Senior and rising comedian Picasio Thompson, while continuing to produce comedy on his social media platforms and with Oxford Comedy Club, said that the current pandemic has greatly affected him.
Like many other students, Thompson traveled over spring break and said he was not allowed to work for two weeks, and self-quarantined due to the public health safety risks.
He said that he is currently trying to survive quarantine and social distancing. Though his work is able to be done at home, he said that others including himself have had their hours reduced greatly.
“My job allowed me the opportunity to work from home, which was amazing, but many of my friends were laid off from their jobs and some were forced to leave Oxford and be with their families,” Thompson said.
As a senior, Thompson said that he would have never expected that he would miss going to classes, but he finds himself wanting to return to school. He also has found that his workload for classes has increased since teaching has become virtual.
“Going to classes gave me structure and stability and now I do not have that,” Thompson said. “My days seem like they run together as would my childhood summers and I feel lost. I now have more work to do for my classes than I did before all of this happened, but I lack the self-motivation to do it all.”
Thompson said he believes that this pandemic is the nation’s wake up call where the healthcare system is concerned.
“Due to everything that has happened in the world and our country, I believe that it is time for our nation to change and I believe that since 9/11 this is the first time that our country has truly realized how vulnerable it is,” Thompson said.
However, despite the abrupt changes to his life, he said that there are a few ups to the unpredictable rollercoaster caused by the pandemic. One of the things Thompson said has been positive during the current circumstances is going outside and experiencing nature.
“In the madness in the world, nature always seems to come through,” Thompson said. “The days seem much more beautiful than they did before. I feel more aware of my surroundings and I feel like my life isn’t revolving around the world that I have been given to by school and work.”
Thompson said he is looking forward to seeing his friends and continuing to perform comedy when the pandemic has subsided. He commented that with the lack of things to do during this time that, “it all seems to just be one big day.”
He added that these times feel similar to his childhood experiences during summer months, where every day was filled with something new and unknown.
“Trying to find the best qualities while facing hardships are what define us as people,” Thompson said.
