In the past year, the world has faced the COVID-19 pandemic. A multitude of items in society have changed within the past year. For example, only a minority of the population knew what ‘Zoom’ was, and now it’s an integral part of the educational process.

Due to the pandemic, typical hotspots are now closed. Multiple people within the population were forced to seek out new activities and hobbies to occupy their time throughout the past year. In a poll conducted to discover specifically what hobbies Drury students and staff picked up during the pandemic, many were eager to share their newfound hobbies. A few of the activities shared throughout the poll were: cooking, baking, knitting, painting, journaling, skateboarding, hiking, fishing, roller skating, puzzles, etc. However, the next five are hobbies that certain students and staff picked up that did not fall under the realm of typical hobbies.

1. Working out from home

Although working out is a fairly common hobby, finding a way to have a routine workout schedule from home is strenuous. However, junior Music Therapy major Hannah Gross was able to do just that. With the help of YouTube videos such as Natacha Oceane and Group HIIT, and apps like 30-day Fitness Challenge and Cronometer, Gross was able to keep up with her routine. Gross encourages morning home workouts to start the day, as it benefits her mind and body for a full day of classes and work. She also states, “It does not matter where you are at physically, it is never too late to begin a fitness journey. No matter how unrealistic your goal may seem to you now, with a little motivation and dedication, you can achieve anything you set your mind to!” So even with COVID-19 restrictions and gym closings, it is possible to maintain fitness goals throughout the pandemic.

2. Photography

A picture is worth a thousand words, and a million memories. Junior Lauren Inman, who is pursuing a double major in Political Science and Strategic Communication, has used her time within the pandemic to focus on the artistic hobby of photography. With the help of Drury Spanish professor Tony Smith, she was able to truly begin to feel passionate about her photography. A personal project Inman has been focusing on is called ‘Humans of DU’ which can be found on Instagram. Inman states, “I think the community Drury has to offer is a beautiful thing. I like to capture some of those moments and post them as a reminder to myself and others. Hopefully, now that I am getting used to my new camera you will see me using it more to capture these pictures.” And although Inman does use a camera for photography, her favorite photos she’s ever taken were captured with her iPhone 8 while on a bus. Those like Inman show photography can be done in a multitude of ways.

3. Quilling

The art of quilling is a beautiful one, although not well-known. Quilling uses paper to roll, shape, and create different textures to make an overall design. Sophomore Music Therapy major Irelynn Holst knew of quilling before the pandemic swept the nation, but started crafting more during the summer of 2020. Holst states, “When I was a freshman in high school, I saw a woman demonstrating quilling at Silver Dollar City, and she showed me a few basic tips and tricks. I thought it was a cool craft at the time, so I tried it out. It wasn’t until quarantine that I had excessive amounts of free time to devote time and effort into my quilling hobby.” Holst made over ten quilling creations, mainly animal designs, over the past summer. She also made pumpkin earrings for her mother over quarantine as well. Quilling is not a particularly difficult skill to master, it takes only a few simple tools and a willingness to learn.

4. Tending (and Talking to) Plants

Multiple students and staff own a variety of plants, however, Doctor Ginney Norton of the School of Education has an outstanding 30+ plants which she began caring for during the pandemic. A summary of the type of plants Dr. Norton owns is as follows: English Ivy, fig leaf, two snack plants, an avocado tree, peace lily, succulents, aloe vera, heart-leaf philodendron and a couple of others which are unknown. Dr. Norton is a member of the ‘Queen City Plant Exchange’ on Facebook which is a place to buy, trade and discuss plants with others in the area. Another interesting fact about Dr. Norton’s strategy for caring for her plants is, “Okay, so this is embarrassing, but I totally talk to my plants. I wake up every morning and open the blinds and play music and sing to them. I read that it helps. So, I joke that the plants are my friends since the pandemic has made socializing really difficult. And, honestly, it helps.”

5. Train Watching

Now many may question train watching as an official hobby, however, freshman Music Therapy major Robin Urbanc will attest to this activity she discovered over the pandemic. She described, “I lived in a tiny town and couldn’t go anywhere during the lockdown. But I would take my dog on walks and we always crossed the train tracks, so eventually, I just started driving me and my dog up every day to watch trains and listen to country music.” Urbanc also admits to watching over 50 trains during the summer of 2020. Urbanc even describes how if you were to look up her hometown, Edelstein, IL, on YouTube, the majority of videos would be trains. So even though train watching is not a hobby that all Drury staff and students have participated in, it was a highlight of Urbanc’s life within the pandemic.

Even though COVID-19 has significantly changed the way our society lives, it has not stopped Drury staff and students from finding new and exciting hobbies to bring joy back into daily life. Any hobby or activity listed within this article is for anyone to try and experience. For if anyone can find the glimmer of hope in this pandemic, it’s those at Drury University.

Article written by Gabriella Wuller