Life as a Teen in Brooklyn in the midst of COVID - Part Two

School started this week for students in NYC. Many will continue to work remotely, some will be at school a few days a week but one thing is for sure, nothing is normal or stable. As COVID continues to make life different and difficult, teenagers in the city have had to take on new responsibilities, go without many blessings and learn to deal with life in new ways. Some of our Trellis Crew recently shared what their life has looked like these days in the midst of the Coronavirus

Well well things around this time of the year are usually the  best of them all. I'm usually enjoying the weather going to pools, beaches, BBQ’s, etc. But there are two most important things around this time of the year for me and it's my birthday which is in two days August 13th and football. This would usually be my week off and Friday we would go in for equipment fitting , pay for camp and get our lockers. But sadly because of the pandemic things have really changed like a lot. I wish things can just go back to how it used to be. I just wanna go back to school not having to worry about having a mask on or to social distance. But there isn’t anything I can do but follow the rules and stop the spread by playing my part.  So now let's talk about how my day goes during a time like this. Well let’s talk about the morning time I start off with brushing my teeth for 5 min which is longer then usual because I got braces this quarantine. But a normal quarantine day goes about waking u showering normal stuff. Some days I would go outside to play sports or to work out. I go to Target about once a week to stack up on snacks and different things. I also play video games every single day. It's kinda like what I do to replace myself being outside for football. But I can’t do as much as I wanted to but what I can say is enjoy yourself as much as possible, don't always stay inside just make sure to walk with your mask. But here are some pictures of what my quarantine has been like.

Jalil Smith

When quarantine first started it was a very challenging experience but I have gotten used to it. Since quarantine happen I've been inside all day. This especially messed up my senior year. I had to do online classes and all of my senior activities have been cancelled including prom which was disappointing. I was able to graduate but I miss hanging out with my friends. Since the coronavirus was going on I would  have to clean around the house every week. It would be annoying having to do this every week. Also since my family is very religious so we would pray everyday. Since I had to do all this I would never have a chance to relax so I would always try to leave my house. Unfortunately I have my grandma living with me so my mom would always tell me to stay home so I won't get her sick. Most of the time I would either be on my PlayStation playing games or watching videos on my phone. I would do this every day since I can't even leave the house and I have nothing else to do. In the afternoons I would either be on my laptop on a zoom call or riding my bike around the park. I won't be able to go outside a lot but the days I do I like to ride my bike or play basketball with my cousins at the park. I also had to pick my classes for college which was a lot of work and stressful. Since covid is still here I would have to take my classes online which was really annoying. What makes it even worse is that my sisters would also be staying home and they can be very annoying. Hopefully this all changes.

Gabriel Moreau

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During the first three months of quarantine I haven’t left my house . Because of this I decided to work out daily for a while . I did about 100 pushups , 100 squats and lifted weights almost everyday . Eventually around June I was able to leave my house and I went to wingate park to work out . Nowadays in August I wake up around 6 am and I do 100 push-ups and 100 squats . After this I take a shower , brush my teeth and then go downstairs to eat breakfast . Usually for breakfast I have oranges , a banana and cereal .  It is usually 9 am at this time so I would go on my PlayStation and play video games while I eat . After about two hours  I would go do any chores or work that needs to be done . After that I relax on my phone and go watch YouTube or television . At 6 pm I would go for a bike ride around my neighborhood . I would try to bike a mile daily and I usually go to wingate park . The. I would normally play basket ball for about an hour . I would come back from my bike ride and eat dinner . After dinner I relax again at this time I would be getting ready for bed but that depends on if I have something else to do . I am usually asleep by 12 am and would pretty much do the same thing the next day . 

Raphael Moreau