Interview 08: Gabriel Schlegel
Dublin Core
Title
Interview 08: Gabriel Schlegel
Subject
COVID-19, COVID-19 pandemic, Hoboken, New Jersey
Description
An oral history with Gabriel Schlegel, who was a high school student during the height of the pandemic, regarding Hoboken's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as his personal experiences with it.
Creator
Hoboken Public Library
Publisher
Hoboken Public Library
Date
Recorded May 26, 2022
Format
Uploaded recording: .mp3
Preservation recording: .wav
Preservation recording: .wav
Language
English
Type
Oral history
Oral History Item Type Metadata
Original Format
Digital audio file
Duration
00:30:27
Transcription
Q: Thank you for joining us for this oral history interview. If you could please state your name, age, any other relevant information that you want to include about your background, and today’s date.
GS: Okay, my name is Gabriel Schlegel. I’m a 20-year-old who is currently attending St. Peter’s University. Before I attended Hoboken High School and graduated from there in 2021. And today’s date is May 26, 2022. Thank you.
Q: Where were you when the initial lockdown was announced in March 2020 and what do you remember from that day/moment?
GS: I was here in Hoboken. I was a junior in high school and what I remember—our last day of school—it kind of felt weird in a sense. Like, everyone was hoping that we would—oh, yeah, it’s going to be a two-week thing, you know, it’s just the flu. It’s not anything serious and then it turned out to be something really serious. So I remember that last day was kind of calm in an eerie sense, you know? It was like, we didn’t know what was going on. We were just hoping that it wasn’t as serious as what we were hearing.
Q: And those first two weeks and following that, were you able to go to school virtually?
GS: We went to school virtually. They had us all set up with Zoom and everything and we were all just trying to get used to that the best we could.
Q: How did you handle that? Did you have a computer already? Did you have to get something from the school?
GS: I was lucky that I already had my own laptop and everything—had an Internet set-up, but it was just mentally—no one was prepared for that and I definitely didn’t really take that well. Classwork—I got used to the actual physical, like, oh, you know, have to start at this time and I have to do this, I have to do that—submit it virtually. But emotionally of being locked up at home, pretty much, with other family members—especially with me since I was living with a Puerto Rican, like a Spanish family, and they get really loud there. A lot of times I was, like, a lot of stuff to focus on and I was just [inaudible 00:02:33]
Q: Was your entire family working from home, or…?
GS: No. My grandparents are retired.
Q: Oh, yeah.
GS: So then I was just—I have a little brother who has special needs and I also needed to help him with his school stuff whenever I could, so that just added—
Q: You were doing your own work as well as helping with his?
GS: Yeah, as best I could.
Q: And so what specific challenges did you face when you were homebound, you know, other than the schooling, did you find?
GS: I found out that I actually do like talking to people. I thought that I was, like, okay, I like being alone with my small circle, but, no, it turns out that being away from that small circle was actually what kind of hurt me the most so I was, like, it’s—actually just being away from friends. Being away from the outdoors—my little safe spaces.
Q: And did you try to keep in touch with people by phone or Zoom or…?
GS: We kept in contact through Google Meet, Zoom and we had a little whole group chat where we would pretend—so my friends would keep pretending the schedule was still the same so, like, during our lunch period, we would have a chat-to-chat through it. It was kind of all right. It was kind of fun.
Q: Were your parents essential workers that they were working their jobs and you were saying they weren’t working from home?
GS: No, like I said, I live with my grandparents who are retired.
Q: [overlapping 00:04:13] Oh, you live with your grandparents?
GS: Yeah.
Q: Okay. How did your life change as the pandemic continued?
GS: Ah, that is a question. I guess it just made me realize more just—it made me realize a bit how social I was. Like, how comfortable and used to everything I was and it was, like, it kind of got me more, I would say, prepared—if I had to say anything out of it. It’s something I always say, like, I can’t really be surprised at anything anymore because, like, 2020 and then how many things have happened during the lockdown and after that. So I guess it made me, I don’t know, just not too surprised—like, expecting not be surprised, that kind of thing.
Q: And so you’re saying you were helping your sibling with their work—how do you think being a younger versus an older student affected you guys during the pandemic?
GS: Wait can you just repeat—
Q: So, you were saying you had a younger sibling that you were helping.
GS: Yeah.
Q: So, do you think him being younger that his experience during the pandemic was a little different than yours, or…?
GS: It probably was because, again, he’s special needs. He’s deaf. He’s autistic, he doesn’t know much about the world anyway, like, just more like what’s in front of him. So I’m pretty sure he didn’t know what was going on, but he was also—I could tell he was also getting tired of being cooped up inside. And sometimes I would take him out to the park and we would just go for a walk.
Q: So it kind of affected his routine, even if he didn’t fully understand what was going on?
GS: It definitely did, yeah.
Q: Yeah. And how did your view about yourself and your family and friend relationships changed during the pandemic?
GS: So, friends, again, I realized it’s nice to have [overlapping/unintelligible 00:06:11] around there. Family, I mean, it was kind of more annoying family side. Like, okay, like, I really need to get out of here when I’m out at college because I could not stay cooped up with you guys. So, yeah, as for myself, like I said already, I can’t really be surprised by anything anymore because, you know, I’ve already went through the lockdown so it’s, like, what else can happen?
Q: Yeah. And other than your immediate family, how did your wider circle of family and friends—how did you see their lives being impacted by the pandemic?
GS: I didn’t really keep too much in contact. My older sisters were contacting me basically, like, are grandma and grandpa all right, you know—how are they? But for the most part one of my sisters has a child as well and she was saying how it was very difficult just to get her and her child all situated [overlapping/unintelligible 00:07:12] so I think, like, on that side, they were able to prepare more even though they had their own set of challenges. So they were just more worried about how we were doing here, pretty much checking up on us.
Q: And did you find any outlets to deal with the stress of the pandemic?
GS: Yes, I did. I found a lot of outlets actually to the point where I burnt myself out from them. So my main whole thing is, like, writing so I remember that whole first, I guess not even week—after the first month of lockdown, at first I just tried to do, like, digital art stuff—you know, game level making, that kind of thing. That wasn’t working that well so it got so bad where, like, I wrote an entire poem collection and, you know, just talking about the pandemic and that actually did help a bit. No, it helped a lot. [unintelligible 00:07:12] Writing and doing the creation stuff. It wasn’t until towards the end of the first half of the lockdown that I started getting burnt out but that was also when we were starting school back up so it kind of timed out well.
Q: Do you think that the writing is something you’ll keep up now, or…?
GS: Definitely. Especially seeing as how that’s something I’m trying to be—be an established writer.
Q: And with the patterns you saw with how people were having to cope with the pandemic, you know, and were you surprised by people’s reactions or, you know, your own reaction to what was going on?
GS: Like, people in general or just people I—
Q: Yeah, just in general.
GS: I was not expecting people to fight over toilet paper. I’m pretty sure that’s a moment in history that I don’t think any of us is going to forget anytime soon. But I was just seeing, like, an outburst in art and creativity as well. I mean, I would have expected kind of like the backlash. I didn’t honestly know that I would have expected how bad it got, but I would say there wasn’t too many things that were unexpected. Again, stuff like the hoarding and, like, the crowding and everything. But, you know, I kind of also figure artists, they’re going to create a lot more. There’s going to be a lot of people that have a lot of free time on their hands now. They’re going to get to do what they want to do so overall I would say not too surprised.
Q: And are there any things that occurred that those outside of your specific experience might not realize, like, those of us that weren’t going to school at the time might not realize about, you know, what it was like for students?
GS: You mean might have had questions?
Q: Like, do you think there was something like people who have already graduated from high school or college might not realize about being a student that you experienced during the pandemic?
GS: Well, most of the people I know graduated or were going to college and they were experiencing the same thing. But if we’re talking about, like, the older generation, I feel like they would know but they wouldn’t have the personal experience as much. Like how the new generation, you know, when you tell [unintelligible 00:10:22] they’re not going to know how a person would be there so it’s, like, it’s similar to that.
Q: And did you, yourself, have any difficulties obtaining supplies? You mentioned about the toilet paper thing—anything else with, like, medications, cleaning supplies? Anything during the early days of the pandemic versus now?
GS: Honestly, from what I can remember, like, my grandparents were really on top of it. They were paying attention to the news. They were already ahead. So we had enough to get past the initial craziness and then when we started running out, that’s when things started dying down. Yeah, and then now it’s just where we’re pretty much—everyone’s pretty much set now. So we were lucky enough to be prepared for that whole, like, opening madness.
Q: And did they go out to get the groceries or supplies or did they have stuff delivered?
GS: No. So, a lot of times they would have me go out. If not from [unintelligible 00:11:26] to me, like, telling them, hey, I need to go out so I don’t want you guys getting caught up in that. You know, if you guys are getting trampled, you know, I’m not saying that—I think that I know how to get out—not to be mean to them—but…
Q: Well, and were they nervous being, like, older? Being at a higher risk, or…?
GS: They were a bit. Especially my grandmother, she has a lot of medical disabilities herself so it was more towards her, like, oh…
Q: And did any of your family at some point leave the city to go somewhere else, or were you in Hoboken the whole time?
GS: No. We were in Hoboken the whole time.
Q: And when you did go back to school, what precautions did the school take to keep you safe there? What other precautions did you notice in Hoboken?
GS: When we went back it was the September following the lockdown, so it was—that was when we were doing—half of us were in-person, half of us were virtual. It was that they were very kind of strict about it, the six feet of distance. They had these dividers in the lunchroom, like the little screen divider things and that was the only time we could take our mask down. What else, what else, what else…yeah, they also had the glass in the classrooms as well so I remember the first week they tried to have us carry glass [unintelligible 00:12:58] they’re, like, no, this isn’t going to work. So they put it on the desk and everything. Around Hoboken there was just a lot of emphasis on, like, keeping a mask you; don’t go into buildings without this and that; don’t go out, really. I think I remember there was a point where people were being fined if they didn’t have a mask on outside, so that was another precaution. And at first, when there was a Covid incident in the school around November and the whole school closed for, like, two weeks and we went virtual—but then afterwards, like, towards the second half of the year, it was, like, okay, if these people—there was a Covid incident in this class, it was contained in this class, so anyone who was in this class stays out like a couple of weeks. So I remember sometimes this whole class just wouldn’t be in session. Not any of my classes—my classes weren’t [unintelligible 00:13:56] but one of my friends, she always would come late and she was, like, oh, well, I missed going to—I missed having to go to lockdown. So, yeah.
Q: And, you know, do you think now that you’re in college, how would you say they’re handling things? Is it different than with high school—obviously it’s a different part of the pandemic, but…?
GS: Yeah, it’s definitely a lot more relaxed now, so like a month before my final day—my final day was earlier this month, it was May—they were letting kids walk around without a mask outside the campus but we’d still have to wear them inside the common area, classrooms, you know, outside the class. But mostly you still had to keep the whole mask in the class, that kind of thing. But we’re still overall relaxed with everything. Then again, we kind of know more about what we’re handling—what we’re dealing with. We still have some hybrid classes. I remember one of my classes, sometimes, would be virtual and they still had the precaution of, hey, just in case this happens, here’s a Zoom link, that kind of thing.
Q: Did you feel prepared for the pandemic based on any of your previous life experiences, or…?
GS: No. The pandemic was completely and entirely new, so I was not prepared for that at all, no. We were already too used to, you know, being free, being careless, and then this happened—oh, well, that’s not fun. So, yeah, definitely wasn’t prepared.
Q: Would you say that your grandparents, being from an older generation, had they gone through anything that they could, you know…?
GS: I can only imagine they had been. I haven’t really gone to ask them, but I can just infer, you know.
Q: And would you say things have mostly gone back to normal for you or do you still see the effects of the pandemic regularly?
GS: There is a sense of normalness. We’re about to go around without our masks. There are still scenarios where you need to wear a mask and some people still ask, like, hey, can you put this on? But for the most part, it feels like we’re slowly returning. But we still have the pandemic in the back of our minds. Like, we’re still talking about [unintelligible 00:16:36].
Q: Do you feel like you missed out on any of the typical teen experiences because of the pandemic?
GS: Definitely, yes. Not everything—so, like, just for example, I was lucky enough that our school was able to graduate and have a graduation in-person at one time and lucky enough to have a prom in-person, but it was still, like, we missed out on having the end of our junior year, for example—going through that. We missed out on pretty much just having fun during our senior year. They’re, like, our last part of high school and, you know, I feel like, you know, me and the whole class just missed out on having that fun—having that whole carefree experience.
Q: And how did they—with the graduation and the prom and stuff—how did they do that and still, kind of—in Covid times?
GS: In the case of the prom, they had us keep our masks on during the bus because of the close space, but our class advisor was cool, he was, like, listen, on the bus, you have to wear your mask. In prom, this is your prom, you’re supposed to enjoy it, like, we’re not going to say anything, you know? And as for graduation, it was kind of the same thing, you know, like a momentous occasion so—okay, masks up everyone, you know, we did the graduation outside, and I feel like that was a very important thing to mention—the graduation was outside and the prom was like this big indoor venue, anyway—there was a lot of space anyhow, so it was more just, we get there’s a pandemic but, like, we get this serious—you guys are supposed to have at least one or two fun moments, you know. At least, you know, be carefree in this moment. Be careful everywhere else, but, like, this is your moment. Don’t let anyone or anything stop it.
Q: Yeah. And what have you learned about yourself just going through the pandemic that, you know, you probably didn’t realize about yourself before? Anything?
GS: One, that I am more social than I thought. Two, that people actually saw me in more of a light than I—and, like, people noticed me more than I thought. And also, I guess the third thing, which I kind of knew, but it was kind of strengthened—I really tend to overwork myself in stressful situations. And it wasn’t until I got very type A with my art stuff, I was, like, oh, wow. That could be—that is a problem. It made me realize just, like, I have—I’ve got a lot to focus on for myself and I’m currently now trying to do that—that it was, like, hitting me in the face, I mean, you have to recognize it.
Q: And do you have family or friends in other states or countries and, you know, how did their experiences differ from yours here in Hoboken? Are your sisters out of state, or…?
GS: Yeah. So my sister is—from what I can tell, again, like, I’m not really good with keeping in touch with my outer family—but, they were doing—from what I heard, they were doing all right. They were following all the precautions and everything. Friends in other states…from what I could tell in other states, it was pretty much just the same feel. Some people were virtual, some people were, like, just not going to school—in general, just because it was too stressful. We all had, like, a shared thing going on. Friends in other countries…I have a friend in the Philippines that I talk to and from what I could tell, it was pretty much the same thing, more or less. Just obviously with their own different social struggles and all that, but it just seemed generally like the same struggle, you know—we all had to go into lockdown. We all have to be separated from our friends. We just—we’re all just going through the same struggle, you know?
Q: Was it weird having, like, your in-person friends almost became your virtual friends even though, like, they’re in the Philippines and you have friends in Hoboken—you’re all talking online—
GS: Talking virtually.
Q: …like is that an interesting experience?
GS: I think because I had online friends, it made it easier for me. So I’d talk to my in-person friends online—it was more interesting how we all had our collective brain so it would just up with, oh, hey. We’re still—we’re still meeting, you know, so it was kind of more funny and interesting than anything.
Q: Do you think there was anything about being in Hoboken that made your pandemic experiences unique or do you feel like it was pretty much similar all over?
GS: Well, if we’re talking in terms of Hoboken, it’s very close knit. It’s a very small space so you can just see—I guess you can see more easily how everyone’s being affected. Again, it’s a small city, you know, you walk in the neighborhood, five people are going to know you, you know? It’s, like, oh, yeah, you’re that kid that walked in the store; oh, you’re that kid—it’s just, like, this and that. I guess because it’s a tight-knit community, it’s easier to see. Whereas a bigger city, it takes a little more time to tell, if that makes sense.
Q: And do you think that the pandemic kind of made the community even more tight-knit than it was already? Like it kind of—did you find yourself talking to people, like neighbors and stuff, that you didn’t necessary before as much, or…?
GS: Not particularly. Again, I was kind of more focused on getting my own school and stuff packed away. And, again, just during that initial onset, there wasn’t really any time to be social, like, actually social.
Q: Do you have any friends or family or, you know, your friends’ parents, own local businesses? And how were they impacted by the pandemic?
GS: I don’t think any of them own local businesses, but there was a friend that I mentioned earlier, her mother works in the medical field, so I know full well she was overworked with everything. So I can only imagine that.
Q: And did any of your friends have part-time jobs? How were they impacted?
GS: All my stories come from that same friend—so I believe they got a job, like, toward the mid part of the pandemic and, from what I heard, they just had to wear a mask. They weren’t really too worried about the pandemic and everything, but they were just, like, are you following the procedures? Can you please do this and that? Otherwise most of my friends—we kind of just got jobs after the pandemic. Once everything was calmed down.
Q: And have you made any changes in your life, school, or job plans for the future that you plan to keep even after the pandemic?
GS: I guess in general life plans, I wasn’t planning on staying in Hoboken. I was planning to, you know—I was planning on going to Massachusetts for college. I was going to completely move out. Good-bye, nice memories. But then the pandemic happened and I was, like, oh, now, well—if I ever needed to stay here, that’s pretty much it. So it’s kind of more just staying in contact with the people that I already know. Just, like, overall pacing myself, trying not to stress myself out too much. I’m still working on that. That’s clearly not working, but a work in progress, you know? Will work on this year. But, yeah, just pacing myself, you know, allowing for more leeway if things don’t go the way I planned and just kind of going back to my whole go with the flow kind of thing as best I can.
Q: And has the pandemic changed anything about the way you view Hoboken?
GS: Not particularly. I can’t say because I’m still [unintelligible 00:24:35], I still saw people hanging out with each other so it’s, like, nothing every really got the city down, pretty much. Because, again, small-knit area. People are just trying to have fun here and alleviate stress, so I can’t say I noticed too much.
Q: And do you think Hoboken itself has changed in any way because of the pandemic? Or do you think it’s pretty much kept its identity the same?
GS: I would say Hoboken has changed even though the people in it hasn’t, obviously, Hoboken in general—just like with the overall preparedness and I guess, sort of like the resilience you could say, with everything. So it kind of strengthened—it strengthened, like, that whole, okay, we know what to do. We’ve been through emergencies before, you know, we get—we have to swim every few weeks every time there’s a rainstorm, we’ve got this. We’re good. So, yeah.
Q: Do you think if you had to go through something like this again, you’d feel differently going into it? You’d be more prepared?
GS: Definitely. I would definitely feel like—I definitely wouldn’t feel the same as suddenly—it would be, like, oh, this again. That’s cool. I know what to do this time. Let’s just wait it out. It wouldn’t take me as long to cope, I feel, because I’m already—I’ve already gone through it one time.
Q: Do you have any predictions for the future of Hoboken?
GS: Do you mean just with, like, life in general?
Q: Yeah, just anything.
GS: I mean, I can’t really say other than just that everything was going to go back to normal but that—you can say that for pretty much anywhere, you know? People are going to remember it, obviously, but there’s going to be a time where everyone is just, like, oh, you remember that? Oh, yeah, that’s crazy…anyway…you know.
Q: Anything else you’d like to mention about Hoboken related to the pandemic or your personal experiences?
GS: I would guess, like, one thing I would say personally that I can just think of is, like, the friendships—even though I kept them, they were getting strained—just as an aside to everything—just, like, the pandemic it was, like—again, none of us really knew what was going on. We were all frustrated. And that kind of led to a lot of drama within my friend group and especially me, like, I have way too many things going on at once. So when our senior year came around, that whole year was just filled with drama because we were all cooped up inside and we just—we couldn’t handle anything—so it was, like, one small thing could lead to this whole entire domino effect and that’s kind of what made my senior year stressful. Just having to deal with the restrictions and with drama on top of that and, you know, graduating and all that. So, I guess I can say, to give more insight on this whole experience at least from a personal point of view, it was stressful but it was also interesting in a good and bad sense, you know—yeah, that’s all I can say.
Q: And anything else pandemic-related you want future generations of Hobokenites to know about?
GS: Future generations…I feel like there’s a lot but my brain just isn’t braining properly…I guess just know that this—that we all thought this pandemic wasn’t going to be a pandemic. We thought it was going to be like a two-week thing. None of us were taking it seriously so, like, knock on wood, if it were to happen again, be a little more mindful than us. Try to have a good coping mechanism or several coping mechanisms in case you burn out on one. Yeah, that’s pretty much the main takeaways. Because you can figure out whatever else from there—it just depends. My general advice would be just, like, find multiple coping mechanisms, you know?
Q: And is there any advice that you’d give to parents to help children dealing with the pandemic, from your experience and from your brother’s experience going through it?
GS: I guess just like—try to be more open-minded toward the fact that this is a new situation for everyone. I already know parents have to have so much patience with their kids in general, but just try to have as much—like, a little bit more patience towards these new stressful situations. Just try to keep in mind that a child’s experiences are different from your experiences. They don’t have the same knowledge as you, so it’s, like, be mindful of it. Try to be, like, a guided figure, just, like, okay, basically be, like, a resource. If you’re already a resource pre-pandemic, try to be there for them mid-pandemic, kind of thing, you know?
Q: And what would you tell those who have to live through a similar situation or event in the future?
GS: I feel your pain, pretty much, like, I’ve already been through that. Honestly, I don’t think there’s anything I could say that they wouldn’t have already heard, but just, you know, better days will come. [unintelligible 00:29:45] Better days will come, just, you know, you can make it through it, just push through. It’s not going to be permanent. You’re going to see normalcy again and whether, you know, whether you see it or not, just keep going on, I guess.
Q: And as a writer, do you think that this experience is something that you’ll draw through it from, like, you know?
GS: Most definitely. I mean I can’t go through this and not have any experiences to share.
Q: And anything else that you’d want to share before we wrap up the interview?
GS: I don’t believe so. I think I covered all the bases.
Q: Okay, great. Thank you so much for coming in.
GS: Thanks for having me.
[audio end]
GS: Okay, my name is Gabriel Schlegel. I’m a 20-year-old who is currently attending St. Peter’s University. Before I attended Hoboken High School and graduated from there in 2021. And today’s date is May 26, 2022. Thank you.
Q: Where were you when the initial lockdown was announced in March 2020 and what do you remember from that day/moment?
GS: I was here in Hoboken. I was a junior in high school and what I remember—our last day of school—it kind of felt weird in a sense. Like, everyone was hoping that we would—oh, yeah, it’s going to be a two-week thing, you know, it’s just the flu. It’s not anything serious and then it turned out to be something really serious. So I remember that last day was kind of calm in an eerie sense, you know? It was like, we didn’t know what was going on. We were just hoping that it wasn’t as serious as what we were hearing.
Q: And those first two weeks and following that, were you able to go to school virtually?
GS: We went to school virtually. They had us all set up with Zoom and everything and we were all just trying to get used to that the best we could.
Q: How did you handle that? Did you have a computer already? Did you have to get something from the school?
GS: I was lucky that I already had my own laptop and everything—had an Internet set-up, but it was just mentally—no one was prepared for that and I definitely didn’t really take that well. Classwork—I got used to the actual physical, like, oh, you know, have to start at this time and I have to do this, I have to do that—submit it virtually. But emotionally of being locked up at home, pretty much, with other family members—especially with me since I was living with a Puerto Rican, like a Spanish family, and they get really loud there. A lot of times I was, like, a lot of stuff to focus on and I was just [inaudible 00:02:33]
Q: Was your entire family working from home, or…?
GS: No. My grandparents are retired.
Q: Oh, yeah.
GS: So then I was just—I have a little brother who has special needs and I also needed to help him with his school stuff whenever I could, so that just added—
Q: You were doing your own work as well as helping with his?
GS: Yeah, as best I could.
Q: And so what specific challenges did you face when you were homebound, you know, other than the schooling, did you find?
GS: I found out that I actually do like talking to people. I thought that I was, like, okay, I like being alone with my small circle, but, no, it turns out that being away from that small circle was actually what kind of hurt me the most so I was, like, it’s—actually just being away from friends. Being away from the outdoors—my little safe spaces.
Q: And did you try to keep in touch with people by phone or Zoom or…?
GS: We kept in contact through Google Meet, Zoom and we had a little whole group chat where we would pretend—so my friends would keep pretending the schedule was still the same so, like, during our lunch period, we would have a chat-to-chat through it. It was kind of all right. It was kind of fun.
Q: Were your parents essential workers that they were working their jobs and you were saying they weren’t working from home?
GS: No, like I said, I live with my grandparents who are retired.
Q: [overlapping 00:04:13] Oh, you live with your grandparents?
GS: Yeah.
Q: Okay. How did your life change as the pandemic continued?
GS: Ah, that is a question. I guess it just made me realize more just—it made me realize a bit how social I was. Like, how comfortable and used to everything I was and it was, like, it kind of got me more, I would say, prepared—if I had to say anything out of it. It’s something I always say, like, I can’t really be surprised at anything anymore because, like, 2020 and then how many things have happened during the lockdown and after that. So I guess it made me, I don’t know, just not too surprised—like, expecting not be surprised, that kind of thing.
Q: And so you’re saying you were helping your sibling with their work—how do you think being a younger versus an older student affected you guys during the pandemic?
GS: Wait can you just repeat—
Q: So, you were saying you had a younger sibling that you were helping.
GS: Yeah.
Q: So, do you think him being younger that his experience during the pandemic was a little different than yours, or…?
GS: It probably was because, again, he’s special needs. He’s deaf. He’s autistic, he doesn’t know much about the world anyway, like, just more like what’s in front of him. So I’m pretty sure he didn’t know what was going on, but he was also—I could tell he was also getting tired of being cooped up inside. And sometimes I would take him out to the park and we would just go for a walk.
Q: So it kind of affected his routine, even if he didn’t fully understand what was going on?
GS: It definitely did, yeah.
Q: Yeah. And how did your view about yourself and your family and friend relationships changed during the pandemic?
GS: So, friends, again, I realized it’s nice to have [overlapping/unintelligible 00:06:11] around there. Family, I mean, it was kind of more annoying family side. Like, okay, like, I really need to get out of here when I’m out at college because I could not stay cooped up with you guys. So, yeah, as for myself, like I said already, I can’t really be surprised by anything anymore because, you know, I’ve already went through the lockdown so it’s, like, what else can happen?
Q: Yeah. And other than your immediate family, how did your wider circle of family and friends—how did you see their lives being impacted by the pandemic?
GS: I didn’t really keep too much in contact. My older sisters were contacting me basically, like, are grandma and grandpa all right, you know—how are they? But for the most part one of my sisters has a child as well and she was saying how it was very difficult just to get her and her child all situated [overlapping/unintelligible 00:07:12] so I think, like, on that side, they were able to prepare more even though they had their own set of challenges. So they were just more worried about how we were doing here, pretty much checking up on us.
Q: And did you find any outlets to deal with the stress of the pandemic?
GS: Yes, I did. I found a lot of outlets actually to the point where I burnt myself out from them. So my main whole thing is, like, writing so I remember that whole first, I guess not even week—after the first month of lockdown, at first I just tried to do, like, digital art stuff—you know, game level making, that kind of thing. That wasn’t working that well so it got so bad where, like, I wrote an entire poem collection and, you know, just talking about the pandemic and that actually did help a bit. No, it helped a lot. [unintelligible 00:07:12] Writing and doing the creation stuff. It wasn’t until towards the end of the first half of the lockdown that I started getting burnt out but that was also when we were starting school back up so it kind of timed out well.
Q: Do you think that the writing is something you’ll keep up now, or…?
GS: Definitely. Especially seeing as how that’s something I’m trying to be—be an established writer.
Q: And with the patterns you saw with how people were having to cope with the pandemic, you know, and were you surprised by people’s reactions or, you know, your own reaction to what was going on?
GS: Like, people in general or just people I—
Q: Yeah, just in general.
GS: I was not expecting people to fight over toilet paper. I’m pretty sure that’s a moment in history that I don’t think any of us is going to forget anytime soon. But I was just seeing, like, an outburst in art and creativity as well. I mean, I would have expected kind of like the backlash. I didn’t honestly know that I would have expected how bad it got, but I would say there wasn’t too many things that were unexpected. Again, stuff like the hoarding and, like, the crowding and everything. But, you know, I kind of also figure artists, they’re going to create a lot more. There’s going to be a lot of people that have a lot of free time on their hands now. They’re going to get to do what they want to do so overall I would say not too surprised.
Q: And are there any things that occurred that those outside of your specific experience might not realize, like, those of us that weren’t going to school at the time might not realize about, you know, what it was like for students?
GS: You mean might have had questions?
Q: Like, do you think there was something like people who have already graduated from high school or college might not realize about being a student that you experienced during the pandemic?
GS: Well, most of the people I know graduated or were going to college and they were experiencing the same thing. But if we’re talking about, like, the older generation, I feel like they would know but they wouldn’t have the personal experience as much. Like how the new generation, you know, when you tell [unintelligible 00:10:22] they’re not going to know how a person would be there so it’s, like, it’s similar to that.
Q: And did you, yourself, have any difficulties obtaining supplies? You mentioned about the toilet paper thing—anything else with, like, medications, cleaning supplies? Anything during the early days of the pandemic versus now?
GS: Honestly, from what I can remember, like, my grandparents were really on top of it. They were paying attention to the news. They were already ahead. So we had enough to get past the initial craziness and then when we started running out, that’s when things started dying down. Yeah, and then now it’s just where we’re pretty much—everyone’s pretty much set now. So we were lucky enough to be prepared for that whole, like, opening madness.
Q: And did they go out to get the groceries or supplies or did they have stuff delivered?
GS: No. So, a lot of times they would have me go out. If not from [unintelligible 00:11:26] to me, like, telling them, hey, I need to go out so I don’t want you guys getting caught up in that. You know, if you guys are getting trampled, you know, I’m not saying that—I think that I know how to get out—not to be mean to them—but…
Q: Well, and were they nervous being, like, older? Being at a higher risk, or…?
GS: They were a bit. Especially my grandmother, she has a lot of medical disabilities herself so it was more towards her, like, oh…
Q: And did any of your family at some point leave the city to go somewhere else, or were you in Hoboken the whole time?
GS: No. We were in Hoboken the whole time.
Q: And when you did go back to school, what precautions did the school take to keep you safe there? What other precautions did you notice in Hoboken?
GS: When we went back it was the September following the lockdown, so it was—that was when we were doing—half of us were in-person, half of us were virtual. It was that they were very kind of strict about it, the six feet of distance. They had these dividers in the lunchroom, like the little screen divider things and that was the only time we could take our mask down. What else, what else, what else…yeah, they also had the glass in the classrooms as well so I remember the first week they tried to have us carry glass [unintelligible 00:12:58] they’re, like, no, this isn’t going to work. So they put it on the desk and everything. Around Hoboken there was just a lot of emphasis on, like, keeping a mask you; don’t go into buildings without this and that; don’t go out, really. I think I remember there was a point where people were being fined if they didn’t have a mask on outside, so that was another precaution. And at first, when there was a Covid incident in the school around November and the whole school closed for, like, two weeks and we went virtual—but then afterwards, like, towards the second half of the year, it was, like, okay, if these people—there was a Covid incident in this class, it was contained in this class, so anyone who was in this class stays out like a couple of weeks. So I remember sometimes this whole class just wouldn’t be in session. Not any of my classes—my classes weren’t [unintelligible 00:13:56] but one of my friends, she always would come late and she was, like, oh, well, I missed going to—I missed having to go to lockdown. So, yeah.
Q: And, you know, do you think now that you’re in college, how would you say they’re handling things? Is it different than with high school—obviously it’s a different part of the pandemic, but…?
GS: Yeah, it’s definitely a lot more relaxed now, so like a month before my final day—my final day was earlier this month, it was May—they were letting kids walk around without a mask outside the campus but we’d still have to wear them inside the common area, classrooms, you know, outside the class. But mostly you still had to keep the whole mask in the class, that kind of thing. But we’re still overall relaxed with everything. Then again, we kind of know more about what we’re handling—what we’re dealing with. We still have some hybrid classes. I remember one of my classes, sometimes, would be virtual and they still had the precaution of, hey, just in case this happens, here’s a Zoom link, that kind of thing.
Q: Did you feel prepared for the pandemic based on any of your previous life experiences, or…?
GS: No. The pandemic was completely and entirely new, so I was not prepared for that at all, no. We were already too used to, you know, being free, being careless, and then this happened—oh, well, that’s not fun. So, yeah, definitely wasn’t prepared.
Q: Would you say that your grandparents, being from an older generation, had they gone through anything that they could, you know…?
GS: I can only imagine they had been. I haven’t really gone to ask them, but I can just infer, you know.
Q: And would you say things have mostly gone back to normal for you or do you still see the effects of the pandemic regularly?
GS: There is a sense of normalness. We’re about to go around without our masks. There are still scenarios where you need to wear a mask and some people still ask, like, hey, can you put this on? But for the most part, it feels like we’re slowly returning. But we still have the pandemic in the back of our minds. Like, we’re still talking about [unintelligible 00:16:36].
Q: Do you feel like you missed out on any of the typical teen experiences because of the pandemic?
GS: Definitely, yes. Not everything—so, like, just for example, I was lucky enough that our school was able to graduate and have a graduation in-person at one time and lucky enough to have a prom in-person, but it was still, like, we missed out on having the end of our junior year, for example—going through that. We missed out on pretty much just having fun during our senior year. They’re, like, our last part of high school and, you know, I feel like, you know, me and the whole class just missed out on having that fun—having that whole carefree experience.
Q: And how did they—with the graduation and the prom and stuff—how did they do that and still, kind of—in Covid times?
GS: In the case of the prom, they had us keep our masks on during the bus because of the close space, but our class advisor was cool, he was, like, listen, on the bus, you have to wear your mask. In prom, this is your prom, you’re supposed to enjoy it, like, we’re not going to say anything, you know? And as for graduation, it was kind of the same thing, you know, like a momentous occasion so—okay, masks up everyone, you know, we did the graduation outside, and I feel like that was a very important thing to mention—the graduation was outside and the prom was like this big indoor venue, anyway—there was a lot of space anyhow, so it was more just, we get there’s a pandemic but, like, we get this serious—you guys are supposed to have at least one or two fun moments, you know. At least, you know, be carefree in this moment. Be careful everywhere else, but, like, this is your moment. Don’t let anyone or anything stop it.
Q: Yeah. And what have you learned about yourself just going through the pandemic that, you know, you probably didn’t realize about yourself before? Anything?
GS: One, that I am more social than I thought. Two, that people actually saw me in more of a light than I—and, like, people noticed me more than I thought. And also, I guess the third thing, which I kind of knew, but it was kind of strengthened—I really tend to overwork myself in stressful situations. And it wasn’t until I got very type A with my art stuff, I was, like, oh, wow. That could be—that is a problem. It made me realize just, like, I have—I’ve got a lot to focus on for myself and I’m currently now trying to do that—that it was, like, hitting me in the face, I mean, you have to recognize it.
Q: And do you have family or friends in other states or countries and, you know, how did their experiences differ from yours here in Hoboken? Are your sisters out of state, or…?
GS: Yeah. So my sister is—from what I can tell, again, like, I’m not really good with keeping in touch with my outer family—but, they were doing—from what I heard, they were doing all right. They were following all the precautions and everything. Friends in other states…from what I could tell in other states, it was pretty much just the same feel. Some people were virtual, some people were, like, just not going to school—in general, just because it was too stressful. We all had, like, a shared thing going on. Friends in other countries…I have a friend in the Philippines that I talk to and from what I could tell, it was pretty much the same thing, more or less. Just obviously with their own different social struggles and all that, but it just seemed generally like the same struggle, you know—we all had to go into lockdown. We all have to be separated from our friends. We just—we’re all just going through the same struggle, you know?
Q: Was it weird having, like, your in-person friends almost became your virtual friends even though, like, they’re in the Philippines and you have friends in Hoboken—you’re all talking online—
GS: Talking virtually.
Q: …like is that an interesting experience?
GS: I think because I had online friends, it made it easier for me. So I’d talk to my in-person friends online—it was more interesting how we all had our collective brain so it would just up with, oh, hey. We’re still—we’re still meeting, you know, so it was kind of more funny and interesting than anything.
Q: Do you think there was anything about being in Hoboken that made your pandemic experiences unique or do you feel like it was pretty much similar all over?
GS: Well, if we’re talking in terms of Hoboken, it’s very close knit. It’s a very small space so you can just see—I guess you can see more easily how everyone’s being affected. Again, it’s a small city, you know, you walk in the neighborhood, five people are going to know you, you know? It’s, like, oh, yeah, you’re that kid that walked in the store; oh, you’re that kid—it’s just, like, this and that. I guess because it’s a tight-knit community, it’s easier to see. Whereas a bigger city, it takes a little more time to tell, if that makes sense.
Q: And do you think that the pandemic kind of made the community even more tight-knit than it was already? Like it kind of—did you find yourself talking to people, like neighbors and stuff, that you didn’t necessary before as much, or…?
GS: Not particularly. Again, I was kind of more focused on getting my own school and stuff packed away. And, again, just during that initial onset, there wasn’t really any time to be social, like, actually social.
Q: Do you have any friends or family or, you know, your friends’ parents, own local businesses? And how were they impacted by the pandemic?
GS: I don’t think any of them own local businesses, but there was a friend that I mentioned earlier, her mother works in the medical field, so I know full well she was overworked with everything. So I can only imagine that.
Q: And did any of your friends have part-time jobs? How were they impacted?
GS: All my stories come from that same friend—so I believe they got a job, like, toward the mid part of the pandemic and, from what I heard, they just had to wear a mask. They weren’t really too worried about the pandemic and everything, but they were just, like, are you following the procedures? Can you please do this and that? Otherwise most of my friends—we kind of just got jobs after the pandemic. Once everything was calmed down.
Q: And have you made any changes in your life, school, or job plans for the future that you plan to keep even after the pandemic?
GS: I guess in general life plans, I wasn’t planning on staying in Hoboken. I was planning to, you know—I was planning on going to Massachusetts for college. I was going to completely move out. Good-bye, nice memories. But then the pandemic happened and I was, like, oh, now, well—if I ever needed to stay here, that’s pretty much it. So it’s kind of more just staying in contact with the people that I already know. Just, like, overall pacing myself, trying not to stress myself out too much. I’m still working on that. That’s clearly not working, but a work in progress, you know? Will work on this year. But, yeah, just pacing myself, you know, allowing for more leeway if things don’t go the way I planned and just kind of going back to my whole go with the flow kind of thing as best I can.
Q: And has the pandemic changed anything about the way you view Hoboken?
GS: Not particularly. I can’t say because I’m still [unintelligible 00:24:35], I still saw people hanging out with each other so it’s, like, nothing every really got the city down, pretty much. Because, again, small-knit area. People are just trying to have fun here and alleviate stress, so I can’t say I noticed too much.
Q: And do you think Hoboken itself has changed in any way because of the pandemic? Or do you think it’s pretty much kept its identity the same?
GS: I would say Hoboken has changed even though the people in it hasn’t, obviously, Hoboken in general—just like with the overall preparedness and I guess, sort of like the resilience you could say, with everything. So it kind of strengthened—it strengthened, like, that whole, okay, we know what to do. We’ve been through emergencies before, you know, we get—we have to swim every few weeks every time there’s a rainstorm, we’ve got this. We’re good. So, yeah.
Q: Do you think if you had to go through something like this again, you’d feel differently going into it? You’d be more prepared?
GS: Definitely. I would definitely feel like—I definitely wouldn’t feel the same as suddenly—it would be, like, oh, this again. That’s cool. I know what to do this time. Let’s just wait it out. It wouldn’t take me as long to cope, I feel, because I’m already—I’ve already gone through it one time.
Q: Do you have any predictions for the future of Hoboken?
GS: Do you mean just with, like, life in general?
Q: Yeah, just anything.
GS: I mean, I can’t really say other than just that everything was going to go back to normal but that—you can say that for pretty much anywhere, you know? People are going to remember it, obviously, but there’s going to be a time where everyone is just, like, oh, you remember that? Oh, yeah, that’s crazy…anyway…you know.
Q: Anything else you’d like to mention about Hoboken related to the pandemic or your personal experiences?
GS: I would guess, like, one thing I would say personally that I can just think of is, like, the friendships—even though I kept them, they were getting strained—just as an aside to everything—just, like, the pandemic it was, like—again, none of us really knew what was going on. We were all frustrated. And that kind of led to a lot of drama within my friend group and especially me, like, I have way too many things going on at once. So when our senior year came around, that whole year was just filled with drama because we were all cooped up inside and we just—we couldn’t handle anything—so it was, like, one small thing could lead to this whole entire domino effect and that’s kind of what made my senior year stressful. Just having to deal with the restrictions and with drama on top of that and, you know, graduating and all that. So, I guess I can say, to give more insight on this whole experience at least from a personal point of view, it was stressful but it was also interesting in a good and bad sense, you know—yeah, that’s all I can say.
Q: And anything else pandemic-related you want future generations of Hobokenites to know about?
GS: Future generations…I feel like there’s a lot but my brain just isn’t braining properly…I guess just know that this—that we all thought this pandemic wasn’t going to be a pandemic. We thought it was going to be like a two-week thing. None of us were taking it seriously so, like, knock on wood, if it were to happen again, be a little more mindful than us. Try to have a good coping mechanism or several coping mechanisms in case you burn out on one. Yeah, that’s pretty much the main takeaways. Because you can figure out whatever else from there—it just depends. My general advice would be just, like, find multiple coping mechanisms, you know?
Q: And is there any advice that you’d give to parents to help children dealing with the pandemic, from your experience and from your brother’s experience going through it?
GS: I guess just like—try to be more open-minded toward the fact that this is a new situation for everyone. I already know parents have to have so much patience with their kids in general, but just try to have as much—like, a little bit more patience towards these new stressful situations. Just try to keep in mind that a child’s experiences are different from your experiences. They don’t have the same knowledge as you, so it’s, like, be mindful of it. Try to be, like, a guided figure, just, like, okay, basically be, like, a resource. If you’re already a resource pre-pandemic, try to be there for them mid-pandemic, kind of thing, you know?
Q: And what would you tell those who have to live through a similar situation or event in the future?
GS: I feel your pain, pretty much, like, I’ve already been through that. Honestly, I don’t think there’s anything I could say that they wouldn’t have already heard, but just, you know, better days will come. [unintelligible 00:29:45] Better days will come, just, you know, you can make it through it, just push through. It’s not going to be permanent. You’re going to see normalcy again and whether, you know, whether you see it or not, just keep going on, I guess.
Q: And as a writer, do you think that this experience is something that you’ll draw through it from, like, you know?
GS: Most definitely. I mean I can’t go through this and not have any experiences to share.
Q: And anything else that you’d want to share before we wrap up the interview?
GS: I don’t believe so. I think I covered all the bases.
Q: Okay, great. Thank you so much for coming in.
GS: Thanks for having me.
[audio end]
Interviewer
Aimee Harris
Interviewee
Gabriel Schlegel
Location
Hoboken Public Library, Hoboken, New Jersey
Citation
Hoboken Public Library, “Interview 08: Gabriel Schlegel,” Hoboken Public Library's 2022 COVID-19 Oral History Project, accessed May 14, 2024, https://hobokenoralhistory2022.omeka.net/items/show/8.