Medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits, and necessary to sustain life … but poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.
Robin Williams, Dead Poets Society
If this quarantine has given us anything, it’s loads of time(even though I seem just as busy!), and that means re-watching old classics like the one above. The film about a zany teacher inspiring a class is heartwarming and oh-so-needed right now. Thanks goes out to the amazing human beings working in education; we’ve tagged a great number, but there are so many more!
The 1st Gen Family hopes to help the global public health community in their efforts, supporting our essential workers, and encouraging safety measures at this time. While they work on the front line, we hope to help on the home front by reaching out to our readers and compiling together the success stories and best ways that we can conquer this quarantine!
Sticking with the school theme is Harvard University offering 67 free online courses at online-learning.harvard.edu. Copy and paste that into your URL, and you’re taken to all the options. HINT: The trending courses are usually the free ones. CS50’s Web Programming with Python and JavaScript improves the computer skills I need to run a blog….. and to say I’ve taken a class at Harvard, of course.
My friend Valeri Lohrman, a singer-songwriter providing guest services at Ruoff Music Center, also offers some free education in the form of a YouTube video on some clever ways to remember all the United States capitals here:
Going more artsy is Jackie Letizia, a School Counseling graduate student at the University of Maryland, had this to recently share on Facebook:
Made out of macrame rope(4 mm) and a branch(from her backyard), this is the perfect DIY project for the artsy folks stuck at home. She
1.) Took thirty pieces of macrame rope to the center piece, and knotted those first, then
2.) Put 14 pieces on either side, and knotted them.
That’s it! For this, she points out that square knots and double half hitch knots work best. She also recommends it as a good activity to keep her hands busy while listening to music, audiobooks, or class lectures. I loved her idea, and in talking about sharing it with y’all, found out she’s also a first-gen student!
Jackie was involved with the Susquehanna University’s Office of First-Year Experience as an undergrad, serving as a mentor for others and easing their transition to the college environment. She later served as a college access counselor at a nonprofit, helping other first-gen’s of varying backgrounds, socioeconomic statuses, and interests apply to college or find their best-fit career option. This is where she recalls:
“I knew that I wanted to continue to help students navigate their post secondary plans and empower them to reach their goals. After I finish this program in 2021, I am hoping to serve as a school counselor in a high school, and pursue a doctorate in education policy or educational leadership.”
Jackie Letizia, University of Maryland Class of 2021
A lifelong learner, Jackie plans to become a school counselor, and though she wasn’t even aware of her being a first-gen while in undergrad, is happy for the renewed awareness programs popping up at universities nationwide.
Sharing Jackie’s love of art is Kaitlyn Carey, an art education major at Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a number of craft ideas for passing the time in quarantine. I’m fascinated by her two “Curiosity Machines” pictured below, taking recyclable materials and creating crazy-looking art pieces that are fun, help the environment, and keep the creative juices flowing.
For the less organized (i.e., my kinda artist) these come with no instruction as the design is entirely up to you!
Kaitlyn also suggests:
Paint and stamp with found objects. Experiment with different materials. (Her favorite “found” stamp is an onion!)
Photograph the mundane. Simple things, such as a glass of water can provide some really visually interesting photos. Pets and family members also make great models!
Expressing yourself through artwork or writing could be therapeutic to let out some of those feelings through some kind of creative outlet, and you can get some beautiful artwork out of it.
Jacqueline Bates, another Susquehanna senior, agrees, using her artistic ability to craft a very special birthday gift for her boyfriend this year:
Finally, here’s a link to Ten Percent Happier, a mindfulness site centered around relaxing techniques. For audiobook listeners, it’s perfect to tune into short podcasts, talks, and guided meditation sessions. I’ve attached a free “Coronavirus Sanity Guide” below where professionals in their field walk you through your personalized method for staying calm amidst all the uncertainty.
We get it. More importantly, we hear you. Social media can be overwhelmingly negative at times and when going online is one of your only forms of distraction, you might find yourself getting negative too. We try to offer some positivity throughout your week to lift spirits, and encourage folks to be the kind of change they want to see in the world.
Let us know in the comments section: How are you conquering the quarantine? What other success stories or tips should we include that you think will help others?
If you find us helpful and interesting, please like and share!
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