Items

• 2020-05

  Sick, Broke and Stuck at Home

  This Is a story about my being at home during covid-19 endemic May 2020. By this point, we were 2 months into lice living with a pandemic in America. Things were not progressing as people thought it should have been. And on top of going through the pandemic, there was a racial war going on. So, Not only was I dealing with being a human being and trying not to get sick Or get my mom, my little brother who is only 5 years old sick, but I was also struggling with being a black woman in America. A black woman with black parents, two black fathers, and a black mother and brother. I was scared to death every day. I hope they're dying because of the pandemic or dying because of my skin. It's still a story is still a feeling that I go through every day. It is December now, but I have a little more hope because of higher beings that I'm hoping and putting a little faith in doing what we need them to do to better our country. Now the name of my story is sick broken at home because, during May 2020, I was all of those things. I was not because of the pandemic, but because I had crazy allergy attacks, I was allergic to something I didn't know I was allergic to, and I think I was just mentally sick. My anxiety was at an all-time high. I was depressed, and on top of the fact I was home with a younger brother who is also autistic, and although he is high-functioning, there are times where he just doesn't understand like most kids don't know what they're going through and why the world is now changing so fast. And having to deal with adult anxiety while also dealing with child anxiety and having to pinch pennies because the government hadn't given me the money I had applied for and been approved for. It was all depressing, and while I am blessed to say that none of my family members who got covid died, it was so scary to know how drastic you could be. Now I know I don't know for a fact if I had to live in there was a point in February where I had gotten very sick and my stepdad had gotten very ill as well to the where we self-quarantine to not get my mother and my brother sick. I had never felt so bad in my life, and I've been very ill for four to the point where I couldn't get out of bed, and whatever flu I had was worse than that. And not three, four weeks later that our country goes through basically a state of emergency with everyone shutting down on March 13th. It was my last day of work, it was my last paycheck, it was my last everything until late May, and I still have the bills to pay. I got claimed as a dependent the year before, so I was one of the millions of college students who didn't get the stimulus check and whose parents didn't get anything for them because they were between 17 and 25. Everything in the country was being held handled during that time did nothing for me; it did nothing to help my family or me. Every day was a struggle, and every day I felt stranded like I was just a number, and nobody recognized the pain everyone was coming through on more than one level. And then you also have people who we're refusing to do what is so simple to do and call minor things like wearing a mask, slavery. How damaging that was to a fair few amount of people, and I'm talking millions of people. This pandemic is not something I'm going to look on with anger or pain because, for one, I met good people after the fact. I had many things that happened to me for the better, but the month of March through May had to be the worst months I'd had in a very long time. And as someone who's been through a lot, that's not something I say lightly. My only hope is that a lot more good will come out of this unfortunate and heartbreaking situation than bad.
• 2020-11-21

  College student during Covid-19

  It is hell. This pandemic has turned my university into a political money-grabbing institution. In my experience, I was told that my classes would be in person so that meant I had to pay for my $6000 dorm with money that I could not get because Covid-19 affected business and their hiring process. Now, all my professors have moved online by choice and I am still paying full tuition for classes I signed up to be in-person. Not only that, I am paying around $800 for a month for a dorm I am barely allowed to leave.
• 2020-11-20

  Covid-19

  During this pandemic people have lived their lived completely different because we have to stay home and limit ourselves to going out and one of the biggest things is wear a mask. I don’t have much stories to tell because I usually stay inside a lot especially during weekdays and don’t do anything. One things I did a lot during quarantine was workout a lot more.
• 
  2020-06-13

  Dad wears a mask on son's 2nd birthday

  The photo is a sign of the times. My son had his second birthday, so we (his mother and father) took him to the Honolulu Zoo. The photo shows his father wearing a mask while we were there; anyone over 5 years old had to wear a mask to enter. The state of Hawaii had very few cases of COVID-19 in June, when this photo was taken. The zoo had just reopened with new social distancing rules in place. They're actually standing in line in the photo, but there's no visible crowd because there's 6 feet between people. There were very few tourists in Hawaii at that time, so the other visitors at the zoo were kama'aiana (locals). I loaned my husband one of my work-issued masks for this outing. Disposable masks were in short supply, so my employer gave us fabric masks.
• 
  2020-10-20

  University Campus Dining During Covid-19

  With many indoor restrictions and social distancing rules to prevent the spread of Covid-19 cases, this year students have been choosing to dine more frequently outdoors rather than indoors. This photograph highlights how freshman year dining looked for me at Northeastern University during Covid-19. Although students are not allowed to be in large groups or eat in large groups indoors, many of us chose to eat just right outside of the dining hall. Luckily at Northeastern University's main dining halls International Village, there is a small green space park for students to gather, socialize, and eat together. This year Covid-19 has presented many difficult challenges, especially towards the reintroduction of education and a college school year. It's already hard to meet and make new friends as a freshman, but we try as best as we can to socialize wherever we can. In addition to eating, many activities and socials are also done outdoors to recreate the typical college experience in a safe manner. I'd say as students we are responsible or at least most of us try to be responsible because we are all looking forward to the day we can just be normal college students and get that normal college experience.
• 
  2020-11-19

  History does repeat itself

  In this short paper, I wrote about similarities between the 1918 Spanish Flu the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. I analyze an article written in the Toronto Globe on October 2nd, 1918, and compared it to the events that happened in January-February 2020 in the United States.
• 
  2020-06-10

  Sweet Treats

  My friend Maddie sent me this selfie of her getting some churros during quarantine. We used to always go get churro's together but many places have been closed. She found a food truck that sells churro's and she decided to go get it as it requires minimal contact with people and allows for social distancing! Like me, she uses food (specifically sweets) to help with stress and anxiety! She described the change during COVID, "Before COVID one of my coping mechanisms for when I’m stressed was to go get something sweet to eat. But I had to adjust that, and now I get something sweet to-go and sit in my car while I listen to music."
• 
  2020-10-14

  Visiting with Friends during the Pandemic

  My friend Victoria, has shared ways that she has been able to keep in touch with her friends during this time of quarantine, social distancing, and precaution. Victoria captioned this screenshot with: "Before COVID, I would hangout with my friends in person which was a good and fun stress reliever. However, now that we have to social distance, I FaceTime them which helps just as much" I, personally have also resulted in communicating with my friends via video chat calls. I usually try and schedule a time to call them where we can catch up and chat. I usually am not a huge video chat fan however, with COVID-19, I have become one. In order to minimize the spread of the virus and keep our families safe, most of my friends and I, have been relying solely on facetime calls to catch up. It's weird but it's definitely better than getting sick!
• 
  2020-11-14

  Cookies

  After I got the news that I get to work from home again, we made chocolate chip cookies to celebrate. I was deeply relieved since COVID cases are spiking where we live.
• 
  2020-11-14

  NPR short story November 14, 2020

  I heard this short editorial of sorts during the 5pm hour today with my 4 good daughter on my lap at home. It helped me stop, reflect and take stock of everything.
• 
  2020-10-08

  "The Nightmarish Challenge of Trying to Get an Abortion in a Pandemic"

  The article describes the recent challenges to obtaining an abortion in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic due to several states attempting to add further restrictions on abortion rights. It is important to understand that while it was already difficult for many to obtain abortions to begin with, the pandemic has added even more challenges for those seeking reproductive healthcare as well as more opportunities for anti-choice lawmakers to restrict abortion care.
• 
  2020-11-12

  COVID-19 Law Enforcement Deaths

  Throughout the year, Law Enforcement has been under the microscope, more so than every before. With all the negative attention being heaped on officers, police, troopers, and deputies, it can be hard to remember that they too are being affected by this pandemic and that no one is safe or immune. The current statistics (as of Nov 2020) show that the #1 killer of law enforcement officers is COVID-19. Hopefully, the new year will bring smaller numbers and a brighter outlook for Law Enforcement.
• 
  2020-11-09

  UK rollout of Covid vaccine could start before Christmas

  As someone who is patiently waiting for this dismal lockdown to end so I can get on with my life this is good news. Hopefully, things will clear up so I can actually go and visit my fiance. I wonder who all will take the vaccine though, or if visitors will be forced to take it.
• 
  2020-08-30

  My First Northeastern Semester- COVID-19 Style

  On August 30th, I moved to Boston to start my first semester at Northeastern University. I was meant to study abroad this semester at McGill University, but due to the pandemic there was a slight change of plans. I quickly packed my bags for Boston and drove to my new home. This photo of me was taken by my parents on my first day here. We walked around, got corona tested, and ate brunch at Tatte. This photo represents the day I started a new chapter of my life and became an independent college student. Although this semester is very different, I am still making the most of my experience while being cautious. I get corona tested every 3 days and social distance around campus. Everyone here wears masks which makes our school a safe environment for everyone. Although I am still adjusting, being here has opened my mind to new ideas and I will never forget the memories I have been able to make here the past few months.
• 
  2020-11-08

  COVID-19 Hotspot Counties: March 2020 - July 2020

  The map shows how serious this pandemic is in the United States and how widespread COVID-19 really is. This is important to me because it will remind me of the time living during this pandemic.
• 
  2020-03-17T18:07

  Shutdown

  The story of the photograph is one that many small businesses will no doubt have experienced. That is one of a thriving business faced with the threat of shutdown. The photograph is one of a small business being forced to face the threat of impending financial threat.
• 
  2020-09-27

  How Corona Affected Me

  Over 60% of Nevada's revenue comes from Gaming Taxes and Sales Taxes so when everything was shutdown because of the virus our revenue became unstable so large budget cuts were made to education as well as other areas. The education cuts are what concern me the most; not only am I directly affected but so is my community. Nevada is 45th in the U.S. for education so it shows that we will only be going down from that point. Those large breaks in education are significantly impactful for younger children whose brains are still developing.
• 
  2020-10-27

  Healthcare Workers Vulnerability to COVID

  This is article covers a research period from March 1 to May 31 involving adults with COVID-19 which included healthcare workers as patients. It reports finding who was affected, how sick they became, and the percentage of those who died. The median age was 49 for healthcare workers, 13 years younger than the entire group surveyed. Men outnumbered women in severity, but women accounted for larger numbers affected. The findings also concluded that healthcare workers are being stretched to their limits and operating with scarce personal protective equipment.
• 
  2020-09-30

  Elderly in the Americas

  Image shows two elderly people, one man and one woman, both wearing masks. These people are clearly not white but they do live in the Americas. PAHO, where the picture/article was found, states that the Americas are not doing enough for those who are over the age of 60.
• 
  2020-06-27

  The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry Examines Covid-19 Grief Among Elderly

  Doctors Joseph S. Goveas and M. Katherine Shear anticipate an increase in prolonged grief disorder after the pandemic. They contend that this will hit older Americans particularly hard. Their research begins with an anecdote about Alice, a 78-year-old woman, who lost her brother Charles, aged 69. The two were very close. According to the article, Alice felt guilty that she could not be with Charles during his moments. After his death, she experienced loss of sleep and weight loss, although it was not severe enough to be categorized as major depression. Below is her story from the article. “Seventy-eight-year-old Alice lost her only sibling, Charles, age 69, to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Alice and Charles lived in different towns but were very close, speaking daily on the phone for hours. They were practicing Christians and had similar interests. He often drove to visit her. They enjoyed spending time with each other and doing things together. Despite having coronary artery disease and hypertension, Charles was independent and happy. Alice was shocked to learn he had been hospitalized for COVID-19 pneumonia and that he was intubated and on a ventilator. A bereavement coordinator reached out to her, which she very much appreciated. However, Alice declined an offer to visit Charles, frightened of contracting the disease herself. She understood that she, too, was at high risk for dying of COVID-19 because of her age. Although she tried to reach out to him via Skype, Charles died with only the bereavement coordinator and hospital staff at his side. Alice completed the funeral arrangements via Skype. Charles was cremated without her being present, and his ashes were delivered to her. Several weeks after his passing, Alice was plagued by remorse for abandoning her dying brother. She yearned to be with Charles and could not believe he was gone. She fluctuated between numbness, overwhelming sadness, and intense guilt. She could not stop thinking that she failed her brother during his last days. She was having trouble sleeping and was beginning to lose weight but did not meet criteria for major depression. She liked to reminisce about fond memories of Charles and knew he was with God. She had confidence in the religious belief that she would see him again one day. She also knew that she wanted to live and that she would carry Charles in her heart for the rest of her days. She continued to talk with the hospital bereavement coordinator weekly, an important source of solace. They often discussed the details of her plan to hold a memorial service in celebration of Charles’ life after pandemic restrictions are lifted.”
• 
  2020-05-08

  A Student’s Daily Life During a Pandemic

  This is a post to Instagram of a story The Rattler’s lifestyle section did covering student life during the pandemic. The images highlight the story and are a scan of the physical paper. This story was published towards the beginning of the pandemic in May 2020, just as classes were moving online and student life became unrecognizable. In the story Angel Valarde, senior psychology and Spanish major; Joel Reyna, freshman psychology major; and Scott Short, senior finance major all detail their daily lives after they are no long able to go to classes. This showcases how different students lives became, and although they were less busy with running to classes it didn’t make their lives any easier.
• 
  2020-07-31

  School Re-opening Video from Now This News

  This video is from Now This News and uses footage from the School District of Manatee County in Florida. The footage was for promotional material the school district released in July 20202 for what it would look like in August to have their schools be re-opened. The video mentions the controversy between parents and schools and professionals that want to wait for in-person teaching to resume.
• 2020-08-08

  DUPLICATE: The Virtual Zaragoza Experience

  The screenshot is the 2020 St. Mary's university Zaragoza itinerary. Before coming to St. Mary's, I was told all about the Zaragoza experience, and how it is an extremely important part of the St. Mary's experience. It's a time where freshmen are finally introduced into the St. Mary's family right before school starts. Unfortunately, 2020 freshmen had a very different experience. Our entire Zaragoza was online, and I am very thankful for the Zaragoza leaders' efforts through the event; however, it really wasn't the same as a real Zaragoza. It felt like I wasn't really there, and that I wasn't really a true St. Mary's freshmen. At least, not while I was not on campus. Overall, I appreciate St. Mary's efforts since it wasn't their fault at all. This year's Zaragoza was just collateral damage as we move into this new reality of Covid and its impact on freshmen.
• 
  2020-10-30

  Artful Practices for Wellbeing

  I found this post while doing research on museums and their pathing through the plague year. Here’s one of many examples where museums continue to produce new content for the public to aid in the routines of life.
• 
  2020-10-30

  Building True, Lasting Collaborations with Source Communities

  This is an excellent online article I found while exploring the American Alliance of Museums website. It discusses the development of American museums by focusing their efforts on community-expertise to curate their items in the midst of a pandemic.
• 
  2020-10-30

  Keeping Constant Connection

  Museums have suffered in a very unique way during the Covid-19 pandemic. Without the primary form of interaction with society, in-person, museums are forced to translate their material online where chances are high they become just another online source or library. The Institute of Museum Ethics goes beyond its name in its content. Almost like a social media website for museums, the IME posts the latest stories and news regarding all things artifacts, donations, and media coverage on museum developments; a really great tool for any researcher and a pleasant read for anyone who takes an interest in preserving the present and appreciating the old.
• 
  2020-10-29

  Reddit Title: My Friend Graduating During Covid!

  This is a Reddit post by /u/Da_bigmacwillis whose title reflects the celebratory nature of graduation with the contrasting tough times of COVID, and a joyous graduate.
• 
  2020-10-29

  Governor Bergum adjusts COVID-19 risk level for North Dakota counties

  In the early stages of the pandemic, North Dakota shut down like every other state. However, during reopening over the summer, safety protocols, such as masks, were not state mandated, only recommended. This has led us to being the state with the highest cases of COVID in the U.S. right now. During Governor Burgum’s press briefing on October 29, 2020 he adjusted the COVID-19 risk levels for various counties in North Dakota, bumping nearly half of the counties in the state into high risk categories and a quarter of the rest into moderate risk. Governor Bergum is still not pushing for a mandate on wearing masks in public areas, only recommending it.
• 
  2020-10-22

  Mental Health and Online School: An Interview with Graduate Student Gwyn Hartung

  This is an interview with St.Mary's University Public History Graduate Student Gywn Hartung. Gwyn recently graduated from UTSA with an undergraduate degree in Anthropology and classical studies. She is currently in her first year of graduate school and began it entirely online. In the interview, Gwyn described her first semester of graduate school and how her mental health has been impacted by the combination of COVID-19 and transition to online school. Gwyn's experience is significant because many students in the fall 2020 semester face various obstacles with maintaining their social lives, productivity with school, and staying physically and mentally healthy.
• 2020-10-29

  Airlines Conduct Tests to Prove that COVID-19 Spread is not High in Airplanes

  United Airlines, Boeing and the Defense Department conducted tests to gauge the risk of getting infected with the coronavirus on a plane. They used a mannequin that would use a spray to stimulate a cough. They concluded that the spread of infection is not high. However, the test failed to test many other factors, such as the patient turning their head to the side to cough, coughing while walking around the cabin, and other common locomotions of airplane passengers. Thus, the test was inconclusive, and seems like a desperate effort for the airline companies to get their customers back.
• 
  2020-08-08

  HMH Nurses Working 12-hour Shifts during COVID

  This is a news article telling how nurses since March 20, 2020 nurses have had had their hands full with covid patients. On a typical day, they have between five to eight patients. Interviewed was Kristie Polly, an ICU nurse. She says she tries to provide them with the best of care especially since the patient is not able to be with family during their stay. She wants the community to know that during their time in the hospital goes above and beyond for the patient in the absence of family and does their best to keep the family informed of the patient's progress or connect the patient and family virtually with iPads. The hospital and staff do not want the patient to feel alone. Having seen firsthand the effects of the virus she stresses the importance to the community of wearing face masks, hand washing, and social distancing. The staff has adapted to the pandemic in their guidelines and PPE, testing, and treatment. In addition to caring for their patients, the staff is mindful to take care of themselves so that they may take care of their patients. Nathan Ernst, the Intensive Care manager said that they are honored to provide care to the community and will continue to do everything possible to give the best care.
• 
  2020-07-17

  Travel Nurses Share Their Story

  This article shows what things are like on the front lines during a pandemic. In the article a nurse states that they literally had to choose who was going to live, and who was going to die. They had to wear the same PPE for days at a time; even when there were feces and blood on them. There is a lot of information about what life has been like for nurses on the frontline and I think that needs to be heard.
• 
  2020-09-06

  The Faces of ICU Nurses Under Pressure

  An ICU nurse started photographing her coworkers during her breaks. Her photographs show the pressure and stress that health care professionals are under during this pandemic.
• 
  2020-10-18

  Cabronavirus Shirt

  This is a shirt that I saw being sold at a thrift shop that I thought was pretty awesome. It's the Tapatio logo that someone put a mask on and changed the text. "Tapate La Pinche Boca" translates to "Cover your f***ing mouth." And my favorite part at the bottom saying "Cabronavirus" which of course is a play on Coronavirus. Which could also mean "dumba** virus". It's interesting to see things like this because people are finding fun ways to speak their mind and take matters into their own hands.
• 
  1919-02-22

  Deadlier than a Disease: The Pandemic(s) of Misinformation

  This piece brings to light the persistence in human ability to question authority. The "tar cures" of yesterday are scarily similar to the presidential suggestions to "inject bleach" today. To me, this piece brings a sense of comfort; just knowing that the people of 1918 had their share of pseudo-scientific authority figures to dodge and denounce just as we do in 2020.
• 
  2020-10-28

  Crew Members Fighting to Save their Jobs

  This is an article about the difficulty that crew members on shows and other entertainment industry venues are facing regarding the pandemic.
• 
  2020-10-23

  WHO’s COVID-19 Infection map, 23 Oct 2020

  The WHO is an authoritative source for tracking COVID-19 infection rates via various countries Centers of Disease Control. For several months, most countries contained COVID-19 infection rates. As expected, infection rates dramatically increased as governments relaxed restrictions. This represented the forecasted second-wave. Unlike the first wave, mortality rates were much lower. Several possible causes from improved pre-vaccinne treatment plans to poor testing and tacking during first wave biased mortality rates. Lastly, it represented born-digital content regarding COVID-19.
• 2020-10-26

  2020, the year EVERYTHING changed

  2020 has been the craziest yet most boring year i’ve experienced. I remember on New Year's Eve when the clock hit 12, me and all my friends screamed with enjoy for what was to come in the new year. Before covid, I lived in San Ramon, went to school at Cal High, and worked at Primos in Danville. Now I live in Alamo, do online school, and don't have a job. Before, my Dad would come home from work at about 6 and my mom would come home from work after 8. Now, I'm stuck home with my mom all day everyday. My experience during quarantine, I feel has been different then many others. I lived in the same house my whole life. My parents got divorced, leading us to sell the house. My 1,400 square foot, 3 bedroom, 2 bath, house sold for almost 1 million dollars. My entire life has changed during the covid pandemic. I barely see my friends anymore, and see my family all day everyday. My brother chase was graduating from cal when the pandemic hit. A couple weeks into summer he started saying he was tired. We got an email from one of his friends parents saying that chases friend tested positive for covid-19. I knew right them that chase had gotten it. We all went and got tested and just as i suspected, he also tested positive. Thankfully chase was the only person in my family who got it. The only symptoms chase had was fatigue. That was the only direct contact I came into with covid-19, that I know of. At first I didn’t think quarantine would last long. Here it is 227 days later and the numbers are still rising. Nothing will be the same as it was before covid.
• 2020-10-25

  How covid separated us on a day we needed to be together.

  One of the worst days of my life was July 26 2020, quarantine was definitely still relevant, but I acted as if the corona virus wasn’t a thing. I was selfish, I wanted to see my friends, but so did everybody else. Coronavirus had separated us from all the people we loved, the things that we loved doing, and I was unable to accept it, so i was selfish. I saw friends, I went out, I did things that would make me happy without realizing the major consequence it was going to have on my life. I woke up the morning of July 26 to my mom screaming, I heard her footsteps. Within seconds I heard my moms car door slam and she drove away. Very curious I got out of bed and walked down stairs only to see my dad sobbing in the kitchen. When I asked him what was wrong, he could barely get words out. All he managed to say was “jeff, he's gone”. I couldn’t believe it, my best friends dad, I grew up with him as if he was my own. I don’t remember life without him in it. My dads best friend for years gone in an instant. All I wanted to do was go over to the house and be with my best friend, but because I was selfish and had seen people, I was unable to go see them at the exact moment I needed to. In that second I couldn’t help but feel guilty, I saw people and was out almost everyday, and because of my actions I was not able to say goodbye to a person that was more than important to me. I could feel the heat rising in my face, I was angry. I was angry because God took such an amazing man too fast, but even more so, I was so angry at myself that I was selfish and was going out. This has been how the corona virus affected me, and now I have realized that my actions can severely hurt others. Please just stay inside and stay safe.
• 2020-03

  How I Found out my School Was Closing due to COVID-19

  It was March 2020, I was working off season at the school’s pool. I had been chatting with my boss about the likelihood that school would be closed due to COVID. He told me about the district livestream going on that was discussing the same thing, so I quickly turned it on and watched it. The district stated that they would close the school for four weeks, and hopefully open up after Spring Break, I didn’t believe that we would open up again after Spring Break.
• 
  2020-10-25

  Dussehra- The Triumph of Good Over Evil

  Watch the video of effigy of Ravana, and other demons being burnt on the occasion of Dussehra, an Indian festival. Hindus over the world celebrate Lord Rama's victory over the demon Ravana, and the triumph of good over evil. With over 7.86 million COVID cases and 119,000 deaths, people in Sharstri Park, New Delhi can be seen celebrating Dussehra with high spirits. To know more about the festival: https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/india/dussehra
• 
  2020-07-19

  Cultural Institutions and COVID-19: Anonymous Survey

  These two documents contain the responses to the Cultural Institutions and COVID-19: Anonymous Survey. This survey was undertaken with the support and assistance of Juilee Decker, at A Journal of the Plague Year, in order to capture the experiences of those working in museums and other cultural institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to a combination of furloughs and layoffs as a direct result of COVID-19 lockdowns, and conversations around racial justice in the light of this year’s Black Lives Matter protests, museums and other cultural institutions have been facing an unprecedented reckoning, in terms of workers’ rights and racial justice. This survey asked individuals how this year’s events have impacted them, as well as their perceptions of the cultural sector, focusing specifically on those issues of workers’ rights and racial justice. All responses were collected through the Cultural Institutions and COVID-19: Anonymous Survey website (https://covidmuseumsanonymous.wordpress.com/), between July and October, 2020. This website was further advertised through an Instagram account, found here: https://www.instagram.com/covidmuseumsanonymous/ . The survey had 107 respondents, with 97 giving permission to have their responses published publicly.
• 
  2020-10-24

  Restaurants after Covid-19.

  The meme explains the struggle of not being able to go out and eat at a restaurants and how good it will feel when you are finally able to. I thought it was funny because it took a scene from the show The Office and made it about Covid-19 instead and when I saw it it made me laugh.
• 
  2020-10-24

  Essential Masks for “Essential” Workers

  The mask has come to be more than just a PPE. But, for me it is something that I wear when I leave the house. Luckily my work provides me with them so I do not have to worry about ever having one. I see people with handmade masks. Masks made by Nike and Addias. I swear no mask is the same, they are all different. After reading this paper by the Harvard Business Review it made me think how different masks really can be. Some are much better than others. This leaves me wondering… How good is my mask? Do I need a better one?
• 
  2020-10-23

  Travel During Covid

  Travel during Covid what mostly like any other travel, just with a mask, and people didn't actually want to sit right next to you waiting to board the flights. The actual flights were different, though. The seats were not filled unless you were a member of a party travelling together. That being said, my first class ticket as a single travelling passenger with no other members of my party allowed me to have a full row to myself unlike most flights where everyone is seated in close proximity whether you know the passengers seated next to you or not. It was actually nice in terms of people respecting personal space.
• 
  2020-10-23

  My phone usage during COVID-19

  Covid has done a lot of things in my life, although the way I would say it has impacted me the most is through my phone usage. I've been spending a lot of time at home and the way I found myself curing my boredom, and passing the time is by being on my phone. The attached image is a screenshot I took on April 25th, 2020. As you can see my average screentime was 8h 34m per day. Although what I find most surprising is how many hours it indicates I spent on TikTok that week. According to the screenshot I spent 25h 47m on TikTok in 7 days. To break it down for you, TikTok is a new social media app that consists of short videos 15-60 seconds long. The algorithm formulates a "For-You" page of content it suggests you would enjoy. Ultimately meaning during April of 2020, I spent over a day scrolling and watching 15-second videos for entertainment. That sounds like an addiction. That to me is an absurd amount of time to be spending on your phone, let alone one app. During this time, I rarely left the house, as Illinois was still in phases 1 and 2 of reopening businesses. I got most of my entertainment virtually, and as a result, developed a really short attention span. Not only did TikTok consume my life, but it also left me unable to watch videos longer than a minute on YouTube and streaming services like Hulu and Netflix. This was an issue for the while-being, but after I realized the rabbit-hole I was falling down I made the decision to stop using the app as much, and instead use my time doing things that didn't involve me being on my phone to be more productive. Today, in November, I have a screen-time that is less than 3h a week. This may be due to me being back in school and having school work, as well as working basically full-time and babysitting on the side. I simply do not have 25 hours to waste on TikTok as I did at the beginning of quarantine.
• 2020-10-23

  My not-so-fun Freshman year of college

  My experience with COVID-19 is, I'm sure as basic as most other individuals my age. I vividly remember being at the library studying for finals later in the day upset that DePaul hadn't sent out regard giving us 2 weeks off for spring break like seemingly every other school in the United States. I felt left out and redundantly did my homework. It wasn't long after that I heard a roar of cheering on the 2nd floor of the library that was supposed to stay at a whisper. I knew this could only mean one thing... DePaul had come to their senses and had given us our well-deserved two-weeks off. Although, this wasn't the case. My joyful celebration came to an end when I read the email they sent out to their student body in March, telling everyone that they would be moving out and not returning until possibly September of the next academic year. I WAS SHOCKED. Moreover dumbfounded, and not ready to have my freshman year come to a halt. Even more, I didn't feel making students move out was necessary... The virus wasn't that serious and would be gone soon. I didn't know of any other colleges that were taking measures as drastic as DePaul... because of this, you could say I was pretty annoyed at the inconvenience DePaul was putting their students through, as all of my friends on other campuses got to enjoy their extra week of spring break. March 13th has a known reputation of being the last "normal" day before everything changed due to COVID. This was the last day that many people remember not having to worry about the pandemic, the last day before everything changed forever. After this day the country took on a very dark path, and many people believed it was the end of the world. With news reports at all-time high reporting cases growing day-by-day in our country, and spreading like wildfire: it's safe to say that our entire country was in a state of panic. Throughout the next few weeks, almost all of my friends at other schools had to drive back down to their campuses and move out since the "two-week spring break" was anticipated to last much longer. After this, I felt less left out, and almost grateful that DePaul had taken the time to look ahead and save us the hassle of separate trips to move out. Being at home for the first month was honestly in my opinion pretty fun. I got to sleep in every day, and I didn't have FOMO (fear of missing out) because the country was on a somewhat strict lock-down and I knew that everyone around me was doing the same thing. Zoom phone video-calls became the next big thing in my personal and school life. I had new normals such as washing my hands every 30 seconds, wearing a mask whenever in public, and not touching my face with my hands... These were all habits that I thought would be short-lived, although here I am writing this in October of 2020, doing still having to do the same things. The past few months have gone by really slowly but oddly fast at the same time. It's almost November, I ended up staying home to save money on housing for school since all of my classes are online. Almost everyone I know has all online classes since our country hasn't taken the proper measures to get rid of covid and instead chose to adapt to covid, making the turn-around time of going back to life-pre-covid exponentially longer. Furthermore, many college students have chosen to live on campus while doing their studies to be able to get out of the house with their parents and be with their friends. This is the one thing I wish I was able to do since the past 8 months living at home are drastically different than when I was by myself away at school. Although, I understand that financially it's the smartest decision so I'm continuing to preserve on, even as my friends get to live a life somewhat more entertaining than myself. It's the price I have to pay for caring about the well-being of others more than my youth being filled with memories of going out. Now I take life day-by-day and continue to make goals for the future. But in all honesty, I have no idea what the future entails.
• 
  2020-10-21

  Arizona COVID-19 Cases Surging Again

  Arizona is seeing a surge in its cases again as winter approaches. The state is nearing 1,000 new cases a day with hospitalizations and ventilator usage is increasing.
• 
  1918-10-18

  Historical Artifact from 1918

  I used the announcement from the article to create a comparison between the situation with the Spanish flu in 1918 and our current situation with the pandemic
• 
  2020-10-20

  Online for First Semester of College

  This is important because it affected my ability to have the first semester on campus at UNLV. The government implemented multiple travel restrictions throughout the U.S. This affected many college student's abilities to live on campus in college. For this semester, I am staying at home, not being able to experience college dorms or the college experience due to the pandemic.