I’ve uploaded pictures of my hike to signify my boredom through this time. With just staying home, going on walks or hikes was like an event in your day/week. I don’t normally take pictures during my hike because it takes a lot to get good pictures and it’s a mostly boring desert when hiking. I was so bored that I decided to challenge myself and try to take good pictures on this mediocre hike. This is the type of little thing about this pandemic that everyone can relate to. I never would have done this without quarantine.

I’ve uploaded pictures of my hike to signify my boredom through this time. With just staying home, going on walks or hikes was like an event in your day/week. I don’t normally take pictures during my hike because it takes a lot to get good pictures and it’s a mostly boring desert when hiking. I was so bored that I decided to challenge myself and try to take good pictures on this mediocre hike. This is the type of little thing about this pandemic that everyone can relate to. I never would have done this without quarantine.

I’m currently pregnant during the Covid-19 crisis and I’ve noticed a huge uptick in elaborate gender reveals among other pregnant moms. This is my third child and I just realized after reading this article that the pandemic has made rituals such as this one even more important to our mental health and social connections.

This news article explores the effect the COVID-19 shutdowns have had on drag performances. Since March, Atlanta has banned gatherings of over 50 people in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus. For drag queens in the Atlanta area, this means that they have not been able to perform live since March. However, many have found virtual performances to be a viable alternative. Some drag queens, in fact, are glad that they are able to work virtually now as they had been wanting to get out of performing at bars. While virtual performances don't make as much money as live performances, the audience is a lot larger than if they were performing live.

This article speaks to the dire straits the costume industry is in due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these costume shops have been closed since March 2020. This affects not only Broadway, but also Hollywood, the television industry, and other performance industries. The Costume Industry Coalition, a newly created organization for the pandemic relief of the costume industry, has estimated that they need to raise $4.5 million in order to keep costume designers' shops open.

This article discusses the Mariinsky Ballet, one of Russia's premier ballet companies. As Europe is a bit ahead of the United States in reopening their performing arts, they began performing in July, in the middle of the COVID pandemic, only to have to close three weeks later when the virus spread throughout the ballet corps. Since then, the Mariinsky Ballet has been criticized for returning to the stage too early, despite the precautions they made against the virus. This incident has caused several other ballet companies across Europe to rethink their own return to the stage. In spite of these issues, many dancers are also wanting to return to the stage.

I found this post on Ali Ewoldt's public Instagram account. This post puts the spotlight on costume designers and how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their business. Much of the publicity with the shutdown of Broadway has been on the actors so far, but as this post mentions, Broadway employed many people to work backstage and those people may end up going out of business is the federal government doesn't provide reimbursement for the shutdown. This post also points out how little the performing arts sector is asking compared to the economic benefits they offer to the United States.

I found this post on Ali Ewoldt's public Instagram account. This post breaks down the importance of performing arts in the economy and explains the DAWN Act. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, performing arts venues have been closed down and unable to reopen, causing major financial losses to that business sector. The DAWN Act is one of several bills being considered by Congress to help the performing arts sector get back on its feet.

My 11 year old was not interested in doing a first day of school photo like we've done in the past. I get that it's embarrassing since "nobody else's parents walk around with big cameras." But I couldn't pass up the opportunity to preserve the moment for posterity, so I snuck a picture with my phone and cropped it afterward. I think the photo says a lot about the moment without words- the American flag, the masks, and the way the two girls are talking to each other while staying at least six feet apart. The flag represents, to me, the event that broke the idea of American exceptionalism for Americans in denial. Despite my prediction that Trump would screw up the response to the virus back in March, I was sure we'd be back to normal by the fall. I thought someone would get Trump to do the right thing. All I can say is I'm glad to live in one of the few states with strict rules that have brought our March and April infection rates low enough to have safe, hybrid, public education.

I created an infographic for the first few months of my experience with the pandemic in Lincoln, Nebraska. Originally submitted to "Great Plains Quarterly."

While some of my relatives live in Australia, most of my family is in Israel, which is doing really bad covid-wise. We keep in touch via a What'sApp family groupchat. However, over the last few weeks, the groupchat had become a site of conflict. We in Australia, on one hand, take the virus very seriously and have favourable attitudes towards lockdown and face masks. My relatives in Israel, on the other hand, see it as a prelude to dictatorship. They also subscribe to all sorts of covid conspiracy theories that undermine their faith in public action. Although usually their opinions are tolerated, covid has really fleshed out our ideological differences to an irreconcilable point. The other week, my cousin in Israel showed up to my grandmother’s house with her friends. This caused a backlash here in Australia among relatives who were concerned for my grandmother’s safety. After quite a public and vicious argument on the What’sApp groupchat my grandmother eventually stepped in to defuse the tensions. As absurd as it sounds, I hope my relatives stay away from my grandmother. Their alternative views, which were once endearing and funny, can now claim her life. Ultimately, I would be powerless to stop them from here.

While some of my relatives live in Australia, most of my family is in Israel, which is doing really bad covid-wise. We keep in touch via a What'sApp family groupchat. However, over the last few weeks, the groupchat had become a site of conflict. We in Australia, on one hand, take the virus very seriously and have favourable attitudes towards lockdown and face masks. My relatives in Israel, on the other hand, see it as a prelude to dictatorship. They also subscribe to all sorts of covid conspiracy theories that undermine their faith in public action. Although usually their opinions are tolerated, covid has really flashed out our ideological differences to an irreconcilable point. The other week, my cousin in Israel showed up to my grandmother’s house with her friends. This caused a backlash here in Australia among relatives who were concerned for my grandmother’s safety. After quite a public and vicious argument on the What’sApp groupchat my grandmother eventually stepped in to defuse the tensions. As absurd as it sounds, I hope my relatives stay away from my grandmother. Their alternative views, which were once endearing and funny, can now claim her life. Ultimately, I would be powerless to stop them from here.

I am currently under the impression that there is not enough time in the day...or the week for that matter. School is in full swing both for me as a teacher and a student. After working a 9 hour day in my classroom teaching students online I come home and set up the wild setup pictured above. My large desktop computer is used primarily for grad school; to watch lectures, write papers, and send personal emails. The laptop on the left is my school computer and used to do tasks for my job such as lesson planning, distributing assignments, or as is the case tonight field the emails from the district and parents as the decision was just made to move into a hybrid in 10 days. The iPad on the right is my catch all notepad. I've started using Microsoft OneNote as a digital planner, note catcher, and meal planner. I thought that after this spring I would be so sick of technology that I would feel compelled to move to paper. However, as time has gone on I realized that this isn't coming to an end. This could very well be our new normal and it's time to embrace the change rather than dwelling in the sadness of what used to be. As I write this I am also running through an email I am going to send to my team of teachers tomorrow. A less appropriate thing to include in a school email is the line that continues to flow through my brain, "it's time to do the damn thing." We. Can. Do. This. This is not the time to feel sorry for teachers everywhere or to wallow in our never ending to do lists. Instead it's the time to prepare to SHOW UP for our students who haven't been in a classroom for 6 months. The kids don't care about content. They care about contact. We'll show up. We'll be there. We'll do the damn thing.

I am trying to show how America is not currently living up to its important core values and giving valid reasons to why. Writing this paper has let me express my views and the facts on what America is dealing with and how people live and have to go through.

All of my life I have been dreaming of graduation. As a little girl, I would try to imagine what I would wear, how I would walk across the stage (when I was younger, I wanted to catwalk across our auditorium stage like a model – now that would just be embarrassing), what I would say in my valedictorian speech to part with my friends and teachers… and when that moment for those daydreams finally came, it was nothing like I had originally planned. What was once a thrilling time for all of the “lasts” turned into a last Zoom call, the last time logging into my high school Office account, the last email sent by my favorite teacher, and a last assignment turned in virtually. Not a senior prom, not a final picnic, not a fun-filled “skip day” (unless you count the days since March 13th) … I am not upset, I am not bitter, and I certainly do not dwell on what could have been. I understand that this was for our safety, and I would rather sacrifice those events than put myself or the people I love in a place where we could become ill. The day of graduation finally came after all of these years of waiting. What my school planned was very innovative, and I would choose this over a normal graduation any day. We filmed the speeches of the valedictorian and salutatorian, each student walking across the stage to receive their diploma from their family, compiled the clips into a video, and played it at our local drive-in. It was personalized for each student in our class of just sixty students. There were fireworks, gifts, and snacks for everyone in our class. I am not one to reminisce on my high school days. I was the person in my class that just wanted to leave our small town for bigger things. However, I find myself welling up with tears writing this. What my high school did for our graduation was so considerate and accommodating for the world we now live in. There is even a YouTube video of our graduation, online forever, which would have never happened under normal circumstances. I attached a link to it – my speech starts at 31:20 if you are interested.

I was offered a job at Arizona State University at the last minute. How last minute? I had already started teaching on campus in my previous position when I got the official offer. We moved to Tempe, AZ in the offseason. The rental market was full of pricey AirBnBs, but not a lot of homes for rent. I have two kids and a dog, so we set our sights on a house. I also wanted to be close to ASU, preferably walking distance, but I knew that was a big ask. We did, however, find a home. It’s walking distance to Rio Salado, downtown Tempe, and ASU. The catch is that it’s in the flight path for the Phoenix airport. When a plane flies overhead it sounds like a long, dull roar. It’s so loud you can’t hear yourself talk or talk to anyone around you (if you’re outside). Before COVID, the planes flew in and out of the airport like taxis. I counted how often they flew overhead, and it was about every 54 seconds for most of the day. Sometimes it felt so loud you didn’t want to sit outside. Post-March, however, everything has slowed way down. There are fewer planes, and that means we sit outside a lot more and enjoy our outside space. I recorded the sound of a plane passing overhead while I hung up laundry to dry. It gives a sense of how long the sound takes over the area.

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Temple Beth Israel created a website - Yachad - in order to bring community together during Covid times. The website hosts livestreams and recordings of services, as well as reflections, opportunities to hear the shofar, music, share recipes, order a machzor, and offer a blessing. There's messages from the rabbis, information about the High Holy Days services, and activities for children. They explain: "In many ways Covid-19 has taught us that community matters now more than ever! We are proud to launch this digital platform which will host our High Holy Day offerings for you and your family. Yachad, (“together”) in Hebrew, draws its name and purpose from “Shir La’Ahava”, a song by Israeli band Gaya. The lyrics of Shir La’Ahava which begin with the words yachad – lev el lev, (“together – heart to heart”), capture the optimism, love and unity which we hope will define our High Holy Day celebration this year."

This article appeared in The Weekend Australian Magazine, marking the 99th birthday of Max Arnott, a Dunera Boy, which happened in May, under Melbourne's lockdown. Max's granddaughter, Zoe Arnott, took a photo of three of her children outside Max's gate, celebrating his birthday.

In July Elly Brooks - who is a photographer, member of the Board of the Jewish Holocaust Centre, and President of Friends of JHC - worked with the JHC to take photos of Holocaust survivors at their front doors. In line with Melbourne's lockdown procedures, the JHC was closed, and everyone was required to be at home, so these photos show the survivors as they stayed home to isolate. Elly Brooks reflected: "Holocaust Survivors and other elderly people are perhaps more impacted in this time of covid isolation than younger people as they are confined to their homes under the country’s partial lockdown and many find themselves far from their usual network of support. What shines through this series of images of Holocaust survivors in Melbourne is a strong spirit to overcome adversity, with an understanding that it is a temporary. Most of the survivors pictured, have been coming to the Jewish Holocaust Centre for many years, presenting their testimony to students and the general public and being connected to a community. In early March, when the pandemic was becoming an inevitable danger in Melbourne, the survivors were the first to be asked to stay home, away from the JHC. For some, the memories of our survivors are always there just below the surface and this enforced isolation makes our elderly feel vulnerable and threatens their independence. As a photographer, I wanted to capture the strength and dignity of survivors as they posed on their doorsteps of their homes during this lockdown.As a longtime friend to most of them, I have been missing them so it also gave me good reason to visit them and hear their wise words. For some the virus brought back memories: “that feeling of dread all the time. You never know if other people on the street are going to give you the virus, or they were going to turn you in to the Gestapo because you were a Jew.” Each survivor had their photo taken and they each contributed a reflection: Joe de Hann: I keep occupied by reading and cooking for myself. I have been alone a long time so I am used to being by myself but I miss the Holocaust Centre and the people Henry Buch: I feel unchallenged and lack motivation. My son visits but my daughter is in isolation. Jewish Care assists me but when you are isolated like this memories and worries come back Irma Hanner: “It’s not a war! “We are in a lucky country but even so we must be aware of and call out racism. The extremes of politics both right and left sides are bad. “I miss my work at The Jewish Holocaust Centre” Gisa Frayman: I am lucky that my children come to visit which means that I am not alone. We talk everyday on the phone and as long as they are well, they visit me John Lamovie: I have a large family and before this isolation they visited often but not now. That is the hardest for me at this time.Life during the pandemic ihas an unsettling resonance, especially the isolation from family members. Some of my family drive by to wave to me. A couple of family deaths were very hard to reconcile at this strange time of isolation. I attended a virtual funeral. Overall I feel lucky and nothing to complain about. Abe Goldberg: It’s not a war but it is very hard for me because my wife Cesia is in care and I cannot visit her. That is devastating for me not being allowed to visit her. We have been together so many years Sarah Saaroni: I’m perfectly fine and see my family from a distance. I am fully occupied and well looked after. Henri Korn: Life during the pandemic is unsettling especially the isolation from my friends and family. “It pains me that I cannot be with my family, with my friends,” Wolf Deane: We are happy to be living here and have our family close by. Joe Swarczberg: I miss The JHC, the students, staff and my friends. I used to go often and now I just stay at home. I hope I live long enough to see the new Centre. David Prince: I miss my work at The Holocaust Centre especially seeing the students. I am used to being independent and have friends and family nearby. It is an unsettling time and I hope we can go back to the way it was and I am around to see the new Centre. Viv Speigel: I miss going to The Centre but I am lucky to see my family from a distance and I have all that I need. Maria Lewitt: I am happy to be close to my family and well cared for. John Chaskiel: I am fine and my family visits from a distance. They come to my driveway but I miss The Holocaust Centre and the students. I hope I will see the new museum

Peasant Cosmetics is my dream. It's been such a procrastinated project since 2019. A son as lockdown started, I was given the time to fully focus on research and designing the brand for it's release. I've always been interested in Cosmetics specifically consumables such as candles and hair. I was researching in on the hair industry and learned that almost every consumer is getting scammed by greedy Chinese vendors. I decided to invested a few thousand on hair samples by different vendors and after several months, I finally found a credible and honest vendor. I was originally going to start a separate company just for the hair since I wanted Peasant Cosmetics to be some type of different different. It took me years to learn that I can't be an overnight success, at least not yet. I was suppose to launch candles in winter 2019 and I'm glad I can finally get the word out there that peasant Cosmetics is finally open for business!

Staff at the Jewish Holocaust Centre in Melbourne are continuing to meet via zoom. This photo was taken at a meeting in June 2020, showing them all supporting each other.

the time was stopping. the schools, restaurant and government offices or department was closed. Only a few of people were walking on the deserted street. the bustling New York was deserted. Everyone were stay in home, students taking the class from home, the worker doing their job from home. Everyone were keep the distance between each others. The city become tense atmosphere. the covid-19 changed me a lot of from the normal life. i had to wear a face mask to anywhere. Even though, most of the time i just stay at home. The most memorable experience during the covid 19 is my summer time. i was plan many to finish at the summer period, but i suck at home, and doing nothing. Only thing that i did, taking a summer class. I was happy that i can earn class credits. One of important things that i learned from the pandemic. This is put your healthy on the first and cherish every moment. you never know that you will catching or missing.

This is a video recording of a conversation between Liora Miller and Simone Szalmuk-Singer of Jewish Women of Words. It was hosted as well by the ZIonist Federation of Australia.

I recently visited Louisville for the first time and stated at the C21 Museum Hotel, best noted for the 30-foot tall “David (inspired by Michelangelo)” (2011) by Serkan Özkaya (1973-) that stands out side it. With the pandemic going on, he's been been outfitted with a mask ;-)

I recently visited Louisville for the first time and saw this landmark, appropriately and wittily labeled for the pandemic.

It's an essay I wrote in American studies at California High School.

My experience with Covid is very weird. My middle school shut down towards the end of my eighth grade year. At first, going to school was weird because the normal school day was cut in half. Also, we now go to school through a laptop that gives you the option to essentially not even be there.(Turning off camera and microphone). To add to the mayhem, the governor of New Jersey issues a statewide stay at home order. Our president also declares a national state of emergency. So, as I am proccesing this, I am not scared of the virus, I am scared for the future and how things will return to any sense or normalcy. And to be completely honest, I don't know if that will happen soon.

When first grade started virtually, I knew in 1 day that I’d have to homeschool my daughter. And while I know it’s the right thing to do for her, everyday I’m learning a little bit more about how to teach her. I started with the easy stuff, and even moved her schedule to Wed-Sun because I work full time and have to cook and clean and take care of a 2 year old, so sometimes it feels like there’s not enough time nor energy to get everything done. It’s not hard for me to get the literature curriculum up and running, but I’m lost when it comes how to teach math. I mean, I understand how it works, but I have no idea how to teach it effectively to a first grader who hasn’t done it before. I bought Cuisenaire rods in March thinking that I’d figure out how to use them over the summer. I didn’t figure it out. But, thankfully YouTube has some great videos that explain how to use and work with them. Yesterday we worked on addition, and today we started subtraction and it wasn’t hard or frustrating, it all felt kind of natural. So for the first time I’m feeling a lot better about teaching her until in-person classes start back up.

I chose to submit this journal because it tells how my appreciation has changed since the beginning of Covid. The pandemic has taken things away from me, but has also provided me with somethings that were very unexpected.

This essay was produced as a part of the American Studies program at California High School in San Ramon, California. The essay is in response to the prompt "Is America currently living up to its core values?" This essay argues equal rights in America. It also includes references to the following modern events BLM.

This essay was produced as a part of the American Studies program at California High School in San Ramon, California. The essay is in response to the prompt "Is America currently living up to its core values?" This essay argues that leadership and hard work are currently being fulfilled today. It also includes references to the following modern events: foreign aid and current high school graduation rates .

This essay was produced as a part of the American Studies program at California High School in San Ramon, California. The essay is in response to the prompt "Is America currently living up to its core values?" This essay argues that America is not living up to it's core values involving community. Some modern events I included was the current election and the black lives matter movement.

Write a brief description of what you are submitting. This essay was produced as a part of the American Studies program at California High School in San Ramon, California. The essay is in response to the prompt "Is America currently living up to its core values?" This essay argues The United States of America is living up to its core values because we have had a breakthrough in equality even if you don’t think America hasn't changed since 1865. If we aren't follwing this value of eqauilty we are forsure on the right path because slavery historycally was just a little while back. And Individualism has carried the economy to be stable and maintain balance for The United States . It also includes references to the following modern events: Black Lives matter Act and the stand on wearing mask's in public during Corona virus

This essay was produced as a part of the American Studies program at California High School in San Ramon, California. The essay is in response to the prompt "Is America currently living up to its core values?" This essay argues how Americans in their current state aren't living up to the values of Equality and Time/control. It also includes a reference to the March of equality.

This essay was produced as a part of the American Studies program at California High School in San Ramon, California. The essay is in response to the prompt "Is America currently living up to its core values?" This essay argues that justice is a value that is being upheld but equality is still being fought for. It also includes references to the following modern events: Incarceration rates, the death of George Floyd

This essay was produced as a part of the American Studies program at California High School in San Ramon, California. The essay is in response to the prompt "Is America currently living up to its core values?" This essay argues that black people are a key example to why America is not fulfilling to the country it seems to be. It also includes references to the following modern events: the Black Lives Matter Movement and police brutality.

The BLM movement fought for their rights just like the union and the rebels.

This essay was produced as a part of the American Studies program at California High School in San Ramon, California. The essay is in response to the prompt "Is America currently living up to its core values?" This essay argues unity has been primarily lost as of late, in the midst of protests, while in turn people have been working harder than ever to make up for it. It also includes references to the following modern events: George Floyd protests & riots.

This essay is about American core values, equality and peace and in this essay we talk about black lives matter with equality and peace in America with all that is going on with protests and anti protesters

In this essay, I describe how the U.S. is not currently living up to their American values of equality and unity. The leaders of our country is dividing the country for politics rather than unifying. This is making our country more two sided than ever before. To add on, another American value not given to us is equality. Equality is not given to people in the work place, on the streets, and so many other ways. That is why there are protests and riots all around the United States. BLM movement is doing something to change this. These American values will be given to the people of this country.

This essay was produced as a part of the American Studies program at California High School in San Ramon, California. The essay is in response to the prompt "Is America currently living up to its core values?" This essay argues that America is not living up to its core values. It also includes references to the following modern events involving: COVID-19 and immigration in America.

Arizona has more than 62,000 refugees, who have been forced out of their country of origin due to persecution of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership to a particular social group. These are hard-working, often educated people who are struggling to survive. You can help them be welcomed into our country by helping provide for them as they start to settle. When you partner with Catholic Charities, you’ll help provide refugees with support in getting settled into American culture.

Bhutanese Community in Arizona are the people originally from Bhutan and settled in Arizona under the refugee program. BCA was established in 2008

This essay was produced as a part of the American Studies program at California High School in San Ramon, California. The essay is in response to the prompt "Is America currently living up to its core values?" This essay argues how the values of equality and the right to protest are not being lived up to by Americans today. It also includes references to the following modern events: The core values of equality and the right to protest are not being lived up to today. Today, COVID-19 pandemic is spreading and normalizing racial inequality towards Asians. The president is adding on to this situation by constantly using the terms "China Virus" and "Kung FLu" even when many people pointed it out to him that it was considered racist. Additionally, the Black Lives Matter movement helps to support how the law enforcement is violating the basic right to protest. Peaceful protesters gathered to show their support for blm however the police dispersed the crowds by using excessive force.

By Katelyn Keenhan/Luce Foundation: Southwest Stories Fellowship

This essay was produced as a part of the American Studies program at California High School in San Ramon, California. The essay is in response to the prompt "Is America currently living up to its core values?" 2020 has been rough year for everyone but there are certain things such as cancel culture and censorship on social media platforms that has become a big problem.