Love in the Time of Coronavirus

Just as Alicia Keys sang in her 2007 song “Teenage Love Affair,”

“Can you pick up the phone?

‘Cause I wanna holla,”

it seems like all a high-schooler can do in the time of the Coronavirus is pick up the phone and call their crush. 

But, for two high school couples in Palos Verdes, the pandemic has only become a challenge to overcome and adapt to in their relationships.

PVHS seniors Devyn Hall and Devon McVicar were already dating before COVID-19 went global. While the world rushed to move activities online and battled with connectivity issues both in the tech world and in the social realm, the couple found their relationship getting stronger.

“Because we were forced to minimize our social activities, we were caused to spend a lot more one-on-one time with each other which I believe has caused us to become as close as we are,” Hall said.

McVicar agreed.

“I think that the circumstances have caused us to grow closer to one another. We have spent a lot of time together and are always talking to one another,” he said. 

However, in order to grow as close as they are now, Hall and McVicar had to make compromises to ensure safety is a top priority.

“We are always very conscious of each other and one another’s social circle,” McVicar said. 

“It is hard at times because we both worry for [and] about one another’s families, [so], we do our best to stay safe and avoid large groups in order to make sure we can see each other.”

Paolo Brinderson, a senior at PVHS, and Jeanie Benedict, a senior at PVPHS, did not begin dating until a few months into the pandemic. 

A story of 21st-century romance, the couple met through Twitter; they had long followed each other on the platform. 

Although the pandemic was still ongoing, there was not much hesitation in starting a new relationship for either of them.

“When we first met the cases were much lower and school looked like it might reopen soon, but as our relationship progressed, the pandemic worsened,” Brinderson said.

Benedict had already been staying cautious of her surroundings and making deliberate choices to keep her family as safe as possible.

 “The bubble of people that I was seeing was small, Benedict added. 

“When the cases skyrocketed, we definitely dealt with tough moments and difficult decisions, but at the end of the day we care very deeply about each other’s mental and physical health.” 

As for their Valentine’s Day plans, both couples are keeping it simple. 

Hall and McVicar are planning on watching a movie and making pasta.

“We are planning on dressing up a little bit, getting some sort of greasy fast food, and eating either in a desolate park or a deserted parking lot,” Benedict said. 

“We also got each other gifts, so we are going to exchange those. Also probably take a nap.”