When editors at the Vermont Cynic aren’t working at the paper, we’ve been keeping ourselves busy in a variety of unique ways. Take these with a grain of salt, and get ready to laugh.

Dave Cabrera, Podcast Editor: Watch Lost to remember that all mysteries will be solved

During quarantine I’ve been rewatching “Lost” on Hulu. 

“Lost” begins with a plane crash, leaving a group of survivors stranded on a mysterious island, just like how the mysterious coronavirus has left us all stranded in our houses. We don’t know how long it’s going to last and we’re all scared, anxious and confused, just like the crash survivors.

The mysteries the show presents parallel the uncertainty we all feel about our current situation.

Most episodes contain flashbacks into one of the character’s past and how it impacts their behavior and choices on the island, just like all of us had a life before this that’s having an impact on how we deal with this virus.

Sarah Robinson, Culture Editor: Even if you’re not your best self, you ARE doing your best

I think it’s safe to say that most of us have never had this much free time. During a normal semester, we load our backpacks full enough to last us 12 hours without returning to our dorms or apartments, and it’s fulfilling. 

Now, I find myself crying most days and battling with my feelings of despair at the loss of our semester and guilt for feeling this way, because I know how fortunate I am to be healthy and secure during this uncertain time. 

But I’ve decided to stop beating myself up about feeling bad. Cry, scream, be mad. My recommendation during this time is to appreciate that you are doing your best. There’s no precedent for a time like this with no real standard to live up to. 

Getting through it at all is an accomplishment, so pat yourself on the back, unpause Netflix and just do your best.

Sawyer Loftus, News Editor: To do something about the craziness, do nothing

During crazy times like this, it’s the little things that will keep us sane. So I make sure to take some time to do absolutely nothing. In my parent’s home, there’s a chair, a decently oversized poofy one in our front room by a big bay window my dog Daisy sits in.

 It looks out on the front yard and street. I sit there, put my feet up and stare at the outside world in anticipation for the time I can leave the house. No book in hand, no phone, no laptop. Just me and the outside— with a barrier of glass of course. 

Bridget Higdon, Editor-in-Chief: Re-read the books you love most 

When I’m not editing articles for the Cynic or working on my thesis, I’ve been re-reading my favorite literary classics. “Pride and Prejudice.” “To the Lighthouse.”

In a time of so much uncertainty, it’s a true pleasure to flip pages I’ve dog-eared and to read sentences I’ve underlined with pencil. It’s a comfort to know exactly how a story will end. 

I’ve just begun re-reading “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” and there’s a passage that rings more true to me today, in this circumstance, than it did when I first read it many years ago: 

“The world was hers for the reading. She would never be lonely again…books became her friends and there was one for every mood.”

Kate Vanni, Layout and Illustrations Editor: Get up early 

Unlike the majority of my college peers, I love waking up early. Most people read that sentence and think I am setting my alarm for eight or nine in the morning. By early I mean between 5:00 a.m and 6:00 a.m. I wake up when the sun rises.

 I have not set an alarm in almost a year. If I need an audio wake up I leave my window open and let the morning chirps of the birds pull me away from my dreams.

 Rising with the sun is fantastic from March to October, but as the days get shorter and the sun rises later, it does become more difficult for me to get out of bed. 

I don’t wake up early to be more in tune with nature or to live more naturally. I do this because it makes me feel good.

Liv Marshall, Copy Chief: Use (or find) your common sense

My hobby during quarantine has been acquiring common sense. Although I’m blessed by the ability to eat a whole thick crust pizza, I was born without common sense.

At home, I’ve learned that turning the stove down makes stir fry stop exploding. I also realized that running a red light in front of Burlington Police is a no-no, even during a pandemic.

Most importantly, I discovered how window blinds work: a skill previously so unattainable that I always sat in darkness in my dorm, like a bat in a cave that gets eaten and starts all this COVID-19 chaos. 

Bailey Samber, Photo Editor: Try some fine cookware

College gave me a fresh pair of eyes that are extremely fond of above average kitchen appliances. I’m not much of an extravagant meal-maker due to dorm room limitations, but since coming home and exploring the depths of my kitchen cabinets, I’ve taken on quite the skill.

 It started with finding my mother’s old glass blender she got at her wedding that I’ve been making myself homemade hummus in. Then I discovered a slightly rusted panini press, and made hummus sandwiches. Soon I found a massive potato and vegetable peeling machine and began to create meals I didn’t know existed. 

I try to limit myself to one piece of magical kitchen technology a day since who knows how long I’ll be quarantined. I guess once I get through them all I will start a rotation. Never ever would I imagine I’d be making hummus paninis and scalloped potato dishes at suspicious hours of the night.

Greta Rohrer, Features Editor: Take a hike (metaphorically speaking)

I take really long walks every day. I always listen to podcasts, which I rarely do when I’m at school, so I love taking a nice chunk out of the day to walk. 

I just take laps around my neighborhood; it’s really therapeutic, but it’s also somewhat uncomfortable passing the same people sitting outside over and over again. 

They’ll always say, ‘Back out on another walk?’ or ‘Oh, it’s you again!’ and I have to pause my podcast to fake laugh, or I just pretend to not hear them. 

Isolated socialization at its best.

Mills Sparkman, Opinion Editor: Try some bleach dye

As a former camp counselor, I am well-versed in the arts of friendship bracelets, tie dying and making one-match fires, but bleach dye is a whole new game. 

Bleach dying my clothes has been one of my favorite quarantine crafts: it’s easy, fun and you probably have the things you need already. All you need is a black item of clothing, some water and some non-color safe bleach to get started.

Twist up your clothing like you would in a typical tie dye, secure it with elastics, and douse it with a mixture of half bleach and half water to get the authentic Tik Tok famous look. Once the bleach has sat for eight to 10 minutes, wash with a gentle detergent and dry it fully and voila: a brand-new to you bleach dye look.