In times like this it is easy to get carried away and lost amongst all that is happening in the world. We at The Column have always prided ourselves with being able to give students a platform to speak about topics and issues that are relevant and important to them. With our Stay at Home Edition of The Column, we wanted to make that goal ever more apparent. Students not only have a platform to express their interests but also to voice their experiences with what is currently happening in the world. We are stronger then ever and will not give up or lose hope. Through our expression of art and writing we will make it through this together. Below WHSAD Students express their experience with the quarantine thus far through several mediums.
“With the recent COVID-19 outbreak also known as the Coronavirus , I’ve been feeling petrified. This virus is a very scary outbreak that is killing thousands and hundreds by day. I feel as if I’m living history textbook content in real life. This outbreak not only scares me because NYC is being called the epicenter of the Coronavirus but, it puts those I love at a high risk. My Dad still has to go to work during these hard times. I look at it as a blessing but also a curse, I don’t know what could happen which terrifies me. I respect those who are risking their lives everyday to help others. I believe we should all take precaution to keep ourselves and others that we love safe. We should follow everything the CDC suggests because it’s the only way we will ever move forward from the pandemic destroying the world.”
–Mayerli Barzola
“During this time in Quarantine, things have been good so far in my perspective. I have been doing activities to keep me occupied throughout the day such as drawing, or watching movies with my little sister. Dealing with the virus, both my parents have specific jobs that are very important for the city. So although my days are good, I still worry for them but I know that they are tough. Having my first online class was actually great, it ran smoothly and it was very easy to do the assignments and communicate with my classmates and teachers.”
–Genevieve Ramirez
“This quarantine has affected me in aspects of my views of the world I live in and what certain precautions are taken when in a worldwide pandemic. Although I like the idea of staying home, and the room it gives for me to spend my time doing other activities that I enjoy, when I think about the idea of not being safe while going outside it scares me. I feel like the situation overall should be taken way more seriously, because me and my family are handling it with severe caution (like it’s probably the end of the world lol). But I guess the whole online school situation is making everything feel a little more normal.”
Annaya has taken the opportunity to focus on her Webtoon inspired artwork for the past week. She’s been posting her drawings on social media and even received recognition from some of her favorite Webtoon artists.
-Annaya Fountaine
“This quarantine is a good idea so that there’s less chance the virus will spread quickly but this can affect students drastically. Some students will have no issue continuing their same schedule and activities they do at school but for others it’ll be worse. Students are in the comfort of their home so they will start feeling sluggish and lazy and won’t do work they have to. Students are more prone to doing nothing and not paying attention to what the teacher has to say now being that they’re not being watched. Students that need extra help will also be affected being that it’s more difficult or a teacher to help out a single student. In school students go after school to get extra help with any kind of work but now they can’t really do it. This will affect the rest of the year being that teachers have only 25 mins to teach their classes and it’s such a short time for students to get the information they need. Students have their regents and AP exams coming up and they have to learn all the material in 2-3 months. We have roughly 1 month of online classes so students won’t be able to get the information they need in time for the exams. Such little time the teachers have to thoroughly go through their lessons isn’t good because it’ll be rushed, students won’t understand or lessons will be cut short. Sure the exams can be postponed but we don’t know how much longer the quarantine will last or if the situation will get better. The exams are the most concerning because some lessons may be rushed just to use the time we have which is limited.”
–Joshua Luna
“I think this quarantine should’ve been done earlier because ever since I saw that this was a pandemic immediately I knew we were gonna be in danger before it even got here, and now there are almost 18,000 cases in NYC alone. There are many people who aren’t taking this seriously and there are other people who are panicking, everywhere in stores food and supplies are either almost gone or completely sold out and the vulnerable are left with nothing like me and my brother because we have asthma. Ever since about two weeks ago my mother has kept me inside and refuses to let me even go to the store for supplies for our family. I do understand why she would though, the virus could easily destroy my body because of my asthma, the flu is already enough to send me to the hospital. I have been using this time to organize my life a bit more though and my family is having fun together so that’s good, but my brothers beat me up so that’s not fun. This whole virus has greatly affected students and me too because now schools are closed which means we’re not able to learn properly like we’re supposed to.”
–Xochitl Rodriguez
“Nothing new has really happened. Usually when I’m home and don’t have work to do I either play my ps4 or watch tv. And that’s exactly what I’ve been doing. Besides me doing the work assigned on google classroom, I’ve just been watching my favorite weekly tv shows that come, something I normally do and I’ve been relaxing as much as I can while trying not to worry about what’s going on outside in the world while at the same time taking precautions to keep myself as healthy as possible.”
–Mekhi Brown
Regret.
Regret is something most people hate
Regret is something most people fear
Then finding out what you could’ve been is something you never wanna hear
Now all you feel is anger and sadness because you know what could’ve really happened
So all you think to yourself is why
Why didn’t I do this
Why didn’t I do that
But you can’t be mad at yourself
It’s just not right
Everything happens for a reason and that’s something you shouldn’t fight
So you have to let go and move on to the next because at the end of the day
It’s for the best
–Andre Rose
