Your first breath and first glimpse of the world. The day you were born is a significant moment, one that you celebrate each year as you grow up. Since it’s a celebration of life, most spend it having a party or traveling somewhere with family and friends. 

Due to Covid-19, many students had no clue that if they had a birthday after March 13th, it would have to be modified due to social-distancing regulations.

Sophomore Ryan Floyd was set to go to Dave and Buster’s, an arcade, with his family and friends for his 16th birthday on March 29th. He had been talking about it for weeks and was ready to celebrate. When Pennsylvania issued a stay-at-home order due to Covid-19, his mom had to reschedule for a later date. “I was kind of mad,” Floyd expressed after hearing the news; yet, he wasn’t going to let this delay ruin his birthday. Floyd says, “My family ordered Chili’s and pizza, and we had a Facebook live on my mom’s page…” instead of going to Dave and Buster’s. 

Sophomore Jaeger James was planning to have a party with a bunch of his friends for his 16th birthday on April 10th, but he had to cancel because of quarantine. James expressed, “I was a little upset because I was really looking forward to it…especially getting my drivers permit.” But much like Floyd, James made the most of the situation. “I spent my birthday with my family… and we made homemade Fujihana,” James said his family decided to bring the restaurant to them since it was closed. Even though James didn’t spend his day the way he originally planned it, he still ended up having a good time. 

Junior Dylan Dawson was planning to go to a Penn State spring game with a couple of friends and his father with a family cookout to follow for his 17th birthday on April 19th. Unfortunately, his birthday plans were altered because of social-distancing. Dawson explains, “Obviously I was upset, but my family and I still figured a way to make the most of it.” Instead of going to Penn State, Dawson had a big breakfast, went fishing in kayaks with a friend, had his favorite meal with his family, and had other family members over for dessert. Dawson expresses, “The entire day was weird, I had to keep six feet away… I couldn’t hug anyone or anything…” Although it wasn’t what he expected, he says, “I still got to be around people I love.”

These students and many others didn’t have the birthdays they planned for because of Covid-19 restrictions. Regardless of the pandemic, they made the most out of the situations they were given by taking the opportunity to spend time with their families and still finding a way to have fun.