In the following narratives, WHSAD students share their experiences, thoughts, and feelings regarding the pandemic through which we are all living. Additionally, Ms. Moos and Mr. O’Brien’s students have also been creating emojis out of household items.
Aviva Benderson: The quarantine is being taken very seriously by my parents. We even moved temporarily to our house in Massachusetts, and it’s honestly been kind of lonely, but I have my sister and my parents. I also have the freedom to go outside, and I know how lucky I am seeing as people in cities such as Brooklyn and just all of NYC it’s almost impossible to go outside. I keep myself busy easily. I actually have a lot to do; I have the outdoors, I have art and then of course online school. I’ve been good at starting a routine so I’m not a complete mess. I’ve honestly just been kinda angry and annoyed at COVID-19 since it’s put a stop to everything and just everyone’s life, and what’s worse is that some people don’t even know how serious it is or don’t take the right precautions to make things better. I know a lot of my friends and just kids my age who don’t understand the reason for social distancing and it’s concept/ purpose. I try to explain to them its importance.
Pedro Astudillo: During this Coronavirus pandemic happening we are all forced to stay inside. Although at times it becomes quite boring, this has given the chance to really reflect on life at the moment. With this pandemic, we’re no longer going through the same routine of our day to day life. I have been able to play video games, which I normally would have no time for, I have spoken to some of my past friends, I have drawn and got back into writing poetry. I have been able to make a new plan for my summer training. I run track and since school has been canceled until the next academic year, I need to prepare for cross country. This has definitely been a huge change for everyone, but during these times of uncertainty, I believe we should do our best to better ourselves and focus on what we can do.
Raymundo Gomez: This past month of being in quarantine was something I couldn’t imagine would happen. First, there wasn’t going to be school until April 20th, and then the corona virus became a bigger problem that made the schools shut down for the whole school year. We no long have to do the regents as well. The coronavirus was becoming a huge problem and it’s difficult to control. I can’t believe that a lot of people were dying from the coronavirus. During the past month I heard many of my friends’ family members were dying of the coronavirus. Some of my friends are going through a hard time. Some of my classmates also stated that they are getting depressed and are getting anxiety through the corona virus problem. My family and I went to the store to get a lot of food when we heard we will be in quarantine. We became prepared so that we won’t go outside and risk ourselves in getting the virus. What I did to find entertainment this past month was spending time with my family. Sometimes we would play some board games, and watch some movies together. It was pretty fun, and when it became 9:00 PM, I would exercise inside my house to become fit. I used to have a lot of homework during my online classes which made me overwhelmed, and now I am receiving less work to do which helped me have less stress. After my online classes finished, I would have more time to do some activities like drawing and sometimes I would play with my guitar. I would call some of my friends to see what’s up and to see how they are doing during quarantine. Most of them can’t believe that the corona virus is becoming more dangerous everyday and how it messes up a lot of things. Everyday I would spend some time playing some video games and help my parents doing some chores inside the house. This is what I mostly do during quarantine. Sometimes it can get boring, but we have no choice but to do it. I hope the virus will die down so that I can go outside and feel free.
Mychael Edwards: The tough decision was made to close schools for the rest of the 2020 year. As many of y’all know that I am a senior, and I’ll graduate this year, but due to the mayor’s decision I think graduation is going to look different this year. Most of you knew me for four years almost all of y’all could admit that at some point I drove y’all crazy whether it was in the hallway or in class. I know that the year isn’t over yet, but I wanted to email you all now while it’s on my mind. I know y’all going to miss me and I’m going to miss you all too. Y’all were the best group of teachers I could ever ask for. I was looking forward to coming back and having the yearbook signed by all of you amazing teachers but this is not the end, it’s just the beginning. The beginning of my career. I’m sorry my year with you guys year had to end like this, it’s just the end of me being in 257 N6th St 2nd Floor. I will come back and visit of course. You all have brought nothing but joy into my life whether it was good times or bad times. I’m sure a lot of you would have pretty much good things to say about me but I can hear all of y’all saying to me “right now get to class” whether it was in English or Spanish, but I just want all of you to know that I appreciate all of you. Thank you for making my four years the best. I’m a little teary-eyed, but I’ll be okay. I love all of you and I’ll see y’all soon!
Iana Torres: This Coronavirus thing has been weird. Everything has been closing down. Everybody is locked up. The schools are online, and things have got distant.These weeks have been lonely. It can drive you crazy. It feels like you need an escape out of your house. It feels like our houses are jails. Anxiety is out to get you. It’s sitting right in your TV’s on the channels of the news. The virus isn’t the only thing just coming to get you; depression and anxiety have come along too. It’s driving people crazy that they stack up on food and supplies that they won’t leave any for others. Thriving to survive, it feels as if it’s an apocalypse. Everybody’s going crazy. Could it be the news that’s driving us crazy? It’s like a domino effect; everybody’s getting caught with it, friends and family. Day by day, they’re affected by this virus. Will I be next? Who knows? It can be anyone, the young or the old. Sitting in fear in your house hoping that this will pass. Wondering how long it will last? Hoping the cure will come. Being in your house locked up can be sad. It’s like the internet is all we got. I mean how bad could it be? This generation loves the internet. But nobody sees that the internet is an addiction. What will happen when this passes. I mean if it will ever pass. Will everybody be hooked to the phones? I guess the addictions are out to get us too. Our poor minds can get messed up with all this chaos. This is the first time something like this happened and who knows how to cope with this? We are in our homes sleeping all day. The body has a lack of energy, striving for movement, but we can’t do anything about it. Oh my, what has this world come to? It started with a simple virus that was all the way across the world. When did it become so deadly and contagious? The question is how many more lives have to be affected till it passes?
