Pandemic Pastimes: Eight things to do during quarantine

*Artwork by Natalie Scholz

The world has entered a seemingly apocalyptic state, and Governor Kelly has ordered a city-wide lockdown. You’ve dedicated enough time to moping around and hoarding the pantry, which begs the question: now what? Lucky for you, we’ve got the top eight things you can do during quarantine — we promise it’s nothing like the pastime ideas your mom gets from Facebook.

1. Play a board game. Sure, the last time you played a board game was Candyland with your elementary-school babysitter, but nothing beats the sweet satisfaction of watching the enthusiasm fade out of your sibling’s eyes as they go bankrupt in Monopoly. If you’re looking for a new board game to play, order Pandemic off of Amazon just for the irony of it.

2. Go online shopping. The stores on the Plaza might be closed, but online boutiques are full of sales. FaceTime some friends and browse the spring trends together. It’s just like going to the mall, except you don’t have to buy gas and no one will judge you for being wrapped up in a blanket.

3. Plan your dream trip. You can get creative with this one — print out pictures of your destinations, outfits to stroll around in and new poses for that Instagram-worthy picture. Even if you don’t have access to a printer, Pinterest can accomplish the same goal of bringing your dream vacation to life via the formation of a new board.

4. Work out. I’m well aware it’s the last thing you want to do right now, but laying bed with your Ben and Jerry’s ice cream all day probably isn’t the best for your health — mental and physical. There are tons of workouts you can do during commercial breaks of shows, and going on a walk with your dog isn’t outlawed (yet).

5. Reorganize your room. We all know you haven’t left your room all week, so instead of living in the clutter, clean it up. If you move around a few pieces of furniture or switch up which wall your bed is on, it can give your whole room an entirely new feeling.

6. I don’t know who out there needs to hear this, but do your missing assignments. If you’re bored, your teachers are too, and they probably wouldn’t mind having something to do right now, even if it’s grading your two-month-old Spanish homework. Plus, it’s probably better to get your grades up before we’re too far into online school — we’re all familiar with tech mishaps on our devices, and the last thing you want is a faulty WiFi connection messing with your GPA.

7. Start a new show or watch a new movie. You may feel like you’ve watched everything on Netflix, but trust me, the scroll is almost infinite. Not sure which one to watch? The Harbinger Online has an endless amount of helpful reviews and suggestions on movies and TV shows. Seriously, browse our website.

8. Learn TikTok dances. Sick of your younger sister being cooler than you? Learn “Savage” to put her to shame. You can look up YouTube tutorials or find them on TikTok.