For the past three years, Queen’s has become my home-away-from-home. I have slept, ate, wept and lived tricolour – from chanting Cha Gheill as my anthem and living like a true Gael. With this being my second last year I have been made to wear glasses of bittersweet lense – marking my vision tinged with nostalgia and “I don’t want this to ever end.” I mean, leaving high school was difficult enough with the transition from teen to adult happening so suddenly. However, I have grown so accustomed to my life as a fledgling adult, teetering between fun and responsibility. I am nowhere near ready to assume full responsibility, or to claim my throne of full-fledged-adult. Additionally, the pandemic that has shaken the collective population to a frantic frenzy has left us students spinning in a daze of adjustment. We were ever so aggressively jolted from our comforting routine of early morning lectures, Stauf visits and cogro hangouts into a state of isolated community. In doing so, most to all students have fled the sanction of campus to return to their homes where family awaits with pantries stocked and mothers who have now morphed to at-home-nurses. Thenceforth leaving the halls, and streets clean of bodies and remnants of a good night. I’m not going to lie; the barren ghetto has left me with a wave of depression for I had grown inured to the chants of party and songs of students living their best-life. The cluster of body and voice had become a mirror of a lullaby that would sway me to sleep; singing a tale of community that reminded me I am never truly alone.
Today, I decided to take a walk downtown and was struck speechless with the ringing quiet and cold vacancy. Which brought me to ponder how abruptly our year has come to an end, and how quickly everyone scrambled to isolate. However, at times as our present situation, I would like to remind everyone of the importance of community. I mean yes, please self isolate in wake of growing catastrophe, but don’t forget that we are all interconnected. Lend a helping hand to your neighbour, give out some toilet paper if you have extra (that seems to have been the growing trend) and don’t discriminate against the Asian community because racism is still racism. Remember the barriers of quarantine are physically bound, but we all still possess working technology, so remain active offering emotional and mental support to everyone. And if you find yourself sinking in the blue of pandemic, reach out and talk to someone- and if you don’t have anyone add me on Snapchat (@suziemokh) and shoot me a text, and I will be more than happy to lend an ear. This catastrophe shall find its end, so let’s all just calm down, and remain hospitable.