Author: ALINA CAMEJO

Host: With most colleges transitioning to an online learning curriculum amid a global pandemic, the mental health of current college students is at stake. According to a study done by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 40% of U.S. adults reported struggling with mental health or substance abuse during late June. Alina Camejo spoke to one college senior about what it’s like surviving a global pandemic while simultaneously finishing her studies.

AMBI: Sounds of typing on a laptop (FADE DOWN AS TRACK BEGINS)

TRACK: I’m on Zoom call with Jewel Antoine, a Psychology student at St. John’s University who is currently at home in Trinidad and Tobago. She said in mental health terms, the last eight months have been a journey.

ACT: JEWEL: I think something that impacted my mental health in the beginning was the fact that no one knew what was going on and everything was just kind of being cancelled. Everything was on hold. Everything was very uncertain.

TRACK: Although the uncertainty of the pandemic has taken a major toll on her mental health, she continues to remain optimistic about how she has learned to handle these setbacks.

ACT: JEWEL: My mental health coping skills also started to adapt to our current situation. I think I started to look at everything on a day-by-day basis and just trying to stay as productive as I can and look for simple pleasures. As I’ve started school again, it’s occupied my time a lot, which is good because I have less time to just sit around.

TRACK: Regardless, balancing schoolwork, post-grad plans, and home life isn’t easy even in so-called normal times. According to a 2018 World Health Organization survey, 35%of freshman college students from multiple countries screened positive for at least one of six mental health disorders. This has only increased since the pandemic. 

ACT: JEWEL: My biggest hurdle is getting my family to understand that just because I’m in the house doesn’t mean that I’m always available like I have like school, work and classes going on.

TRACK: As she approaches her graduation date, Jewel says she is trying to remain flexible as she navigates the grad school application process during the pandemic.

ACT: JEWEL: My plan originally and well, my plan still is to go to grad school in the UK and now that the pandemic happened, I don’t know like what that’s going to look like in 2021, so I’m trying to be flexible, but it is very scary going into a job market and going into like a new school without a lot of certainty.

TRACK: Although Jewel emphasizes the stress of her responsibilities, she has found solace in the increased family time she has now.

ACT: JEWEL: I don’t live in Trinidad full time. My mom doesn’t live here so the fact that we’re both here together for such a long period of time gives her, me and my grandmother time to learn, to do stuff together and reconnect which is something I’m grateful for amidst all of this.

TRACK: Jewel hopes professors and employers can extend grace during this time and have students and employees understand their feelings are valid.

ACT: JEWEL: It’s okay to just be with those feelings and not want to do anything for a little bit and I wish that schools, jobs and everybody else understood that as well.

TRACK: Jewel recently started seeing a counselor at her school., which she says has helped. And with winter approaching and many colleges continuing distance learning into the Spring 2021 semester, these  counselors are going to be more crucial than ever. For Baruch College, I’m Alina Camejo.

I would be interested in interviewing people from Bombazo Dance Co. about the historical origins of Bomba, their own journey with it and how COVID-19 has impacted their programming. In addition, I would include shots of the dancer(s) wearing the traditional skirt that is accentuated through the dance and the drumming. I would also feature archival footage of their organizations before and after the pandemic impacted the organization’s in-person classes and how they have shifted to virtual Bomba lessons.

My radio story will be focused on the impact COVID-19 has had on the mental health of current college students and graduating seniors. With a high unemployment rate, students losing their internships or even full-time offers while simultaneously balancing work, home life and long-distance relationships, it is bound to become overwhelming for many individuals. I will be speaking with various guests who will give me their take on the entire situation, their coping mechanisms during this time and provide their feedback as to what we could do as a collective to combat this epidemic of loneliness, burnout and frustration.

Blog Post: https://medium.com/@acamejo3/sports-activism-rockaways-black-surfing-association-hosts-paddle-out-in-support-of-the-black-a2d213c9b50c

For my photo essay, I am interested in covering Bombazo Dance Co., a nonprofit organization that is preserving, advocating and educating Afro-Puerto Rican Bomba. Bomba is a traditional dance and musical style from Puerto Rico with roots in Africa. The dance is described as a connection between the drummer and the dancer.

I would be interested in interviewing people from Bombazo Dance Co. about the historical origins of Bomba. In addition, I would include photos of the dancers wearing the traditional skirt that is accentuated through the dance. I would also feature how the pandemic impacted the organization’s in-person classes and how they have shifted to virtual Bomba lessons.