Quarantine. A word none of us had ever really used before the last year. We have probably said the word “quarantine” more times in the last year than we have ever said it in our  entire lives. 

Some people decided to take the time the pandemic gave them and use it to better their lives, making the most out of a precarious situation. Those who stayed up until 3 am watching TikTok, eating pizza, and crying every night, were not alone. But, some teachers at Riordan decided to not let the shelter in place get the best of them. 

Riordan’s new history teacher, Mike Kennedy, decided to get out and ride his bike around the Bay Area. 

“I’ve always wanted to ride my bike all the way around the Bay, and after several months of training, I managed to bike across the Golden Gate, the Richmond, and the Dumbarton Bridges. It was an epic 100 miles of beautiful Bay views and I capped it all off with some Beeps fries.” 

Science Department Chair Colleen O’Rourke took the time to learn a new hobby. 

“So the big thing I took up over quarantine is learning to embroider. I started with some simple kits last May and since then I’ve finished over a dozen different projects and moved on to taking some advanced online classes. It makes me really proud to be able to create something tangible and repair clothes, but I’ve also been using it to connect with others by making gifts for friends and family.” 

Hayden Peregrino ’21 expressed, “My coaches have been dedicated to having me improve and get better every day.  Thanks to the coaches, I have improved my mile time by 17 seconds. They kept checking in on me, on and off the field, making sure I have been good during the tough time of COVID and been trying to work with me to be able to have me get better as a person and athlete.”

Keeping busy is so important during this time, and many agree it is a good time to get out there and explore something new.