Items

• 
  2021-07-13

  Brian Harvey, Oral History, 2021/07/07

  Brian Harvey, a Managing Director at Deloitte and Touche, discusses the changes the pandemic has caused to his job as an auditor. He provides insights into the various industries he has interacted with over the past year.
• 
  2021-06-24

  COVID scam awareness sign

  When I visited the library today, I noticed in the large assortment of flyers on the community posting board a flyer warning about COVID-19 scams. The flyer is from the California Senior Medicare Patrol, and mentions a variety of different scams related to vaccine distribution that people should avoid. It also provides a hotline phone number. The photo was taken on June 24, 2021.
• 
  2020-08-24

  How I've Been Occupying My Time to Not Occupy Spaces

  Like most people, I have discovered an interest in hobbies that I never really had the time to indulge in prior to the pandemic. I was living in San Francisco, beginning the end of my college years and looking forward to what the future held for me and my beautiful, and not at all expensive, B.A. in philosophy that I was to receive in December 2020. Most of my friends were graduating in the Spring and I was so envious... that was until the pandemic hit. Everything moved so quickly. I had only 3 days to move out of my apartment, say good-bye the the people closest to me, and leave the city I've had the privilege of living in for the last three years. A city where I've scattered memories all over the place, danced through the streets with kindred spirits I hadn't met before, and developed a fierce love for my first home as an independent young woman. All stripped away from the palms of my hands, and in a matter of days it was the end of an era. It was the beginning of a global pandemic, something barely anybody had experienced before. The world seemed to only inhibit negativity and death, a cocktail very few people could take, and that's including a chaser. Sadness filled the air and polluted social media platforms. We all felt uncertain, scared, and alone. These feelings crept up, and leeched onto us. But one thing was absolutely certain, I had all the time in the world. There I was, 22 with no job and nowhere to go. There was nowhere I could go. So I did what any ordinary person would do in this situation, and I taught myself how to function the way humans did before social media and the internet. I learned to do some of the things that were once taught to young women in school with the intention of making them a qualified wife, but I called them hobbies. I learned to knit, embroider, sew by hand and by sewing machine, thoroughly clean a bathroom, and I also mastered the art of Mediterranean cooking. In the photo I have a attached I am showing off a scarf that I made in the first couple of weeks in quarantine. I playfully boasted my finished craft to my philosophy of nature class, and we all had a laugh. I miss that group of people. I do, however, find some happiness in being able to take a step back and slow down. The only reason I was able to do so was because I didn't have a choice in the matter. The world was crashing down right before my eyes and I couldn't do anything to stop it aside from staying home and staying away from others. What I think this narrative has to say about the pandemic is that people actually have the capacity to entertain themselves outside of the internet. Growing up I was always using the internet. I went from selecting my Top 8 on MySpace to watching prank videos on youtube to having class virtually. I have become sick of screen time that I have no choice but to pick something up to stay interested in the ordinary day to day. I've developed skills that could help me out in the future, if I could be so brave to assume there is a future of course. It is important for me to find some light, to find some joy. I giggled before this global pandemic, I've giggled during, and I will giggle after. Heck, I giggled while writing this personal narrative called an assignment. I have to giggle, it keeps me young and alive. It is important to find some light in all the darkness, and I think that's one of the most important things I've truly learned through all of this: To be the light you so desperately want to see. I've called that scarf my quarantine sqarf, and I can't wait to wear it for the rest of my time and then gift it to someone I love one day when I am old and saggy, if I am so lucky to get there. Stay safe and wash your hands.
• 
  2020-07-11

  Honey Bear Hunt in San Francisco

  Across San Francisco, honey bears wearing masks - created by the artist fnnch - are popping up on storefronts and in resident's windows. The message is clear, "Please wear a mask. It's simple." The featured bears are masked versions of the Bowie Bear, the Bowtie Bear, the Classic Bear, the Pizza Bear holding a BLM sign, the Love Bear near a sign that reads "Hey Honey! Let's stick together." and the Avocado Bear. The originator of this post is also wearing a Honey Bear mask created by fnnch and included a photo of his mask collection that sits near his front door.
• 
  2020-04-13

  Music Lifts Neighborhood Spirits

  A month into shelter-in-place orders, the streets of San Francisco's Marina District were filled with the sound of a local resident playing an accordion outside. People came out to share in the joy of music during this difficult time.
• 
  2020-06-28

  Protest Supporting San Quentin Early Release

  This is a Twitter post (social media) and the responses it received about a protest urging California governor Gavin Newsom to give early release to inmates to protect them from contracting covid-19. Here is a link to an article referenced in the thread https://www.orlandomedicalnews.com/article/3545/letter-to-the-editor-why-increasing-number-of-cases-of-covid-19-is-not-bad-news
• 
  2020-06-02

  Solano County Sheriffs Department mandates lock-down over protests

  My county was given stay-at-home orders as peaceful day-time protesting was infiltrated by looters and violence at night. I listened to the police scanner as reports of our stores being looted and burned down came in. Several stores including Walmart, CVS, Best Buy, BevMo and MiMi's Cafe were damaged and looted. There were not enough police to cover the unrest. Once the looters moved to another building the police had to abandon the newly secured building, leaving it again open for looting. The unrest lasted until sunrise. I got no sleep that night. We were worried the looting would find its way into residential streets. The next day the national guard came in. My town is no longer small. We have become one of the most affordable cities to live in the San Francisco Bay Area and we have grown so fast, but the small town feeling still lingers in its older residents like me. We have never had the National Guard here. The next morning my family packed our car up with cleaning supplies and drove to Old Town to see if there was anything we could help clean up. Luckily only larger businesses were targeted. People were so angered by the looting and were very vocal about it. I was afraid that night but I understand the looting. The looters were not there because of the George Floyd, they were there because of opportunity and generational poverty. People who have opportunity don't loot. This was kids like my students. Kids who the system works against every single day. If they could get away with a few pair of new shoes to sell and get ahead why not? I'm not mad. These systems are strong. Companies like Walmart profit off of the labor an poverty of their employees every single day. I'm not mad that they were targeted.
• 
  2020-06-27

  A Good Time for Fondue

  Last weekend, my dad (Grandpa) fell ill. We spent the week anxiously anticipating the results of his Coronavirus test while he quarantined in his bedroom. When the results came back negative, the grandchildren wanted to celebrate. So, my Mom (Grandma) promised them a fondue party. The fondue set in was a wedding gift for my parents, and they had only used it once in their 46 years of marriage (married 04/27/1976). The chocolate fondue was delicious, and the fondue set is yet another relic we've dusted off during this long shelter-in-place.
• 
  2020-06-28

  Kitchen Table Mural

  Trying to keep the family busy and happy during the shelter-in-place is a challenge. I unrolled a sheet of butcher paper on the kitchen table to occupy the kids one morning, and over the next few weeks, a mural emerged. All members of our family could be found sketching, painting, and coloring on the mural at random times until this beautiful mural was created.
• 
  2020-03-20

  The Coronavirus Effect

  This TikTok video features Jon Stich creating coronavirus inspired artwork for Politico. This art piece features a figure on a hoverboard carrying a pack of toilet paper. The toilet paper is streaming out of the package and in the background are two other figures that appear to be homeless. Near the figures in the background are a tent, a shopping cart, and various bags. This scene takes place in front of buildings with iconic San Francisco architecture. The art speaks to the increased inequities of coronavirus on vulnerable populations. There are portions of the population hoarding toilet paper, while there are others without access to these basic necessities. How will COVID-19 impact San Francisco's homeless population?
• 
  2020-04-14

  Lombard During Quarantine

  This TikTok video is a time lapse of the famous Lombard Street in San Francisco. Lombard Street is a popular tourist attraction. Visitors line the streets waiting for a turn to drive down the curviest street in San Francisco. Lombard Street is typically packed with cars. This time lapse shows the dramatic decrease in tourism in San Francisco during the COVID-19 pandemic as Lombard Street is nearly empty.
• 
  2020-04-14

  At this point I miss taking BART too

  This TikTok video features a college student highlighting the top San Francisco Bay Area places he wants to visit when quarantine ends. His wishes include Great American in Santa Clara, Pier 39 in San Francisco, Grizzly Peak in Berkeley, the Outlets of SF in Livermore, Ocean Beach in San Francisco, Twin Peaks in San Francisco, Broadway Plaza in Walnut Creek, Mission Peak in Fremont, and the Great Mall in Milpitas. The creator titled his video "At this point I miss taking BART too." BART is the public transit system that connects the Bay Area and is known for being overcrowded and often sketchy. This person must be desperate for a sense of normalcy to miss riding BART.
• 
  2020-03-19

  The Fog Will Wait For You

  This TikTok video encourages San Francisco Bay Area residents to stay at home to stop the spread of COVID-19. There is a sense of community portrayed in the video. The overall message of the video is to relax, enjoy being home and know that everyone else is at home too. The video contains iconic San Francisco images, such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Victorian homes, sea lions, the Castro Theater and Twin Peaks neon signs, and a trolley. This video was produced at the start of shelter-in-place orders when many believed that if we all did our part, life would return to normal in a matter of weeks.
• 
  2020-05-26

  Drive-in movies making a comeback

  My family never abandoned drive-in movies. We have a local drive in located in Concord California. We pack up the car with couch cushions and blankets. Then back into the space and open up the hatch. My kids have always loved it and I don’t have to worry about them misbehaving and disturbing others enjoyment.
• 
  2020-06-12

  A Vegas-ish 40th Quarantine Style Birthday

  At the start of 2020, my group of college friends planned a trip to Las Vegas to celebrate a dear friend's 40th birthday. As we all live in different areas of the country, it was clear by the start of April that the trip would not be happening due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After 20 years of friendship, we couldn't let a milestone like this pass us by. We decided to throw her an over the top Zoom birthday party. I put together party packs, complete with colorful wigs, dessert plates, confetti and cocktail stirrers, and sent to each party guest. The birthday girl's package had strict instructions directing her to wait to open right before the start of the party. Together, the guests made a photo slideshow that included the top 40 things that we love about our friend and read it to the guest of honor during the party. We also decided to make a cocktail together and brought our own desserts and candles so that we could sing to her. The group coordinated with her husband to make sure that she had the cocktail supplies and a dessert to join in the fun. It certainly wasn't what she had imagined for her 40th birthday. But it was unique, thoughtful, a lot of fun, and definitely a memory to last a life time.
• 
  2020-04-07

  Viva Las Vegas! CANCELLED

  Contra Costa County COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders were announced on March 13, 2020. As is typical for me, my calendar was full of various activities in the summer months. I love summer! And, as a teacher, I have more freedom during the summer months to travel and to spend times with loved ones. One of the upcoming events I was most looking forward to was a trip to Las Vegas to celebrate one of my best friend from college's 40th birthday. Somewhere between college and now, life began to move at warp speed and we don't get as much time together as we would like. So, for many reasons, this was a major trip for us all. In early April, it was clear that the trip would no longer happen. We all received a text from the birthday girl letting us know the trip was officially cancelled. While I am sad, it is definitely the right decision. I am hopeful that 2021 will give us the opportunity to reschedule! It is hard to imagine that it could possibly be an entire year before we can all comfortably travel and be together once again.
• 
  2020-06-12

  Fear of the 'quarantine 15'

  This article discusses the emergence of the phrase “quarantine 15” and the impact of anti-fatness on our society even as it is being ravaged by a global pandemic. Author Virgie Tovar ties the phrase to people's need to connect and the ease of doing so through self-deprecation. Dr. Lindo Bacon attributes the trend to the anxieties of dealing with isolation and other factors directly connected to the coronavirus pandemic and our social stigma against mental health issues. Which reason is more accurate is tough to say and may differ from individual to individual. What is certain is that while people are dealing with changes to their food habits and environmental stressors they are also being pressured to lose weight.
• 
  2020-06-07

  Making Us Matter Launches Official Website

  Amidst school closures across the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic, University of San Francisco doctoral students, Eghosa Obaizamomwan Hamilton and Gertrude Jenkins, founded and launched Making Us Matter Virtual High School in March 2020. While educational equity issues compounded as a result of nation-wide school closures, Hamilton and Jenkins built an educational platform in which a collective of Black educators would create challenging and empowering curriculum focused on social justice and Blackness. Making Us Matter is offered, free of charge, to any student interested in curriculum focused on Black-inclusion. While educational institutions have scrambled in their attempts to serve students during the COVID-19 pandemic, Making Us Matter is a shining example of how educational leaders can disrupt education and build learning experiences that challenge the shortcomings of traditional educational models.
• 
  2020-05-12

  Making Us Matter: In response to COVID-19, USF doctoral students co-found virtual high school

  Amidst school closures across the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic, University of San Francisco doctoral students, Eghosa Obaizamomwan Hamilton and Gertrude Jenkins, founded and launched Making Us Matter Virtual High School in March 2020. While educational equity issues compounded as a result of nation-wide school closures, Hamilton and Jenkins built an educational platform in which a collective of Black educators would create challenging and empowering curriculum focused on social justice and Blackness. Making Us Matter is offered, free of charge, to any student interested in curriculum focused on Black-inclusion. While educational institutions have scrambled in their attempts to serve students during the COVID-19 pandemic, Making Us Matter is a shining example of how educational leaders can disrupt education and build learning experiences that challenge the shortcomings of traditional educational models.
• 
  2020-04-19

  Prison in the Time of Coronavirus

  This video, produced by CBS Sunday Morning, illustrates the unique problems created by coronavirus inside America's jails and prisons. The US currently has 2.3 million people incarcerated. Many of them are in jail awaiting trial and remain there only because they cannot pay their bail. They have not yet been convicted of a crime. As they point out in the video it is easy for the public to ignore the correctional facilities across the country, but the spread of the virus has changed this. An outbreak in prison can lead to an outbreak outside the prison. While prisons have internal medical facilities there are no ICU beds, which are often needed to treat severe cases of coronavirus. Instead severely ill prisoners are taken outside of the prison to the local hospital. In non-severe cases some prisoners are placed in solitary confinement as a way to quarantine them. This video, almost eight minutes long, mentions Rikers Island Jail in New York, San Quinton Prison in San Francisco, Marion Correctional Institute in Ohio, a Tampa man released early who is charged with murdering someone the following day, Governor Greg Abbott of Texas, Orange is the New Black (book and TV show), and the podcast Ear Hustle. HST580, ASU
• 
  2020-06-06

  Protestors Block Golden Gate Bridge Traffic

  The Golden Gate Bridge is perhaps the most iconic architectural landmark in the San Francisco Bay Area. As a resident of the area for the last 16 years, the Golden Gate Bridge holds a special place in my heart. On June 6, 2020, it was incredible to watch thousands of protesters fill the bridge to protest police brutality and racial injustices across the United States as a part of the larger protest movement that swept America in the aftermath of George Floyd's death. The crowd was so large they completely blocked traffic on one side of the bridge. The many images and videos taken of this moment beautifully preserve this historic moment. Many protesters marched masked as the protest occurred during strict COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders, however, many others chose not to do so.
• 
  2020-05-29

  Protests Erupt Across Bay Area

  In the days following the death of George Floyd, the San Francisco Bay Area erupted with protests. San Jose and Oakland were two of the first cities in which large groups of protestors took to the streets. Peaceful protestors were met with police in riot gear and risked the threat of tear gas or arrest. Protests intensified as people moved to block local freeways, like Interstate 880 in Oakland. In the aftermath of the protests in San Jose and Oakland, protests spread across the entire Bay Area. Defying local COVID-19 shelter in place ordinances, nearly every city and town in the area held a protest during the week that followed.
• 
  2020-05-30

  Neighbors in Oakland Enjoying a Socially Distanced Outdoor Movie

  At our intentional living community in Oakland, CA we set up a socially distanced outdoor movie on our lawn. We watched Top Gun and spent time together while still maintaining a safe distance and adhering to health guidelines.
• 
  2020-05-23

  Ladies and gentlemen, the graduating class of 2020!

  My sister-in-law began working on her AA degree in 1997. As life took her in new directions, she never completed the degree. In 2016, as a mother of 3 and the Director of Human Resources for a foodservices company, she decided to go back and finish the work she once started. She completed her work in December of 2019 and our entire extended family eagerly awaited the day that we could watch her walk across the stage and celebrate her, as she has celebrated our academic milestones. Unfortunately, her graduation ceremony was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Not wanting this moment to pass by uncelebrated, we decided to host a virtual graduation party for her. We made her a "Congrats Grad!" poster, a money lei, hunted down a cap and gown, and even had mom sew a stole complete with the year and institution embroidered on it. We had our family dress up and join us via Zoom. We had her girls blindfold her and get her ready, and then walk her to a computer to join the Zoom call while Pomp and Circumstance was playing. It wasn't the graduation we had originally envisioned for her. However, it is one we will always remember. There were cheers, laughs and tears. And I am certainly glad that we did not let this moment pass us by.
• 2020-03-23

  Restaurants can now sell beer, wine and cocktails to-go during shelter-in-place, but will that help keep them around?

  Amidst California's shelter-in-place orders, San Francisco Bay Area restaurants struggled to stay in business. One week into the shelter-in-place, the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) relaxed regulations and announced that restaurants and bars, with adequate licensing, could sell alcohol through delivery and take-out measures in an attempt to prevent permanent restaurant and bar closures. The guidelines stated that alcohol must either come prepackaged (i.e. in a can or bottle) or must accompany food if the drink is prepared on site. Patrons were directed to transport the alcohol in their trunks and were to consume on private property. For some restaurants and bars, the new regulations led to a recovery of approximately 50% of typical alcohol sales. For others, the regulations have provided little relief. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the San Francisco Bay Area restaurant and bar industry has yet to be fully realized.
• 
  2020-03-26

  Sequestered sipping cocktails brought to you by San Francisco bartenders

  This article presents unique quarantine cocktails designed by San Francisco bartenders. Vanessa Vasquez from The Detour contributed "Quarantine on the Beach." Tim Hagney from ABV contributed "28 Days Later." Phil Mauro from Rye Bar and Restaurant contributed the "Sequestered Spritz." Gillian Fitzgerald of Casements Bar contributed the "Solitude & Tonic." Brynna Logan of Liquid Gold SF contributed "Corona Quarantine Sunrise." And, Tyler Puride of Black Cat contributed "Bae Area Bunker." The author of the article, Saul Sugarman, include the bartenders Venmo accounts and encouraged readers to leave these bartenders a tip.
• 2020-04-08

  Coronavirus supplies: Bay Area distilleries switch gears to produce much-needed hand sanitizer

  This is a news article covering the decision made by various distilleries in the San Francisco Bay Area to shift production to hand sanitizer instead of spirits. The article highlights the 10th Street Distillery in San Jose, Sutherland Distilling Company in Livermore, as well as the company Endless West in San Francisco and LangeTwins Family Winery in Lodi. The hand sanitizer produced by the above companies is being used to support front line workers across the Bay Area. https://perma.cc/GJ8V-DHYT
• 
  2020-03-31

  Bay Area drinking 42% more alcohol than usual while sheltering in coronavirus pandemic

  This is a news article that highlights the alcohol consumption behavior in the San Francisco Bay Area following the state's March 17, 2020 shelter in place orders. Based on a series of data across smartphone connected breathalyzer devices and sales from the web-based retailer, Wine.com, the company BACtrack discovered that alcohol consumption was up across. The company also reported seeing similar results across the country, specifically in metropolitan areas. https://perma.cc/K3FA-CYF6
• 
  2020-05-06

  Coronavirus crisis: Here's why SF officials are giving homeless alcohol, tobacco

  This news story highlights the reasons for San Francisco's homeless substance distribution policy during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://perma.cc/YK5B-SWBP
• 
  05/23/2020

  They’ve survived earthquakes and Prohibition, but can Bay Area bars survive coronavirus?

  This newspaper article examines how some of the oldest bars in the San Francisco Bay Area are withstanding the COVID-19 global pandemic. #ASU #HST580 #SanFranciscoBayArea
• 
  2020-05-07

  Walnut Creek Brewery, Calicraft, Launches Quarantine Blues Juicy IPA, Live Song

  Calicraft, a brewery located in Walnut Creek, California, launched "the Quarantine Blues Juicy IPA" during the state's shelter-in-place. Restaurants and bars across the state are struggling to stay in business and some establishments, like Calicraft Brewing Company, are finding creative ways to drive business despite the difficult conditions. I discovered the beer on Memorial Day and it brought some much needed levity to the day. The label includes a clever poem/song that reads: Sittin' on the porch, got nothin' to do. Grab yourself a can of the Quarantine Blues. Kidz going crazy, you could use a little hazy. Crack yourself a can of the Quarantine Blues. Runnin' outta TP, makes you feel kinda queasy. Pour yourself a glass of the Quarantine Blues! Drink up: at home. Pair with: Tiger King, Homemade Bread. calicraft.com // @califcraft #ASU #HST580 #SanFranciscoBayArea
• 
  2020-05-21

  The San Francisco Bay Area is putting homeless people with COVID-19 in hotel rooms. Some are given alcohol to prevent withdrawal.

  This is a news article that details how San Francisco is managing their homeless population during the COVID-19 outbreak. Based on CDC recommendations, San Francisco secured hotel rooms to provide shelter to their homeless population. The project is called "Project Roomkey." Additionally, under a "harm reduction" strategy, the city is providing alcohol and access to purchase medical cannabis to prevent withdrawals for addicts who may otherwise leave the provide shelters to retrieve said substances. The article highlights similar measures across the Bay Area.
• 
  2020-05-23

  Walnut Creek Brewery, Calicraft, Launches Quarantine Blues Juicy IPA

  Calicraft, a brewery located in Walnut Creek, California, launched "the Quarantine Blues Juicy IPA" during the state's shelter-in-place. Restaurants and bars across the state are struggling to stay in business and some establishments, like Calicraft Brewing Company, are finding creative ways to drive business despite the difficult conditions. I discovered the beer on Memorial Day and it brought some much needed levity to the day. The label includes a clever poem/song that reads: Sittin' on the porch, got nothin' to do. Grab yourself a can of the Quarantine Blues. Kidz going crazy, you could use a little hazy. Crack yourself a can of the Quarantine Blues. Runnin' outta TP, makes you feel kinda queasy. Pour yourself a glass of the Quarantine Blues! Drink up: at home. Pair with: Tiger King, Homemade Bread. calicraft.com // @califcraft
• 
  2020-06-01

  "Helping the Most Vulnerable," Bay Area's Diablo Magazine features Choicelunch in Culinary Heroes article, June 2020 Publication

  Diablo Magazine recognized Choicelunch as a local food service business that is "Helping the Most Vulnerable" during the COVID-19 pandemic. After the announcement of school closures across California, Choicelunch swiftly moved from delivering 17,000 lunches across the state to providing grocery staples to their customers to combat food shortages and difficulties presented by the traditional grocery story model. Choicelunch was recognized alongside Monster Pho, the Alameda County Community Food Bank, and Doubling Helping Hands.