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The Daily Tar Heel

Editorial: Commemorating our nostalgia through poetry

20210225_Wilder_Quad-85.jpg
Sophomore students Naomi Nice and Megha Iyer study on Polk Place on Feb. 25, 2021.

Spring is on the horizon, and in typical North Carolina fashion, we’ve been graced with several gorgeous days in February. 

Pre-pandemic, we would spend these days sunbathing on the quad with our friends and maybe even skip a class or two. We would savor our Med Deli and sing along to the music playing from someone’s Bluetooth speaker with hardly a care in the world. 

This year, it’s just not the same. We miss campus. We miss our friends. We miss the herds of people during class transitions and long nights in Davis Library. Now, we're isolated and sad. 

So, in the spirit of nostalgia, we’ve crafted these haikus to reflect on days gone by: 


Sitting on the quad

A gentle breeze and dogs run

I eat my Cosmic


Sushinara is good

Nearby, some guys play frisbee

I see a cute dog


Sunny afternoon

I’m ignoring my homework

Sipping iced coffee


Lunchtime in the spring

Skipped my 12:20 to eat

Merritt's with my friends


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Walking past the Pit

Greeting friends as they pass by

Campus normalcy 


Failing my classes

Davis until 2 a.m.

My STEM major woes


Behind on my work,

I'm struggling to stay afloat,

More wellness weeks please


The trees lay empty

People gather outside now

Their joy feels hollow


Masks cover faces

Shielding emotion from us 

Longing for normal


Silly little tasks

Typing on my computer 

I feel so empty 


Soaking up the sun

Kevin’s office behind me

Life was so simple


Weather is nice, but

The pandemic is not over

Please put on a mask


Sunny memories

COVID stole our senior year

We won’t get it back


Social distancing

On the outside looking in

The pandemic blues


First year on campus

Just skipped English 105

I laugh with my friends


Why am I lazy

I should really get work done

But oh well, YOLO


Do not speak to me

I am wearing my headphones

And my mask is on

@dthopinion

opinion@dailytarheel.com