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Just one week after hitting 10 million COVID-19 cases, the U.S. has hit 11 million. Staff reporter Haille Hughes says there is no doubt that cases are surging, and as people are getting more restless, they’re getting more reckless.
The exponential rise in COVID-19 Cases
Just one week after hitting 10 million COVID-19 cases, the U.S. has hit 11 million. There’s no doubt that cases are surging, and as people are getting more restless, they’re getting more reckless.
While COVID-19 originated in late 2019, most in the U.S. would recognize March 13 as the start of the downward spiral that has been 2020. For a lot of students and educators, it was the last day of a semi normal life before corona really hit.
As schools shut down, so did businesses both big and small.This threw everyone into a life they were not used to, and we’ve lived with this life for the past eight months. People are getting tired of all of it, and it makes sense. We can’t expect people to accept this as the new normal; especially when the old normal lasted years. However, if people miss the old normal so much, we have to stop pretending that nothing ever happened.
After about mid September, cases have been going up exponentially. People are hanging out in large groups, they’re not wearing masks, and they’re going to and hosting parties. They’re doing the very opposite of what we need to be doing. That’s why cases have been rising these past few months. People are tired of the strain this pandemic has put on their lives, so they’re being reckless everything as close to normal as possible.
The more we cover ourselves with this veil of normality, the more harm it’s going to cause us. You can’t run or hide from problems as big as a pandemic. That’s why it’s important to continue the same practices we had at the start of all this. We need to keep wearing masks, we need to keep social distancing, and we need to stop acting like everything is normal. It’s hard, it sucks, but if we as a country can do this, we can decrease cases exponentially, instead of raising them.
Kevin Wei
Producing a wonderful sound, Kevin Wei continues perfecting his craft.
Grade: 11th
Instrument: Violin
Future College: Maybe UT or Rice
Future Job: Not sure yet
Years playing: 6
Years dancing: 1.5
Inspiration: Barack Obama
Favorite Musician: Gallant
Favorite Dancer: Bboy Wing
Wingspan: What made you choose the violin?
Wei: “I didn’t choose to play the violin since my parents decided to sign me up for it, but I ended up really liking the violin.”
Wingspan: When did you learn of your interest in music? When did you discover your talent? How has that changed you?
Wei: “I really started to take an interest in violin when I got to my orchestra class in 6th grade. Orchestra requires a team effort just like sports do and it taught me the importance of respecting my peers and teacher.”
Wingspan: When did you learn of your interest in dance? When did you discover your talent? How has that changed you?
Wei: “I learned of my interest in dance through my friend who introduced me to the world of dance. I started off learning from videos on Youtube and eventually I started to dance within the
dance community.”
Wingspan: How do you prepare for a performance?
Wei: “I prepare through a lot of focus. I try to calm myself down and run through the music or choreography.”
Wingspan: How do you handle mistakes during a performance?
Wei: “I think mistakes are a big part of the learning process in orchestra and dance. So I’m pretty open to making mistakes as long as I recognize and fix them.”
Wingspan: How does orchestra affect your everyday life?
Wei: “Orchestra made my everyday life a lot interesting, because I feel like I’m doing something productive every time I practice and I have met a lot of new people through being in orchestra.”
Wingspan: Are you considering playing violin/dance as a career? Why or Why not?
Wei: “Nope, because even though I definitely enjoy dancing and playing violin, I’m not good enough to make a living out of it.”
Wingspan: What’s been your favorite memory in orchestra?
Wei: “My favorite memory in orchestra is definitely the Midwest trip in Chicago during 9th grade.”
Wingspan: If you had to pick another instrument to play, what would it be? Why?
Wei: “Cello, because I really like its harmonious sound compared to the violin’s pitchy sound.”
Wingspan: How do you balance orchestra, dance, and your extracurriculars?
Wei: “Honestly it’s hard balancing all of it. Usually I have to sacrifice one event for something else since they often come up at the same time, but it’s mostly about scheduling your events.”
Wingspan: What are your goals in orchestra for this upcoming school year?
Wei: “My goals this year in orchestra are to contribute a lot in the top orchestra and try to make All-State.”