This Tweet from REFORM Alliance explains they have gotten six million masks into correctional facilities across the nation by using the 10 million dollar donation from Twitter's CEO, Jack Dorsey. And 50,000 people have been released. The accompanying video explains that if the nations 2.4 million incarcerated people become ill and go to outside hospitals there will be no hospital space for anyone else. If that isn't enough to make you care they pose the question, do any incarcerated people deserve a defacto death sentence?

"The state purchased 300,000 oral swab tests from a months-old California company. So far, only highly-infected prisons are using them for mass testing." The test has a 10% rate of false negatives. This test was given a rapid approval by the FDA and they have said anyone with symptoms and a negative test should be retested. The worry is without accurate testing of most inmates that the virus will spread widely and quickly due to unsanitary and cramped conditions.

Texas appears to have the worst outbreak of any state prisons across the nation and many relatives of incarcerated people believe the count is low. Inmates fear telling staff they don't feel well, infected and healthy people are taking showers together. As of the articles writing 1% of inmates across the state have been tested and 70% are infected with Covid. Many worry what effect this will have on the larger communities outside the correctional facilities.

Two inmates filed suit in late March asking for better practices to protect them from covid. The judge sided with the inmates but by that time the Texas Department of Criminal Justice had already enacted similar protocols across the state, though many argue they are not followed. Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, is also quoted in this article saying, he "felons deserve personal protective equipment over frontline warriors." This is the same man that was quoted on new across the nation as saying that older people should be willing to die from Covid to keep the economy open for the benefit of their grandchildren.

In an effort to slow the spread of Covid-19 inside of the state of Texas correctional facilities all transfers were halted in April but in beginning July 1 Texas will begin transfers. This all happens as the states case count and positivity rate begin to sky rocket. By mid July Texas becomes one of the nations three biggest hot spots.

"Two Texas prisons each have more than 670 inmates with active coronavirus infections, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the highest counts seen at any state lockup since the pandemic began." What makes this Covid so scary in a prison is that if caught it can turn a short sentence into a defacto death sentence. For this reason many advocate early release for nonviolent offenders but Texas Governor Greg Abbott does not agree.

A former Texas teacher was sentenced to a few months in prison to go through a rehab program after committing repeat DWIs. While incarcerated he contracted Covid and died. Texas has the highest mortality rate in its prisons, higher than even the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

When people are granted parole they often are not released immediately and are required to complete programming or set up things outside of the facility for when they are released. It appears thousands of people incarcerated in Texas are being held in prison because transfers to other facilities where these programs take place are not happening in an effort to slow the spread of Covid. This article gives the details and the difference between what incarcerated people are saying and those in charge.

One prison unit in all of Texas still doesn't have any confirmed Coronavirus cases in incarcerated persons or staff. The Roach Unit attributes this to being located in a community with a low population and following the rules set out by the state for corrections facilities. Ironically, this facility is also where soap and hand sanitizer is also made for prisons. Though most prisons will not allow hand sanitizer to be given to inmates because it contains alcohol, they could drink it or use it as an accelerant to start a fire. While the warden states he is just following the rules, others say it is his strict adherence to the rules that has kept everyone healthy. Other facilities could possibly use this facility to learn from.

This news story talks with three men that were recently released from San Quentin Prison in California to learn about conditions inside the prison during the Covid-19 Pandemic. They all believe that the virus was brought to the prison when inmates from another California state prison, Chino, were transferred in.

When the bubonic plague or black death went through Europe small windows, just big enough for a glass of wine to be passed through, were used. People in Italy today are using them again in light of the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Because correctional facilities are not built with social distancing in mind the facilities often rely on solitary confinement as a place to quarantine people. This was happening with other contagious disease before Covid but as this graphic shows the number of people being sent to solitary confinement for Covid quarantine is very high. It should also be noted that a person sent to solitary confinement for quarantine due to illness is treated no different than a person sent there for disciplinary action. Imagine having Covid and being locked in there with no medical attention.

An initiative that started in 2014, Create the Vote is a nonpartisan public education campaign that encourages voters and lawmakers to support art and culture. The Create the Vote Campaign 2020 serves to encourage citizens to support arts and culture with their vote to encourage creativity in Massachusetts

Supporters of artists and cultural institutions, MASSCreative asks their Twitter audience to write to their federal lawmakers and urge them to remember the creative community when creating pandemic relief. This tweet specifically discusses the Heroes Act and the Heals Act

A cartoon produced for the Toronto Star newspaper which shows two sqaure "stickers" surrounded by lines suggesting perforations for seperating them. Above them it reads "BACK-TO-SCHOOL STICKERS!" The top left square mimics a School Zone street sign in it's yellow background an black lettering and boarders and reads "CAUTION SCHOOL ZONE" with a drawing of a virus cell underneath it. The Top right square mimics a School Drop-Off Zone street sign with its white background and red boarder and lettering. It reads "STUDENT DROP-OFF, PICK-UP & DISINFECT" with a red arrow underneath. The bottom left square mimics a school crossing street sign with its blue background and white figures. It shows two figures hunched over, one in a skirt and the other in pants, carrying a book each, with a double ended arrow between them which reads "6 FEET." The bottom right square mimics a bumper sticker announcing a child's accomplishments (such as "my child is an honours students). I thas a red background and black and yellow lettering which reads. "MY CHILD TESTED NEGATIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS!" in a smaller font underneath it reads "TODAY, ANYWAY"

Personally, COVID-19 hasn't changed my life too much. I work at Starbucks and did online college before all of this hit. Work stayed open, we do have to wear masks, we have plexi-shields up and take extra precautions with sanitization.

I wrote an account of the moment I knew I was positive of COVID-19 and my long and winding trip to the isolation facility. I want the readers to have a glimpse of it and understand what that felt like and not to be overcome by fear once they find themselves about to embark on the same journey.

This describes another take on being a bride during a pandemic: a bride worried if she will walk down the aisle, or into a jail cell, or be wheeled into a hospital bed

These poems document the quarantine adjustment period: the first fifteen days. They are news reports, coping methods, and dreams. They reflect the terrifying and the mundane. I began this project on Twitter, aware that we were entering into what would be an important historical event, and assuming that this project would be what would keep me sane. Soon, cabin fever got to me and I lost my motivation, so I set them aside, hoping that they would eventually contribute to the growing body of pandemic literature. If I don't make it through this pandemic, please remember me through these poems.

Marami ang naglabas ng panawagan na tulungan natin ang mga fronliners natin sa iba’t ibang pagamutan dahil kapos na kapos na sila sa gamit at sila mismo’y naka salang na sa peligro ng COVID19. Maraming mga health workers ang napabalitang kinakikitaan na ng sintomas ng COVID19, ngunit patuloy pa rin sa pagganap sa kanilang tungkulin.

This article, written by a currently incarcerated man at San Quentin Prison in California, explains what it is like to be incarcerated during the Covid Pandemic and their lack of information. He asks if it is justice to leave people in prison during the pandemic, explains the stress and helplessness so many feel, talks about the racism that landed many of them in prison, and the very low recidivism rate of lifers.

This person cautions reporters about stories covering the death of an incarcerated person due to Covid. She expresses he worry that it puts emphasis on the one bad thing they did in their life and doesn't cover any of the things they've done since.

I work at one of the local Starbucks in my city. It was around late February when I saw a notice at my store that told us due to the recent occurence of the disease that was being spread around China named COVID-19, we would not be allowing customers to use their own personal cups to prevent the spread of germs. At first, I was surprised that Starbucks made this decision since this has never happened before, but I figured they did it to be safe and also be respectful to the current situation that was occuring in another country but gaining news coverage in the United States. I wasn't quite aware about what COVID was, but rumors spread that a quarantine would occur and I remember being a little worried, but I told myself it was unlikely to happen. Later that week, it was announced by Starbucks via email that all employees would be given the option to take a paid leave of abscence if they were concerned about the spread of COVID. Almost every Starbucks in our city closed due to a lack of employees who were willing to work. My store was one of the only ones and I was one out of eight people who decided to stay and work. During this time, we began to wear masks while we worked, we had new, shorter store hours, and we had new cleaning tasks. Honestly, this time was very stressful at work. We all basically worked open to close which was from six in the morning until twelve in the afternoon. This may not seem like a lot, but we were severly understaffed and worked nonstop besides our few breaks. Customers were also either very upset with the situation or very understanding. We dealt with a lot of confrontations about our lobby doors being locked to having to wear masks. This went on for a total of forty-five days, in which, I continued to go to school online full-time. After that time period, more stores opened back up and the rest of our store's partners returned, but things didn't and still have not gone back to normal. Every day it seems that there is a new standard being added to our daily routines, such as the addition of a guard in between two baristas working on the espresso bars. Our lobby is still not open to customers, which causes a lot of unhappiness among our customers. Every day, however, we try to help our local neighbors and customers by giving them a sense of normalcy and a cup of coffee.

This article discusses the findings of a report recently published in the Journal of American Medical Association explaining that asymptomatic carriers of Covid-19 carry as much virus in their nose and mouth as those with symptoms for about the same length of time. While previously the knowledge on asymptomatic spread was more anecdotal this study offers more direct evidence.

A 74 year old man who was incarcerated in a medical facility was transferred to San Quentin in an effort to keep him away from Covid, but the botched transfer resulted in the opposite. He contracted Covid and was sent to a local hospital. While there the medical staff facilitated Zoom calls and the like with his family. After being transferred to the ICU the medical staff said because he was incarcerated they could not facilitate contact with his family. His daughter explains more.

Written by Adnan Khan, a formerly incarcerated person and criminal justice reform advocate, this article explains the death of his friend from Covid and how it was preventable.

Online learning is difficult especially in my designing classes so I have to basically learn on my own. The good thing is I adjusted but I do my work on my own time. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Save up your money and use online resources.

COVID-19 has turned my life upside. My co-op was terminated without more than saying it was for the best due to the pandemic. From that I had nothing to do to keep myself busy. Luckily I had RIT, when I was trying to figure out how to proceed with making sure I would still be getting credit for my co-op: my co-op advisor, academic advisor, and Student Advisory Board Advisor gave me links, tips and suggestions to fill my day. RIT has been helping me through the pandemic every day constantly sending resources and activities to do. Not much of good has come out of the experience except nowing that the RIT community is supporting every student in any capacity they can. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Be ready for challenges and approach them creatively. Adapt to the situations at hand.

It has been very difficult. I just finished moving into a new housing assignment after dealing with a demon roommate, then less than a week later RIT made us all leave. Two times in a week I had to move all my things by myself. My family lives in Los Angeles and all my friends were home so I had no one to help me. I've been fighting with both the California and New York DMVs to get my car registered for the last year, so my car is unregistered and I couldn't go anywhere. Luckily my aunt rented me a car so I could drive to St. Louis to stay with my grandfather. My mom didn't want me to drive to LA by myself, even though I've driven from LA to Rochester twice, but with my mom. My cat Poppy and I drove the 12 hours from Rochester to St. Louis in two days. I don't really like St. Louis or LA, I'd so much rather just be in Rochester, mostly because I've never been able to get a job there and I have a job on campus. In terms of classes being all online, I think it will be helpful for me. None of my professors are doing synchronized zoom meetings so I don't have to get up for class anymore. This is good because I didn't go to class all the time anyway. I can do the coursework more on my own terms now. I'm retaking a class I failed last semester and I think I'll pass this time not only because the class is exactly the same, but because the tests are open book and aren't under a time limit because they're online. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Be ready for challenges and approach them creatively. Adapt to the situations at hand.

Well not having graduation, not being able to finish out college with the clubs and friends from the past 5 years. I've adjusted by getting closer to my best friends I made here. The good things have been I've gotten a lot of time to reflect on what I want out of my life. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Be happy. Do things that make you happy. Take time and cherish the friends around you as much as you can.

I am working a lot more from home and stopped talking to others face to face. I am also not going anywhere unless it is urgent. I am adjusting by adjusting my workplace, buying food from other places and talking to my peers online or through social media. The good things about this experience is that housing is partially refunded and that I got an extra week to prepare myself for this. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say?

The REU programs are likely going to be cancelled, which is very upsetting. My volunteer trip to Puerto Rico was cancelled, a journalism conference we were supposed to go to in Long Island was cancelled, and I'm out of a job for the most part. I'm concerned about the future, but if there's one positive thing that has come of COVID-19, it's spending more time with my emotional support rabbit, Rocket. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? If the question is asking: "What would you tell your past self regarding this semester if you could?", then I would say: You'll get to bring Rocket to class one day soon :)

I serendipitously switched to a personalized, all-online Bachelor's of Art and Science degree within RIT's School of Individualized Study directly prior to the North American outbreak of COVID-19, so I actually had the entirety of the semester to prepare for a remote workspace environment. I have spent the majority of my semester planning and operating the business, marketing, and development processes of my educational entertainment enterprise, Hypostatic Studios, as part of my Senior Capstone Project. Along the way I have experienced multiple obfuscations to my original production plan, as I have had to cancel travel arrangements to gaming conventions, lost a financially supportive game development instruction position with iD Tech's Spring Break Camps, and have had my project denied for face-to-face Customer Discovery interviews by RIT's Human Subjects Research Office (HSRO), completely eliminating any direct interpersonal interactions from the crucial startup phase of my business. The experience of dealing with COVID-19 actually benefits the foundational online solidarity of my company, which I would eventually prefer to remote via remote operations for in the future of our studio's development. Overall the COVID-19 outbreak has proven a source of anxiety and increasingly complex rearrangements of social and corporate operation, however our company is still strong and we are adapting to the paradigm shifts with continued perseverance. In the coming months we will be presenting our primary project "A Perfect Year" to several investors, including the New York Business Plan Competition, while attempting to network with the scientific researchers who discovered Water Memory and Extraction Zone Water, two concepts integral to our didactic efforts, with whom we were fortunate enough to make a connection with during the singular week of instruction work I was able to complete before the quarantine. So it has been an exciting and unnerving time, but Hypostatic Studios will continue to march forward towards the wanton delights of the unknown, and shall return victorious to share all the many fruits of our didactic digital labors! www.hypostaticstudios.com If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Don't worry about unexpected disruptions to your personal plan - they are obstacles in a game, the demons which must be dealt with as in any RPG, and provide opportunities for redemption and an ultimate award of glory! - "Think Outside The Self"

I was set to graduate this Spring, and I'm obviously quite sad there's not going to be a commencement for it. My college commencement is something I've looked forward to not just since the beginning of this semester or even the beginning of my time at RIT, but it goes way back to when I was very little and learned that college was a thing and that many professions required a college education. I could've done the math then and figured out that I was on track to be at a commencement of my own in May of 2020, and to have come all this way and not be able to live that ceremony is just gutting. Getting used to remote classes has been a challenge. I've never taken a credited college class remotely before and it requires more self-organisation than with in-person classes. If I can think of anything good that has, or at least will, come out of this experience, it's the fact that - while this is one of the most challenging times the world has ever faced - we all will come out of it stronger than ever, and so anytime we face other challenges after this, we'll feel more up to the task because we overcame this. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? I would tell myself to savour the experiences I have with my friends and take pictures of them because with what we're dealing with now, I've been deprived of these opportunities for the final weeks of my time in college.

Yes, I had to change my capstone project as it involved a lot in-person interactions and sharing it during Imagine RIT. I had to adjust and make it a virtual delivery, which is a challenge, but I am grateful for my capstone class to work on this together. One really good thing that is coming out of this COVID=19 experience is that I've been doing 'through the window' shoots around my neighborhood to document what we all are going through. I practice strictly social distancing, and I hope to continue as long as it is safe to do so. I've seen beautiful positivity sharing around in my neighborhood because of this project. You can see on my Instagram @ameliakhamilton for the photos I've done. https://www.instagram.com/ameliakhamilton/ If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Cherish every moment. Grab every opportunity. Appreciate what you have!

Once we were directed to leave RIT, I was overwhelmed. Things felt so uncertain and hopeless, I was seriously considering dropping out. But after the outpouring of support from all corners of RIT, and especially the academic provost's decision to offer pass/fail options, I truly felt that things would be okay. The situation is manageable and RIT is here for us. There is so much love within our community, and I'm trying to help spread it wherever and whenever possible. Even though we're physically distant, I feel closer than ever to my family and friends. Everyone is checking in on one another and actively trying to make the day brighter. For instance, I've reconnected with many friends from high school in the form of meme-sharing and messages of support. I've even become closer to my younger sister by recording music together. We have seen examples of the world as a beautiful, interconnected community. Let's keep it going. Spread the love <3 If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Keep your room clean, keep your chin up, keep your friends close, it's all going to be okay.

As a result of COVID-19, there are two main pieces of my time in college that have been affected: my graduation ceremony and RIT's Relay For Life event. The lack of a graduation ceremony, as a first generation college student as well, has left my family and I a bit disappointed. We're trying to stay positive though, and are glad it's allowing me more time home with my Dad before I go off into the working world full-time. Relay For Life was the other large part of my life that has now changed. I'm one of the two event chairs in charge of organizing and planning the event, and after putting in a semester and a half of work spread among 28 people, we had to cancel the in-person event. However, considering that we still want to help the American Cancer Society as much as possible, our team is still working to plan a VIRTUAL event instead for April 20th-April 24th! This will be an opportunity for us to help test a relatively new event delivery method for the ACS, and it will provide guidance and knowledge that they can use in the future to better host virtual events in far more locales! If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Appreciate every moment that you're on campus, walking, talking, and hanging out with friends and peers. Make those memories last and stay positive, don't dwell on issues out of your control.

With everything being cancelled and moved online. My capstone has been effected the most. My in person interviews were cancelled so I had to restructure my project and change some papers. I'm adjusting well to online methods because I've taken 10-15 online classed throughout my college career. The good things that have come out of this experience would be how understanding, supportive and accommodating my professors are. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Get ahead early and push through until the end. You're so close.

It made all my classes go online which is both a blessing and a vice. I am an introvert so I love this method. But I'm also a procrastinator, so I dislike this method. It's also a vice because I dont have internet at my place of residence. I need to go to my pastors house to use the internet. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Don't get too comfortable and prepare for some major life changes.

Well outside of the obvious classes going to online, I have had to give extra attention to my classes regarding assignments and due dates, it isn't the teacher's job anymore to hand out stuff. I have had to learn on my own, I can't go to the lectures to learn, I have to read the textbook, or attend Zoom meetings which only some of my teachers have. I sort of have this feeling of "you're on your own now" and it's completely up to me to succeed. It does feel quite lonely even though I am with my family because all of my friends are away back home and the only interaction with them is through social media and such. What really upsets me is that I had a job on campus and I liked going to work and making money. Now, I don't have any income and when I am not doing schoolwork I am doing generally unproductive stuff like watching TV or playing video games. The adjustment is a weird one, I feel like I am getting used to it but I am still wary that this new system will come up and screw me out of nowhere. I guess some good things to come out of this was that I am finally getting proper use out of my laptop, I finally cleaned my room and I have interacted with my family more. I do enjoy the home cooked meals. I also am really excited for when this is all over and I can have fun with my friends again. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Enjoy your time while you have it. Spend as much time with friends as you can, and make more friends. No one saw this coming and the lack of social interaction has really taken a toll on me.

Most significantly, I was torn from a place where I finally fit in with my blacksmithing and welding and general maker mindset, and went back to a place where everyone plays basketball and farms, and can’t talk about anything else. I finally fit in somewhere, and it got cut short. I learned to find myself, and now I know that my not fitting in was by no means my fault. I know to stay connected with those who care about me, not necessarily those physically nearby. I know to balance my time better next year. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Take time away from club work, no matter how much they need you, and spend time with your friends. Balance your time.

Firstly, this weird situation caused sadness. Sadness that my last dance performance was canceled, my last volleyball nationals was canceled, and of course commencement. This was supposed to be a year of celebration. Now, I am finding ways to be thankful for all of the memories I’ve created. While the grief still lingers and will for a while, I am learning how strong I can be. I’ve been doing DIY projects, going on walks, and trying to look towards the future. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Take in every moment and don’t wish your senior year away. The complaints about schedules and school work are not worth it.

This semester was one of the best experiences that I have had so far at RIT because I had the opportunity to study abroad through an exchange program at Universidad Pontificia Comillas in Madrid, Spain. On the night of March 11th, I went out with a few friends that I met in Madrid. It was just like any other night, but at 2am local time, president Trump announced that he would be suspending all travel from the EU in two days time. While US citizens would still be able to return, I knew that my study abroad experience had come to an end within a matter of minutes. Hours later at 9am, I was on a plane headed to my home in New Jersey. This was a very difficult change to accept, but I know that it was necessary. Originally, I was devastated, but having been home for two weeks, I have spent more time with my family in these past few days than I have in years. Although we have lived together at times during my collegiate career, it was quarantine that brought us together to spend quality time. I am also able to finish my coursework online at my school in Spain, and they have been super accommodating for this adjustment period. While I obviously wish that this novel coronavirus had not spread throughout the globe and feel terrible for all of those touched by the pandemic, it has made me realize that it is important to try to find the positives in any situation, regardless of how bad it may seem at first. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? I would tell myself to truly cherish each and every second that you have to study abroad because even my originally planned four months trip to Spain seemed too short as it is, but the relationships that are made there are like no other.

Because I am a freshman it has not impacted it too much. I was in the 2017 California Thomas Fires and it was a similar experience in terms of education. However, my friend and I are setting up a website (www.communitybonds.us) where brick and mortar businesses who need cash now can sell "bonds". A "bond" is essentially a discounted gift card. Example: You can buy a $100 "bond" to your favorite restaurant for $75 now. The restaurant gets the cash they need now, and you can redeem your bond for its full value in services when they reopen. If we can even make one business owner sleep jut a bit better at night we've done our job. We aren't taking a fee or a cut we just want to help. We hope to be launching in a couple of days but our landing page is up right now. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Be prepared.

I've been forced into reduced hours for my co-op My father and uncle have lost their jobs. The loss of income and support comes at a critical time as I'm worried how my family will weather this storm. I am moving back into my parents house to help so we can pool our resources. Nevertheless I remain positive and thankful for my blessings. I have more time now, and I am healthy. My family is lucky as we've not been directly touched by the virus. While I know this storm is far from over there is a clearing on the other side, we only have to look for it. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Hold onto the memory of grandma and the serenity prayer. Their going to help you through the coming months. (Also the winning lotto numbers are....;))

Due to COVID-19 it has been a crazy few weeks. I was in Florida on the women's crew training trip. When we first got the news the year would not be continuing as planned. At first I was heart broken I had made some of the most amazing friends and the thought of being away from them for longer than just the summer was heart breaking. I was scared that we would loose contact. However the exact opposite has happened, we now video chat on the weekly and call each other we need help or just a pick me up. Al though it is not the same as eating dinner every night together or spending each weekend hanging out we have still found ways to connect. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? I would tell myself to pack lighter. I didn't use a lot of stuff I packed and it was a pain when trying to move back home.

Honestly it has been roughly mentally. Throughout my college years I have been dealing with identity crisis and deep rooted trauma from past experience that I have been ignoring until recently. I hated my major and other things were not going my way. This semester felt like the first semester where I was beginning to open to people and started to seriously seek help and face my problems. I started pursing the major that I wanted to and even applied to grad school for it and got accepted for it. I even met new friends who I didn’t need to pretend to act a certain way to be accepted. It is unfortunate that the current events happened as I felt that I wasn’t able to really build up those friendships as much as I could. I had to change my therapist sessions to online rather than in person and with the virus, I had to avoid people not only because I don’t want to spread the disease but also I have breathing issues that makes the disease even deadlier. It has been isolating and depressing. However, I am looking at the situation as a way to really focus on myself. I used people to distract myself from my problems so now I have to face them. I know I will become a stronger and happier person as I slowly face all my issues and I know I have people that care about me that I call on if I need help. Also I get to focus on my guitar and music hobbies more so that is also another plus. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? “You know that decision that you were second guessing yourself that night, just go for it because you don’t if you will have chance again later in the semester”

I am a film and animation major, that said most of my classes are practicality based. Mostly studio time and experience based, it is a huge adjustment for someone who struggles to pay attention to switch to online classes. I don’t have a room at my house so my classes are taken in the dinning room and I sleep in the couch, there are so many distractions and it’s absolutely terrible to try and pay attention. so far not a lot of good has come from this besides the idea that the professors and Dean, have made it 100% obvious that they are trying and that they care. They have made it possible for us to (maybe) do our studio labs next semester, if we do wish to. For the most part we are all on board for such as well, these studio based courses are things we look forward too and this was all just poor timing for everyone. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? I would tell myself at the start of the semester not to get my hopes up too high for these studio times, that way I wouldn’t have felt so awful when it was suppose to be cancelled, I also would have told myself to put more faith in the professors who care about us, and know that they had our best interests at heart. They really did fight for us in the CAD meeting and our faculty should know how much the students of SOFA are thankful for that.

I am jobless, and RIT is doing little to help. Many of my peers are in a similar situation where RIT is not paying them for shifts they were scheduled for (me that’s hockey games) but either got cancelled or suspended because of Cuomo’s order. I am unable to make rent for next month without this pay, and I am incredibly stressed and frustrated. I am disappointed in my college for their decisions on student employment and payroll, and how my requests have been denied without proper explanation. Pay your student workers for the shifts they were scheduled for. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Save, save, save.

This is the image of a Tweet from a physician expressing her sorrow over the death of an incarcerated person and her belief that incarcerated persons with Covid deserve the same care as anyone else.