Everyone has their fair share of problems. There’s the typical- homework, family, forgetting their mask in the car- and then there’s the problems unique to some. Juggling online school, orchestra, and track, Freshman Brijet Sun has to deal with all of this and more. She joined orchestra when it was offered in fifth grade.

“My friend who is a year older did orchestra so I joined, and I just stuck with it. I chose the cello because I thought the violins and violas were too squeaky and I didn’t like how big the basses were. I don’t regret playing an instrument even a little bit,” Sun said.

With COVID, everybody has had to change how they operate, and orchestra is no different. With fewer kids, it’s not a full orchestra, so naturally, the sound is impacted.

“We’re spread out now, and the classes were split up so there were like three of us there, and we just sounded bad every day. It’s harder to hear people, and we don’t get to travel anymore. I haven’t really done anything because of COVID. I didn’t do solo and ensemble either,” Sun said.

Not everyone has a one-track mind, and Sun definitely does not. She is also on the track team. Track is not just running like many people would think, and Sun has taken advantage of the other events they offer.

“I throw things. I do shot putt and disk. At least I don’t have to run. I was in hurdles at first and it was horrendous. They said, ‘If you can’t sprint for 50 seconds, and that was living hell for you, move. Go somewhere else.’ I dropped within the first week and moved to throwing. We ran half a mile for warm up, and it was so embarrassing because of my asthma,” Sun said.

Due to her asthma, Sun was more cautious of COVID-19 than some people. She decided to be a virtual student this year.

“Going in person seemed like so much work, and I didn’t want to get COVID so I just stay home. I’m switching to in-person next year because I feel like it will get better by then and I hate online school. My social skills have also gone down a lot,” Sun said.

COVID-19 has also impacted people’s family lives, and how they interact with each other. Sun has a larger family, with 4 kids, and with COVID and them saying inside, they tend to avoid each other.

“I avoid them. I try to hide in my room. I talk to Chaz(older brother) and Ainzley(sister), but I avoid Dax(youngest) and my parents. Chaz went to Columbia, but when he comes back I force him to cook me stuff. I talk to Ainzley and we’re really mean to each other, as usual. I talk to my parents sometimes, because they have school and work,” Sun said.

Even though Sun tens to avoid her family, she knows they support her no matter what. Her sixth grade year, she came out as Pansexual to her family. She now identifies as Bisexual, though. 

“We were on a road trip, I was in sixth grade, and my brother just went, ‘You’re gay right?’, and I said ‘Yeah’ and that was it,” Sun said.