[music] -You got to trust.

-I don't trust anybody.

I have trust issues.

[snaps] -Jerome, [?]

Okay.

-Go.

[laughter] [music] -Wait.

What are your first memories of meeting one another, because I can't remember anything?

-Damn, it's been that long.

-You want to go first?

[music] -Freshman year, I was in an English class.

It was Asian American Studies.

I made some friends who sat near me.

-Aiesha came in the picture after Ann introduced us, and we all became a huge group.

-I think I was the one who suggested it.

I called us the hooligans.

I don't know why.

It just ringed a little bit.

-Hooligang, yes, that was us.

-We became really tight.

We would start face-timing and just talk about just anything.

It was fun.

-The last time I saw them all was the Korean BBQ day.

That was a long time ago.

-Right after, we were about to get so close, because we were all classmates the semester before that.

As soon as the new semester started, we were like, "Oh my God.

What's your schedule?

Blah, blah, blah," and then poof, reduced to atoms.

-The breaking news, stay at home.

-Order to stay at home.

-A statewide order.

-Precautionary measures continue to intensify.

California prohibits in-person dining and gatherings.

-Cal State campuses will remain closed this fall.

-Millions of students home early.

-Transitioning students to online classes in just a few days.

-Mental health issues increased significantly during the lockdown.

-Students claim that more than 500-- [background noise] -I became very, very distant, right, ever since everything closed down.

We stopped communicating with friends face-to-face.

It was generally hard to maintain relationships and friendships.

-At first, we were all in, but then with everything that's happening in our lives, we just drifted apart.

[ticking] -At first, I thought this group wasn't going to last, because I thought-- -Oh, yes.

-First?

-At first.

-When you're-- -Yes, because I would give all the props to Jerome, because you're always reaching out.

-Yes.

-Yes, he was always posting on this group.

-Always reaching out.

Regardless of we were busier or not, you would always reach out.

-It's more of just on the whim.

I just wanted to see how you guys were doing.

-Right.

-Yes.

-I don't know.

It was weird.

We would talk, and then I think even at that time, all we would do when we stopped talking on FaceTime, we'd just say, "Happy birthday."

-Oh.

-Oh, yes.

I totally forgot about that because-- Wait.

I feel like-- -It's like all we would do is just say, "Happy birthday,"- -Birthday and-- -- and then that's it.

-That's the group chat.

Next.

Next birthday comes, right?

Damn.

-Damn.

-Damn, that's how it started.

-That's wow.

-It's three years.

-Three years of happy birthday.

[laughter] -Damn.

When did you switch?

-COVID year.

-I remember that.

No, we were on FaceTime, and then you were talking about that, that you wanted to switch, and that you might have to leave CSUN.

-Oh, yes.

-Because you were computer science, right?

-Yes, I was with her.

-Right.

-It seems hard the whole way through.

What?

Comp Sci.

-Yes.

I was struggling- -Semester.

-- in the beginning.

Were you struggling in the beginning as well?

-Yes.

I was literally about to fail a midterm.

Then all of a sudden, the midterm was online because of COVID, and then I passed.

-She's too smart.

-I guess I got lucky.

My parents, not really holding me back, but I guess-- I know they always want what's best for me.

I don't mind.

Computer science, salaries, it was way up.

I'm not complaining, but I do wish I had done something different sometimes.

-Going into computer science, I did it for the money.

[chuckles] I really didn't care about anything else but the money, and so that could only take you so far in life going for that money.

I became less motivated to certain things.

My love really ended up dying out.

When it comes to nursing, I always have that mindset, not for the money.

It's more to help out.

That will always drive me and make me succeed in life.

Having that pandemic, seeing all those people dying on the news, I wouldn't want that to happen to anybody in the world.

When going through this career, I want to help out as much as possible.

That's all I really want to do, is just help, help, help, help.

-I always think about being a music major.

I play guitar.

I listen to a lot of music.

My friends are in bands.

I just love the scene, and I love seeing people perform.

At this point, my family always emphasize, "Oh, it's just a hobby.

It's just a pastime."

Meanwhile, my friends are making careers out of that.

-Yes, COVID was definitely a time where I needed it.

I needed a break, because I was hustling so hard that first year.

I was going to school.

I took everything online, obviously.

Yes, that was a really difficult time, but I had to pull through.

I didn't want to take a break because I wanted to finish school as quickly as possible.

There, I was able to start working on stuff that I like, like my hobbies, like producing music and getting into that.

Honestly, with the work from school and just that tutoring job, I wouldn't have been able to work on my craft and just become better at it and see what I like.

My sister had a rap career.

[chuckles] -Nice.

-Then, yes, she stopped.

She's passing the baton on me.

I was like, "Okay."

-I still had SoundCloud, so I'd check it every once in a while.

-Yes.

I think I see your name pop up sometimes.

-Pop up, yes, just to see how you're doing.

-Yes, thank you.

-I've been depressed.

-[chuckles] -Oh.

-Clearly in the songs.

-Yes.

First, understand, I don't mean this in a bad way.

For Ann, she ghosted us.

I'm being real, after everything, because during COVID I'd go to her for help a lot.

Having her just disappear, it was very new.

-I barely had time for it because I was at work and school again.

I would just do it mid-breaks.

Then, yes, COVID hit.

A lot more room to do stuff.

-Yes, I didn't do shit in the past two years.

I'm going to be honest.

-[laughs] -Being lazy is passable when you're young because you're not really expected to do much as a kid.

You should be living your childhood.

I feel like my parents give me too much freedom, and they let me be lazy all the time.

Well, they just let me do what I want.

I think it got even worse during COVID.

I'm in college now, and I'm supposed to be getting ready to work and going out and doing things.

Then if you're restricted in your home, it's just so easy to just sit back, relax every single day.

Time doesn't even matter at that point because everyone is doing the same thing.

It just made it really easy for me to be lazy.

-You look fucking crazy, bro.

This is the tea, real tea.

Y'all know how I went shoo mentally, right?

-Oh, yes.

Yes.

-Did you know it went deeper?

-Oh, fuck.

-I got the grippy socks and everything.

-The grippy socks?

-Wait.

What?

-Yes.

I was in the psych ward for a little bit, like a little bit.

It wasn't that bad, but that started over COVID.

-Can I ask you a question?

-Yes.

-In order to get admitted to the psych ward, there's three criterias.

Can I ask you which one?

-Yes.

I tried to off myself- -Oh.

-- during my 8:00 AM class in the middle of COVID.

Yes.

Fucking read ball, right?

-No.

-I made it.

It was fine.

I started on meds.

That's the whole thing.

I was on them until this January.

I've been super unmedicated since then, which is why I'm so nervous though, because-- -Are you there?

-I am there.

Oh, yes.

-What did you take?

-I was on.

-Flexeril.

-I tried it for a little bit, and then that one just made me puke a lot.

Yes.

-How was your experience?

-I think it was good, compared to what everyone else's experiences are, just because I thought it was nice.

It was like a brain hotel.

We were just doing coloring books, bro, listening to Tupac, lots of fun.

Yes, blimey.

Everyone was in there.

It was just shocking because I was still 17, so I was still classified as-- They didn't put me in the older ward.

I was still with the kids pretty much.

-Oh.

-Everyone in there was younger than me.

This was in the middle of COVID.

All the masks were on and everything.

I was just like, yes.

Everyone really is just going through it right now.

Which is why, I guess after that, it was harder to reach out, I guess, to everyone, because if I was going through all that, I can't imagine what everyone else is going through right now.

I know my mental took a toll during the pandemic.

I couldn't be there for some people, if they needed me.

It'd be nice if I could return the favor this time around.

While we're here, we're having a good time.

-We've all.

-We've all.

-Exactly.

-I'm glad you're here still.

-Oh, thanks.

I'm glad I'm here too.

We all made it.

We all made it after all those years.

-It's you, man.

-What?

-What happened during COVID?

Yes.

-If I'm being real, you're the only one without a tragic backstory right now.

-I had a tragic backstory?

-I don't know, because I think COVID was positive for me.

It was weird seeing people have this negative effect, right?

-Yes.

-Without COVID, I wouldn't find my career.

I'm higher than a kite right now.

I'm almost graduating.

If without COVID, I wouldn't get my health care job.

Without the health care job, I wouldn't go to nursing.

COVID pushed me to who I am today.

I'm not thanking COVID, but shit happens for a reason.

I believe that, right?

-You're saving lives.

You're delivering babies.

-Bringing lives in the world.

-Oh my god.

That's so scary.

-Saving lives and bringing lives is cool.

-Yes.

-That's pretty intense, I think so.

-You graduated already?

-[laughs] -No, they were on hoverboards leading the horses out.

-[laughs] -Nobody responds here like, "Good morning."

[laughter] -Please just tell me.

-Yes.

-Yes.

Yo, I can.

[laughter] -Okay.

-The grace.

[laughter] -Yes.

[music] -Dude, I'm so down to hang out again.

-Yes.

-Just do more.

-Yes.

-Sure.

-Yes.

[music] -Oh, they got a selfie mode back in the day?

Yes, I'll be like [?]

[music]