As the current coronavirus pandemic forces many people to stay inside due to the shelter-in-place order, some have taken up new and old hobbies to pass the time.

Many people have been spending more time cooking and baking, although a shortage of flour and other supplies has made it difficult. For SCHS junior Karsen Ferreira, baking helps lift his spirits.

“I like to bake during this time because it is a way to take up a lot of time and fill my house with good scents,” Ferreira said. “It also has a really good end product. Baked goods make people happy.”

Ferreira has experienced difficulty finding the necessary ingredients, however, due to the sudden shortage of baking products.

“Whenever I go to the supermarket, most of the stuff I’m looking for is out,” Ferreira said. “Especially yeast, which is what I really need.”

Senior Emily Chao has spent her time practicing knitting. Chao learned to knit the summer before entering seventh grade and enjoyed it. She said this shelter-in-place order has freed up more time for her hobby.

“For five years I have not been knitting too much because I had school and other activities,” Chao said.

Not only has Chao been working on new knitting projects, she has been able to finish old ones as well.

“I found this knitted scarf that I hadn’t finished, so I finished that scarf and I redeveloped that hobby,” Chao said. “Then I started knitting a new scarf with a different pattern. I finished that scarf within a week.”

In addition to rediscovering old hobbies, some students have found ways to continue their activities from home.

Prior to the shelter-in-place order, freshman Neha Agrawal tutored at Kumon, but now tutors people through YouTutor, an online tutoring service founded by SCHS students. She has picked up several other hobbies during quarantine, including dancing and creating digital flyers.

“Dancing is for my mental health so I do not go out of my mind,” Agrawal said. “Stretching is good for my physical health since I am sitting for most of the day. Tutoring and creating digital flyers both help other people.”

Some students now have more time to pursue their talents. Freshman Rafael Vázquez Jr. has started creating more of his own music at home and publishes those songs on Instagram and Soundcloud.

“I like to make beats now that I have a lot more time, and during quarantine, I’ve been making about two or three beats a day,” Vázquez said.

Vázquez has also been continuing his daily workouts from his P.E. class. This has helped him stay active and positive.

“I think it’s very beneficial to be more active because a lot of people tend to let themselves go and make excuses to not be active when, in fact, they actually can,” Vázquez said.

Similar to Vázquez, freshman Heidi Hu has turned to music. She has been improving her skills on the ukulele to pass the time while at home. Hu has also been staying in touch with her friends by playing Animal Crossing.

“Many other people are using this time to relax and learn new things, and I chose to do these activities based on what I think is a good way to spend my time,” Hu said.

Junior Kaitlyn Winner has also been using music and art to busy herself. Winner said music has always been a part of her life while art is another hobby she picked up in high school. Winner believes that during this shelter-in-place, it is important to be active and stay positive.

“Quarantine is stressful, but the best thing to do right now is to accept it and that we all can get through this together even if we are not together in person at this time,” Winner said.