Most people could describe how they spent most of this summer in one word: indoors. These past few months have been unquestionably one of the strangest in recent years and many summer plans didn’t survive COVID-19 restrictions, even after New York City began to reopen. Although it was a stressful two months, Curtis students and teachers managed to keep themselves busy and do some good old relaxing during the break. So the big question is, what did Warriors do over the summer? 

One incoming freshman, Khadija Bah, learned how to run faster and how to bake with her family. “I ran around the neighborhood mostly or the park near my house with my cousin or my brother. I also baked pies, cupcakes, and brownies with my mom and brother.” Other students got involved in creative pursuits. Trevor Cangemi, a senior, said that he started writing creatively and about quarantine during his time indoors, and Hoda Amaach, a junior, said that she started working on her own movie script over the summer. Enoch Parmar, a junior, said, “I started practicing guitar more during quarantine, and some of my favorite pieces I’ve played are stuff that I’ve written on my own.” Kayla Whiten, a senior, honed her artistic talents over the summer. “It was a really rigorous art program that challenged me to use different programs and it was really rewarding. I’ve gotten SO much better at using paints because of my color theory class. I actually got better at illustrating digitally on the tablet and I got to work with a bunch of art professors and other students from my dream school.” 

Living Environment teacher Ms. Pona said she had a pretty “chillax” summer. “I spent a lot of time swimming with my dog, listening to audiobooks, and being super relaxed (lazy). I tried to exercise more and follow a healthier diet as I had several COVID-19 pounds to lose. This was complicated by the fact that I like to binge-watch cooking shows, especially ones involving cake baking and decorating.” Ms. Sutton, who teaches Phys-Ed, said, “The free time I had allowed me to read more, spend time with my mom, and start eating healthier. Over Fourth of July Weekend, I took a trip to Wisconsin and for the first time ever I went camping and tubing down Apple River.” Although coronavirus kept most of us inside for the majority of the summer, many have still managed to enjoy the time that it’s given us to focus on ourselves for a bit.