When Central Bucks South became one of the first Philadelphia-area high schools to close due to fear of novel coronavirus exposure in early March, 16-year-old sophomore Andrew knew that things were not going to return to normal as quickly as some of his peers hoped. But still, he disliked the uncomfortable feeling from seeing his friends on the swim team during daily practices to learning alone at home. "I only have three years here at South, and it pains me to see one of them being wasted," he said.
The coronavirus has affected everyone's life, especially for students. Schools closed and graduation ceremonies were canceled. Summer plans, like camps and internships are up in the air. And for recent college graduates, entering the job market in a time of unprecedented (空前的) unemployment rates is no easy task.
Josh Harycki, 17, a senior student at the Shipley School in Philadelphia, who created a "social distancing pledge" for young people. "I saw a lot of younger generations not paying attention," he said. "They were still going out, hanging out with people. I thought that there had to be a way to reach younger people, who were probably not watching the news."
Harycki launched a call to action on social media and then built a website with a map that tracked the locations of people who'd signed the pledge. The site also shares links to accurate sources of information like the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Going from being around with friends for eight hours a day at school to being isolated at home all day wasn't easy," said Harycki. "We've definitely had times when we feel kind of bored at home," he said. "We are very social beings and we are used to having that school experience."
Harycki knows that his peers are worried they can't connect with their friends in the same way, so he created the social distancing pledge to stress that while everyone might be physically distant they are still connected. "Part of what we are highlighting is that you might feel like you are the only one taking this seriously, but our map shows that you're not alone," he said.
