I suffer from severe allergies pretty much year round... So occasionally I sneeze or cough a few times when the pollen is particularly bad. But now, with the pandemic, anytime anyone sneezes or coughs, everyone gives you 'the look.' I find myself automatically explaining my sneeze, "Allergy Sneeze... nothing to see here," each time, so when I saw this meme on pinterest, it made me chuckle!

This article illustrates one of the main problems with fighting a pandemic. In order to completely stay safe, one needs to stay at home. But in order to pay bills and afford to keep their households going, one needs to be able to go out and work. Trying to balance the need to stay distant and the need to provide for one's family is a struggle that everyone is going through together.

by Jessica Myers for the Luce Foundation: Southwest Stories Fellowship

by Jessica Myers for the Luce Foundation: Southwest Stories Fellowship

By Jessica Myers | Luce Foundation: Southwest Stories Fellowship

by Jessica Myers for the Luce Foundation: Southwest Stories Fellowship

Daniela gives us an inside look at what it was like to be a high school senior during COVID-19. She also talks about what it was like living in California during the pandemic. Daniela takes us through her experiences with graduation, prom, friends, and just generally what her life has been like living through the COVID-19 Pandemic.

It is a clip of a news in Japan, where a supermarket called Trial in Chiba city made a cart named "no-contact" cart. How to use the cart is where you have a prepaid card, and as you go thorugh the store and put stuff in the cart, you scan your items and the monitor keeps track of what you bought and the price. At the exit, a staff will do a quick check to see if all items are scanned, and then you can go through a designated gate to exit the store. The designated gate will print out the receipt of what you bought. This allows less cluster around the register, and people can use their own bag on the cart and put what they want inside their own bag as they scan. The store also has AI cameras all around the store to prevent stealing and keep track of the stock so that it can minimize the staff to be exposed.

I have noticed that the youtube have increased number of videos regarding how to keep makeup budge proof under your masks. I feel like this helps people to still feel beautiful despite having a mask on as well as follow the CDC guidlines.

"Because the pandemic is far from over, we’ll continue to hold Bandcamp Fridays on the first Friday of every month until the end of the year." Bandcamp has previously held "Bandcamp Fridays" where the music sharing platform has waived its fees, meaning 100% of the money going to the artists on the platform.

This article explores how cities are dealing with voting during a pandemic, such as using Mail-in voting and possibly delaying elections.

The pandemic forced us all to take online classes. We all miss the traditional classroom setting. But we all remember how awkward it was to ask questions. One thing about zoom is you can ask a question or make a comment in the chat box. This is a feature I hope get added to the in person class experience. It adds so much to the productivity and the curiosity of student. Being able to just add a question into the chat log, then the teacher peeks at it and answers when they have time or if its immediately relevant. No classroom disruption, no being shy, just unadulterated curiosity.

It describes how funerals have changed since the start of the pandemic. I submitted it because I think people need to see how big this viruses reach is and how it can affect everyone.

"Welcome to the homelands of the White Mountain Apache Tribe! Apaches have been known since time immemorial for being resilient and having the will to survive in tough circumstances. Despite any challenge we may face, the ancestors of before gave us these bloodlines that still remain today. Located in the heart of the Great State of Arizona, the White Mountain Apache Tribe is blessed with over 400 miles of clean running rivers, streams, and over 26 lakes that are home to the Apache Trout. Be our guest and experience Trophy Bull Elk hunting, prize fishing and camping, or one of the finest ski destinations at Sunrise Ski Park! Visit us year-round within the four seasons. The White Mountain Apache Tribe continues to celebrate its culture, language, and songs and dances. The mountains, rivers, and pristine rivers offer an ideal vacation for anyone looking to relax and get away from it all.” Gwendena Lee-Gatewood, Tribal Chairwoman

The Somali American United Council of Arizona, a non-profit organization, was developed in 2006 in response to the growing need to connect Somali communities in Arizona with each other and the rest of the American society. The Somali American United Council of Arizona fills a critical need by helping newly arrived families adjust to their new lives, location, language and culture. The Somali American United Council of Arizona exists to promote better understanding between the Somali refugee community and other American communities. The Somali American United Council of Arizona serves as a model for other non-profit organizations working with refugee communities and immigrant populations. By building a and structure of best practices, The Somali American United Council of Arizona shares this knowledge with other to help them build designed to address cultural barriers and emotional trauma. Vision and Mission Somali American United Council of Arizona, a non-profit Qualified Charitable organization within the State of Arizona, whose mission and vision are to facilitate and improve communication channels and contribute to the wellbeing of the Refugee/ immigrant community, assisting them in becoming productive law-abiding citizens that can properly integrate for a great patriotism. Our is to become the premier institution that offers high quality services to the Somali-American & multi-ethnic Community and prepare individuals of the highest moral fiber. The Somali American United Council's working philosophy includes the encouragement of the Somali American and multi-ethnic refugees to actively seek to find sound solutions to the needs and aspirations of their community in Arizona.

When I landed in Japan on end of March, I was taken back at the cherry blossom blooming completely. After moving to U.S. in Freshman year, I have never thought I would see cherry blossoms again in Japan because the season is in the middle of the school year. Even though it was in the middle of the pandemic, I noticed that there were so many people out in the river seeing cherry blossom without taking proper social distancing rules. I think this was because the Japanese government did not close down famous parks and rivers until the number of COVID-19 patients got out of control. A little before I landed, there was a 3-day weekend, and my mom had told me that there was immense amount of people outside to see the cherry blossom even though we were in a pandemic and the government actually insisted on going out because it is an holiday. After the number of COVID-19 patient increased drastically, the government insisted on people to stay home. However, unlike other countries, Japanese government cannot enforce people to stay home, but rather just say “please stay home”. The residents and citizens will not be punished because the rules are not enforced. For me, I stayed home and watched cherry blossom from the deck, and just enjoyed it from my house to be safe. Even though the government insisted on staying home, I noticed a lot of people still going out to see the cherry blossom because it is there culture and a seasonal event called “Hanami”. On the news, there were constantly reports saying that the patient went to the famous cherry blossom parks, and yet we still see people there because they think it was ok unless they are “somewhat” careful. Honestly, I was very frustrated and the issue because it was not like the cherry blossom was going to be gone after this year, and felt it was very irresponsible for others.

Refugee and Immigrant Community Empowerment Center (RICE) is a community-based, non-profit organization dedicated to serving and assisting Refugees, Asylees and Immigrants in the Phoenix Metropolitan Statistical Area, created to close the service gaps that remain after the 90-day resettlement period. RICE is directed by a team of leaders from all over the globe and that works directly with local partnerships to strengthen social services and prevent unnecessary hardships for immigrants and refugees. By advocating and promoting education, dialogue and awareness, RICE identifies the potential for new opportunities then integrates them back into our refugee and immigrant communities. MISSION STATEMENT The RICE mission is to aid refugees and immigrants in becoming self-sufficient and contributing members of the economic growth of the community by creating resources and opportunities to training and education in preparing for employment in the community.

The Pascua Yaqui Tribe Charitable Organization received aid from the ASU/Luce Covid-19 Rapid Response project. Community served: Native American (Pascua Yaqui) Project: Freezers for food pantry distribution center

The Navajo United Way, Inc. received aid from the ASU/Luce Covid-19 Rapid Response project. Community served: Native American (Navajo) Project: Diapers, wipes, water, formula for Navajo children

This drawing from the Seattle Times was released on March 13, 2020. Now five months later, this cartoon is relatable to mothers all across the country not just in Washington when it was thought to be the epicenter of the Covid pandemic. Our new norm includes masks, social distancing, and enforced closeness with our family. Most parents are still working remotely while most schools are still not back to normal. Putting the mom shame aside, I would say that after months and months of this I have found that too much togetherness is too much of a good thing.

OUR MISSION We stabilize people during crisis and transition, build a foundation where people can thrive, and preserve dignity and respect for the most vulnerable. OUR VISION A future where all people thrive. OUR STATEMENT OF SHARED VALUES Dignity: We demonstrate through our actions that all people have value and are worthy of respect. Diversity: We recognize and accept the differences among people, fostering an environment inclusive of all. Social Justice: We model and promote a culture of open-mindedness, compassion, and inclusiveness, promoting fairness, justice, and equal opportunities for all. Quality: We commit to excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement through anticipation and dynamic response to opportunities for change. Community Partnerships: We build collaborative partnerships to strengthen individuals, families and communities. Faith-based: We serve all people with an attitude of compassion and caring, recognizing and honoring our Christian heritage of God’s love in Christ for all.

At Iranian American Society of Arizona (IASAz), we strive to enrich the lives of Arizona residents by promoting an awareness of the Iranian culture, heritage, language, history and contributions through education, music, dance, theater, arts, food and sense of community. Our goal is to preserve, promote and encourage through education and charitable work, the richness of Iranian-American culture. We achieve this by organizing social, educational, recreational and other functions to promote better understanding and friendship both among the members of the organization and among individuals and organizations in Arizona who share an interest in Iranian culture.

The International Rescue Committee helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover and regain control of their future.

The Hualapai Tribe is a federally recognized Indian Tribe located in northwestern Arizona. “Hualapai” (pronounced Wal-lah-pie) means “People of the Tall Pines.” In 1883, an executive order established the Hualapai reservation.

The Florence Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal service organization providing free legal and social services to adults and unaccompanied children in immigration custody in Arizona. Although the government assists indigent criminal defendants and civil litigants through public defenders and legal aid attorneys, it does not provide attorneys for people in immigration removal proceedings. As a result, an estimated 86 percent of the detained people go unrepresented due to poverty. The Florence Project strives to address this inequity both locally and nationally through direct service, partnerships with the community, and advocacy and outreach efforts.

this is a photograph of a mural on a hospital wall in Brescia, Italy where it translates to “To you all….Thanks.” It is another piece of art that reminds us that we are all in this together and to thank our healthcare workers. I think as time goes on we tend to get sick of hearing about the pandemic and Covid-19 and go about our daily lives. We as a society often times need reminders and I think art provides that in an appealing and beautiful way. A giant graffiti depicting medical staff holding a figure shaped as a boot representing Italy and reading " To you all… Thanks", is painted on a side of the Brescia hospital, Italy, Monday, March 16, 2020.

This wall mural is an ode to nurses. These are the heroes of the pandemic and there are many wall murals praising all the healthcare workers. It is a reminder that we need to keep thinking about the people who put their lives on the line everyday.

This is an article about messages from the street in Seattle by street artists, businesses and attractions. This is about a community coming together during a crisis. Organizers created a bear hunt throughout the city displaying a teddybear in the window. At the same time artists are painting messages of hope on boarded up businesses and empty walls.

his article posted by Indian Country Today about Indigenous artists that are infusing their work with important health, safety messages as the pandemic hits some tribal communities particularly hard. The pandemic has hit the Native American community particularly hard, yet we hear very little about it in the media. Native American artists are taking it upon themselves to send messages of hope and safety.

This is an article about artists who are struggling during this pandemic. The funds are provided by a consortium of non-profits that raised over $10 million dollars. Many different areas of business are hard hit by Covid-19 and are struggling to survive. It is important to note that artists are small businesses and many people don’t realize how they’re impacted as well.

This is the school my 6yo would have been at, if we had stayed in Idaho. One of the teachers got creative with the desk shields and decorated the students' desks to look like cars. The photo shows the students spaced a part wearing marsks and sitting behind their shields. It's so weird to see some schools already embracing in-person learning, when it feels like such a remote reality here in Tempe.

This article posted by Al Dia about Covid Art and a virtual museum in Barcelona, Spain, where a collection of covid art can be viewed. The collection consists of illustrations, photographs, paintings, drawings, animations, video, etc. According to the one of the publicists, these pieces of art reflect how we are all living and feeling during the pandemic. Art has always reflected what was going on during that time period. #covidart, #pandemic, #virtualmuseum, #quarantine, #Barcelona (HST580, Arizona State University)

While looking for items to submit to this archive, I tried searching Pinterest for some humorous memes to add. After reading a lot of heavy articles, i felt a little humor was in order; only to be thwarted by Pinterest. After searching for "Covid19 humor, I received a message saying that pins relating to this topic often violate community standards guidelines and so, results were restricted to established health organizations... I guess gallows humor is not for everyone... I tried a google search for the same search term and came across a few things but this article stood out. It discusses the rise of 'dark' humor and how it can, in some cases, actually help those trying to cope with difficult subjects. It confirmed my suspicions that those of us who have a 'gallows humor' approach may have been on to something all along.

2020 could have an entire history book unto itself. So much has happened this year... Obviously, the big stories everyone is familiar with; BLM protests, Covid19, Wildfires literally EVERYWHERE, but what about the smaller, but just as important stories that get overshadowed? For example, on Feb 6th, Christina Koch, a NASA astronaut, returned to Earth after 328 days in space, the most days completed by any woman ever, and I bet you don't even remember hearing about it. Thats why I though this time line would be a good addition to the archive. It helps put the events of the year (as of July 4th) in an easy to read format to help us all remember everything that happened this year. Hopefully, the back half of the year is much less eventful, but I doubt it.

First Responders, by nature of the job, daily charged with helping people through their worst moments and traumatic events. Some might say that first responders should be able to handle it, after all, they signed up for the job. But first responders, just like the rest of us, are human. No one can ever really be prepared to handle stress like that on a day after day after day after day basis. In order to help out first responders, the CDC created this website with information on how to deal with the usual stress of the job plus the new issues and problems that 2020 has decided to throw at us. I thought it important to include here, not just for posterity, but the more places this information is posted, the more available and easily accessible it is for someone who may need it, but not know where to look.

With all the negative in the press, it would be easy for one to think that Law Enforcement officers are out there all alone with no support at all. This is simply not true. This article shows that there are those who support LEO's and that officers/deputies/cops are not fighting the good fight all alone.

I saw this article on facebook and was completely saddened by it. Those two officers were doing nothing to deserve being shot in their vehicles. And then to read that protestors were blocking the entrance to the hospital, possibly preventing ANY emergency traffic from getting in was even more disheartening. I can't even begin to think how to explain this to future generations... So. Much. Useless. Hatred.

The anniversary of 9/11 is a complicated occasion in a maelstrom of a year, as the US grapples with a health crisis, searches its soul over racial injustice, and prepares to choose a leader to chart a path forward. While many communities have canceled the 9/11 memorial events, many carried on with modifications. It's important to take a minute and remember the events that happened nineteen years ago. It's a time of reflection and remembrance at a time when nothing seems to be going right, we can be thankful for what we do have; starting with our lives. This year looks far different than previous years; commemoration ceremonies are filled with people wearing masks and standing six feet away from each other, but there is one aspect that has not changed, and that's the message of hope. We are reminded that we are one nation, though the good and bad, regardless of politics, social status, and race. We are Americans, we are strong, and we will persevere.

My uncle has owned a body shop in San Francisco, California, for over twenty-five years. Covid slowed down business a bit since people were not driving as much, as if Covid wasn't bad enough though, they are now dealing with all the fires in the area. Being a Los Angeles native, I know wildfires are not uncommon. It is unusual to see the amount of fire happening simultaneously. It seems like the whole state is up in flames. The air quality is almost unbearable, there are blankets of ash coving homes and cars and raining from the sky. The sky is orange and firefighters struggle to keep these wildfires under control. All this craziness amidst a global pandemic.

A friend of mine had to postpone her wedding after almost a year of hard work and planning. The couple had announced that they would wait to have the wedding of their dreams until it was safe to do so. This week her sister uploaded a surprise bridal shower she hosted in her tiny bedroom for her sister and bridal party. I wanted to show how people are still living during Covid, people are still celebrating, and love is still winning. I thought it important to shed some light amidst all the negativity and darkness that Covid has brought. I thought it was the sweetest gesture to let this bride feel important and acknowledging this big event in her life. A few days after this bridal shower, this bride went down to the courthouse and married her best friend. They are still planning to have a big celebration next year.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Katelyn Keenhan/Luce Foundation: Southwest Stories Fellowship

Kristen Krahl, of Chicago, posted footage of herself simultaneously working on her computer, pumping breastmilk, and caring for her 10-week-old daughter, Maeve. What we don't see in the video are her two-year-old toddlers whom she is also caring for while working from home during COVID. Krahl is being praised for her candidness in her now-viral video. In an interview with Good Morning American Krahl said she filmed herself, "to show this is what we're doing. It's what we're all doing. We just didn't know we could all connect on this level." Her message of strength, even on those tough days, is one that resonates with all mothers during the quarantine.