Broadway show. I mean, sure, you cram into seats like sardines and sell your kidney to afford a ticket, but there is nothing like the magic of live entertainment to distract you from all the crappy parts of your day-to-day life. They’ve tried Zoom theatre and TikTok musicals, but frankly, nothing hits quite the same as the opening chords from the orchestra as the curtain rises. And of course, an overpriced cocktail in your hand is always the way to go to keep you entertained regardless of how good the show is. While I know it’s still a long ways away, it certainly feels good to dream again.
Lesly Nerette
Campus Correspondent
On March 13, 2020, everyone was sent home for what we thought was an extended spring break. Fun, right? Wrong! We were sent home for a year because — as we all know — COVID-19 wanted to galavant while everyone was basically put on house arrest.
Flash forward to a year later, the pandemic is not yet over, but there is a glimmer of hope for the near future. We are finally going to be vaccinated and be working toward normalcy once more! I went from celebrating my 21st birthday at home with an undercooked cake and a Popeyes spicy chicken sandwich combo, to present-day with vaccines!
What is the first thing I’ll do when everyone is fully vaccinated and COVID-19 indefinitely leaves? Oh, baby, I’m going to the club! I’m going to the club, and so long as everyone is vaccinated, you are all invited! If there is one thing about me, I’m dancing anywhere I go. I’ve done enough of that at home, so now I’m going to show everyone how I can move! If you’re going to come along, be ready to bring it! I’ll be waiting for you on the dance floor.
Meghan Shaw
Campus Correspondent
During Thanksgiving break in 2019, I rode off to the movies with my sister and friend to see “Frozen 2.” We sat in a crowded theater and ate popcorn, maskless and less than six feet apart. The three of us were blissfully unaware this would be the last time we would be in a movie theater for over a year.
I think I owe a lot to “Frozen 2,” including my sanity. The soundtrack in particular is a defining feature of quarantine for me, since I listened to it virtually non-stop for several months. Could it have been that it reminded me of the world pre-pandemic? Or was “Show Yourself” really just that good? Who knows?
Regardless, I didn’t realize how much I missed going to the movie theater with friends and family until I found my slightly crumpled and faded ticket stub from November 2019 in the forgotten part of my wallet. It brought back memories of sneaking dollar store snacks past the overpriced concessions stand, eagerly waiting in the dim light for the show to start and late-night conversations with friends in the movie theater parking lot.
So, that ticket is staying in my wallet until I, fully vaccinated, can go see a new movie in theaters. Hopefully, one with a soundtrack as good as “Frozen 2,” since I think it is high time to mix it up a bit. As much as I love it, turns out there is a limit on how many times you can listen to “Into the Unknown,” and I must have reached it by now.
