Joy During a Pandemic, Lessons from Cicero Youth
By Leslie Hurtado
In early March, middle school and high school students could not have predicted how the pandemic would impact their social and academic lives.Young people in Cicero have missed graduation, prom, social gatherings, summer gatherings and other important milestones due to the pandemic.
Young people interviewed by Cicero Independiente share how the pandemic has changed their perspective on life, family and joy.
Edward h., 14
Unity Jr. High Graduate
I am feeling pretty positive about things. I don't really want to have a negative mindset throughout this pandemic. I want to focus on the positivity and the free time that I have in my hands. I wanted to start a new hobby. So, now with all this free time, I have more opportunities to do something that I did not have time to do before.
I started learning how to play the guitar, which has been my main distraction while quarantining. I find music relaxing for me during work or when something is bothering me. I know how to play the drums, so I wanted to step it up a notch. I started to play the guitar and learn music. Although it is stressful at times, I just motivated myself to keep going and not quit, because if it quit, I know I will feel bored again.
Sometimes I see my friends but not as much as before quarantine. [COVID-19] has affected my social life quite a bit. There have been times where I feel like life has moved on without me. I sometimes feel self doubt on things that are going on. I feel less motivated at points, and my mood gets me in a bad place.
I am spending more time with family. We are being more social with each other now that we have the time. [We are] being more interactive with each other and playing board games.
Psst... Edward, you can watch performances by Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center’s Teen Arts Tuesdays. Teen Arts is a series presented by the City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events to provide musical education and live performances to teens at the comfort of their home this summer. All events can be watched from: Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center and on their YouTube page. Also, Edward, check out this cool conga tutorial!
valeria f., 17
Senior at a Morton High School
My mom went to a clinic to get tested for COVID-19 and the test came out positive. I work and my mom is not working. My step-dad has kidney problems right now, so I have to be careful with him because he has low immune defenses.
I am kind of worried right now because I went to test myself and they haven't given me my results. If I test positive then I will have to stop working. I help my mom with payments in the house and stuff like that you know.
Working out is one of my stress relievers. So I exercise and I guess that helps me free my mind for a bit and to take out all of my stress. I am always with my sister too, so we always go and listen to music. I also pray because I am a Christian. I read the bible and I pray. One of the main things [I learned] is that you have to enjoy whenever you have a good moment because you never know what could happen next. Staying home has taught me a lot.
Hi, Valeria! If you ever want to know more about what your rights are at work during the pandemic we suggest reaching out to Arise Chicago. They have a ton of resources that could be useful as you navigate your work situation. Also, keep a look out at the Cicero Community Collaborative as well. They are helping to distribute financial support for families during this time.
Aniyah f., 15
Freshman at a Morton High School
COVID was pretty annoying to me because I play sports. I had made the softball team. Due to COVID, I was not able to play this season. The pandemic also messed up my ability to learn because we had to do remote learning, and it was harder to learn virtually versus learning in an actual classroom. It was a struggle because my grades started to slip. I ask a lot of questions and my teacher is currently not able to answer my questions the way I would like he or she to answer them. It was kinda frustrating.
I am not used to being at home. I am always out and about. My mom would be so strict on me going out.
I have only seen three of my friends, and my mom makes me wear a mask. I have a cloth mask, and I also wear a face shield. It can get irritating because your mouth and nose has to be covered.
I always pretty much go to the gym. There is a gym that I go to, and they aren’t able to open. Going to the gym was something I really enjoyed because softball is not the only sport that I play. For the different sports positions that I play, I like to tone my body.
I do feel anxious and sad because I am always on social media such as Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook and my friends post things online where they are always outside without protection. My friends think that because the government has let most things open, COVID-19 does not exist anymore. So, they do not wear masks, gloves and sanitizer. I am scared because I know seven or eight of my friends have tested positive for COVID-19.
Hey! Down here! Aniyah, although going to the gym is limited right now, you can still train at home! On Windy City FieldHouse’s Instagram page under IGTV, you can watch sports skill videos for free,with an Instagram account, taught by Windy City Fieldhouse coaches. You can check their page here. Check the MLB’s home baseball activity page on their website. Here you can find many baseball-themed activities created for kids and teens by your favorite MLB baseball teams.
Analisy f., 14
Freshman at a Morton High School
I’ve been more calm now. [I am] not feeling stressed out over school now that I am a freshman. I'm excited because I fix myself up to be ready and go. I only meet with one friend, it's like my second time hanging out with him. My parents are being cautious and saying 'you can't go out'.
I tested positive for COVID-19. I shared a drink with my sister. I knew she was feeling sick, but I did not think it was COVID-19. So, a couple days later, I started feeling sick with a cough, a stuffy nose and a fever. I thought I would get worse, but my experience was not stressful. My mom was taking care of me, and she ended up contracting the virus.
When I quarantined, my friend would FaceTime me, or we would play online games together. I did have to attend summer school, so I pushed myself to get up and do that. I mostly clean stuff up in my room. I started this thing with trading cards where I paint or draw something over [the cards]. I asked many of my friends to give me drawing or painting ideas.
Quarantining can be hard, Analisy, so we discovered artistic resources that will encourage you to practice your drawing and painting skills.Try Yollocalli’s resources for teens here. We think your favorite activity will be Yollocalli’s random online drawing prompt generator. For extra art activities, visit The Mexican Museum of Art’s “At-Home with NMMA” page to see a list of art resources for children, teens and adults found here.
Joana v., 14
Unity Jr. High Graduate
I started a YouTube Channel. I am also working hard to learn online, but it has been difficult for me. For me, it was not the same as learning in-person.
For my YouTube channel, I record daily stuff that I do in my house like a morning routine or vlogging about how a day in quarantine is. I think creating YouTube videos helps a lot. I feel like [vlogging] is a different way to talk about stuff or share with people who want to know more about your life since you cannot be with them during this time. I also started to listen to music a lot and started to get involved in dancing and watching dance videos to learn [dance moves].
Hey there, Joana! Being a young YouTube creator can be challenging when you are starting out. That’s why we looked for YouTube videos from successful teen YouTubers who uploaded advice videos for young people who want to grow their channels. Watch these two videos to gain inspiration for your next video. Find them here and here. Also, I heard you like to dance, watch these kids street dance videos choreographed by top kid choreographer Sabrina Lonis, and download the Hello Kitty Music Party app to dance to your favorite songs while unlocking characters and music notes!
Kalie o., 18
Morton High School Graduate
I felt nervous the first couple months [during the pandemic] because I have been hearing from my friends that they tested positive for COVID-19 and I got scared. I did not know what could happen to them. I was worried for my friends and my family.
A friend of mine, he tested positive. I was just calling him daily to check up on him. And it really helped me knowing that he was okay. I was there for him. My nieces and nephews were there for me. We were all calling each other and making sure that everyone was okay. The hardest part that I experienced during the outbreak was working at my job because I work at a fresh market. I am a cashier. [At my job], we had a lot of people coming in that were very rude or did not want to follow [CDC] regulations. And I have seen my co-workers feeling scared because customers have been threatening them or being rude.
It was pretty hard in the beginning. Because of the pandemic, we were able to see how much we missed people. I have noticed that some people have changed so much, especially with political movements happening. [The Black Lives Matter movement and the COVID-19 pandemic] has shown what people follow in terms of their beliefs. They brought people together but it also broke families apart.
I still go out on a lot of bike rides. I love riding my bike. I try to distract myself with school happening this upcoming year. I try to distract myself with my coworkers whenever I go to work because I forget about everything that is happening today. I just enjoy myself with my coworkers.
We hear you, Kalie! Here are some fun cycling activities that will help with the pandemic blues.
Leslie Hurtado is currently an undergraduate at NEIU with a major in Communications and minor in Journalism.
Illustrations by Hans Yparraguirre, Filipino student from Amundsen High School.
