March is a month that signifies the start of spring, days getting longer and St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. That is, until the year 2020. Now, there is a newfound stigma around the month. When people hear March, they are reminded of the time when something happened that no one ever thought was possible and everything fell apart. March now represents the beginning of the end, or in other words, the start of this pandemic.

As the first few days of March pass by, it is hard to comprehend that it has already been a year since the pandemic began and everyone’s life was turned upside down. Now, as we look back and reflect upon the year that has changed so many lives, we must ask ourselves, will people ever look at March the same? Or will everything that occurred last March be a constant trigger for each one to come?

What are some of the things people now associate with March or the start of the pandemic? Unseasonably warm days? TikTok songs? Certain shows? Exercise? The truth is, all of these components unlock memories making it feel as though they were happening just yesterday. In reality, this occurred almost a year ago yet still has a significant impact.

The Villanovan asked students what takes them back to the beginning of the pandemic.

“When you go to Target and there are still those signs that say due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, only one hand sanitizer is allowed per guest,” sophomore Mya Gruett said.

Some students discussed their toxic memories while working out and exercising during that time.

“The phrase ‘family walks’ gives me PTSD,” sophomore Julia Stancisi said.

A common trigger among many Villanovans was work challenges of Youtuber Chloe Ting. Specifically, it was the intro song that played at the beginning.

“The flashbacks that sound gives me, oh my god…” freshman Rosa Marfia said.

In addition to working out and family walks, baking and cooking were a constant part of the early quarantine days.

Sophomore Maddie Schieder talked about her experience with the whipped coffee trend, which reminds her of the beginning of quarantine.

“The whipped coffee that everyone tried and took forever to whisk but had the time to do it because we had nothing else to do,” Schieder said.

Along with the whipped coffee, a common trend at the time was making an absurd amount of banana bread, according to students like sophomore Mia Dell’Orto.

“The amount of banana bread I made during quarantine was ridiculous,” Dell’Orto said. “I could have fed an army with all the banana bread I was making.”

Netflix shows that took the world by storm at that time were “Outer Banks” and “Tiger King.” It felt as if there was not a single person who had not seen those shows.

“Carol Baskin really broke the internet for a while,” Marfia said.

Out of everything that triggers flashbacks to the beginning of quarantine, the most common one by far was the collection of TikTok songs that were trending in March of 2020. Many Villanovans are immediately taken back to that period of uncertainty and isolation the minute the songs “Supalonely” by BENEE, “Say So” by Doja Cat or “Savage” by Megan Thee Stallion are played.

It is not surprising that there are so many things that take us back to the early days of the pandemic. There was nothing to do besides listen to and follow the trends that were occurring while in isolation. But, as we embark on the one year anniversary of this pandemic, hopefully people can replace these reminders with a light at the end of the tunnel. Before we know it, a song will just be a song, a family walk will just be a family walk, banana bread will just be banana bread and March will just be March.