by Dylan Allswang
Hi peer teachers! This is a conversation to talk about what pieces of media we are all consuming during these uncertain times. You can share what is keeping you occupied, and help readers stave off the quarantine boredom.
Listening
What are you listening to? Is it a particular artist, new album, playlist, etc? A podcast? Why do you enjoy it? Did you know of this piece of media before?
Victoria Balla: I’ve been using a lot of TikTok, so TikTok has been introducing me to a few songs… It’s always nice to listen to music, especially during this stressful time.
Tatiana Lira: I’ve actually been feeling pretty nostalgic during quarantine; it’s given me a lot of time to reflect on the past, so I’m listening to a lot of Melanie Martinez, cause I loved her back in middle school. I’ll just be going through my old yearbooks listening to Crybaby, all that good stuff.
Ethan Chen: For me, I feel like quarantine has sparked a lot of reflection, specifically self-reflection, and I think a lot of times music can help you come to that state where you’re able to self-reflect. For me, that music happens to be very mellow, so for me I’ve been listening to a lot of Adele.
Hunter Sanchez: I’ve been listening to some top music, sometimes it’s pop, hip-hop, EDM; sometimes when I listen to it I start coming up with my own lyrics…quarantine has given me a lot of time to work on writing songs.
Dylan Allswang: I’ve rediscovered the album A Grand Don’t Come for Free, by The Streets. It’s this gritty, garage rap opera about a normal guy just living his life. It’s one of the most authentically London pieces of music I’ve heard.
Reading
What are you reading? This can be a book, news articles, a magazine, or anything like that. How has the quarantine changed your reading habits?
VB: I’ve been reading a lot, a lot, a lot of mangas. Normally I read normal books, but I haven’t been able to go to the library, and I really like anime, so I’ve just been reading mangas.
TL: I started reading a little later into quarantine, but I think I’ve gotten through four books so far, but, a lot of them are love stories. One I read recently is called Yes, No, Maybe So. It’s about these two kids who slowly, gradually fall in love while canvassing.
EC: I’ve been reading a lot of short stories from Norton’s Anthology of Short Fiction… I feel like each time I read them I learn more about the text and I’m able to analyze even deeper.
HS: I haven’t actually been reading lately, I’ve just been focusing on my music and animations.
DA: I’m reading George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series. It’s fantasy with a lot of politics and intrigue, and it’s super interesting to read as a political allegory, not just fantasy.
Watching
Self explanatory. Are you watching a TV show, movies? How has the quarantine affected how much TV/movies you watch?
VB: I’ve been watching Avatar since it came back on Netflix, but I haven’t really been watching too much. Normally, I’ll shuffle around like four TV shows so that I can watch each time a new episode comes out… I’ve been spending more time reading.
TL: I’ve been watching a couple of different things, but my parents have started watching Avatar and I’ll tune in with them on some of the episodes. This new series just came out on Netflix, it’s called Never Have I Ever and it’s so cute; I absolutely recommend it to anyone who likes teen dramas.
EC: I really love to cook and bake… on YouTube there’s this channel called Bon Appetit, and there’s this one series where a chef tries to recreate fast food into a gourmet version. I just love watching the chef as she overcomes obstacles.
HS: I’ve been watching Netflix, anime, and Avatar. I also use Crunchyroll to read manga or watch animes that aren’t on Netflix. Lately I’ve been trying to finish One Piece.
DA: I just got the streaming service AcornTV, so I’m watching the old series Midsomer Murders. It’s these classic British murder mysteries that are super formulaic, but really fun to watch.
Playing
This can be a video game, a board game, or a table-top game like “Dungeons and Dragons.” Are you playing alone or socially? How has the quarantine affected your gaming habits?
VB: I don’t really play too many online games; the only game I really play is Crossy Road… I’ve been having a lot of bible study with my family, and every time we do bible study we play this game called Bibleopoly, which is basically monopoly but for the bible, and you’re trying to build a church.
TL: You guys already know what I’ve been playing, I’ve been playing Animal Crossing all the time… A couple weeks ago I met up with some friends on Discord and we created our own Animal Crossing event server. We host a bunch of games in different people’s towns, and it’s a really cool way to meet new people and make money through the game using the in-game currency.
EC: I’m not the biggest gamer; I don’t play that many video games, nor do I play that many board games or tabletop games, however, once in a while, I will play a board game or chess.
HS: I’ve been playing racing games, Call of Duty, Mario Kart, and sometimes I play this game called Roblox with my siblings to spend time with them.
YR Raw 