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2020-10-27
Spreading the BLM Message with Vegan Soul Food
During the height of the Black Lives Matter protests many businesses were getting canceled left and right. Some business owners were being called out for not showing support of BLM, while others made apologies addressing their white privilege. Personally, it was a confusing time to be a consumer. I had to rethink shopping and eating at some of my favorite online stores as well as local restaurants. I’m very particular about where I spend my money, so I spent a lot of time considering my personal values and how I like to support businesses who share those same values. One business that I am proud to support is a San Antonio based restaurant that takes a clear stance on the Black Lives Matter movement. Binge Kitchen is a Black owned, family run, vegan restaurant serving delicious soul food. The restaurant had only been open for a few months before the pandemic hit. Their dining room has been closed since March, but they are still finding ways to connect with their customers while spreading the BLM message. On each take out box they hand write the names of people who died from police brutality. These messages help me feel connected to the owners who I was just getting to know back when their dining room was still open. While many businesses are too afraid to show full support of BLM, Binge Kitchen puts is values before profit. I have seen other companies receive backlash from the All Lives Matter supporters, and it’s understandable that some business owners want to avoid alienating their customers. However, in Binge Kitchen’s case I find that their clear stance (in addition to their tasty food) has gained them steady support. Every time I drive up to their restaurant to pick up my food, there are many other cars lined up to do the same. Customers share images of the to-go boxes on social media which drives even more people to the restaurant. I suspect many of them aren’t even vegan. They are just people who appreciate businesses who support Black Lives Matter. Businesses hesitant of supporting Black Lives Matter should give their customers more credit. They may discover that in fact, more people will support them if they find the courage to speak up in support of Black lives. -
2020-10-27
How am I Supposed to be a Student When the World is Burning Down Around Me? A Student’s Personal Experience
I wanted to share the kitchen table's image in my family's house because it has become my workspace and classroom. I have my laptop, water, and food in the image because the virtual college has become a non-stop task. As an undergraduate student transitioning to virtual learning, I have struggled greatly. The weekdays are filled with zoom classes, discussion boards, dozens of essays, and monotonous assignments that feel like busywork. Weekdays and weekends are the same. Universities and professors have maintained high expectations for students even though we are in a pandemic, economic depression, detrimental election year, and significant social justice movement. Most days, I struggle to want to be the best student I can be when I feel less like a person. It is difficult to get out of bed, especially as hope fades every day with an increase in COVID-19 cases and deaths, people becoming jobless, homeless, and the human rights of so many people being violated. It feels insane sometimes to log on for hours when the world seems to be burning down around me. -
2020-10-21
Arumi Ortiz Oral History, 2020/10/21
This is an oral history with Arumi Ortiz conducted by Victoria Villaseñor. Arumi was born in Veracruz, Mexico and moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma when she was 15 years old. Arumi is now a senior at St. Mary's University. -
2020-10-20
Responding to the COVID-19 crisis as a foreign exchange student: Ximena Barbagelatta
This is an oral history with Ximena Barbagelatta conducted by Victoria Villaseñor. Ximena Barbagelatta is a foreign exchange student from Lima, Peru studying at St. Mary's University in San Antonio, TX. -
2020-10-22
Adjustments to How Athletes Warm-Up
The object is a photograph of the Auxiliary Courts in the St. Mary’s University Athletics Center. To ensure the social distancing of athletes while they warm up to enter the weight room green and red tape have been placed on the courts. The first team entering the facility in the morning will use the space around the green tape and sanitize on their way out, the second group will use the red tape area to warm up and the rotation will continue. -
2020-10-20
Triggering Tik Tok Sounds
The sounds in this video are from about 7 months ago, March 2020. Relatively, it wasn’t that long ago. And for me and many others, it feels like a lifetime ago because so much has happened this year. Many of us have had to grieve the loss of loved ones or our lives before the “new normal”. There’s been so much uncertainty with COVID-19, the economy, the 2020 election, and even our plans for next week. I was really struck by all of the comments accompanied with this video. And it really interests me how we turn to particular habits or media to cope with loss, uncertainty, and trauma. I feel like Tik Tok is a significant facet of 2020, especially for young adults and teenagers. -
2020-09-25
How St. Mary's University Clubs are recruiting first time freshmen
The flyer shows the new efforts St. Mary's clubs have to make in order to recruit new freshmen who may not know anything about the clubs at the university. It also portrays the disconnect the freshmen are feeling when they are not able to attend these meetings in person. Overall, the pandemic has played a significant role on students roles to meet students and join clubs. As a freshman myself, I feel like their is a huge difference between me and the upperclassmen. They got to experience things I couldn't including clubs. When I read the flyer, I definitely felt like I was missing out. -
2020-10-22
Extending Telework Email
When this email was sent out to faculty and staff, we had been working from home for about three weeks. Several members in my department were struggling with navigating technology off campus, and our workflow was a little out of sync. One major change for staff was not having access to two computer screens and adjusting to using laptops as well as extra steps used to access the necessary programs off campus. Some duties simply could not be preformed remotely, things like printing labels, processing books, DVDs, and CDs. However, working from home allowed time to tackle other long-term projects that had been placed on the backburner. Things like updating eBook links, adding terms that allow for items to be easily searched for, and staff had opportunities to attend webinars that aligned with changes libraries across the globe were adapting due to COVID. -
2020-07-07
Fall 2020 Course Format Options for Students at St. Mary’s University
This email was sent out to the St. Mary’s University community on July 7, 2020, to explain the three different formats in which courses would be offered for the Fall 2020 semester. The university would offer three different formats for the then-upcoming semester. The first format offered was online courses (OL). These courses were not taught in person, but they still follow a syllabus and have course deadlines. They could include pre-recorded lectures, video uploads, class chats, and individual meetings with professors. The next course format offered was Virtual (V). These courses would meet at an appointed time and date, similar to a normal in-person class, but on the Zoom conference platform, and they would be led by a professor who could be teaching from a variety of different environments. They would not meet in person or on campus, just virtually. Similar to online courses these courses might also include class chats, video recordings, and one on one meetings with professors. The last course format offered was In-Person Virtual (IPV). These courses were designed as hybrid courses. Students would be able to attend these courses in person in a traditional classroom environment (though class size would be limited), or they could attend the class virtually through Zoom. All of the course formats described above were offered by my university in response to the COVID19 pandemic, and they demonstrate the need for adaptation and change in the era of COVID19. The author of this post has been able to attend both virtual and in-person virtual classes at St. Mary’s University this semester. Speaking from firsthand experience, I can attest to how different being in the classroom is this semester. There are not a lot of students in the class; at most maybe three students on any given day. Those of us in the classroom, students, and teachers, sit in socially distanced seats, and we all have our masks up. Regardless, I am grateful that I have had the chance to try to forge a new normal for myself during such an abnormal time for our university and our world. -
2020-10-17
Meet Ellie! The Pandemic Pup!
This is my beautiful pup, Ellie! Ellie’s story with my family and I begun on March 19, 2020, when my mother and I picked her up from my dad’s fire station. March 19th was an important date for my family. Not only did this beautiful girl enter our lives then, but it was also the first full day of restaurant closures during the pandemic, my school had announced its intention to continue virtually for the remainder of the semester, my birthday had just passed, and COVID-19 loomed over our daily lives, its shadow growing with each passing day. And then, there was Ellie! Ellie is such a joy in my family’s life! She is beyond sweet, unbelievably adorable, incredibly fun, and an awesome companion. It has been a real joy to watch Ellie grow up during this difficult time for our world. Her life has been like a ray of sunshine in an overcast world. I enjoy going on walks with her and my mother at the park, visiting with her on the couch and floor, watching her jump in the pool during a hot day, and of course playing fetch in the backyard with her favorite orange tennis balls. Watching Ellie grow and mature into such a beautiful dog has been a true gift to my family and me during the COVID-19 pandemic. No matter what's going on in the world, Ellie always makes my day better. -
2020-10-20
Carly's Quarantunes
This is a playlist of songs I've listened to during quarantine and an explanation about each of them. -
10/19/2020
Eduardo Lopez Oral History, 2020/10/19
This is an interview I had with Eduardo Lopez over Zoom. He is the Interfraternity Council President at St. Mary's University, San Antonio, Texas. I interviewed him from Providence, Utah while he was living in St. Louis, Missouri. -
October 14th 2020
Socially Distanced Sports Performance
Due to socially distancing guidelines at St. Mary's University the sports performance team has been forced to be creative in the ways they train their athletes. This includes having team workouts outdoors, using the spaces they have. This allows the teams to workout during the day together when the recreation and athletic center is being used by the public. The athletes are challenged by the Texas heat at times but they love a challenge. -
2020-03-24
Shelter-in-Place University Email
On March 23, 2020, Bexar County issued that there would be shelter-in-place ordnance effective at midnight on March 24th. The week leading up to this ordnance my supervisors and I began preparing to telework. This required adapting my workload to be performed remotely, and I would essentially have to re-learn the ordering process for items like eBooks. I work in the acquisitions department of the university’s library and since the semester was still going on it was essential that I continue to preform my duties in a timely manner. As a department we had to adapt our methods of communication, extend the amount of time allowed to preform duties, and do our best to maintain morale in an uncertain and often isolated environment. The purchasing of physical items for the library were put on hold and any pending orders would be received but remain unopened until staff was allowed to return. -
2020-07-16
COVID19 Meals and Supplies Drop off TV Table
This TV table is where my mother left supplies for my father during his quarantine after he contracted COVID19 in July 2020. My mother set this table up outside their bedroom door. When she left something on the table my dad did not come and get it until she had left the hallway completely. I was not allowed to go near the table or get anything for my dad because my mom was afraid that I would get sick. She left a variety of items there for him including Gatorade and other drinks, meals, desserts, and utensils, and sticky notes. I think that this item demonstrates the type of adaptation necessary when a loved one has COVID19. My family and I could not be together, so we had to find ways to safely be apart. This table is one of the ways my parents and I did that. -
2020-07-16
Staged COVID Dinner Sticky Notes
This is a photograph I took of staged post-it notes my mother wrote to my father during his quarantine after he contracted COVID19 in July 2020. When my father tested positive for COVID19 he quarantined in my parents’ bedroom. His illness required my mother and I to make adjustments to our daily lives. My mother began taking care of my father, primarily by bringing him supplies and delivering food during meal times. While she did this, she wrote sticky notes to him which can be seen in the photograph above. Some of the sticky notes are just simple reminders or questions, nevertheless, I believe they are all significant. These sticky notes were a creative way that my mother used to communicate with my father while he was in quarantine. Some of them are also quite heartfelt and silly. And I think that’s why the notes are so important because they show that we can still be creative, silly, and funny during very stressful times. Also, these sticky notes are important to me because they represent my parents’ commitment to each other; even when things got tough. -
2020-06-03
Tweets from San Antonio's mayor Ron Nirenberg throughout June, 2020
These series of images are tweets from or about San Antonio mayor Ron Nirenberg and his administration's response to COVID-19 and the social justice movement triggered by the murder of George Floyd throughout the month of June. These images illustrate the way local government mobilized to disperse political, economic, and medical information through social media. These also give insight into how the Mayor and his administration participated in the dialogue about systemic racism in San Antonio and across the United States. Information such as public and private programs, COVID-19 case statistics , protests, warnings to remain vigilant amid the reopening of the state, and where to get tested for COVID. -
2020-05-01
Tweets from San Antono's mayor Ron Nirenberg throughout May, 2020
These series of images are tweets from or about San Antonio mayor Ron Nirenberg and his administration's response to the COVID-19 crisis throughout the month of May. These images illustrate the way local government mobilized to disperse political, economic, and medical information through social media. Information in these images includes executive orders, public and private programs, COVID case statistics, updates on closures and reopenings, how to stay safe, and where to get tested for COVID. -
2020-08-17
Fall Semester Starts on a Positive Note: Grad School in Quarantine
This email was one of the first ones I received from the university when I first began graduate school. It was sent by the university's President, Tom Mengler. It details the lengths the university is going to in order to protect their students, faculty and other workers. For the first few weeks of the semester there were no reported cases of COVID-19 amongst people at the school. Compared to how other universities are handling the pandemic this shows that St. Mary’s actually cares about it’s students. It made me feel a little safer knowing that the university administration is taking steps to ensure that it’s people are protected. -
2020-10-02
Masking Up: Grad School in Quarantine
As a first generation college student I had no idea what to expect when it came to grad school. My parents had never done anything close to it and could offer me no advice, I was essentially flying blind when it came to applying and finally attending grad school. My program did it’s best to make me feel at home but I was still nervous, what if I didn’t belong here? What if my imposter syndrome was right? These anxieties bothered me for the month leading up to school starting in the fall of 2020. However, the university I am attending, St. Mary’s, provided us with these high quality masks in order to protect us and others during the pandemic. It made me feel more welcome, like I belonged. This is the best mask I have and the only one that I use regularly. It’s emblazoned with the name of the school and is a beautiful blue color. Despite all my fear and anxiety it’s nice to know that the school cares enough to give us these masks. Whenever I go out I wear this mask and advertise for my university, the place that allows me to study the things I love with people who love them too. -
02/01/2020
Registering for School During COVID-19 for a Veteran
Registering for my Masters program”2020” was a bit more difficult and time consuming than usual. During Covid-19 “Lock-Down” I could not walk into offices to take care of business like I normally do. Communication was directed through E-Mail, and video calls. First of all, I am not a big fan on emails. I have never considered it an official form of communication. I myself being in the military, and traveling the majority of the year, was subject to scrutiny about not responding to emails when I was traveling around the world. At the time, many places in the world did not have WIFI, and by the time I had arrived from my trips, deadlines had passed; not like I was going to make any kind of meeting while I was on the road anyway. The digital highway is not convenient for me for many forms of communication. Applying for Federal Aid was normal, that has been an online process sense the beginning of my college career but addressing my VA school benefits was another story. Contacting VA coordinators and councilors meant that communication drastically slowed down. During Covid-19, offices were closed, office workers were moving their offices home, and the VA was rapidly changing the process of doing business with its members. This meant that I could not meet with a benefits counselor in my hometown but get a response e-mail from them that would lead me to a national pool of counselors. Applying for school benefits and having the process approved took approximately 5 – 6 months, 4 maybe 5 months too long. I can only guess that the entire system has been compromised because of the Covid pandemic, and the slow to respond, “email effect.” -
06/01/2020
COVID-19 Has No Boundaries for Those That Mourn
February 2020, Covid-19 was a drop in the bucket, it’s coming to the U.S. from China. What is it? Where did it come from? How will it reach us? Do we close our boarders? Stop international travel? Who is to blame? The first of the infected to arrive, from China, landed at Kelly Field San Antonio TX, and were set into quarantine. Fast forward about a month (end of March), and I am picking my dad up from BAMC (Brook Army Medical Center), he had been dropped off by his wife, and she was not allowed to stay at the hospital. He was seen at the ER because of stomach pain and continuous vomiting. What was different and a little strange to me was the fact that the hospital would not allow his wife to enter the building, even if she was the only means of his being. Because of strict city, state, and national orders to covid-19, no one other that the patient was allowed to enter the hospital. After two months of going in and out of the hospital, military doctors had discovered a cancerous tumor growing in his liver, it was putting pressure against his bile duct not allowing his liver to function properly. An emergency procedure was scheduled, but without notice, it was cancelled before he was operated on. A second procedure (Y90) was scheduled, but part 1 of a two-part procedure failed and three days later we said goodbye to Art Reyes Sr. Planning for his services were difficult. We could only invite 10 people to the church and 20 people to the funeral home, but after gathering information about my dad’s services, my heart went out to those that had lost family and friends due to the Covid virus. Their services were completely canceled. If a person had died in a hospital of Covid-19, they were to be transported from the hospital, cremated, and buried without any type of service Had it not been for Covid-19, I think that Art Reyes would have had the rapid medical attention that he deserved. Doctors would have been “on the spot” in treating him for his condition, and not meeting just once a month to discuss someone’s condition with cancer. Many times, I felt that he was dismissed because of the covid-rules in place, but there also did not have to be poor/no communication between family and doctors. Funeral services would have been normal for more than 20 people to celebrate his death, and many family members that could not travel from out of town, could have celebrates with us also. The bottom line was his cancer inevitably was the cause for his death, but it wasn’t immediate. His death was due to his failing organs that were secondary to the tumor growth, and medical doctors on a “Corona19 Vacation.” -
2020-04-01
Tweets from San Antonio's mayor Ron Nirenberg throughout April, 2020
These series of images are tweets from or about San Antonio mayor Ron Nirenberg and his administration's response throughout April 2020. These images illustrate the way local government mobilized to disperse political, economic, and medical information through social media. Information includes emergency orders, public and private assistance programs, case & hospital statistics, and where to get tested for COVID. -
2020-03-11
Tweets from San Antonio's mayor Ron Nirenberg throughout March, 2020.
These series of images are tweets from or about San Antonio mayor Ron Nirenberg and his administration's response throughout initial weeks of the COVID-19 outbreak & shutdown of San Antonio. These images illustrate the way local government mobilized to disperse political, economic, and medical information through social media. Information such as executive orders, public and private programs, case statistics during the first weeks of the COVD crisis, city closures, how to stay safe, and where to get tested for COVID. -
2020-04-29
Expert Opinion
This photograph is taken in Houston, TX as part of a news conference with Rep. Al Green and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. On 29 April 2020, the city of Houston staged a news conference at a COVID-19 testing site run by the National Guard in Houston, TX. At the end of the conference, LTC English (who is a Nurse Practitioner and Texas Army National Guard Senior Medical Advisor) was interviewed for his opinion on public health and safety during the pandemic. -
2020-05-09
Graduating in the Age of COVID-19
I graduated from Texas A&M with my PhD in Anthropology in May 2020. The graduation was in early May. I had defended my dissertation in late January and was working as a graduate assistant at Texas A&M and as an instructor at Blinn College when the COVID-19 came to Texas in March 2020. My jobs went online for a month, then I was activated with the National Guard on 18April2020. In this photograph from early May, I am attending my remote graduation ceremony from my workspace at the Region 6 COIVD-19 Response headquarters in Houston, TX. -
May 5, 2020 - August 31, 2020
M.A. in Zoom pt. 2: The Myth of Summer
This entry is the second part to capturing what the first six months of my graduate school experience was like. I’m a graduate student in the public history program at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas. I, like many students throughout all levels of education, felt a dramatic shift during or following spring break 2020. As the world began to catch on fire, I was just starting to piece together my final project which would enable me to graduate with my M.A. degree. Despite the chaos, I managed to survive the rest of the semester, and actually get a good head start on my project. I achieved two new job opportunities and reunited with my boyfriend after going two months without seeing each other. Things were going really well for me and I found a sense of confidence I hadn’t felt in three months. A confidence that might’ve crossed the line into arrogance. This is when I actually got serious about the pandemic. I chose to forget that just because things were going well in my world, didn’t mean things were going well in the real world. I, along with many of my fellow citizens, gave in to the idea that the south Texas heat would significantly curb the spread of the virus. As Texas began to open up, I began going out–not just for academic purposes but also for my own selfish desires to feel myself again. I returned to my local gym. I ate out (in doors) at restaurants. I went to an outdoor bar with my parents (one that was not abiding by the six feet separation policy). I heard the medical experts’ warnings against the loosening of restrictions; I was aware of the slowly but still increasing COVID cases in the city, but chose to act selfishly. This selfishness transferred over to my academic goals. I was blinded by my ambition (or anxiety) to hit the ground running with my capstone. Maybe I knew that after a certain point, it would no longer be safe nor socially acceptable to meet with people outside of my immediate community. The second and third photos were taken from the first sets of oral histories I conducted with my community partners, the Ballet Folklórico de San Antonio. This is Bonnie Ramos and Mark Molina, the head creative directors of the Ballet Folklórico de San Antonio. Prior to these interviews, I had to meet with these leaders to plan out these interviews. We were all fully ready to conduct in-person oral histories not only with these two, but also their friends and family members. In the second photo, we were more conscious of the virus as you can see Ms. Ramos is wearing a mask. However, in the following interview with Bonnie and Mark, done just [two] weeks later, you can see that we chose to let our guards down (falling in line with the rest of the San Antonio, and overall Texas, community). In both photos we made sure to keep a distance between us, but we did not measure exactly six feet. Off camera, we also made sure to interact at a distance, however, we all chipped in to set the interview setting. In between interviews I came down with a case of strep throat. I had to get tested for COVID and the results came two days later, which means my family and I held our breaths for two days. Thankfully I was negative, but strep really kicked my butt. I thought to myself, “If this is what strep feels like, I don’t want to know what COVID feels like.” The doctor was very sure that I only had strep because I had no other symptoms (such as respiratory difficulties). However, COVID is different for everyone – so I heard. I began to drown myself in COVID statistics which made me feel even worse; but also made me snap and understand that I cannot be my control freak self in the midst of a pandemic. Included are some images of COVID statistics in San Antonio from the point that I contracted strep until the end of August. I thought about all the times I had gone out, regardless of being aware that I shouldn’t; I thought of all the people I had interacted with and how ashamed I’d me if I would have to call them; I thought of what I could potentially be putting my parents through because they have underlying conditions (diabetes and asthma). After a few days on antibiotics I was alright, but this was a wakeup call and my Ballet Folklórico project came to pause. Then Fourth of July hit, and San Antonio really milked the reduced restrictions. In the following weeks, San Antonio saw a spike in COVID-19 and the city promptly regressed back to prior restrictions. I cancelled my gym membership, my family cancelled our annual trip to the beach, and abstained from interacting with some friends and family. My household became a little blue; I felt a mixture of shame, fear, and frustration (towards myself and the state of Texas). As a public historian, I felt like I failed the community I serve by acting in my self-interests. Public historians share a larger responsibility to treat out community justly and with respect. However, I chose to contribute to the problem that I knew was still there; I gave in to my selfish desire for “normalcy” and potentially put my community partners at risk. Luckily, neither of us (myself, Bonnie & Mark, nor my camera man) have experienced any COVID-19 symptoms following our interviews nor up until now. Throughout the rest of the summer, all of the oral histories I conducted for my capstone were done via Zoom. My project was slowly transitioning to become a digital project, but I’ve come to see this as a strength and necessary change. It does not seem like Texas will have this virus completely under control, and many individuals will be hesitant to interact physically or outside their homes. Creating something digital will meet the needs of individuals while still taking precautions, as well as be more accessible to other researchers beyond San Antonio. COVID had made me acquaint myself with advanced-ish technology that will make all my projects throughout my career more accessible and therefore more equitable -
March 8 2020 - May 4, 2020
M.A. in Zoom pt. 1: Initial Anxieties & Adaptation
This entry is part one of two entries that capture the first six months of my graduate school experience. I’m a graduate student in the public history program at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas. I, like many students throughout all levels of education, felt a dramatic shift during or following spring break 2020. Most institutions, like mine, extended our spring break by a week to brace campus for transitioning fully online. At this time, I was enrolled in a course called “Conceptualizing your Capstone.” As the world began to catch on fire, I was just starting to piece together my final project which will enable me to graduate with my M.A. degree. Perfect timing. These are images of what my first semester of graduate school kind of boiled down to: completing the initial, most crucial, stages of my capstone virtually and completing my fellowship with what I felt were limited resources. What is not pictured was my constant fear of the unknown. Initial Anxieties For my capstone project I’ll be looking at the development of ballet folklórico in San Antonio and its influence throughout the state of Texas. I was looking forward to digging in our university and local archives; Fiesta was around the corner and I would’ve used that as an opportunity to document the different folklórico groups set to perform; and most importantly I had planned on meeting with the community members I’m working with face-to-face. The last point there was particularly concerning for me. I’d have to reach out remotely to a community who seldom opens their vaults to outsiders. How was I going to establish credibility and convince these groups that they could trust me via an email or Facebook message? The whole concept of my capstone project also might’ve had to change. I was originally looking to create a narrative history of Ballet Folklórico in San Antonio by drawing on the experience of my community partners–they are the earliest 501(c)(3) groups established in the city. In regard to my schoolwork, how was I going to produce legitimate work from the confines of my house? Was I even in the right place mentally and emotionally to perform at graduate level amidst social, political, and medical disarray that was being broadcasted? I was starting to get cabin fever; I could’ve ignored the commotion outside so I could focus, but that felt selfish. How could my mind be everywhere at once, yet my body needed to remain indoors? (These are actually a bunch of large questions I’ve had swirling in my head throughout the rest of March.) In late March, one of my brothers who’s a Texas State Trooper was ordered to quarantine for two weeks after someone in his unit contracted the virus. Then in mid-April, my other brother came down with something that gave him body aches, chills, fever, and made him sleep all day. No respiratory issues, however, we had no idea what was going on. He got tested for COVID and his results took four days to come back. Both my brothers tested negative, but these two events made it seem like the virus was everywhere and inhibited my ability to think and produce sound work. Adaptation After a couple of dramatic weeks, I got to a point where I could realize the amount of privilege my family and I managed to hold on to regardless of the dystopian-like transitions we were going through as a society. My dad and brothers could still commute to work (that has never been compromised throughout the past nine months), and my mom and I have been able to work from home; neither of us experienced a cut to our pay nor hours; I could get back to a regular sleep schedule because I no longer had to commute from campus, which is on the other side of town, late at night; we have stable WiFi; we have insurance; we’ve been able to pay our bills on time. In terms of academics, contrary to my initial anxieties, my experience in graduate school wasn’t really compromised. I had already established relationships with my peers and professors so Zoom classes and weekly meetings for my fellowship didn’t feel so awkward. Even if I didn’t have the first half of the semester to acquaint myself with my classmates, my generation is very much accustomed to digital communication. We literally grew up on it; we witnessed the evolution from wall phones to smart phones. Making digital connections isn’t a foreign concept to me. The pace of graduate school also didn’t change much. Yes, not having to commute to campus really alleviated a lot of my stress. However, the sense of urgency in graduate school did not fade one bit. I also underestimated the digital literacy of older generations. Specifically of the ballet folklórico community throughout Texas. Through the power of Twitter, Facebook, JSTOR, online university archives, and Zoom, I was able to build upon my research for my capstone. The individuals and groups I reached out to for help were surprisingly eager and generous. Maybe we were all craving some new faces or voices to interact with, or maybe I underestimated the power of engagement. I was able to build upon my capstone, and was probably more productive with it given that I had to stay in one place and work. Optimism was in the air. The first photo is a screenshot of our final presentations where we pitched our capstone idea to the St. Mary’s history department. We were originally set to present our capstone idea to the public history department (staff and students). Initially, I thought this experience would be compromised. I thought I’d miss out on forming connections with other professors in the program. However, there was a collective understanding these young academics (my peers and I) are in the midst of creating one of the most important pieces of our careers under unimaginable outside challenges. All hands were on deck in making sure we received the most help and access to whatever resources. It reinforced that I belonged to a community grounded in the belief that regardless of the circumstances, our duty is to assist each other in our pursuit to public history. I hope other graduate students across the city, state, country, and world experienced this same empathy. -
2020-05-15
The Quest to Find the Perfect Mask
The photos show my friend Jacob who tried out a variety of masks to suit his personality. He is very crafty and likes to customize everything he possibly can. Unsatisfied with the poor quality of disposable masks, he made a very unattractive mask out of an old t-shirt. Although he liked the way the mask hugged his ear, the thickness of the fabric made it difficult for him to breathe. Jacob eventually sewed his own mask much to his wife’s chagrin. He was pleased that it provided enough coverage over 60% of his face, and that he figured out a way to make the straps adjustable. -
2020-08-11
Video Chat Birthday Celebration
The pandemic disrupted the frequent trips I take to visit my friend Chrissie in California. We planned on celebrating her birthday together in person, but since we both lived in hot spots we decided it was best to postpone our festivities. I used some of the money I would have spent on traveling to buy her some very personalized gifts. When she received her presents I asked her to meet me on the Houseparty app so that I could see her reactions. They were priceless. I commissioned an artist friend to draw her beloved cat Dulce which I then printed on a poster. To add a Texas touch, I also got her a James Avery charm bracelet with an inside joke engraved on it. Even though I would have much rather hung out with Chrissie in person, this celebration was still special. Being away from made me think about how much I love and appreciate her. Quarantine allowed me the time to reflect on what makes her unique and what gifts would put a smile on her face. -
2020-09-12
Virtually walk/run a 5K with St. Mary's University.
This email shows even through the pandemic of COVID-19 St. Mary's is going to continue to try to keep annual events running. Virtually accommodating participants from every city, state and country to participate. Personally I think this event will allow the St. Mary’s community to show their pride, even through COVID-19 the Rattler nation is still staying connected. In addition, it allows our members to do some normal activities that we did before the pandemic. We are all quarantined and allowing us to walk/run/hike from your home is a great idea. As a member of the St. Mary's Community I received the email. -
2020-07-02
Summer College Programming During the Pandemic
The post is a screenshot from the annual McNair Scholars Program Research Symposium from the summer. The screenshot captures students and faculty from the program before they began their presentations over zoom. The McNair Scholars program prepares underrepresented students for graduate school. Students have a faculty mentor who advises them on a research project during the summer, where they write a paper, prepare for graduate school applications, and then later present the research at the annual research symposium. Usually, the program takes place on the St. Mary’s University campus, and students are provided campus resources such as housing and meal plans. They can meet with faculty and peers in person. Due to COVID-19, the program had to be completely virtual; every program meeting utilized zoom. The McNair Scholars summer research program is one example of college activities that had to adapt to the changing world with COVID-19. Although students were still able to meet virtually and present research, there were limitations to not being on campus, such as what research you could conduct and the resources and accessibility of having workspaces on campuses as many students were working at home. The picture also represents the new normal of large gatherings, especially for academic spaces. All of our classes resemble this image now. -
2020-03-09
Student Dorm Closures: Impact on Students
COVID-19 caused St. Mary's University to shut down rapidly on campus after spring break. Most students didn't return after spring break, and had to make later plans to return to get their personal items (including clothes, textbooks, and other items that they may have urgently needed). Some students, who didn't have a place to return to, worked with St. Mary's residence life to make arrangements to remain in the dorms. Students who stayed faced a unique set of challenges and uncertainty with what lay ahead. Combined degree student (undergraduate and graduate) Glory Turnbull, a resident in on campus housing, reflects in this oral history on what these rapid closures of campus meant to them.