Serving the students and the University community since 1893.

3/24/2020, 6:37pm

Office DJ: We gon' be alright

The Daily Tar Heel's Co-Photo Editor Maya Carter poses for a portrait on Sept. 15, 2019. Carter, class of 2020, is a psychology major.

BY Maya Carter

So, everything has changed. The dreaded COVID-19 holds our future in her hands. Social distancing has forced us into our homes and millions are effectively unemployed.

If you’re like me, this is also prime time for seasonal allergies and every cough sends you down a panicked spiral.

Family hospital visits, sports, funerals, #DartySzn and graduations have all been cancelled in Ms. Rona’s wake. Times are hard. As a student of Zoom University, it’s difficult to pull myself out of a ‘The world is ending, so why am I writing an essay?’ rut.

The Daily Tar Heel leadership team holds its daily budget meeting via Zoom on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. Pictured (from top left): Emily Siegmund, co-editor-in-chief and online managing editor; Maya Carter, co-photo editor; Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, co-editor-in-chief and editorial managing editor; Anna Pogarcic, city & state editor; Ryan Wilcox, sports editor; Charlie McGee, director of investigations; and Evely Forte, assistant university editor.

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“Kevin G’s Big L Meme Self-Quarantine (UNC)” is here to make UNC laugh during crisis

Like most people in my age range, I turn to social media for laughs and relief from the stress of everyday life, especially during the current global pandemic (thanks again, coronavirus).

Instead of providing me with niche SpongeBob memes and bad puns, one of my favorite sites, Twitter, has been chock-full of posts from efficiency fanatics and LLC enthusiasts shoving schedules and productivity down my throat (because there’s nothing like a global pandemic and sudden unemployment to inspire you to invest and stay busy, am I right?).

The pressure to perform during the pandemic can produce unwarranted guilt. I’ve decided to ignore all the 'motivational' posts and think-pieces and do what makes me happy.

In the end, life will keep going. The show will go on, whether I reorganized my bill book or not. Without March Madness and commencement to look forward to, I’ve looked to these songs to keep my spirits up and keep me going through these trying times.

arts@dailytarheel.com

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Serving the students and the University community since 1893.