Blogs

from quarantine

Passion of Omission by Lesly Velazquez-Acosta

Class of 2020

It all started when I moved to Paris. Well, technically it’s Paris, TEXAS but I can still say I moved to Paris. Anyways, I have a notorious sweet tooth, like I literally cannot go a day without my tooth gaining consciousness to give someone a compliment throughout the day. It’s ridiculously sweet. Pastries and chocolates are okay too. So, I went to a local cafe, brought along one of the books I was reading at the time and went on my way. While on the bus to the cafe, I see this young fellow, reading a book that I didn’t see the name of. I sat myself down two rows away and began reading my own book. I thought that was the end of it, but he eventually turned around and asked me what I was reading. Assuming it was because the bus was nearly empty, I figured he was trying to pass the time. I told him my book, and I asked him the same thing. More small talk, and apparently his name is Oliver. Well, I had a stop to go by before the cafe, so I got off and said goodbye to this Oliver person and did my errands. About 45 minutes later, I’m close enough to walk to the cafe so I’m on my way and as I open the door. As I walk in, I’m greeted with warm energy of coffee beans, pastries, and light chatter. Lush, shiny-leafed plants adorn the windows and walls, and behind the counter of this quaint cafe in Paris, Texas is my bus friend, Oliver! Walking up, I order a fruit tart with an earl grey tea and end with “long time no see, you work at a cafe now?” Smiling, he responded with “I always worked at a cafe, have you always visited this cafe?” Paying for my order and smiling back, I give my the entirety of my change and drop it in the tip jar–$14 dollars–and respond, “No, but I do now.” And that, folks, is how I met the barista at my local cafe. Did you think this was some kind of romantic story? Pfft, No! I just wanted to tell you how I met this cool barista named Oliver. That’s it. That’s the blog.


Temporary Youth by Michelle Ramirez

Class of 2020

Back in the beginning of 2020 when the population still existed and more than 3/4ths wasn't gone, I wish I would've realized how much I loved earth and the people I'm around. Back when we thought that all the quarantine and covid 19 was only temporary. It’s depressing knowing that one virus wiped out almost the whole population, I still wish that I would wake up and think it was all a dream, but unfortunately it was a sad reality I had to face everyday alone, Corona Virus took away my youth, all my friends and family and I can't seem to find anyone else that i could spend my lonely days with. I wish I would have said bye one last time to those I loved, it angered me seeing everyone protest about staying home now thinking back to it, it makes me even more upset because they took so much away from me. I can't stay around in the house instead I live in my parents attic because the rest of the house is contaminated and I have to wear a mask everywhere else because the world is so contaminated, the stores are empty, streets with paper flying around, the highways have no cars, it's quiet. I hated when it was quiet makes me get into my head even more and I listen to deep dark thoughts about how sad the world is. The oceans are clean, the world's environment is better but as far as I know there is no one to witness how beautiful it is here. Everyone would’ve loved to see this but COVID-19 striiped them from seeing this all because it was so powerful and all the scientists, and doctors and specialists couldn't quite find the right medicine to find the cure for the world.

Presidential City by Ethan Reed

Class of 2021

Everyone already knows that Washington DC is the Capital of the United States, but it wasn’t planned to be the capital. Instead, the capital was originally intended to be Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia was the biggest leading city of the American Revolution as the Continental Congress met in September 1774. In July 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed. Soon after, the capital has moved across the country several times. It was moved to Princeton, New Jersey, then to Annapolis, Maryland, then Trenton, New Jersey, then to New York City, New York. In 1787, the delegates wrote a permanent and official constitution, which provided a “permanent national capitol”. The permanent capital was New York City. There, congress wrote the Bill of Rights, and President George Washington was inaugurated there in April 1789. However, in 1790, congress voted to move its operations to Philadelphia until a new official capital could be built. Thus building the capital in Washington DC, where it has been our nation's official capital since November 17,1800.

Sterotyped by Emmalyn Miller

Class of 2022

Kids my age are often stereotyped because people think we just sit around and do nothing all day. We think that's stupid because we do plenty of things to entertain ourselves. For example, during our break from school, I've started a garden in my front yard. I have multiple succulents and a cactus planted. I’m excited for my striped zebra plant to grow. I’ve had one in a pot in our living room for probably a couple years now that has expanded so I replanted a clipping of it outside. I was scared that it wouldn’t survive or root but it did and it seems to be doing well! Hopefully all of my plants do well throughout the summer this year.

Spread of Coronavirus by Bryce Gaudette

Class of 2021

How does the Coronavirus spread you may be asking? I’m here to give you some insight on how this occurs. First off we have the mechanism. Corona is very similar to the flu in the way that it spread from person to person through coughing, sneezing, etc. It spread through person to person, something called Community Spread. This means it’s very contagious, as we’ve already seen. It’s also spread through direct human contact, and touching your face. Even before you have symptoms you can still spread the virus. You can get corona through your mouth, your nose, and your eyes.

Next up is the risk factor. The elderly and those with underlying diseases such as obesity, diabetes, or other factors that hinder their ability to fight off diseases are most at risk.

After this we finally come up to the invasion of Coronavirus into the body. It is possible to be asymptomatic for up to as many as 14 days. According to the CDC those who start showing symptoms may have shortness of breath, a fever, new loss of taste or smell, a sore throat, a and most of the symptoms that come with your common cold or flu.

How can you help to prevent CoronaVirus? As the new norm, masks are in value at this time. Masks have proven effective against many infectious diseases, although not completely effective. I’ve started wearing gloves out of the house because my mom says that it reminds you not to touch your face. Look it up on youtube and you’ll find out how to make a face mask out of a shirt!

So don’t touch your face, wash your hands, don’t lick random food products in the grocery store and disinfect your grocery bags when you get home.

“Haven’t I BEEN in Quarantine?”: The Life of a Cat During COVID-19 by Lesly Velazquez-Acosta

Class of 2020 (supposedly, who knows tho)

By now, the entire world has felt or has heard about the impact of COVID-19. Schools, workplaces, churches, theaters, strip clubs, and even pet stores: all closed until further notice. That means the whole family is sitting at home with a whole lot of nothing to do. In a busy world that changes by the second, it’s hard to just sit still, but there may be a friend lurking in the shadows that may have some valuable information. Enter: the average, everyday household cat.

Many Americans often never stop and wonder how the cat’s doing or thinking, and we could never find those answers. But now, BEHOLD! A powerful tool that is capable of translating all cat thought and speech into English: the CAT-O-READER 2020!! Our extremely intelligent news team recently got ahold of this technology and we now have the most sacred privilege of interviewing the very first cat on their opinion of COVID-19.

Keke Velazquez-Acosta is a story we all love to hear. She started her life as a street kitten who was adopted into the Velazquez-Acosta home and is now a fiesty (yet loving) adult cat with many stories to tell. When asked how the extra company has impacted her daily life, she meowed “it’s been a little hectic, but I’ve gotten used to it and it’s actually kind of nice!” She continued and stated, “it’s been hard to get as much attention when the world is taking up so much of my master’s headspace, but when I do, it’s worth the pettings and cuddles.” Keke said she’s been forced to resort to new, creative ways to get attention, such as getting into the recycling, upping the number of times she attacks her owner’s feet, and even messing with the dog’s medications! This kitty sure can be naughty!

Keke added to her explanation of her struggles and said, “it’s been really confusing because now the humans leave at sporadic times and it’s hard to know when I’ll get alone time and when I won’t.” She continued and said that despite the difficulties, she’s loving having so many people around to make the house more interesting. She’s even having a hard time deciding which house member to sleep with at night! Shocking!

While many humans around the world are struggling with boredom, cats have seemed to master the skill of living and functioning distantly. Keke had a few tips on how to stay sane while alone, “first things first: abandon the concept of time. Time does not exist when you’re locked up in the house all day. Try to really lean into the concept of sleep, instead. Find new places to sleep, I really like to sleep on chairs and on top of cupboards!” She continued and meowed, “be sure to notice and appreciate the little things in life. Allow yourself to be still and notice how you’re feeling, and don’t forget the snacks! I try to snack often to keep my body nourished and ready to attack the next person who walks by!”

Lastly, Keke explored her thoughts on the state of the world and what she thinks is next, “I think the world has always been crazy and it’s surprising to me that so many didn’t see this coming. America essentially has a cuckoo clock as a president, and you thought we’d be prepared for a global pandemic! Pfft! Haven’t you ever played Plague, Inc.? That sh*t is crazy!!” Despite the negative thoughts, she later added, “Don’t forget, every single day would’ve ended anyway and society will eventually turn back to some semblance of normal. Keep your head up and above water for as long as you can, however you can, and you’ll be okay. Life goes on, trust me, I’m on my 4th one already.” It seems like this cat has got it all on lock, perhaps we should all take the time to take a page out of Keke the Kitty’s playbook and truly enjoy life second by second–and to do that, you need to start sleeping on top of cupboards, so get to it!!


We're all Sick of This by Roxanne Marquez

Class of 2020

There have been very few times in history where there was need for an absolute global adjustment; where everyone needed to collectively change their lives in order to respond to a crisis. Now is one of those times -- everyone is affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Some in smaller ways, some in a lot harsher ways.

As the stay-at-home order has lasted approximately a month in Albuquerque, my mother and I have been stuck at home, adjusting to a more isolated life. She’s been working from home, as she does consults with patients over Skype, and speaking to her this morning, she pointed out that people from this point on are going to want to do more meetings and consults from the comfort of a computer screen rather than in-person: “This is actually making me consider taking one day a week to work at home once I start going back to work normally… it’s more convenient that way.” Quarantine may very well be the abrupt start to an even more digitalized age, in which people will want to continue their life of using Skype and Zoom as an alternative to in-person discussions -- it saves time on commutes, let’s people stay more productive in the comfort of their home. On the flipside, this may keep life more socially stagnant for people, which is already the largest struggle people are facing in quarantine.

But there are still ways we can all find mental peace (or just plain sanity) in this confusing time; “I’ve been making sure to workout everyday and stay moving,” my mother says, as staying still for too long is one of the worst things you can do for your mental and physical health. Even just a walk outside can work wonders, and it’s a great reminder to look up at the sky and enjoy the moment.

All Plans Canceled by Ethan Reed

Class of 2021

Quinn Reed, a busy eighth grader with all of his plans cancelled. I sat down with my brother to ask him about his plans with quarantine. When asked what plans he had before quarantine, he revealed that he had planned on visiting Washington DC and New York City with his school. The trip had a busy schedule with plans on visiting Mount Vernon, the National Mall, and going to the 9/11 Memorial. The trip was rescheduled, however its unknown when exactly when the trip will happen. As the busy eighth grader my brother is, he also had big plans for the highly anticipated eighth grade dance, where he would dance the night away with his pals. Obviously, he is upset about the events he was looking forward to but he reminded me “yes it sucks that my plans are cancelled, but hey, quarantine is nice because I can stay up as late as I want!” At Least he was able to find a positive with it! After quarantine is over, Quinn looks forward to seeing his friends and hopefully going to New York City!


How COVID-19 has Affected Middle-Schoolers by Emmalyn Miller

Class of 2022

The shelter in place due to Covid-19 has affected everyone of all ages. APS schools have been under shelter in place for about 7 weeks now. In that time frame, students have had plenty of time to learn new things, continue old hobbies, and spend time on many different activities, including school. I decided to interview my younger sister, Audrey. She is currently a 7th grader at Roosevelt Middle School. What have you been doing to entertain yourself while at home? “I go on bike rides, sew, and solve mystery cases. I also like to play with our animals.” Have you developed any new hobbies? “Not really. Maybe flips.” She spends time outside working on her skills on the trampoline. The virus has impacted how regular life functions, so I asked her opinion on the situation as a whole. “It’s annoying and ruining a lot of things.” She is an active leadership student and was recently sent a letter accepting her into the WEB program at school. The 8th graders have the opportunity to welcome 6th graders on their first day and guide them throughout the year. As the shelter in place is slowly being lifted, have you left the house? If so, why? “Yeah, for groceries and bike riding.” Finally, how is online school going? Any opinions? “It’s not fun, and it’s super hard.” Motivation and staying on track have understandably been an issue for many during this time, but school is almost out and we just need to push through the last few weeks.

Who Even Am I??! by Lesly Velazquez-Acosta

Class of 2020

Personally, I find this question to be very difficult because I don’t really like to think about my life too hard or else I plunge into an existential mess. My life and “who I am” is essentially just a series of different things that I do, say, or practice every day. I’ll start off by saying some of the people I love most in life: my pets, my boyfriend, and my family/friends. My pets are my whole world. I have 1 cat named Keke, and two dogs (both chihuahuas) named Peanut and Jack. My animals have this amazing ability to cheer me up and truly make me feel so much better than whatever mood I was in before. I enjoy petting them, talking to them (yes, I am crazy, leave me alone!) and going on walks with them (not Keke though, she hates walks). I don’t do much in my life other than exist but I like it that way. I like to read, create (paint, draw, sing, write, etc.), be with my loved ones, eat fast food in my car, take walks, and skype my boyfriend, Ryan. I’m currently *trying* to graduate high school (lol, thx corona) and I’m on my way to UNM in the fall of 2020 to study to be a therapist! I want to help others with mental health issues the same way my therapist has helped me through my own mental health issues. I’m passionate about caring about people. I’m also highly sensitive, even though I don’t always show it. I often cry or feel anxiety/emotion in situations that shouldn’t be too emotional. I think I’m an empath but I’d need to do more googling to know for sure. Spirituality is important to me. Religion is hard for me because I have a lot of religious trauma from my childhood but I value spirituality and I take comfort in having faith in my God and praying, etc. I’m not a perfect Christian but I love God and do my best to live a life that Jesus would be proud of. I work at Dion’s so I hate to eat Dion’s food but I love my co-workers, my family is Mexican and I believe authentic Mexican food (from Mexico) is some of the best food to exist on this planet, and I struggle to socialize with people but when I do, I usually end up loving it. Anyways, that’s basically who I am in a nutshell. There’s a lot of superfical stuff I left out (my favorite color is rainbow, I’m bad at consuming media because I get bored, and I love sweets! You’ll never guess my favorite foods (hint: all fruits except papaya, and also pasta of any kind). That’s it, that’s Lesly.



Top 10 (Less Conventional) Quarentine Activities by Roxanne Marquez

Class of 2020

  1. Mystery Box Cooking Challenge.This activity involves someone in your household choosing random items from the fridge or pantry and putting them all in a box. You must find a way to incorporate all of the ingredients you find in the box into a meal. Now go Master Chef the heck out of this challenge!
  2. Have a cat? Try taking them on a walk. Worst comes to worst, what will happen is that your cat will flop on the ground and you just drag them, which is the pinnacle of comedy.
  3. Collaging. It doesn’t require technical artistic skills like painting, but you could still make a super meta art piece! Try collaging all of the food labels from your pantry or even make a statement on one of your political beliefs.
  4. Write a letter to a friend. Go back to the good ol days and put a smile on your friends’ faces.
  5. Pimp your place with a pillow fort. There’s nothing better than the feeling of putting in way too much time to set up a pillow/blanket fort -- only to take it down a couple hours later (it’s worth the effort, though).
  6. Google Deep Dive. Search anything on google and keep clicking on links until you think, “Woah, it’s three in the morning? Why am I reading about Dadaism?”
  7. Twitter Mad Libs. Take tweets from the most ridiculous celebrity tweets you can find and turn them into Mad Libs!
  8. Make a niche instagram page. Believe it or not, a wiseman once thought, “there needs to be a page of just bread stapled to trees,” and then did it, because why not. So, find your own individualistic way to add to the rich culture of social media.
  9. Make a spotify playlist. Take the color of the shirt you’re wearing and the food you last ate: now turn that into the title of your spotify playlist and add songs that match that vibe. Personally, mine would be Black Toast and it would be early 2000s indie rock.
  10. Cut your hair (or maybe even shave your head). I shaved my head today, and I’ll be completely honest: I have never felt so confident! So switch up the hair a bit, or just do without it. It’ll grow back, so really, what’s the harm? Do it. Now. Right now.

Top 10 Music List by Michelle Ramirez-Ochoa

Class of 2020

  1. None of Your Concern by Jhene Aiko ft. Big Sean. This is one of my favorite songs because it shows the two points of view when a couple breaks up and what they are thinking during the process
  2. Trust by Brent Faiyez. This song talks about trusting a girl about his problems, but the girl isn't there for him when he needs her the most. I like this song because it has a good beat in it and it has a very chill vibe.
  3. Love Songs by Kaash Paige. I listen to this song when I start catching feelings for a boy because it talks about missing them when they aren’t around and how it makes them feel.
  4. Dinero Tiene Cualquiera by Maluma. I like this song because not only is it in spanish but also because it tells a story saying everyone can have money but no one can have love like us.
  5. Playing Games by Summer Walker ft. Bryson Tiller. This is also one of my favorite songs because Summer Walker is telling the boy that he keeps sending mixed signals and he is not taking the girl seriously.
  6. I’ll Kill You by Summer Walker ft Jhene Aiko. I like this song because the girls are telling them that they are only theirs and they would do anything for them.
  7. Si Veo a Tu Mama by Bad Bunny. I like this song because its catchy and its in spanish
  8. The Box by Roddy Rich. I like this song because it's really hype and it gets me in a better mood sometimes.
  9. Life is Good by Future ft. Drake. This is one of my top 10 because its also a really hype song and it's very fun listening to it with your friends when you're hanging out.
  10. Juicy by Doja Cat. Lastly its one of my favorite songs because it reminds me of the summer and all the fun i had with my friends

Top Ten Songs you Need to Add to your Playlist NOW! by Ethan Reed

Class of 2021

As we all know by now, 2020 has been off to a crazy start. Luckily, we have music to keep us sane, here are ten songs released in 2020 you need to listen to right now (after you finish reading this of course)!

1. Summertime by Orville Peck- This song has “feels” written all over it as he sings about the plans they have for the summer.

2. Check by Qveen Herby- Rapping over a beat sampled by Missy Elliot, Qveen Herby raps lines that exude confidence, “if you want the best, imma need a check”.

3. To Me by Alina Baraz- On this song, Alina realizes that her current partner isn’t enough for her, and looks for better options. Singing “here's to good people, good nights” she looks forward to the positive things of life and leaving the toxic situations in the past.

4. Comme Des Garcons (Like The Boys) by Rina Sawayama- There’s just something about this song that makes you want to get up and dance this song exudes confidence claiming “Everytime you see me it's like winning big in Reno”.

5. The Difference by Flume + Toro y Moi- On this mellow electronic song produced by Flume, Toro questions life asking “who cares about the game, when it's all been replaced?”

6. 50 Ft. by Lauren Jauregui- On this mellow tropical song, Lauren proves that ignorance is bliss by keeping all of the toxic things in her life by keeping it 50ft away from her.

7. High Road by Kesha- On this in your face pop song, Kesha chooses to take the “High Road” and live for “good clean fun”

8.No One Knows by Marian Hill- On this track, she hides a crush by singing over a chill beat “below the surface, I feel nervous”.

9. Take Yourself Home by Troye Sivan- On this pop track Troye proves to not waste his time saying “if you are going to waste my time, take yourself home”.

10.Yikes by Nicki Minaj- No list is complete without Nicki, on Yikes she proves that no one is on her level “you a clown you do it for likes”.


Starbucks at Home by Arianna Ibarra

Class of 2021

Today me and my sister were really craving Starbucks. It’s still open but we wanted to get creative ! We decided to make our own drive-thru. We started by making our own menu. On it , we put Java chip, Strawberry Frappuccino , Berry Frappuccino , and cake pops. Then we taped the menu to our glass door outside and started a line with all of our siblings. Cake pops were super easy to make. We started with mini cupcakes we already had and shaped them into round small balls. Then we dipped them into melted frosting and let them harden. They came out really good and they were super easy. We made the drinks with our blender by using fruit , milk , chocolate and ice. Each drink came out in its own unique way and they were all extremely tasty! My personal favorite was the strawberry Frappuccino(with added chocolate). You can always add something so your drink personality suits you. For example, protein powder , vitamins etc .This whole idea came from my little sister but I have to say it was very creative and super fun. If you can’t get to Starbucks it’s super easy to make something similar at home, maybe even better!



The Champion Life of Quarentine by Alex Silva

Class of 2022

Hey guys de4d here, wait, this isn’t my youtube channel. Anyways hello I am Alexander Silva and this is my little blog. So as you know we are all in quarantine due to the virus COVID-19, and so I have been online with some friends across the world. One friend of mine, Dylan, who lives in Britain, has taught me how to make some of the best tea in the states. To make it you have to get some sort of chamomile tea bags, then you heat up your water to your liking and pour into a mug, but don’t fill it up all the way, after that you will add your tea bag and let it mix with the water for about five minutes, then once has settled add 2 tablespoons of regular sugar, and top it off by filling it up with milk and mixing. Once mixed you can enjoy the tea of britain (kind of) with this charming drink. However, unless you feel like being an absolute EPIC man or woman you can try to create your mask design (if you need a mask) at home so that you can stop the spread of COVID-19 and still look epic. There are a variety of ways to modify your mask and it depends on what type of materials it is made out of. If you are using a surgical mask I prefer to use dry erase markers, they are easy to draw with and make any lad look awesome, but if you are using any sort of cotton type mask I highly recommend puff paint, apply it to the masks to make little designs that take awhile to dry but look great nonetheless.



Gem Paintings by Emmalyn Miller

Class of 2022

During my time in quarantine, I‘ve been keeping myself occupied with lots of projects. One that I am going to explain is gem painting. Basically, gem paintings are a large sticky piece of paper with a picture on it. You can get pretty much anything you want, and they’re sold on Amazon. They come with small gems, almost like beads cut in half. You use a “pen” with wax that grabs the gems, allowing you to stick them to the paper more easily than with tweezers or your fingers. The images are usually pretty large but you can get smaller versions. Over the break I've bought two and my grandma got me another one. So far I've finished about one and a half projects. I started out with small halloween themed ones and then over christmas break I got a big dragon one. The ones I just recently got were two different dragons and a flower. I spend a lot of time on these and they are really good for keeping me occupied. Sometimes I spend hours sitting at the counter or my desk sticking every gem on one by one or three at a time. It's hard work but it's honestly pretty rewarding in the end. When you finish a project you can put Mod Podge on it and hang it or just store it somewhere safe. They end up being really cool and sparkly.

Top 10 of my Favorite Songs by Aleena Gonzales

Class of 2023

I'm going to write about the top 10 of my favorite songs and what they mean to me. My favorite song of all time is ARE YOU SOMEBODY BY AALIYAH are you that somebody is not only my favorite song but AALIYAH is also my artist.My 2nd favorite song is ALL GOOD BY BONE THUGS AND HARMONY they are my favorite band of boys their music has so much meaning to them.3rd all time favorite is DEAR MAMA BY 2PAC. My personal opinion is that 2pac is the greatest rapper of all time and his music tells his story growing up and how hard his life was. 4th all time is GET IT WET BY TWISTA.The reason i like this song is because i know the whole song word for word. 5th all time ONE IN A MILLION BY AALIYAH. AALIYAH music is timeless. I could listen to it for days and not get tired of it.6th all time in CALIFORNIA GIRL BY KATY PERRY my grandma really liked listening to katy perry so we would listen to katy perry all the time together. 7th for sure is PUNCH DRUNK LOVE BY SNOW THE PRODUCT because thats my mom and I song to jam out to together.8th is HAIL MARY BY 2PAC like i already said 2pac has so much meaning to me.The 9th is a hard one but i think i have to go with IF YOUR GIRL ONLY KNEW BY AALIYAH as you can probably tell that aaliyah is my favorite.Ok the 10 one is by far the hardest cause i just want to put all the songs that could not make to my top 10. But the 10 favorites are YOU KNOW MY NAME BY SPM.