Hobbies to Pick Up During Corona-cation

Leah Lentz, Writer

 

Last Friday, it was announced that all LRHSD schools, at the direction of the Department of Health, would be closed until May 15th. This came as a shock to many of my teachers who said “No, Leah, we are not going to have off on Monday.” Who’s laughing now? Anyways, here are some hobbies to take on over the next month.

Learn a new language.

In most countries, it’s standard to speak up to three languages; however, in the United States, most citizens only speak one. Do you know how lame that is? Why not take this time to learn a second language? Furthermore, a 2016 study found that many Americans find people that speak more than one language attractive due to the implication that people whom speak more than one language are more sophisticated and intelligent.

So how can you learn a new language for free? There are a lot of effective sites, but some of the more popular ones include Duolingo and 101Languages. Duolingo is an app that is better for teaching vocabulary rather than verb conjugation, and hides any grammar lessons from the user; however, it is exceedingly simple to use. 101Languages is a website which offers over 100 languages and easy language learning options, as well as courses curated for future members of the Peace Corps.

Balance books on your head.

Did you see those princess movies where, as part of etiquette training, the misfit princess-to-be was forced to balance several books on her head? What if you could do that? Start with one book. Walk around. Do a spin. Jump, if you’re adventurous. Then add more books. See how many books you can keep on your head. My personal record is four. Even if this skill never comes in handy, how many people can balance four books on their head?

Get overly involved in an Instagram community.

Around June of last year, my friends and I became involved with Alvin and the Chipmunk roleplay accounts. It’s almost like binge-watching a new series, but you’re not totally sure if they’re joking or not. Most recently, the chipmunk Jeanette’s boyfriend left Instagram after a sudden bout of depression. He returned shortly thereafter, but his true reasons for leaving are unknown. Many speculate that this is due to the epiphany that Jeanette killed his ex-wife in a jealous rage. The true motivations may differ, but the murder thing is indisputable.

Anyways, it’s similar to watching a soap opera in real time. I would recommend the storylines to anyone who is ridiculously bored.

Binge a new series on Netflix.

Did you really watch the fifty tv shows your friends recommended to you? You didn’t. Now you can! Personally, I would recommend “Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez”. It’s an incredibly well shot documentary about the life, crimes, and death of Aaron Hernandez, the former football player who was indicted in the murder of Odin Lloyd in 2015. It’s very interesting, but I had to re-watch it several times due to my tendency to fall asleep while people are talking.

“Tiger King” recently came out, and quickly gained traction due to how absolutely bizarre everything about it was. It chronicles the stories that make up the big cat trade community, or as they are called, “Cat people”. Specifically, it tells the stories of Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin, and how a murder-for-hire plot intertwines them.

It’s a difficult time to be a teenager. You can’t leave the house. You can’t see your friends. What you can do is maintain social distancing and pick up a new hobby. Summer is gonna be great.