Robyn Graygor:

This bonsai tree has been sitting in my house for the past 19 years and will continue remaining untouched by the dangers outside for longer than most of our lifespans. A quick glance reminds me of the peace, balance, and harmony it symbolizes. Even as the dishes stack up, and purell runs out, (along with other stresses that come with quarantine) the ambient glow surrounding the tree remains calm. The recent chaotic days have caused most of us to get caught up in our own minds, but rest assured, no matter how blue the sky is light can still be found inside.

Grace Mango:

This is the window that I peer outside of most mornings to check the weather. Just a few days ago when I woke up, I saw that it was snowing. Today it’s nice out. You can see the edge of my deck. And just beyond it is the garden that my parents started up again during our time social distancing. In the distance is where an elderly couple, the Shannon’s, live. I usually see them wheeling their garbage cans down their driveway or taking groceries in. However, they fled South Salem to stay with their children due to Coronavirus.

Winter Stathis:

This is a view of the desk I work on each day to do my schoolwork. I also use this desk for more artistic endeavors, as demonstrated by the countless paint stains on my desk and the bottles of paint on my windowsill, as well as the markers and colored pencils displayed on my desk. When I work, I like to keep my blinds up (like how they are in the photo) to have some natural light when I work. I also have some niche objects on display on my desk, such as a mini filing cabinet I got secondhand at a local market years ago, and a lamp my grandmother gave me as a gift when I was younger.

Aine Kaminski:

Life during quarantine is quite restricting and suffocating.  Before the lockdown and closure of John Jay, my life was separated into two different components: school and home.  Finding that I needed to separate the two, I decided to move my “school life” to my father’s office. The vast windows and almost panoramic view that greets me every time I look up from my mountain of schoolwork is reassuring. Typically, during this season, I would be able to see daffodils just starting to emerge from the ground, but this year they are nowhere in sight. It’s almost as though the daffodils are aware of the turmoil and chaos that consumes the world momentarily, and decided they rather wait till this whole catastrophe has blown over. Similar to the rest of the world, the life of daffodil has been put on pause

Olivia Lind:

This image explains my morning, waking up to a beautiful day knowing you aren’t able to go hang out with your friends. As I look at the big red box at the top of my echalk page saying that school is out can at first make any student very excited. However, knowing you are going to have to learn many lessons on your own can also stress us out. Going outside to do your work can change your mood instantly. As I look out into my backyard all of the stress lifts off my shoulders and I am able to focus on what needs to be done. 

Owen Hughes:

This photo is a view from my bedroom window. I edited the photo with some different filters and adjusted the color saturation to bring out the vibrance in the picture. This photo represents most of what I’ve done over the past week. In the middle, there is a guitar, as I have been making a lot of music in my free time. To the right of the window you can faintly make out a skateboard, which is what I do in the event I get to go outside.

Ava Buzzeo:

This video depicts my room; the place I spend 23/24 hours per quarantine day in. The view from my window is not magnificent, but I can hear the neighborhood kids playing in the middle of the day. While some people find screaming kids annoying, I find it comforting because it’s the only ‘normal’ thing right now. I’m always in my bed working, sleeping, eating (if my parents don’t force me to eat at the table), watching Curb your Enthusiasm, and video chatting friends. If I’m not doing those things in bed, I’m doing them on my couch. Additionally, I have been conducting self-taught yoga classes on my floor. Even though I still feel like I’m in a cage, at least my body is moving. I really like to look at my closet because it’s colorful (colors make me happy) and I find things I don’t remember having. Quick quarantine tip: dress up like a normal day, or maybe even a little fancier. Appearance can do a lot. For me, it gives me purpose. I know I am wearing a PJ shirt and men’s underwear in my video, but I promise I have been doing it. Finally, I dance. Dancing never fails. If you feel sad, put on your favorite tunes and dance! In conclusion, as said in my video, the key to surviving quarantine is hyping your house and yourself up!

Aaron Brotmann:

This is a photo of my backyard in the morning. It captures our shed, a large wooden platform and the firewood stacked in a neat pile next to a large rock. It would be hard to tell without knowing but the large pine tree closest to me split in half during Hurricane Sandy. The sky is clear and sunny which gives a great view of the reservoir and highway that are just a small walk from the backyard.