Students Share Their “Vantage” Place During Shelter-In-Place
While we may be stuck at home and slowly gaining cabin fever, there’s still light in this dark tunnel. Students at John Jay were asked by teachers to share a picture of their “ideal” view while stuck at home along with a brief description of why they enjoy it. Here are some of the pictures and descriptions that students submitted.
“This is where I’ve been spending most of my time– my cluttered, yet peaceful desk. This is where I’ve been doing pretty much everything, from loads of schoolwork I get to relaxing and watching Netflix. I’ve even started painting here to fulfill my boredom. I also created a schedule, which I put on my whiteboard, to keep track of the hours and hours of work that keeps piling up so I can be sure to turn everything in on time. I try to keep my desk as peaceful as possible during this time by lighting lots of candles and turning on my salt lamp.” -Ali Fergusson ’21
“This photo is my view outside the window by my bed into my backyard. The two pillows in the back I always keep there to block the sun in the morning. The yellow emoji pillow adds some bright color to the photo, The pink waffle chair also adds color to the photo. The background is part of my backyard and the roof of my house. You can also see my neighbors house in the distance. During this quarantine, my waffle chair and my bed are the two places I sit the most as they both have good views of my backyard.” – Caroline Lasota ’21
“Quarantine and online school can get pretty boring and monotonous just sitting all alone inside my dismal house. That is why my favorite spot to be when on lockdown is on the front porch. Not only does it have the best view around my house, with the grass and trees, but the sun shines right down onto me and the stone, creating a bubble of warmth even on cool days. Doing work with a peripheral vision of nature stimulates the mind and puts me in an overall good mood, making this my favorite home vantage point.” – Kelsey Crawford ’21
“While it’s not a photogenic scene to the average eye, my MacBook Pro running Logic Pro X is my vantage place. Making music is a passion of mine and a great coping mechanism. It allows you to express your thoughts and emotions and get them out of your system in a creative, fun way. When I’m making music, I feel like the possibilities are endless. It’s about how I want things to sound; I don’t need approval from anyone else. And playing back your masterpieces is pretty satisfying and a way to put me in a good mood. It’s my sunshine after a storm.” – Harry Heftler ’21
“The scene in the photograph here is the forest outside my window. I see this view when I look out my window when doing my homework, and it’s very bright on sunny days when the light shines into my bedroom. The bare trees sway in the wind; it’s a mesmerizing sight. Soon, they will grow back their leaves, and I worry that the quarantine will continue beyond that. Still, looking out reminds me that self-isolation helps our world recover. Despite being cooped up in my house, there’s a whole forest accessible from my window, and that’s all the nature I need.” – Jonathan Frantz ’21
“This photo is taken from are inside balcony into the deep woods where my family lives. We live in a swampy rocky area where you can’t go an inch down in the dirt and not find a large rock. A large portion of the trees has been destroyed from the many hurricanes that CT and NY have been through. As a child, the woods was something I grew up with as it has alongside me. we have both had our bad times but the sun always rises and with it bringing hope, allowing a bright new future for both of us. The woods are my friend I have grown up with; I do not claim to own the woods but instead, they own me.” – Tristan Taranto ’21
“During this sobering time, pets are a great way to keep yourself content and active. This is my new puppy Kenzie, she loves to play and brings a smile to everyone’s face. She’s a Mini Goldendoodle but looks like a little teddy bear. As you can see, she has a cute little green bow in her hair. During this pandemic, pet adoptions from local shelters have increased greatly, which is such great news. With everyone social distancing it makes the time go by faster with a furry friend. Also, several studies have shown that dog owners have a lower blood pressure than non-owners. Adopting a pet at this time may be the best thing to do!” – Allison Gramando ’21
“While stuck in my room the view from my back window gives me something to stare off into, like a TV screen of memories I can sit and view but not interact with what I’m seeing. I think back to running through the woods behind my house with my neighbors, riding my dirt bike across the back lawn and playing basketball with my friends. This day happened to be cloudy which gives everything a sort of grey tint but I can still notice the budding leaves on the trees in red and brown and new grass growing in the cleared garden. While editing this photo of a gloomy day I was able to bring out some of the blues of the sky. I think this draws an interesting parallel to what we all have to do during times when we feel scared and not in control. It means something to be able to sit back and appreciate the view you have and how you can see it in a more positive light.” – Charlie Simonsen ’21
