This past fall, our bleachers stood empty on Friday nights, a grim, solemn reminder of the lively social opportunities that students nationwide have sacrificed as we face covid-19.
As with every element of the pandemic, lost social interactions have affected students in different ways, and extroverts express particular sadness over isolation. “I miss going to football games and driving around late at night,” said self-proclaimed extrovert Drew Tidwell (12). “And the fact that I’m graduating this year makes it so much worse.”
Extroverts are often described as individuals who get their energy from interactions with others, whether by going to malls and shopping centers, staying at a friend’s house or catching a movie. “It didn’t really get to me at first; honestly, I was relaxing at the start of quarantine,” said Naomi Teferra (11). “Until the middle of it hit and then there were tears in my eyes—I just wanted to be able to see other people so bad.”
Meanwhile, those who describe themselves as more introverted have struggled less with finding comfort in quarantine. “The only things keeping me entertained are TV shows, video games, and school sports,” said Alek Ryan (12). “It can get boring at times, but I don’t mind it.”
However, with the one-year anniversary of the school shut down approaching, those across the extrovert-introvert spectrum express similar nostalgia for a time when they could choose their amount of social interaction.

“Whether I prefer going outside or staying inside—it doesn’t really matter to me,” said Alek. “I just miss seeing my friends.”