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Prompt: The team in this story was facing disasters completely outside their control, but they managed to persevere against all odds and inspire their community (among many others!). Finding the good in bad circumstances can help us not only survive, but thrive, even when it's difficult. The pandemic is outside our control, and causing us great suffering, but you will be surprised to see how construction trucks are teeming on the roads just like never before. What good of A) individual or B) societal/cultural growth can be brought about by quarantine conditions? (Choose either A or B.)

Essay by JS/Poosville HS/June, 2020

Due to a massive outbreak caused by the coronavirus, there are certain conditions quarantine has. Quarantine has forced many people to stay at home, socially distancing themselves from others. Good individual growth can be brought out due to these conditions. Ehret High’s basketball team has inspired many, including myself. Not only did they prevail during extremely bad circumstances, they remained positive towards their goal and thrived.

Individual growth can definitely be brought about by quarantine conditions. This growth includes hobbies, sports, exercise, studying, and catching up on things etc. However motivation and hard work are needed to accomplish growth. The Ehret High basketball team is proof of this. The team never gave up on winning the championship, even though most players didn't have transportation and there was Hurricane Katrina. Their situation seemed hopeless, but they succeeded in winning against all odds. They have definitely inspired many people to grow positively. Regarding hobbies, people can learn new hobbies or improve on some they already have. For example, someone can start to learn how to bake and another can improve their art techniques. For sports and exercise, people can start to workout in their basements, and others can improve their skills in sports by practicing outside. Some might even try to learn how to play a new sport, there are many tutorials online after all. Concerning studying, quarantine gives many people the opportunity to study harder than ever since people are stuck at home all day. There are many online lessons, or videos explaining certain topics online for people to use as resources. Regarding catching up on things, others can catch up on watching their favorite shows, or catch up on books that they’re currently reading.

        From my personal experience, I have grown mentally and physically. Due to the fact that I'm stuck at home all day, I have decided to start working out. This has immensely helped me to improve my stamina and lose some weight while simultaneously gain some muscle.  Improving my stamina will ultimately aid me in volleyball. Similar to the Ehret High basketball team, they had to practice and work hard even though they were in a very difficult situation. Therefore, by doing the same, hopefully once school starts again i’ll be able to join the volleyball team. I also began to give more time to myself for relaxing and de-stressing. This has definitely improved my mental health since I'm not as stressed or unhappy as when I was at school. Additionally, I have also expanded on my knowledge on tv shows. This will aid me in connecting with other people through personal interest. All in all, quarantine definitely is not the ideal situation. For some, it is absolutely devastating. Although for others, it can be the start of a new person. Quarantine is what you make it out to be.