WORK-IN-PROGRESS VOLUME ONE MAY 2020
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QUARANTINED IN THE BARRIO Sarah Gonzales
CURE FOR MY PAIN? Grace Horvath
SAN ANTONIO AT NIGHT Sarah Gonzales
LOCKER ROOM Sabrina Macedo
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QUARANTUNES
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QUARATINE THOUGHTS Editors
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THIS ONE IS FOR YOU. For all your stress.
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A ZOOM INTERVIEW W/ KARLEE BRADLEY Sarah Gonzales
QUARANTINED IN THE BARRIO Your childhood bedroom looks just As it did--when you left it in the winter. Hoping the next time you’d see it, You’d have a diploma in hand And your next step planned out. What was only home on planned vacations, Is now your home until further notice. Your mind is no longer occupied By the thought of enjoying your Last few weeks as a student. Asked your mind to wander elsewhere. For the first couple of weeks, Your body shuts down. The inability to move forward has You paralyzed; but blood still Circulates through your veins to Remind you that you’re alive--even if you don’t feel like it.
Written by Sarah Gonzales
Unfortunate circumstances have
With times due, you work towards Acceptance. But you can’t. Your mind longs for the late-nights With your friends; studying, laughing, And enjoying your last few weeks as Kids. Your mother has grown worried. Her weathered heart beats for you. But She understands her boundaries and Gives you the space to grieve as you need. The only thing she encourages, is that you: walk. So you walk.
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CURE FOR MY PAIN? The music was loud, blaring undecipherable words that the rock singer seemed to vomit up. I didn’t like the noise at all, but the other pierced and tattooed attendants appeared to; maybe that was just because the alcohol and drugs had kicked in for them already. I must have had the look of disgust plastered all on my face because every woman seemed to be repelled by me and other guys narrowed their eyes in judgment. Maybe I was just interpreting them wrong because of my paranoid selfconscious nerves. Could it be that they thought of me like my previous judgers? A forty-year-old motorcycle groupee? Well tonight I hoped not; I didn’t want to think at all how people saw me. Tonight was for forgetting…and letting the outward noise around me melt into my brain and drown out what battled inside.
Written by Grace Horvath
The pill was iridescent. The color that reminded me of the bubbles I blew as a child. I placed it in my tongue and felt it dissolve immediately. The taste was horrible, but the strong burn of whisky washed it down quickly and my stomach had no problem keeping it down. They said it would take ten minutes to kick in. Not long, I thought. So I prolonged the sweet sound of suicide and tuned into the scratchy words from the singer’s throat and the tone-deaf drummer’s sticks clashing against broken drums. One song later, still no effect. Hurry up, another thought came–I ordered another drink. Suddenly it hit. In one instant, I felt the seat beneath me move like a weighted animal thrusting me off. The flashing blue and purple lights above began to drip down from their sources but fall into anti-gravity water droplets floating above our heads, the ragers taking no notice. Sounds of hissing came to me from the ceiling, and I hid my face, ducking away. The once exposed pipes of the ceiling turned into green snakes reaching down towards me. Their bodies restricted only one foot away from me; hot air from sizzling tongues came from their throats. I reached up, trying to splatter the snakes with my drink, but only feeling it come down cold on my skin. They were reaching down farther now, somehow able to. I turned in my crouch and crawled away from them towards the dance floor, hoping to seek refuge within the wiggling dancers. Their bodies pushed against me in slimy comparison to those snakes and their sweat 4
became the relaxing potion I needed to slink into intoxication. The wretched noise from before became a sweet melody of freedom. This was it. I was finally forgetting.
SAN ANTONIO AT NIGHT Written and Photographed by Sarah Gonzales
The San Antonio Market Square remains closed due to COVID-19 social distancing guidelines. The Market Square is home to a lot of San Antonio favorites and is a known hot-spot for the city's annual celebration "Fiesta." Unfortunately, Fiesta--a celebration of San Antonio culture--was canceled this year due to COVID-19 and has been rescheduled for this November.
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Mi Tierra Cafe, a San Antonio favorite with the sign "We Never Close" outside its doors, remains closed during what would have been the first weekend of Fiesta. The restaurant is currently doing to-go orders, but its dining room remains closed. The parking lot would usually be packed around this time.
LOCKER ROOM If you come across a day where the teacher or substitute teacher fails to arrive. Don’t panic. Remain in your seat, pull out a deck of cards, and begin playing your favorite card games with fellow peers. Today will be a day of doing nothing. No responsibilities to stress you out. If you hear the sound of keys rustling and someone trying to open the door, act quick and cautious. Grab your bags, push in your chairs, and make sure there is no evidence left behind. Walk in an orderly fashion to the door at the far left by the exit. It is recommended for everyone to have a buddy for the duration of time. If time allows, grab a snack from the teacher’s desk, as your time in hiding may extend for hours and hours. When you get to the hallway on the other side, you will see
Written by Sabrina Macedo
multiple doors. Head into the locker room which is the second door to your left. Shut off the lights and prepare yourself for absolute silence. If the noises of someone trying to open the classroom door begin to die down, don’t be surprised once other noises begin to appear. Power your cell phones off. It is vital to save as much battery life as possible. You will find it difficult to not giggle, cough, sneeze, cry, or flatulate. If you begin to hear the footsteps of someone in heels getting louder and louder, now is the time to panic. The outcomes are unpredictable. Good luck! If you have been caught by the administrator, you are urged to create every excuse possible at a rate of 471 words per minute. Maintain eye contact. Try not to perspire. And most importantly, admit to nothing. Ask to speak to a lawyer.
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If you still have not been caught by the administrator, congratulations! You have proven yourself worthy of being silent. Now be aware, things could spiral out of control from here. If you find yourself in a state of confusion. Don’t worry. Play 8-Ball Pool with your classmates to pass the time. Here the real 8-Ball Pool King/Queen will be determined. Make sure to turn off your ringer. No one wants to hear the pool jingle in the background. Once one of you gets the courage to check the hallway and classroom, quietly step out of the room, gather your belongings and run. Do not, I repeat, do not look back. Run to your car, start the engine and drive far, far away. If you do not have a car, order an Uber. If you do not have money, start walking buddy.
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THE QUARANTUNES PLAYLIST Our editors made a playlist of the music they've been playing to get them through this shit-hole of a world.
AVAILABLE ON SPOTIFY THROUGH QR CODE 9
THOUGHTS IN QUARANTINE....
CONTRIBUTED ANONYMOUSLY THROUGH TEXT MESSAGE
Fuck Covid-19 I miss my friends :/
I actually miss being sleep deprived. Now, I remember why I left this place.
I actually miss Rags's food. Did you know Paul McCartney died a long time ago? Aeon Flux was actually a prophecy.
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What Have Been Your Thoughts? Jot down some of your thought so your therapist won't get mad at you for not expressing your feelings throughout this mess.
Go ahead. This is your space. 11
AÂ
Interview
Written by Sarah Gonzales
with Karlee Bradley Karlee Bradley's senior year did not end the way she pictured it ending. For Bradley, she saw the end of the year as a farewell tour that would celebrate all of her accomplishments on the hilltop with one being the Presidential Award, the university's highest honor. After graduation, Bradley planned to lead a group of students to Peru for two weeks with the university's Service Break Experiences program. This was all lined up for Bradley...until the coronavirus made its way to Austin, causing the university to move instruction online and postpone all celebrations; thus, bringing an abrupt end to Bradley's senior year.
Karlee Bradley is a graduating senior and Presidential Award recipient.
"I couldn't just walk into my professors office and ask for help like I'm used to."
As a mathematics major, the transition to online courses was quite an experience for Bradley. "I feel like if this was a different semester, then [the online transition] would be a lot different than it was," Bradley said. Bradley said the most difficult thing for her transition was not being able to ask her professors for immediate help on coursework--something she had full access to while on-campus. "I couldn't just walk into my professors office and ask for help like I'm used to," Bradley said. Bradley not only juggled online classes, but she also ended up presenting her Honors thesis on Zoom. To work around this barrier, Bradley pre-recorded her thesis. "I wasn't that anxious about my thesis," Bradley said. "I had presented this research before."
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While Bradley was not phased with the usual anxiety that comes with presenting, one emotion that she did feel on the day of her thesis was disappointment. "It definitely wasn't the same as being in person, especially the ending," Bradley said. "The thing I was most looking forward to is when my advisor would say nice things to me and present me with my stole."
"As a leader I tried to implement what I learned, so everyone else found [service] more meaningful."
Senior Karlee Bradley (pictured above) sat down for a Zoom interview with editor, Sarah Gonzales.
Once Bradley finished her Honors thesis, she knew her time at St. Edward's was nearing its end. As a Presidential Award Recipient, Bradley reflected on her growth as a student leader on campus; specifically her involvement with service. "I've been a servant leader," Bradley said. "I think because I have been a leader I have been able to learn about the Holy Cross mission. As a leader I tried to implement what I learned, so everyone else found [service] more meaningful." Bradley's drive to service will continue with her post-graduate plans at Andre House, a hospice house that serves the homeless and poor populations in the Phoenix area.
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A Note From The Editors This is a project Sarah Gonzales and I have been working on for our Magazine Writing class, and I must say that the time I've spent in quarantine have been the worst I've had this year. The only thing I developed during this time is the different ways I can procrastinate on my projects now I never said it was a good thing.
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Now, when Sarah and I came up with this idea for this magazine, we wanted to add humor in our creative and our fellow creatives pursuits, but then, quarantine happened. I move back to Mississippi to live with my grandparents, and Sarah's did the same but with her parents instead of you catch my drift.
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We hope you've enjoyed our project. And remember, washing you hands can never hurt someone, but coughing on them can.
−Rebecca Harville
Ditto.
−Sarah Gonzales Editors-in-Chief Rebecca Harville Sarah Gonzales Head Designer Rebecca Harville Illustrations by Sarah Gonzales
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Brand Board
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