One of the biggest things throughout this pandemic was washing your hands and using hand sanitizer. If you touch something in public or that isn’t yours, it’s like your hands are on fire and you need to immediately put them out. I open the door to a store and I immediately grab one of the five hand sanitizers in my purse and drown my hands in it. This object pokes a little fun at the coinciding of the pandemic and those who’s 21st birthday was during COVID restrictions. Joking that this is the best alcohol someone could receive this year as they are finally legal to drink, when most people would probably be thrilled with hand sanitizer as a gift. This item would be of interest to future historians because it illustrates something particularly significant about 2020, the importance and use of hand sanitizer and all those who had makeshift 21st birthdays.

Carolyn is someone who has been dreaming about her 21st birthday and had big plans for celebrating it as well, however the pandemic forced her to cancel those plans. However, we still made the best of the situation. During this interview I asked Carolyn a couple questions that I needed to be careful with how I phrased them. I related this back to the things we learned about ethical archives. When figuring out what I was going to ask Carolyn, I was careful to think about what affect the question might have on her. I didn’t want to ask questions too harsh or questions that were accusatory. This definitely limited the questions that I could ask but I also think it was very helpful to think of it prior to the interview and make adjustments accordingly.

This is a video of a nurse who volunteered to go to New York and help out with the COVID-19 pandemic in hospitals. She was overwhelmed at the number of patients she had that were Hispanic, Black, Latino, and Middle Eastern, and other people of color. It was clear to her that they were being disproportionately affected by this pandemic and chose to march in protests along with them. The acts of Becca Cooper, and the stories she told her audience about, amplify the voices of marginalized groups by speaking out about it and making people aware of these communities and how heavily they are being affected. I think 2020 has also been a year of protests to fight for equal rights and that speaks out to my generation as well. I know a lot of people who have participated in these protests and it goes to show how my generation is standing up for what we believe in, much like Becca Cooper did for her patients.

In 2020 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been a pivotal organization in educating the public on how to protect themselves, and others, during the covid-19 pandemic. The CDC periodically releases guidance and updates on how to safely navigate everything from grocery shopping to voting. The CDC released an article titled “Tips for Voters to Reduce Spread of COVID-19”. In the article they encourage voters to know their voter’s rights, even if they are quarantined for covid. With a lot of voter misinformation circulating, the CDC took the proper steps to help voters understand their rights, whilst encouraging measures that help prevent the spread of this rapidly spreading virus.

As covid-19 continued, many political campaigns were forced to be more creative in their approach when it came to engaging with audiences. Some campaigns held virtual events and rallies. The Biden-Harris campaign decided to take advantage of the cultural phenomenon that is Animal Crossing: New Horizons to engage with younger voters. In the Nintendo game, players curate their islands and can create their own personal designs to share and use. This game has been significant to many millennials during covid, because it has been a place for young people to “hang-out” virtually and show off their creativity. The Biden-Harris campaign took advantage of this massively successful game and created their own island, Biden HQ. They created t-shirts and designs that other players could utilize. Players can still visit Biden HQ using the in-game dream code DA-7286-5710-7478.

I found this meme to be quite interesting. We use humor to better our mood during tough times, however this meme depicts reality: the anxiety about going to work this year during this strange new pandemic. This collection item can help future historians determine the society’s apprehension and concerns towards employment during COVID-19. A historian might wonder what this meme implies. Well, this meme implies that the public fears getting sick and what that holds, fear of spreading it to love ones, fear of not recovering, and perhaps work conditions are not entirely prepared. This meme can imply many things based on what a historian wants to argue.

A mask may appear uninteresting compared to other strange items that have risen in the coronavirus era, however it is important because it represents decency. This item demonstrates Generation Z’s awareness to society’s current important issues. This generation has been active during the BLM movement, the 2020 election, and in many other instances. The mask design is irrelevant but the mask itself carries a message. From what I’ve seen this generation won’t hesitate to condemn one for not wearing a mask and therefore are promoting its importance. During a pandemic, a mask is not a political tool but an attempt at keeping you and others safe.

During this pandemic, everyone is clearly going through a difficult time. However, I think that mental health fluctuations have been especially common during this time. Sometimes we’re feeling productive and like we can accomplish anything, other days just getting out of bed takes everything in us. Different people are going to be on different levels of vibration, including friends. One friend may be feeling themselves while the other may struggle to even look at themselves in the mirror. The representation of this drawing is that even though one person may feel happy and one person may feel deep sadness, they can still be there for each other and walk through the storm together to help each other grow. Even though it doesn’t show it, this also applies to the Black Lives Matter Protests and overall racial problems. It is an issue we can help each other out with by taking the time to emphasize with people who don’t experience the same things as us.

At the restaurant that I work at, the host plays a larger role than just taking people to their tables. There is a designated “sanitation specialist” that clears the tables and wipes down the tables with peroxide and another liquid so that we can seat guests in an orderly manner. There is also the job of the main host to take down people’s phone numbers in case a coworker reports having COVID symptoms so that those in the restaurant can get tested for the virus. This connects to the civic purpose of history as this was one of the new contributions to the people in order to keep them, hopefully, safe from the pandemic and a need to reform how we think about our information in public spheres. I think that this item is something that “ helps illustrate something particularly significant about the year 2020”. This is through the tracking log as we’ve often seen people protest the government having our information as seen with the microchip scare with the vaccine, but this has become something of a norm at work. Every so often, there is that person that will give me a fake number or protest their information being leaked because “they will call us”, our only defense is that we get rid of the paper after a month before getting our manager. The blurb at the top does a better job at explaining than I do.

I interviewed my friend Lindsey Neri who is about to graduate from University of Connecticut this winter. I wanted to hear more about a student’s mental health one-on-one verbally, especially from the perspective of someone who is preparing for graduate school next Fall. As of now we are in an awkward spot with Covid-19 unsure as to whether or not life will be nearly back to normal a year from now. And by normal I mean no more mask mandates or mandatory online classes and work from home. Neri recognizes that she is one of the more fortunate ones in terms of being able to obtain her job but is feeling as though she may end up missing out on some potentially great opportunities when she starts grad school. Like most of us, her mental health has been very affected by this pandemic but she remains grateful for what she has in life and for the most part, keeps a positive attitude even in these troubling times.

This call was informing her a month before her due date that she was NOT allowed, visitors. This was one of the many different calls that caused a nerve-racking feeling. We had been in quarantine for about three weeks and it was determined that she had to go through this all alone. This call was very important because it is something you never want to be taken away from you. Sharing moments like these with your family are very valuable and in a very tough situation, you need a support system. Her spouse was not allowed either. The last month of her pregnancy she had to face alone up until the moment she was in the labor delivery room. At this point, she feared she wouldn’t be allowed to have anybody in the room with her. Luckily, Massachusetts laws allowed her to have at least one.

This object represents all businesses that use the words “quarantine”, “social distance”, or any COVID-19 related word to make a catchy phrase to make a “meme” or merchandise”. I worked in retail when COVID-19 was in its earlier stages of spreading. Our shipment included countless “fashionable” face masks, tee shirts, mugs, posters, etc that were related to the pandemic. This represents our generation, as everyone is very quick and witty to make a profit or a joke off of anything going around. In earlier times, you wouldn’t find tee shirts that say “Keep Calm and Sanitize On” or “Social Distancing club” in retailers. With the technology and resources, we have now it is very easy to make these sorts of items. The idea is exploiting COVID-19 and maybe even seen as bringing light to the situation, which this generation is very well known for. This baby tee is just one example of the many witty merchandising being sold almost everywhere.

When these orders by the state and corporations were released everyone was reading them. These played a very important role in ethics. Governor Baker and many stores like Target released orders to implement for shoppers during the pandemic. There were large crowds, long lines, and hectic shopping everywhere, these orders were placed to help those at a disadvantage. Baker said stores must allow an hour before regular hours for those 60 or older and this included disabled people and pregnant women. Target‘s order specifies that pregnant women were allowed to come in during shopping hours that were restricted to these certain groups of people. This is a very ethical thing to do for these people. Standing in line or being high risk in crowds was very dangerous for everyone, but especially for these people. These orders relate to an ethical archive piece that represents how pregnant women were treated during the pandemic. This was a small advantage for them in these unprecedented times. These were put out to reassure their accountability if a situation struck out where these people were put in danger in the crowds when shopping. Also, they both acted in this very quickly, they knew it was ethically the right thing to do, in order to protect these people with a disadvantage or at high risk.

This article is focused on how COVID-19 affected a pregnant woman's birthing experience, especially harming black and native women. This article is very interesting to read and compare it to Brittany's story. Shaine Garcia and Brittany both were hoping for a healthy and smooth experience while giving birth, and COVID did not let that happen for them. The author mentions how the rules implemented allowed no visitors or accompany in these appointments. This prevented doulas and midwives from also being there. Those who were fortunate enough to have home births, midwives, or doulas were at advantage compared to those who could not afford this privilege. “Among mothers with low socioeconomic status, 18.7 percent of white women reported mistreatment compared to 27.2 percent of women of color. Indigenous women were the most likely to report experiencing at least one form of mistreatment by health-care providers during birth, followed by Black and Hispanic women,” says the Giving Voice to Mothers study.” This is the reason many prefer to have doulas because the black maternal mortality rate is twelve times a white woman. There are many disadvantages to those that could not have a home birth or the presence of extra support while giving birth. It is a very dangerous situation for these marginalized groups of women, that are not being treated correctly, especially during a pandemic where they are likely to face it alone. This correlates to the criteria of an item that attempts to fill an archival silence and amplify the voices of marginalized groups. Many people are not aware of the mistreatment happening to black and native women in hospitals. Doulas and midwives are there to help support and protect the mother in many more ways than people know, and because of covid-19, these privileges are being taken away. Although this article doesn’t specify those women who can’t afford them anyway, these women are being silenced. This article serves the purpose to educate and inform those that it is an issue going on and possibly getting worse during the pandemic. This is an article that shares the experiences of black and native pregnant women and how their experiences differ much more than other women. It was found through research.

As college student studying architecture, it has been quite hard for me to adapt to this new reality of Covid-19. I would like to talk about is a picture that I received from a friend, of the current state of our studio space that we had last year. To put you in context, I have not been at school since December 2019, therefore I have not seen the measures put place by the school to allow students to use the architecture studio space. I was shocked and sad when I saw the picture because with all the preventions that the school put in place, I realized that the studio does not have the same feel and energy that it had before. I found it very sad because most of what made studio classes so fun was the fact that you could interact with people and talk about different projects and ideas. I can see most of this good energy is now gone and being at home is beginning to take its toll on everyone. This contact that we all cherished is now gone and it is getting harder to keep pushing forward.

Covid-19 has put a severe dent into the learning ability of those studying for a design major here at Wentworth Institute of Technology. We as a collective group loved having the interactions within our studio space and sharing the ideas and progress of our projects. Being able to have in-person critiques of our projects with people coming from all over Boston just to show us how our project works or does not work. With the pandemic, this all has been lost due to us having to prevent the spread of Covid through walled-off workspaces. Don’t get me wrong, I want it out of our lives as much as the next guy, but also I don’t want to be paying an arm and a leg to be getting a second-rate education. The experience that we all received from an in-person studio is something that cannot be found over a Zoom call. Getting to see everyone's reactions to your final project is one of the greatest parts of becoming an architect. The freshman architecture student cannot get to experience that for their first year on campus and it deeply saddens me. On top of that, with Covid still playing such a heavy role within our lives, I don’t foresee anyone being able to have those in-person experiences any time soon.

What you are seeing in this picture is what a Beatty cafeteria attendant has to sit behind all day to be able to read people's IDs and sell them the “delicious” meals. It is a different situation compared to what we all used to know. The world is having to live behind plexiglass shields 24/7 just to be able to slow down the spread of this terrible virus. We are in such drastic times that our best option is to wall others off and create as little interaction as possible. Yes, the glass is clear but it is not the same as being able to walk up to them and just ask them how their day is going while they sell you an overpriced cheeseburger. Seeing this for the first time opened my eyes to what our lives may look like if this goes on for much longer. People will no longer have the in-person conversations that helped to turn their day from bad to good.

Everyday life seems to change with every month of the development of COVID, and a good chunk of the population needs to continue learning and educating during this time. Universities and colleges as well as high schools and other education facilities are being greatly impacted by the spread of COVID. At Wentworth, and other campuses, mobile testing hubs expect students to participate in weekly to twice weekly testing to contain any outbreaks as well as to ensure everyone is acting safely while on campus. College friends understand the reality of not seeing each other outside of class or beyond a face shield or zoom screen; it is the ‘new normal’. For some who do not believe in the virus’s effects, parties and extracurricular activities still go on to the dismay of others. For many students, especially those on campus, it is important to be cautious, to see loved ones during the holidays but also to keep those more at risk safe.

With the rise of COVID infections, local stores and restaurants became cautious with their employees to flatten the curve while continuing to operate. Il Mundos pizzeria, on Huntington Avenue near Brigham Circle in Roxbury, is one of the small businesses that could not afford to stay closed or only deliver during a spike in COVID cases. Local businesses that once were so memorable to the neighborhood are forced to adapt to be safer in 2020. As places began opening back up, plexiglass barriers became commonplace in restaurants big and small, and with the addition of a ‘remember to social distance’ sign, this is the common image of what ordering food in 2020 looks like. A lot of places, like Il Mundos, do not allow customers to eat inside of the restaurant, but still allow people to grab-and-go with their food. This is the ‘new normal’ of going anywhere to get food. Some places are a bit different but everywhere has made accommodations for everyone’s safety.

When the spring semester of 2020 ended early on account to the ever-spreading virus known as Covid-19, I thought everything would be back to normal in a couple months’ time of quarantine. I assume most people during this time had this optimistic outlook on what the future held; however, we were wrong. I am now writing this at my desk in my dorm room where I now spend the majority of my time. All of my classes are online with the exception of an in-person lab that I have every two weeks. The only time my roommates or I leave this solitary space is usually to get groceries. I decided to use this picture because this has been my view of the outside world for almost two and a half months, while I wait impatiently for the year to be over and this quarantine to be relieved.

College has definitely been a whirlwind of emotions during the pandemic. As a freshman, my first year was far from traditional. Strict rules and regulations have been put in place and made it hard to meet new people and get the full college experience. As a student at northeastern, there have been many regulations such as no more than 1 to a table at the dining halls, mostly online classes, and no going to watch sports games. While this is hard because it makes it difficult to feel like part of a community at school, Northeastern has done a wonderful job of keeping its students and staff safe. In the picture provided, it captures the idea of Boston late at night, but instead of the usually bustling city, one can see that it seems to be rather calm. This is because Boston had implemented a 9:30 pm curfew for all of its residents. Because of this pandemic, the city and school life has been drastically different, and many students are looking forward to less regulations when this pandemic is over.

This is a picture of the gifts that Northeastern had sent to me while I was in Isolation after testing positive. This story is special to me because it shows the community that is shown towards others even through hard times. Northeastern still took care of me as a student and person even after I had tested positive. This attention towards students is what creates a strong academic community and should be displayed towards everyone.

I understand, generation Z is not the brightest, considering less than two years ago we were persuading each other to eat laundry detergent. But I never thought I would be so disappointed in my peers. COVID is all too real, and with the boom of TikTok, people can see just how terrible “the rona” really is. Yet, those I call neighbors of Mission Hill rip apart my hope for us in the future. We know there are chances of permanently losing our sense of smell or taste, but we still decide to go out and party. Generation Z may be forward in acceptance, but we somehow are still too stubborn to put a pause on the traditional “college experience” to protect ourselves and our family members from death. I am in college, but I have family who are at risk, and I am not willing to compromise them just so I can see friends and have a little fun. There are ways of having fun without risking your health or that of loved ones.

Planet Fitness Planet Fitness, the place people go to work out and get some exercise to stay in shape. My love and passion for working out had just begun when the coronavirus went global. At first all the gyms were shut down in Boston as exercise was deemed not essential. The state had a list of businesses that were listed as essential or not essential to be up and running while they were trying to figure out how to control this virus. The whole state of Massachusetts had a series of phases of when certain businesses could be open. I am writing right now during phase 3. I do not know how many phases we are going to have, but it has been about 8 months now. When the gyms were finally opened, I was pumped. I was tired of doing home workouts every day since it got boring. I also was getting tired of being stuck in my apartment all day every day. Planet Fitness was a good place to work out but also a good place to meet new people. The coronavirus changed that. Everyone must wear a mask as they work out. You must stay 6 feet apart from everyone else. The worst part is that only about half the machines can be used. Planet Fitness disabled half the machines so no one could use them. This is a major bummer since I am limited in the things I can use. I cannot wait until the coronavirus is finally under control, but in the meantime, everybody needs to play their part and stay safe.

In the beginning of the pandemic, I, like many others, was somewhat sure everything would inevitably blow over and we would be able to return to our normal lives. However, I came to unfortunately realize that we were in it for the long haul. I realized that I was going to have to start taking charge of my own life as it was essentially flipped on its back. I no longer went to school where I was preparing for APs. I no longer had my Track and Fields practices which were keeping me active and in shape. And I no longer got to see all of my friends everyday. The pandemic taught me that I would have to take the position of my teachers and prepare myself for my APs as well as my coaches to keep myself in shape and healthy. I began to study almost everyday and really developed a theme of resiliency within my life to bounce back from the detrimental effects of the pandemic. However, this story isn't about how I studied and prepared for my APs, its about how I ran and kept running the whole time of quarantine and how it led to some unforgettable experiences. When quarantine began I knew I was going to have to start taking charge when it came to my health and fitness. So, my friend and I began to run everyday at a local park near our houses. We would run through the woods and by the rivers and we just had a really good time. We were staying in shape and felt better than ever. And, we weren't just running on a track in a loop 20 times, we were exploring nature and becoming more accustomed to having to do things for ourselves. However, one day, this excitement that running brought to us would be exchanged with fear for once. My friend and I were running besides this river that we always run along. The river was quite tame a majority of the time but that day it had rained the night before and the rapids of the river were growing increasingly ferocious. We decided to stop at this one edge along the river and take a break as it was extremely humid that day. The river was very close to where we stopped so my friend decided to splash his face with some water from the river. And, without hesitation the river stepped him into its fearful rapids. I was scrambling. I didn't know what to do or what to think as my friend barreled down the river. I started running, screaming, and trying to think of something, anything, to help my friend. He was already at least 50 yards down the river and I was slacking behind trying to come up with some makeshift idea to save him. I knew there was no waterfall to worry about, however, the river was shallow rocks beneath the rivers surface were sharp and deadly. I began to run down the rivers edge to catch up to my friend. I looked around to find anything to throw to him that he could lodge between a rock or something. I began to dig up a bunch of leaves to look for a long enough stick, however, I ended up finding something that would prove to be even more useful. I found an old wooden plank. I was so scared and restless to find something so I took what I could find and threw it to my friend. And, he was able to lodge it between the bank and a rock sticking out of the river. I was able to pull him out of the river and he was saved. We were both in shock and had no idea what to make of the situation. I was scared and confused and didn't even know what to say. My friend finally broke the silence by saying the most anticlimactic phrase for that situation, "thanks." I said "your welcome" and then we both just started laughing and got up and walked back home. Evidently enough, the plank from the picture is the one that perhaps saved my friends life and is something I don't think I will ever forget. This event showed me just how unforgettable this pandemic is going to be. Like I said, I don't think ill ever forget what happened to my friend, and I will always remember the year 2020 as the year of unforgettable instances. My friend falling into that river showed me that things are going to happen in our lives that we aren't prepared for. I, like many others across the world weren't prepared for what this pandemic was going to do to our day to day lives. However, we learned to live with it and how to solve this problem just like how I was able to solve my friends problem and save him from that river. The pandemic has taught us just how unpredictable our lives can be, and just like how I saved my friend from that river, we have to learn how to save ourselves and overcome the unpredictability that this world has to evidently offer.

As a high school senior, I was looking forward to my long awaited graduation. I had the honor and burden of being a student at Boston Latin School, the oldest public high school in America for 6 years, and all the stress, mental exhaustion, and all-nighters had finally paid off. I had been to my older brother's graduation in 2004, and the year 2020 was supposed to be my turn to walk across the stage and receive my diploma. Instead, the world had another idea, and Friday, March 13, 2020 would be the last day I stepped into the school building for class. Not only did I miss out on graduation, but also other senior year traditions as well. I didn't get to chant "It's all over" at lunch time, I didn't get to count down last few seconds on the last day of school, and worst of all, I didn't get to say good-bye to all my friends. Even though I'm wearing my cap, gown, and cord in the picture, what I got was still not a graduation. Instead, everyone showed up to school for a drive-thru diploma pickup. That was not what I waited six years for, but I appreciate the BLS faculty's consideration. Now I'm a Freshman at Northeastern University, and things couldn't be better.

Before the outbreak began I was a three season athlete, training for Cross Country and Track. I ran every day and pushed myself on every workout as a distance runner. Then COVID-19 hit and the country went on lockdown. It was the end of my senior year, and I would be missing my final spring tack season. When it first started I tried to continue to train and do track workouts, but it wasn't the same doing them alone. I didn't have my teammates and friends to motivate and push me through the difficult parts of runs. It became extremely hard to train on my own, and I started to feel myself losing fitness. When the spring season was officially canceled I lost all of my motivation to continue. I started running recreationally, and not every day anymore. Before, I was considering trying out for my college team, but with events canceled and the increased difficulty of running alone, I couldn't keep myself in top racing condition. It is now towards the end of my first semester in college, and while I am still running, I still wonder if i will ever find the motivation to train hard and compete again.

The NU.in program is a study abroad program by Northeastern University. This year, students had the option to travel to Canada, London, or Ireland. While NU.in Ireland remained a location, the pandemic made it so traveling to Canada or London was no longer possible. Students had an option to either travel to Ireland, Boston, or remain at home. NU.in Boston students were housed in a hotel twenty minutes or so away from campus. While living conditions were pleasant, it was definitely not what many students were expecting from being a part of a study abroad program. Not only were students studying from a place they might not have prepared for, the health restrictions made it difficult for some to meet new people and really familiarize themselves with campus life. The pandemic has really impacted how students work through college. Covid tests are required of in person Northeastern students every three days. While classrooms are open for a limited amount of students, majority of the students are participating online since the teachers are joining the online meetings from home. While these changes are not very drastic, they do take some time to adapt to.

I have experienced a rollercoaster of emotions and many new situations during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Washington State, there were many people cases of COVID reported before mid-March. For weeks, there was a buzz around my high school about the possibility of us doing online school. As a senior in high school, I was excited to have an extra week of spring break because the senior-itis was starting to kick in. On March 11, 2020, my school announced that we were going to be sent home and get an extra week or two of spring break. Even though they said it was just going to be an extra-long spring break, we brought all of our school work and supplies home in case we were online for a longer time. In the beginning, I remember my friends and I talked about how we would hang out every day and do online school together. We had many ideas of how we would spend the time together by going to coffee shops, and we even considered figuring out a way to all be together in Hawaii. Little did we know that this pandemic was going to be a much larger problem than we had expected. About a week or two into quarantine, we stopped believing that COVID would only affect the elderly, and we learned more about how we could spread the virus. Naturally, my family went into lockdown mode, and we did not see anyone else except for our "germ circle" for months. When Washington went into lockdown, my senior-year activities got canceled. Unlike other high schools, we did not have a traditional homecoming ceremony or football game because we were an all-girls high school. Because we did not have a big homecoming celebration, all of our senior-year traditions were towards the end of the year. The weekend we went into lockdown, we were supposed to have our senior-skip day. I was also supposed to help host a retreat for my school that weekend after preparing for it for months. At the beginning of the pandemic, there was a lot of hope that by May, we would have our Senior Class Day assembly, prom, and graduation. As cases, deaths, and hospitalizations grew, these events ended up being virtual. While it was not enjoyable to be missing these events I had been looking forward to, I still managed to find ways to make the most of quarantine. I went to school every day from eight in the morning to two in the afternoon. It was nice having school online because I could do most of my work in class or between classes, so then I could have my afternoons free to talk to my friends or hang out with my family and my dogs. My family got to spend cherished time together during quarantine before I went to college. My family went on a lot of hikes and bathed our dogs a lot. It was easy to stay in touch with my close friends over FaceTime. We spent a lot of time on Netflix Party, and we Face Timed almost every lunch period. We spent many days learning TikTok dances, baking bread, muffins, and pizza, and trying to get our old Nintendo DS to work. As quarantine went on, it became more evident that I would probably not be going abroad for my first semester of college. I was going to go to Dublin, Ireland, but in June, I switched to going to London. Unfortunately, these locations closed, so I ended up going to Boston. I am very grateful that my university opened a program in Boston, so I did not have to do my first semester of college from home. Throughout the summer, I worked on picking classes, trying to meet people online, and packing up my things for college. The idea of going to college gave me something to be excited about, and I was more confident about the chances of my university remaining open. My university put many systems in place, such as getting tested every three days, not allowing indoor dining at first, and having more places to study for social distancing. Besides getting ready for college, during the summer, I spent more time with my friends as restrictions started to be less strict. I self-quarantined for two weeks, and then three of my closest friends and I went to Oregon for the weekend to stay in my friend's family cabin. It was very nice to spend time alone with my friends and still be isolated because we did not go out very much and we only spent time together. I also spent most of my time making cloth masks for my family, friends, and elderly neighbors. It was nice to have a project that made me feel like I was making a difference. During the pandemic, I kept seeing photos and videos of healthcare workers struggling with the lack of PPE and the immense amount of COVID hospitalizations. As a student who is studying to be a nurse, I felt so helpless staying home and not being in a hospital being able to help people. Eventually, the back-to-school season came around, and I got ready to make the cross-country move to Boston. My mom and I packed up all of my things, got our COVID tests, and headed to the east coast. Surprisingly, it felt somewhat safe to travel, and the hotel we stayed in had a lot of safety precautions. When I arrived, I got my COVID test, picked up my ID, and moved into my dorm. Due to all of the restrictions, my mom and I had to say goodbyes outside of my dorm. Then, I was alone in a new city, and it was the start of a strange first semester of college. First, I was living in a hotel in the middle of the city. It was so nice to have such a big room and not share a bathroom with 20 other people, but surprisingly, living in a hotel is not like "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody." Without a way to be able to make food, I always had to go to campus to get food, even if I did not have any in-person classes. I spent a lot of time studying in the library to try and get out of my room, but it was often tiring because I always had to wear a mask and couldn't collaborate with others. I spent a lot of time adjusting to my new life and college classes. While I only took general education courses, it was still an adjustment to taking some fully asynchronous classes and taking rigorous courses after having easier, online high school courses. Despite these challenges, I eventually fell into a routine, and I spent a lot of time exploring Boston. My program put on a lot of socially distanced activities to help us to get to know the city. I went to the aquarium, some museums, and I went on a trip to Cape Cod. All of these activities were experiences I would not have usually considered doing. I also explored the city by myself. I walked the Freedom Trail, went to Cambridge, and went on walks through the green spaces around the city. I loved being in a new city, but this semester was also very lonely. Even though I made a few close friends, it is hard to make new friends while being safe with the COVID restrictions. I tried to have a positive attitude about this situation, but it was often difficult to think about how this first semester of college could have been. It was strange to think that I could have been in a foreign country and traveling to other countries during breaks. I often thought about how there would be more people spending time in each other's rooms and people stopping by each other's rooms if we kept our doors open. I am lucky that I could be on campus in Boston this semester because I got to join a service fraternity called Alpha Phi Omega. Through that pledging process, I got to meet many upperclassmen and other first-year students, and I got to be involved in the Boston community. Now, I am home for the holidays, but I am even more worried about COVID because cases are rising. There is some hope on the horizon with the progress that the vaccines have been making. I am hopeful that my future semesters in college will be better, and I hope that people will continue to be safe and protect each other.

With many indoor restrictions and social distancing rules to prevent the spread of Covid-19 cases, this year students have been choosing to dine more frequently outdoors rather than indoors. This photograph highlights how freshman year dining looked for me at Northeastern University during Covid-19. Although students are not allowed to be in large groups or eat in large groups indoors, many of us chose to eat just right outside of the dining hall. Luckily at Northeastern University's main dining halls International Village, there is a small green space park for students to gather, socialize, and eat together. This year Covid-19 has presented many difficult challenges, especially towards the reintroduction of education and a college school year. It's already hard to meet and make new friends as a freshman, but we try as best as we can to socialize wherever we can. In addition to eating, many activities and socials are also done outdoors to recreate the typical college experience in a safe manner. I'd say as students we are responsible or at least most of us try to be responsible because we are all looking forward to the day we can just be normal college students and get that normal college experience.

I graduated high school in 2020 and decided to attend Northeastern University in Boston, MA. For my first semester I planned on traveling to London to study there through the NU.in program (program offered by Northeastern for alternate admission). Unforuntaly, once COVID ravaged through the world, we were no longer allowed to go to London. Instead, I decided to start my college career as a normal Northeastern student living in Boston. I think this experience is important to share because it gives one insight on what college life is like in a city school. Northeastern has very strict rules for obvious reasons, testing every 2-3 days, limited indoor gatherings, mask mandate on campus and much more. This is the safest way to go about this semester and it has allowed us to stay open, but if does hinder the college experience for students. It can be very hard to make friends in college and then on top of that, there is a pandemic which makes it hard to meet people under normal circumstances. Students voiced their concerns over this and got some rules to change (allowing a single guest per room, opening more meeting spaces, indoor dining etc). The school aspect is also very interesting, I think the majority of kids have 75% of their classes online, meaning learning through a zoom call/recorded video. Although it gets old quickly, learning online is a really good skill because it forced me to start taking learning into my own hands and be more independent with my work. However, I feel like this skill is a skill all college students learn early on in order to pass classes but I think that it was accelerated this semester due to the lessened student-to-teacher interactions. Overall, the experience has been an interesting one; there has been many highlights including exploring Boston and living in a hotel, but there have been lowlights as well, including, harder to be motivated during class, may be harder for some to meet people.

COVID has absolutely been a challenge time for everyone and has required patience, flexibility and resiliency. Personally, I had to make room for multiple adjustments during my transition to Northeastern. First semester I was supposed to study abroad, however, was unable to due to the current circumstances. Now, once in Boston I had to continue my studies via Zoom. While I did experience this briefly last spring, it was to a much smaller extent. Currently, I am learning how to balance this transition to a new city and new life with academics and learning how to fully interact with a class virtually. While difficult, it also has taught me many valuable skills that I otherwise would have disregarded. The biggest struggle for me has been cultivating relationships with teachers and peers without being in the same room or even city as them. Additionally, keeping track of assignments, class times and zoom links has been a difficult process that has sometimes caused me to submit a paper after its due date or miss a lesson entirely. However, office hours have been a incredible way to connect with my professors and clarify any questions or issues I may have. Although my experience with COVID has been anything but easy, I have been able to gain some valuable skills and lessons from this event. I now feel more adequately prepared to potentially face any issues I face both virtually and in-person during my time at Northeastern and beyond. The attached photo is from a trip I took to Seaport with a friend and reminds me that although much of my life takes place online, I am in a new city with new friends and still have tons of things to experience and learn.

Arriving as a freshman at Northeastern University, I found myself allured to the urban beauty of Boston. In these times it can be observed that the inhabitants of Boston are fewer, mostly at home, wear masks, and have totally changed their way of life. However, despite the pandemic, Boston's urban scape and landscape remain unhindered in its growth, development, and display. The backdrop beauty of the city is appreciated in these difficult times and keep its inhabitants - including myself - resilient and to press on.

My first semester at college has been interesting. It is odd, because to me, my first semester has been fairly normal. I do not know how different college would be because this is my first year here. So many things have become normal routine to me: wearing my mask everywhere, joining zoom for my 8 a.m. classes, getting a COVID test every 3 days, and having a limit on the amount of people in my room. For me, an introvert, the coronavirus has limited the possible interactions I would have had daily and given me and excuse to do work by myself or not go to crowded events/spaces. In a sense, it is really odd, but I have not been impacted almost at all. I have either adapted well or I just don't have a lifestyle that is heavily affected by the rules of the pandemic. My first semester has felt extraordinarily normal in a time that is anything but.

When I imagined my daily college experience growing up, it always included going to class, going to the dinning hall, and meeting up with friends. Never would I have thought that this routine would include setting aside 15 minutes of my day to go inside a socially distanced tent while wearing a mask, to submit a nasal sample to a testing lab. I knew coming to college during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic would be different than what I expected and I had accepted that frequent COVID-19 testing would be a large part of my experience. As a student at Northeastern University, it is policy to get tested at the university's testing site every three days. This process includes making an appointment, completing a daily wellness check, getting tested, and scanning your student ID to confirm compliance with the testing policy. Testing has become part of my daily routine as a student and is oddly something that feels very normal, when the whole concept of it is quite the opposite. I expect testing, along with socially distanced classes, online classes, and this altered reality to continue to be a part of my routine as a Northeastern student for a quite a while. However, I have accepted this and am glad to do so in order to participate in the college experience have awaited my whole life.

The story I wrote is about my perception of the beginning of the pandemic and what I learned after going to CVS to buy a card for mother's day.

With the car all loaded up and ready to go, my mother and I posed for one last picture together before I embarked on a new chapter in my life. My mother tried to muster up a smile and wipe away the tears as my dad snapped the picture, but the emotion surrounding this day engulf her. Despite being in the midst of a pandemic, I had decided to attend university in the fall. However, pandemic aside, this day was already an emotional toll on my mother. I was the last of her children going off to college and unlike my siblings, I would not be a short hour-long car ride away. I had chosen to attend Northeastern University in Boston, a not-so-short fourteen-hour car ride away. Everything about this day was new territory for her—not having kids in the house for the first time and one of her children moving far away. And to only make it worse, I was leaving her in the middle of a pandemic. What this pandemic means to my mother is an added layer of anxiety or worry. My mother is very cautious about contracting the virus and above all, she worried about her loved ones contracting it. And now her youngest child left for college in a new state and new city unfamiliar to her, all the while a deadly virus was spreading across the country uncontrollably. The pandemic has taken the already stressful times in our lives and amplified them, adding a new layer of worry and uncertainty.

This is a picture I took in my hotel room in Boston of the zoom call I was on for my communications class at Northeastern University. I'm a freshman at Northeastern University and I've been able to experience college during the COVID-19 pandemic right on the front line. Unlike many of my friends who have been forced to stay at home because their colleges can't support in-person classes, I have been living in a hotel room in Boston for two months and attending classes regularly. Although I'm "in person", 3 out of my 4 major classes are entirely online and I spend most of my days sitting in my room tuning in to zoom calls. I would call this semester anything but the typical college experience, with most of my days spent in near isolation as my motivation ebbs away. In the age of the pandemic, it's harder than ever to find friends and the few freshmen who have found large groups have broken nearly every rule our university has set to try and keep us safe. It can be hard to stay positive, but I've done my best to keep my grades up and talk to my friends whenever possible.

I had decided to go to Northeastern before COVID-19 shut down the US, and was planning on studying abroad in Rome. I had always wanted to go to Europe and I love Italian food so I was devastated when I had to pick a new location because of the spike in cases in Italy. I then settled on London and although I was nervous to study abroad, I was genuinely excited to be away in Europe for a semester. After we were offered the option of Boston, I decided to stay in Boston just so I could adjust to campus along with the other freshman. The first few weeks were definitely difficult and it took time to adjust to making friends when we weren't allowed to gather in groups or go into each others rooms. For freshman, it was an especially difficult time because we knew no one and COVID rules made it harder to meet people. I struggled in the beginning but after the first few weeks I really was able to adjust to school and COVID at the same time.

This video is a representation of how hard COVID has made life for college students, but more importantly, it is a representation of the students' willingness to cooperate and work with each other to make situations flow as smoothly as possible. As first-year college students, we were all incredibly overwhelmed and stressed out by entering a new chapter of our lives, in an entirely new setting that we weren’t used to. In essence, we were thrown into a mess that we didn’t know the outcome of. In fact, we still don’t know the outcome of it. In fact, before the pandemic happened, we all thought we were going to Greece, Hungary, or New Zealand for our study abroad Nuin program. Instead, our options slowly changed to Canada, Ireland, and London, and then eventually dwindled down to Boston or Dublin. This resulted in not only disappointment but a sense of unease for our first semester as college students. We ended up being housed at a local hotel about a mile away from campus. And although none of us liked the rules Northeastern University set for us, regarding guests, partying, and common spaces, we all understood that this was not only to keep us safe but to keep the city of Boston safe as well. I think it’s easy for college students, particularly Northeastern Students, to forget that we are living in a pandemic with serious consequences to the community. Us students are fortunate enough to be getting tested every three days, giving us a blanket of security that ensures we don’t have the virus. But it’s easy to forget that we live in a metropolitan area where others aren’t getting tested. Therefore, if we end up spreading it to other members of the community, we know within three days, but other people within the community don’t. Hence the importance of continuing to maintain social distancing and mask-wearing. This video is one of the hallmark moments of Nuin students maintaining these ideas and bringing a sense of awareness to the community. Because we live in a hotel, there are other guests that are usually spending the weekend in the hotel, and therefore we do interact with visitors frequently. In one such instance, the elevators were backed up in the building, as it was peak “rush hour” and two of the elevators were broken, and there were only 4 people per elevator. This video shows that even without tape on the floor to guide people to stand six feet apart, they did. Even though students could have easily broken rules and gotten into large groups into the elevators, they didn’t. Nuin Boston came together as a community, not only through painting social distancing but upholding the mentality that we should all look out for each other and put others’ needs before our own. I think many people have a lot of negative things to say about the COVID pandemic, which is understandable for many reasons. Even the first thing someone will find when they look up Nuin Boston is a story of how 11 students got kicked out even before classes started. But there will always be outliers. There will always be those that don’t care about others, that will continue to break rules regardless of their consequences. But it is the students and members of the community that care about the well-being of others that will continue to make a positive impact.

Last summer, in the beginning of the pandemic, I was planning on going to London my first semester of college. A group of students from Northeastern University and I would spend out first semester of college experiencing the city of London and getting to know each other. Because of the pandemic these plans drastically changed. I am now here in Boston for my first semester, not London. This image was taken by me at the Charles River and to me it represents resiliency. My peers and I as well as Northeastern demonstrated resilience by making the best out of a bad situation. Yes, we couldn't go to London. Instead we got to come here to Boston, a place I found to be amazing. The photo shows Bostons beauty from my perspective and represents how I am happy to be here, despite the circumstances. To me it illustrates the importance of resiliency in times like these.

As we all know it Covid has taken over the entire world including my hometown Boston. With the disease being easily spreadable there are many precautions and restrictions put in place to keep the city and surrounding areas safe from contracting and spreading the disease. I myself was not left with much to do during this time so I knew that I needed to come up with some sort of hoppy or activity to keep me occupied. I decided to buy a Xbox to fulfill my needs so I would not be left with nothing to do while hanging out in my dorm or bedroom. Playing xbox provided me with a virtual place that I was am able to escape to while being quarantined in my certain location, as well it took my mind off the implications and surround stress of covid. I am also able to travel with the xbox, taking it from place to place during the pandemic so that I would not ever find myself bored and stressed with nothing to do

I submitted this image because I think it means a lot to students who graduated during this pandemic. Although it's specific to my school high school, the message is one that all 2020 graduates can relate to. This image is meaningful to me because in the future when I decide to relook at my yearbook I will always remember that I graduated during a life changing pandemic.

In the beginning of the pandemic during the month of March students, myself included, were advised to bring their stuff home as in person classes would be canceled for the duration of the school year. Pictured is my freshman year roommate, in half empty room as she moved out before me. This is a very sentimental image to me as its the last one I have of a room I truly cherished. Memories and friends were built and grew within that room, I believe it maybe the last authentic college experience that I have. I will never access to that space or room again and I will never be surrounded by the same students either as many of them have chosen to stay home this semester. This beginning of the pandemic and since there drastic changes to my life and others lives have been made. I now live by myself for the safety and concern of myself and others however it has begun to feel lonely and unlike a proper college experience. This picture demonstrates that last time that things felt normal, as we had no idea that it this pandemic would continue to the next semester and impact us so dramatically.

I submitted this image because it represents the cleaning items that are essential in my life but have been hard to find because of COVID. Many people were restricted about how many Clorox wipes they could buy at the store. It was weird to go to the store and not find the cleaning products I need. When I found an item such as Lysol Laundry Sanitizer, I would send a text to my friends and family to let them know which store had them in stock. I would also try to buy several Lysol Laundry Sanitizers so that I could give them to my friends and family. Prior to COVID, cleaning products would not be a gift that you would give your friends and family, but it became a thoughtful item that you could give to your loved ones. For several weeks it was difficult for me to find Lysol laundry sanitizer. It was scary to go to the store and find the shelves empty. Luckily, I had already stockpiled prior to COVID so I had plenty for several months.

I submitted this image because it is a solution to a problem I thought I would never have. When Covid-19 started, my partner and I immediately started wearing masks. We felt it was something we could control during an uncertain time. As the months went on, and our cloth mask collection grew, we needed a place to keep them without being in the way. We purchased some adhesive hooks and placed them near our front door. Every time we leave the house our routine is to check for phone, wallet, keys, and mask. We have adapted quite well to our masks and by purchasing options that display our personalities, it feels as if we are making the best out of a bad situation. This image is meaningful to me because it represents our new routine. Masks are now just part of our daily checklist before leaving for work or to run errands. I do not mind wearing a mask, but I sometimes look at our collection and wonder how long it might be until we can retire our collection of masks.

I am posting this photo because it showcases how I have spent a lot of my time during the pandemic. This photo displays every painting I have created since the beginning of quarantine. Some of the works shown in the picture are still works in progress and others are completed. Before Covid prevailed and we were sent home in the spring, I had lost interest in painting and had not painted in months. The lockdown that Covid brought on allowed me to slow down and rekindle the love and creativity I had for painting. In this photo, there are 14 paintings, however, I have made more and gave them to friends as gifts. I mainly work with acrylic paint on canvas because I like vibrant color and solid lines, although, I would like to start experimenting with oil paints soon. Covid-19 brought on many obstacles to a lot of people but I am grateful that I was allowed to reconnect with painting

I submitted this link because it gives a lot of insight as to why quarantining is so important during a global pandemic, especially after traveling far distances and remaining in said location for over 24 hours. Traveling is something many of us are missing during this tough time, but this article informs me that we now have to take many precautions before proceeding to do so. We have to keep in mind how many people we have been exposed to, who they have been exposed to, wearing masks in every public place, etc. It’s crazy to think that this is our world now, as I think most of us never saw this coming as a long-term thing. These laws are important because they should persuade people to make decisions that will help flatten the curve, even if they have only traveled from one small state to another. Anything counts.

My friends and I had wanted to hang out for a while, but wanted to be safe while doing so. I picked them both up and while wearing masks the whole time, we drove to Newburyport, MA and then walked around. We stopped to get coffee and treats and sat outside. We walked along the boardwalk and continued to talk about stuff for a couple hours. We talked about shows we binged during quarantine, how we felt about online school and how excited we were to be able to go back to living at school eventually (we're all sophomores at different colleges). This picture is important to me because I have missed being able to hang out with my friends whenever I want to, and it took us such a long time to plan how we could all meet up.

On March 13th, 2020, my entire life shut down with the rest of Massachusetts. My public school job closed, my university closed and my life began only existing in the four rooms of my apartment. My time became dedicated to my toddler, I became a stay at home mom, student and caretaker full time. The world around us had stopped completely, or so it felt. Quarantine was in full affect and people were stuck inside for months.Then, almost magically, our communities began to come together. I have witnessed some of the most beautiful things I for so long ignored because of the business of every day life, I witnessed nature and humanity again. I began appreciating the little things again. Quarantine had become a time to reflect, grow and appreciate the world around me. This horrible situation began to blossom into people supporting each other, clapping for the healthcare workers nightly, singing together out their windows, thanking each other. I share this image because I realized in the midst of everything that has been bad about this year, I’m reminded daily that there is always positivity in the world, even when everything around us feels negative.