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2020-11-16

Having a Negative COVID-19 Test Still Requires Social Distancing

Some people have started to get tests for the coronavirus as a way to clear themselves to attend dinner parties without needing to wear masks or keep their distance. That’s absolutely the wrong thing to do.
2020-11-19

California Governor Announces Curfew

California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a limited stay at home order on Thursday that would require non-essential work and gatherings to stop between 10 pm and 5 am in counties with high rates of COVID-19. The order is set to take effect on Saturday at 10 pm and will last for one month.
2020-08-05

Navigating Mental Health and Self-Care with Hobbies

Quarantine and social distancing call for acquiring new hobbies, right? From downloading TikTok to baking homemade bread to dying hair, one hobby I acquired throughout the pandemic was going outside and moving my body. As a result, I developed a passion for going on hikes, observing nature, riding my bike near the beach, and working out. All activities were enjoyed safe and socially distanced, of course. After trying out these hobbies, I realized these activities really improved my mental health, physical health, and overall level of productivity. It was a great way to escape the sedentary nature of quarantine. It was my new form of self-care. This photo I am sharing is a serene river I swam in after a long and hot hike at King’s National Park in California. The beautiful scenery as well as the clearness and freshness of the cold water helped me escape of the thoughts and worries about navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020-07-23

Snap Judgment podcast episode on covid-19 in San Quentin state prison (CA)

Podcast episode produced by Snap Judgment in which they look at covid-19 outbreaks in San Quentin prison
2020-07-12

California becomes the second state with more than 1 million confirmed COVID-19 cases

California became the second state to reach one million known COVID-19 cases on Thursday. On Wednesday, Texas became the first state to reach this milestone. The US in total has surpassed 10 million infections.
2020-05

Critical Industry Employee Authorization to Travel Regardless of the Time of Day

When this ongoing pandemic initially began, people were not sure how long the extremities would last or whether COVID-19 was as bad as some people claimed it to be. As we now know, the wearing of the mask has become politicized with some movements and ideologies, and the safety and wellbeing of the community is being contested with freedom, pandemic conspiracies and/or blatant denial. It is now November 6, 2020, and I can safely say we as a global community have seen ridiculous and ineffable events unravel over the past year. Sadly, these unique occurrences are far from ending as the pandemic is worsening in terms of case spikes and as the people are growing ever more weary. I am reflecting during this election period, looking back at the strange changes I haven't seen before in my life, and recently I found this work document I had at home. The document presented is a paper granting the holder the right to go about their day, allowing them to travel when others were not allowed.This paper was given to me at work during May 2020 just a curfew took place. Although the mandated curfew in San Francisco only lasted about a week, I remember that people did take it seriously more or less as I walked to work barely seeing anyone outside. The paper would help me if the police stopped me at any point. My parents were worried that I would get pulled over since I worked evening shifts (luckily I didn't have this happen). What is interesting and scary about this document was that others could have been fined or got into trouble if they were stopped; this was something I never considered at that time. Others may state that this document is scary in terms of historical precedence to the nineteenth century in America. This can be tied to freedom papers in segregated and/or slave based areas in the American south when African Americans had to possess such papers stating their business either on their or someone else's behalf. The repercussions otherwise could have been horribly severe if they didn't have said papers. Thus, this paper holds power and grants amnesty from punishment. Two different periods with different purposes but similar implications and deterrents. Interesting what can be created during a modern pandemic.
2020-06-01

Take this time to explore your own town

Staying home all summer when you’re used to travel and exploring can leave you weary and unable to think of things you can do. I turned to google for some ideas and happened upon a website that gave great ideas for exploring locally. I live in Monterey, California and spent last summer exploring antique shops, boutiques, and interesting restaurants. I’ve never considered myself someone who enjoys the outdoors, but I had to try some of the ideas on this webpage because I was simply tired of being cooped up. There are so many places to explore. I took the time to explore 17 Mile Drive and Pebble Beach early in the day when few people were there. I must’ve stayed for hours just walking along the beach or the little trails.
2020-10-06

Pet shortage in SF

The COVID-19 lockdown has forced many people into social isolation, and also provided the free time necessary to care for and train new pets. The resulting surge in dog adoptions has led to a shortage of adoptable animals in San Francisco shelters, and the pet sales industry made a record-breaking $100 billion this year. Since puppies can no longer be commercially shipped, a company called PuppySpot has taken to chartering private jets to transport animals bred in the Midwest to the Bay Area. With no end to the pandemic in site, demand has continued to rise.
2020-10-28

Additional Quarantine Laws for Massachusetts and Connecticut

I submitted this link because it gives a lot of insight as to why quarantining is so important during a global pandemic, especially after traveling far distances and remaining in said location for over 24 hours. Traveling is something many of us are missing during this tough time, but this article informs me that we now have to take many precautions before proceeding to do so. We have to keep in mind how many people we have been exposed to, who they have been exposed to, wearing masks in every public place, etc. It’s crazy to think that this is our world now, as I think most of us never saw this coming as a long-term thing. These laws are important because they should persuade people to make decisions that will help flatten the curve, even if they have only traveled from one small state to another. Anything counts.
2020-10-25

Brunch With Friends

I flew to California for a wedding and the day after we went to brunch. It was the first time since February since I had gone to a restaurant with friends. It felt weird, but I almost cried to be sitting at a table with people that I love so much.
2020-10-27

Home is Not a Place, But a Feeling

In San Ramon, I feel lonely. I don’t feel like here is where my home is. Whenever I go to San Diego or am with my sister I feel happy again and at home. I feel safe with her. I feel free driving down a winding road with the windows down, music blasting, and wind harshly hitting my face and blowing my hair in every direction. I like getting to eat good, homemade meals at her house. It’s my escape from the “real world’ or the days in San Ramon that repeat themselves endlessly. I remember going to the beach and feeling the sand in my hands as I usually nervously play with it when there isn’t any conversation. I hear my sister’s friends making a hut and blasting their speakers. I remember walking further to be alone and sitting right before the shore. I listen to my own music in my earbuds and feel the tears start streaming down my face. My sister comes over to find me and laughs, not at me but because she doesn’t understand why I’m crying and knows I shouldn’t be sad at least not now. I begin to laugh too because I’m only crying since I wish I could live there too. This memory is important to me because it was such a fun trip and I feel most comfortable in San Diego or just when I’m with her. She understands completely how I always feel and validates why I act certain ways. In the dark days of Covid and having the same conversations over and over in San Ramon, San Diego is where I go to break that cycle and stay sane to be honest. It’s my motivation to keep trying and to stay calm since I know no matter what I get to go down and see her again and again.
2020-09-09

Skating Under A Sunless Sunset

September 9th, 2020. The first day in years where I wake up and I am terrified by what I see: the world outside my window is drenched in orange light. I blink multiple times and bolt up, making sure I am not dreaming and that I am in complete control of my faculties. I sit in my room, stunned, for a few moments, then go about my day as usual. I peek my head outside for a moment, and smell nothing in the air. None of the smoke that had been plaguing our noses for the past few days was permitted among the copper splendor. My whole morning, I am terrified of what this could potentially mean: that the fire was close. That we could be in danger. This leaves a bad taste in my mouth for the morning. After class, I go about my normal after-school activities, gaming on my computer and playing on the guitar. At about 6 in the evening, I decide to myself “screw it.” I pick up my board, put my earbuds in, and get out of the house. The orange is dimmer, but still terrifyingly beautiful to look at. I skate around, listening to my favorite music as I observe the neighborhood around me, the same shapes with different meanings now. I dare not to pull out my phone to ruin this moment, knowing a photograph or video from it will ruin the moment for me. I stop along Mangos Drive and just sit on the curb, board behind my feet, and I stare up, hearing only my music and the occasional car passing by. A true calm, I was in, one I hadn’t been in in a long time. And so I sat there, knowing where the sun sets, but seeing no sun. I knew when it did set, but not through sight. Through feeling. The lukewarm day turned colder, the orange dimmed to a vibrant brown, and I felt phenomenal. I skated back home, not caring to check how long I’d been gone, knowing it was well worth it however much time I spent out there. I snapped out of it, and continued with the things I had been doing before, playing games and the guitar. Not once, that whole day, did I smell or taste smoke. And I am grateful for it.
2020-10-27

Senses Throughout the Covid Experience

I remember the intercom on March 13th telling the students “School will be out for two weeks due to the Coronavirus.” At first, this was awesome, we got time off school with no homework!! But then the break never stopped and school never resumed to what it used to be. Being quarantined went from days, to weeks, to months, and hasn’t stopped yet. We barely finished the school year online and thought we would go back at the start of next year. Oh were we wrong! All we see is the computer screen! We were quarantined for another 3 months and proceeded to do the first semester of the 2020-2021 school year online. Hopefully we get to go back to school next semester. We will be able to talk to one another and get out of the boring home. This virus has blocked us from our homecoming, football season, sports, hanging out with friends, celebrating holidays, socializing at school, and seeing family. Instead, we are on the computer for 5-6 hours a day either in zoom meetings or doing homework. We now can’t touch everything, talk to who we used to, and taste all of the diverse foods we would go out and have. It isn’t healthy! We need to go back to school next semester even if it is hybrid. This pandemic has taken a toll on everyone and we need to get through this together.
2020-10-27

A New Perspective on Sports

When I heard that football was going to be returning, I can’t express how shocked and excited I became. In the past few months, my family and I had been locked up in our houses, unable to do all of the fun activities that we had loved to do before the Virus. Luckily, the spread was starting to slow, and now things, like sports, were starting to come back again. My family and I are huge football fans (GO STEELERS!), and when we heard this news we were ecstatic! While watching the first game on TV, we were shocked as to how much about it had changed. To start, no one was allowed in the stands. When watching the game, you could see all the yellow and black seats along the horizon. Usually, these seats would be packed with life. The next thing I noticed was the noise. Since there were no crowds, there were no cheering or noises coming from the background. Usually, music would also be playing to entertain the fans, but a lot of these sounds were removed. The NFL tried to add in pre recorded background noises to put into the game, but it just wasn’t the same. After watching this game, I realized how much COVID-19 has changed the things that I love. I am thankful for the slow of the spread and all of the precautions being put out to keep the public safe, but this event really made me realize how my take on the little things had changed.
2020-10-27

One Thing From The Pandemic

Over quarantine I was felt extremely bored and each passing day felt the same. I kept seeing people talking about how this was an opportunity for us to learn new skills and take advantage of all the free time. I had came up with many ideas for what I could try and do like playing the guitar or boxing, but they couldn’t hold my interest for long and I eventually gave them up. One day my friend asked me to bake something for her dad’s birthday. I had dabbled with baking in the past, but I never took it too seriously. I was watching a video about a dessert that looked really good so I thought, why not. I got up, went to the store, bought all the ingredient I needed, and proceeded to make the dessert. It took me a lot longer than expected and I ran into some issues while cooking, but in the end I was really happy with what I had accomplished. The whole house was filled with the smell of sweet caramel and I have to say it looked really good. First I let my family try it and the verdict was that it tasted incredible. My friend and her family really enjoyed it was well. After hearing all the compliments that were bestowed upon me, I longed for that feeling of accomplishment. So I continued to make desserts for my family and friends and every time I improve just a little bit.
2020-10-27

Hobbies I Picked Up Due to Covid-19

In the beginning of the global pandemic I remember having the gut feeling of knowing that this will not be over soon so i’m going to have to learn how to occupy myself. During the third week of the pandemic, my brother Luke and I had an idea to pick up mountain biking. We had gathered shovels to build jumps and lots of snacks and water cause we knew it was going to be tiring. Nonstop for 4 days we worked on the track and jump and I remember my hands feeling as if they were going to fall off from holding the shovel for so long. We came back on the fifth day to find that our jumps had been destroyed which was honestly very disappointing but at least we had fun doing it. The next hobby I picked up was fishing. Now this was my best idea yet. We started off with some crappy gear but we were having so much fun. I still can feel the amount of times I hooked my finger or got a gill stuck in my hand. The best part about this hobby was that once my friends and I were allowed to hangout we would always be fishing and it brought all of us much closer. I created new friendships because of these hobbies and I am very grateful because of it.
2020-10-27

Finding Ways to Fill your Boredom

As I sit on my bed, debating whether or not to attempt one of the many online math assignments or to find another way to fill the empty time that is left in the day. My mom is downstairs trying to teach a first grade lesson on “Beginning, Middle, and End” of writer’s workshop. I can hear how overwhelmed she is to try and get her students to both pay attention and understand the lesson she is trying so hard to explain. My Dad is in his office slamming his keys on his keyboard as he is very loudly expressing the values of communication to one of his clients. “It is important for you to tell me or Peter when you and your wife decide to…” The many conversations that are happening between so many people in one household checks off the idea of watching TV or reading a magazine article. I can even see the annoyed look in my cat’s eyes as he sits next to me. I can tell that he definitely knows that this is not normal for both Mom and Dad to be on the phone and working at home in the middle of the day. So all I do, is just sit on my bed, finding not the most entertaining but productive ways I can fill this boredom.
2020-10-27

The smells, sounds, and flavors of my house.

On march 19 california issued the stay at home order. That was 222 days ago exactly and over that time me and my family have spent the majority of it in our homes. We have spent this time doing many things, I have spent quite a good amount on my guitar, which I have just recently been able to pluck out the right notes that don't sound too bad, my brother and I have filled our house with the constant aroma of tea through making it so much, and my dad has made some of the best food I've ever tasted in those last 200+ days, just recently he made a cauliflower soup that took 6 hours of work, However everyone including him agreed it was well worth the effort! Both my mom and dad have been fortunate enough to spent the quarantine working and during the days you can be sure to hear either of them on an important call.
2020-04-04

Homemade Potstickers

I woke up Saturday morning feeling drained after 12 hours of sleep. As a teenager in the middle of a pandemic, I had nothing to do except to fix a messed up sleep schedule. I got out of bed at 1 PM and decided I would not do anything that day. I was ready to be back in bed and binge Netflix. Suddenly my sister along with my mom and dad and cat burst in my room and told my tired self that we were going to make potstickers. UGH. I told them to go away and that I was busy. An hour later I could smell something coming from the kitchen, something delicious. I could hear my stomach rumbling and I was ready for some food in my belly. I went to the kitchen and saw that the first batch of potstickers were done cooking, they looked perfect! The dough after being pan-fried became crispy and golden brown, and the inside was warm and flavorful. I wanted to help make more (so I could eat more) and turns out, folding potstickers is not as easy as it looks. In comparison with the rest of my family’s, my folded potstickers looked like a total disaster. At least it still tasted good! I didn’t watch Netflix for the rest of the day and I’m glad I didn’t. The time I spent with my family that day will forever be part of me and I hope my family in the future will make even more memories together.
2020-08

Record setting heat in California

This year during the covid-19 pandemic there was a record-breaking Heat Wave across California the hottest place getting to 130 degrees Fahrenheit disaffected Millions across California and even caused disasters like wildfires that burned houses and many acres of land. I lived relatively far away from the fires so there was a slight risk but a small risk that my how would be burned by the fires this was still a cause for concern or my family and many of my relatives families who lived near the wildfires. The heat wave burn down people I knows homes a Cause millions in property damage and lots of emotional damage As people's personal belongings were burned. for me the heat wave cause discomfort nothing compared to people across California but still enough to make me lose sleep to cause me stress that my house may be burned down The fires as well as the covid-19 pandemic were not A good combination of disasters for one year have caused strive to many as there already at home 24/7 and that whole may have their homes and livelihoods torn down and burnt by wildfire.
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.
2020-10-27

A long hike

Through the beginning of the pandemic, the smell of baked goods was wafting through the house whether it be cookies cakes pies, or something else entirely. This mixed with being inside for a long time and no longer having the physical activity and weight on my back school provide my weight was steadily rising. for much time I had ignored this minor inconvenience until I finally stepped on the scale and found that if compared to my previous weight I could now multiply it by 1.5 G’s. at this point, I decided to get back to something I hadn't done for several years to find a trail and hike it to the end. The next day I woke up earlier(and I am already a morning person) and walked by the hills until I found a trail that looked like it would have a decent length. I don't remember the exact location or name of this trail but it took me through the hills at the high points and a forest-like area on the low end. The path continued for miles and whether on an incline or decline was almost always very steep with a few more level areas to the top. After walking for hours I checked google maps to get a vague idea of how far I went and I learned I was 12 miles into the trail with no end in sight. I was also more than halfway through all the water I bought and didn't think to bring anything to snack on so at this point I decided to head back home but rested more frequently in the shade of trees I found on the path and enjoyed the breeze and view as I walked I heard birds chirping and while the heat made masks annoying it seemed to fade away. While I had not realized my goal of finishing a trail I still had done much that one day I walked more than in the past few months and it gave me the jump start to keep walking and even started running through the start of school witch I hate to say has hindered my efforts. Some teachers are blameless while others have made it so I don't have time in the day to relax even with my schedule that contains next to no sleep
2020-10-25

The ACT Test During a Pandemic

On Sunday, October 25th, my mom drove me to the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Burlingame to take my ACT test. This test was canceled three times because of the coronavirus. I had never taken the ACT or SAT before, so I wasn’t sure what the “normal” testing looked like. But I think it was a lot different than what it was like when I took it. The room that all the students were in was huge. It had very tall ceilings that made it echo when we talked. The desks were spread so far apart that it felt like we were given mini islands. There were about 15 kids per row and there were 3 rows. I heard the nervous tapping of the girl in front of me and the clear microphone of our proctor. I felt the sharp edges of the paper as I broke my test seal. We had to wear our masks for the whole test which was super safe, but that meant that all I was smelling for 4 hours was my everything bagel-scented breath. During the 15 minute break, I was afraid to take off my mask to eat my Clif bar, which tasted stale. Every time the proctor came near me I wanted to back away at least six feet. The ACT was scary by itself without the added fear of being infected with the virus. I think that my experience during the test is just another example of how a normal teenage experience was changed so drastically by the pandemic.
2020-10-18

My first restaurant experience

To everybody else in the world it was a normal day, but for me it was my five month anniverery with my boyfriend. Today we decided to have a dinner night, which was going to be the first time I have stepped foot in a restaurant since the pandemic started. As we entered the Forge Pizza Place in Danville I saw a huge sign that read “mask are madetory,” while the tables were spread apart completely. There was hand sanitizer at the enterence, which my boyfriend and I both used because we touched the door to the pizza place. While applying the hand santizer I could immediately smell the fresh pizza coming from the oven, while hearing fant voices around me. While we were about to be seated an old couple stood up and immediatey kept their distance. When we were seated the waitress had a mask and gloves on, while staying fairly far away from our table. We enjoyed our meal and applyed hand sanitizer on our way out as well. The whole experience brought me into reaiziation that each and everyday is a new experience that we shoud live to our fulest. Nobody could have expected the servity of the situation we are all facing together, therfore we need to take each day step by step.
2020-10-26

A change of lifestyle due to COVID-19

Back in March, when schools were initially shut down due to the virus, my friends and I thought it would be a short break and we would be back by the time spring break ended. Little did we know that the pandemic would last for many more months than that and we wouldn’t return to school that year. Normally, I would go visit my dad once a month but the pandemic made it impossible. He lives out of the state, in Utah, so for the first few months of quarantine I couldn’t get on a plane to see him. I ended up not going to see him for 5 months. Even now, In October, my mom isn’t very fond of the idea of me going to see him because of the way the virus has been handled in Utah. The infection rates are increasing rapidly in Utah at the moment so we ended up having to cancel my trip there in the beginning of November to be safe. Life has definitely shifted since the pandemic began and things have become different in some aspect for almost every single person. On the other hand, because of having so much time to myself this year, I’m more proud of the person I have become than I have ever been.
2020-04-09

Banned Birthday Celebrations

The spring in my family is full of birthdays. My birthday, my brother’s birthday and my mom are all fall in the month of March and April. Our family tradition is that each person gets to pick a restaurant for dinner and their favorite type of cake. This year, COVID ruined all of our birthday traditions. First, my birthday was the first day the county shut down and we had to eat at home. Then my mom’s 40th birthday was next and she couldn’t believe that her birthday trip was ruined. My mom usually doesn’t cry, but the tears were evident in her eyes. She was hoping for this trip with my dad, but again, COVID ruin that idea. My younger brother was looking forward to his birthday, but all his plans were canceled too. He was supposed to be screaming and enjoying Disneyland with his friend. My brother’s face lit up when we surprised him with a driveby birthday. People had balloons taped to their cars, signing blowing in the wind and candy was being thrown from windows. The constant horn honking could be heard all through the neighborhood. The best part was when my mom’s friend drove in front of the house and handed him a beautiful double-layer chocolate cake with sprinkles and candles. Although we thought birthdays were banned and ruined because of COVID, this simple cake made us all appreciate his birthday.
2020-10-26

A Short Review of My COVID-19 Experience

Everything started at my job at my school’s pool, when one of my bosses told me that the district shut down my school. I was a little surprised, but I got back to work, it was off season and the pool wasn’t going to watch itself. The smell of Chlorine and chemicals was slightly comforting, since at least I still had work, which was something to do during these strange times. But over time there was more talk from my job’s higher ups about shutting down the pool, and two weeks after school closed, my job did as well. Now the only thing I could do was lay around my house, listen to the news and my family stuck in our home. Online school starting up was the worst though, having to sit there and listen to teachers yell at us over due dates even though I wasn’t paying attention to what day it was, everything was just a blur. Finally, it was summer, instead of sitting outside and listening to the birds chirping or smelling a nice barbecue, I was stuck inside, with nothing to do. In June, after almost three months, my work returned! Back to Chlorine and Hand Sanitizer, it was the first time I’d seen any of my friends in person, we stayed safe and far away, but it was good to be in the same room as them. And as quickly as Summer came it left, and we were back to school, well digitally back to school. it's much better than earlier this year. But it didn’t help that during the first week of school we got huge fires, it didn’t affect my schoolwork but it did affect my work, I spent two weeks on and off at work, only smelling smoke and seeing the orange sky and red sun. Now things have gotten better, I still work, I still go to school, and I’m a year older than I was before. Hopefully, things will keep getting better.
2020-08-17

Alone in Mordor

I remember being home alone with my Dog and doing online school. I just sat there for about 5 minutes straight staring at the sky thinking i'm in a movie.
2020-10-24

Sensory History & COVID-19, Lesson Plan

This curriculum was designed for a junior level US History course. First, students learn about sensory history through the study of a historical event. Then, students are asked to submit a COVID-19 sensory memory to the JOTPY archive. The curriculum and student work are being submitted to the JOTPY archive to provide insight into the sensory history of COVID-19. They also give insight into the vast array of perspectives teenagers living during the COVID-19 pandemic have based on the diversity of their current life experiences.
2020-10-10

Scott Adams Oral History, October 10, 2020

Scott Adams, a graduate student at Arizona State University, lives in Camarillo, California. In this interview, he reflects on the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has affected his life. He highlights the effects the pandemic and quarantine has had on mental health and employment. He also touches on the division caused by COVID-19, politics, and the politicization of the pandemic by both the right-wing and left-wing. Scott also describes the precautions taken by he and his friends to avoid catching the virus, and how the quarantine and the current political divide has affected their relationships.
2020-10-20

Introverts love being indoors

How this simple facial expression illustrates government inaction, is the fact that the state governments have generally done one thing consistently, keep everyone indoors for longer periods of time than originally anticipated, and introverts love this. Not to be bothered by anyone else but themselves, the best part is, the duration of said quarantine keeps increasing, from a few weeks, then a month, then multiple months, half a year, nearly hitting nine months so far. Now due to the fact that the United States is such a large country featuring different cultures and conditions, very little federal law has been made in response to the virus. In fact some states, such as California, took a very cautious route of keeping everyone indoors for longer and longer periods of time. In contrast to other states, such as Wyoming. That state never went into a total lockdown, they only limited gatherings of 10 people at a time. Then loosened to 25, and now lifted the restriction at all. With only 760 positive cases, in a state filled with thousands of people. By leaving the state governments to decide on their restrictions was the best course of action, since there is no, “One size fits all” solution for each state. By having the federal government exercise inaction and allowing the states to work on their solutions could have potentially saved the economy from entering an even worse state or spiked the positive cases to an even higher extent. Coleman, Kali. These 6 States Never Went into Lockdown. Here's How They're Doing. 10 June 2020, www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/these-6-states-never-went-into-lockdown-here-s-how-they-re-doing/ss-BB15jodG. No author, screenshot sent to me through a friend, funny looking facial expression. 10 October
2020-07-23

Corona vs. College

I related to this meme because after getting laid off from my job, and moving back home to California, I had to make ends meet. I got another job and started a new life not expecting to go back to UNLV for a while just for an email to go out saying they were allowing students to come back on campus. My friends who are currently on campus aren’t getting anything close to their normal experience (I’m a dance major) and I’m learning remotely yet still paying a full tuition? In addition, I was reading how there were huge cuts to colleges throughout the U.S due to the virus so to me this shows the governments disconnect with higher education. Allowing the facilities to reopen as they wish but taking their funds away that directly affect their student body, who are most likely struggling financially themselves is baffling to me. Had funds not been cut, I believe some colleges may have not felt the need to reopen so soon, as funding may not have been as big of a concern. Disclaimer, this is not facts just my honest opinion and experience!
2020-09-13

Homemade Air Purifier

I live in California, and during this pandemic we have also been dealing with devastating wildfires. The pollution from these fires has been very concerning for me. Noticing that all the air purifiers were sold out and me wanting to save money, I found a "lifehack" to make a homemade one with a box fan and air filter. It worked like a charm and was more effective than most luxury models. While I no longer have to deal with the smell of wildfires in my apartment, the constant hum of this contraption is a constant reminder of how climate change is destroying California.
2020-10-18

The Summer of Stress

In the days following my graduation from community college in 2015, I fulfilled my lifelong pursuit of procrastination and let my apartment lease run out without securing a new residence. The two weeks of couch surfing and car sleeping which followed surely taught me a lesson in preparedness. I never thought I would be in a situation where I would lose my job and home. in 2015, I still had a job. I had friends who could take me in and help me re-establish; it is easier to continue work and remain healthy when sleeping indoors and enjoying hot showers daily. But in 2020, the story is different. My friends could still take me in; many urged me to. But the pandemic put a weight on my mind that I was not safe to stay with my friends; and I couldn't stay with one friend for a long time (and therefore minimize new contact). I am incredibly afraid that I could harm my friends' families because of the pandemic. Then my job as a cashier at a 7-Eleven by the Orange County Airport was lost because the travel and traffic in the airport area dropped drastically as lockdowns and travel restrictions began; many stores in the area closed. I waited all of summer before I applied for assistance. I kept thinking it would be like the two weeks in 2015; but this was not just my own negligence as a procrastinator, this was my own fault compounded by the pandemic. As the method of my hygiene (24 Hour Fitness) closed, I truly felt the weight of stress on my mind. No more daily hot showers. Luckily my mobile residence, my car, allows me to sleep near the cold showers of the beach. Luckily the YMCA has begun phased re-opening, and I began showering there end of September when I could afford the membership. I am still without a job, and without a permanent residence. It was impossible to manage what money I still have, because eating as a homeless person is not cheap; hot food costs far more money than grocery bought. I had to use my friend's address to even get EBT/food stamps; this is why the homeless folk who are less fortunate than me, who no longer have friends pursuing their safety with them, suffer. There is no address for EBT to send them the food stamps, or they as people in need simply have no friends who can help them shoulder the stress of bad fortune and extreme circumstances.
2020-10-16

To Go or Not To Go

What happens when you live 3000 miles away from home, and your father asks you to meet him and your only sibling in Florida to celebrate his 90th birthday? This year, the answer is that you disappoint your father and feel guilty about not going, knowing that his time left here is limited. But, you know deep down that you are doing the right and responsible thing. I have only known my father for the last year, but that’s another story, and would really love the chance to spend some real time with him, but I know it would be risky. Not only is my father almost 90, but he is also diabetic. So, I’ll wait to see him sometime next year, because even though I am sad and feel guilty about saying “no” this time, it may give us an opportunity next time. I think that many people are going faced with making these decisions during this year of the quarantine, especially here in Los Angeles, where a good portion of the population is a transplant from somewhere else. But, there are even much tougher decisions or limitations on seeing family and loved ones. My dilemma seems minor, but it does matter to a 90 year old.
2020-04-01

How Military Base COVID-19 Protocol affects Military Dependents- Presidio of Monterey base guidelines

My husband is active duty Air Force. Most base housing is several miles away in Seaside, Ca. However, we were given the option to move into the historical housing on post, which meant my husband could walk to work and we have a stunning view of the Monterey Bay and Pacific Ocean. This also means that we must show our identification whenever we return home and obey base regulations. So must the thousands of language students attending DLI (Defense Language Institute). It means my daughter couldn't have a birthday party this summer. Students under my husband could head to a local pub or bar to celebrate their birthdays either. My daughter couldn't play on the playground with friends, and the students here had to collect their meals from the mess hall to take back to their dorms instead of chatting with classmates. My daughter couldn't go back to school after spring break and the language students had to begin distance learning and quarantine. As difficult as it was for my daughter to be without her friends, she could still play in the yard and hug her mother. My husband's students had to go months with no physical contact. However, these protocols were instituted to keep everyone safe whether or not they live on base. How difficult must it have been for base leadership to tell us families and students that we couldn't do the things that make us happy? That the mission must continue in spite of this pandemic? I don't envy their job.
2020-07-01

Juniper Berries Grant Volunteering at the Santa Monica College Food Pantry

Before the pandemic, my dog, Juniper Berries Grant aka Juni, was on track to becoming a therapy dog and helping stressed out students at Santa Monica College, where I work. But we closed campus and moved all classes online, so Juni was out of a job. After the pandemic happened, I started volunteering at the Santa Monica College Food Pantry. Every Wednesday, we give produce, dairy, eggs, meat, and dry goods to our students in need. It’s all amazing and fresh, if we have extras, we donate it to local resources and staff. It has been great to see the community support students with food insecurities. Anyways, one Wednesday, Juni was able to come up and volunteer. And while students couldn’t give her pets, her cuteness put them at ease from a safe distance.
2020-10-15

Surviving the Apocalypse

I live in nice town in the Eastbay about twenty miles from San Francisco. Its population is around 70,000 and its downtown is home to dozens of restaurants and high-end retail stores. On the afternoon of March 16th of this year Governor Gavin Newsom ordered all non-essential businesses shutdown and locked down. The next morning I took a walk downtown only to find that the normally busy streets were deserted. It felt like I was one of the last people on earth. The normal sounds were all but gone and it sort of felt like an episode from the Walking Dead. For the next couple weeks and eventually months I walked downtown every day and sat on a bench reading a book. The business that I used to work at was deemed non-essential, so I was initially furloughed. Over time people gradually began venturing out and some of the familiar sounds returned such as people talking and the noise of traffic. Two months into the pandemic almost all of the businesses in my town were still closed. On my daily walk one afternoon I noticed something odd. As I looked up from my book, I noticed a large convoy made up of dozens of vehicles racing into the retail shopping district. Once there the drivers parked their cars and people began pouring out. Within a few minutes there were a couple hundred people breaking into and looting the closed retail stores. The towns relatively small police force was caught by surprise and within a half an hour almost every high-end retail store in town was cleaned out. There was no protest involved it was simply a coordinated raid. The next day on my walk downtown I noticed that every business in town had been boarded up and all the people were gone again. A little later in the pandemic the California wildfires began. I continued my walks with the constant smell of smoke in the air. On many days the sun was completely blocked out by smoke. The massive fires created a weird atmospheric condition. The smoke hovered at about 5,000-10,000 feet and it was as dark as night on some days but there was relatively little smoke at ground level. Now about seven months after the lockdowns began things are returning to normal and I still walk downtown every day.
2020-03-11

COVID Response Team Awaits the New Day

When the outbreak first began back in February and at the beginning of March, I was a waitress at the Walnut Creek Marriott experiencing cutbacks in my service to others as well as in the number of guests received at my hotel. However, the Federal Government sent a team of specialists from the CDC to Walnut Creek, CA in order to help treat patients stuck in quarantine on the Grand Princess Cruise Liner. At the time, people were not being allowed off the ship due to the viral concerns, and the team treated most if not all their patients at Travis Air Force Base. These doctors worked relentlessly long hours and would leave at the very start of the day and return so very wiped out. I continued to serve this group until I was laid off from the company in mid April
2020-03

Time to Complete a Decade-Old Project

We had just moved from Fort Bragg (Fayetteville), North Carolina, to Eglin Air Force Base (Destin), Florida, when my husband learned he was deploying to Afghanistan this past January. Usually, when my husband deploys, I have work to occupy my time, but I did not find a teaching job when we moved. I decided to return to my hometown of Kane, Pennsylvania during my husband’s deployment. When the pandemic started, I decided to fix up a one-hundred-year-old table left in my sister’s house by the previous owner. I made my sister keep this table in her basement for ten years, with the promise that one day I would take it with me. It only took a deployment and a pandemic to get me started on this project. I figured working on the table would be an excellent way to pass the time since I could no longer visit old friends due to the pandemic. I started working on the table in my sister’s basement armed with paint scrapers, wire brushes, CitriStrip, Mineral Spirits, and an acrid-smelling varnish remover. CitriStrip smells like oranges, and that is not a bad smell to have to permeate your sister’s house for days; however, the other varnish remover was not as nose-friendly. It smelt so bad that one could say that I was using biological terrorism on my family. Imagine ten thousand girls removing their nail polish at the same time with acetone, and you have some idea of the smell. It did not take long for my sister to kick me out of my (almost warm) basement work area, and I began to work on the table in the frigid temperatures of my parent’s garage where the smell of chemicals would not reach inside. Pennsylvania is not very warm in March, and I could never get warm, especially when I was using acetone. Acetone evaporates quickly, and as a result, it kept my hands cold. Also, I found that the acetone melted my latex gloves, and that made matters worse. My hands were always dry. Removing the old varnish was laborious, and I am still not sure if it was varnish that coated the table. Research led me to believe that it might be shellac or a type of wax, and when I scraped the layers off, everything turned into a goopy mess. As I scraped each layer of the varnish off the table, I could begin to see more of the table’s features. I began to see the scorch marks from the saw, a mark where the previous owner left a paint can, and I could see the beautiful wood hiding underneath. Finally, it was time to sand. When you are sanding wood, you start with large grain sandpaper, and you work your way to finer sandpaper. I used both an electric sander and a hand sander. The electric sander made my hands numb, but the hand sander was time-consuming. As I wiped the sawdust away from the table, I felt accomplished. Now the table is a treasured part of our new home in Monterey CA; in fact, I am writing this paper on it right now. *This is the story of someone finally getting around to refurbishing an old table.
2020-09-09

I Stood Beneath An Orange Sky

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, August 2020 brought devastating wildfires to the state of California. Many of the Northern California fires were started as a result of the lightning produced during a massive - and rare - summer thunderstorm. The week leading up to the storm, I questioned the reliability of weather information as I had never experienced a severe summer storm in California. The night of the storm, I lay awake in my bed in awe of the sound of the storm. The combination of wind, rain, thunder and lighting produced incredibly loud sounds that lasted throughout the night. My family stayed snug in our beds. But when the storm continued into the morning hours, we decided to sit on our porch to take in the moment. The smell of rain in the summer was oddly refreshing. My kids were jumpy as none of them remember ever hearing thunder before. During a pause in the rain, we were walking between our home and my in-law’s home about 500 yards away from ours. The thunder hit at that very moment. I turned to look at my son and he was completely jumping out of his skin from fear of the thunder. Following each bout of thunder, silent lighting bolts shot across the sky. In the moment, we soaked in the beauty of nature. Little did we know that these beautiful bolts of lightning would cause some of the largest fires in California history. Immediately following the storm, fires spread across the state of California. While COVID-19 has completely changed life as we know it, we have found joy in being able to enjoy the outdoors. At the onset of the fires, even that reprieve was taken from us. I live directly between the SCU Lightning Complex and the LNU Lighting Complex fires, two of the first fires that erupted following the storm. The days immediately following the start of the fires brought record breaking days of heat well over 100 degrees. The hottest I have ever experienced in the San Francisco Bay Area. The region experienced rolling blackouts and even functioning air conditioners were so taxed that they struggled to keep the insides of homes cool. In addition to the heat, the skies were filled with ash. The air was so thick with ash it was difficult to even take a breath when outside. The outdoors, our place of solace, quiet and escape during this pandemic, was no longer an option for us. On September 9, 2020, I woke up and opened my curtains to face a brilliant orange sky. The color of the sky was unlike anything I've ever seen in my life. It truly felt apocalyptic. The air smelled of an extinguished campfire. And the overall feeling was eerie. The weight of the COVID-19 pandemic hit me the day that I stood beneath an orange sky, breathing in the smell of the fires ravaging my beloved state. How did we get here? Will life ever feel normal again? It just can’t get worse, can it? While I stood frozen in place, I heard the sound of birds chirping in the distance. This simple sound gave me the reassurance that I needed. We can do hard things. This too shall pass. I just hope it passes quickly.
2020-04-16

COVID-19’s Historic Economic Impact, In the US and Abroad

The main point of this news article is to share how the pandemic has effected the US economy and other economies. I chose this news article because for each topic they compare the US to other countries to really help readers see the difference in the way the countries went about COVID-19 This article explains how the economy will be affected for many years after the pandemic is over because of this and how the daily lives of millions of people have been changed because of the current poor situation in the economy. The article is important because it informs people about the economic decline we’re facing currently.
2020-06-06

Graduation Through the Virus

In June of 2020, I graduated high school amidst a global pandemic. I attended St. Anthony High School, a private catholic high school in Long Beach, California. As a small school, myself and about 150 other senior students spent the months following quarantine procedures praying that we would get some sort of graduation to award and celebrate our hard work . After negotiating with the Arch Diocese of Los Angeles and adhering to the safety laws implemented by the governor, St. Anthony was able to provide a Baccalaureate Mass for their 2020 graduates in celebration of their four years of success, growth, and education. As one of those graduates, I was filled with immense gratitude to have been able to join with my friends and immediate family as I closed a chapter of my life, and stepped on to the next. St. Anthony High School was one of few high schools in the county to have been able to congregate in any way to celebrate the 2020 graduating seniors. Many schools had to divert to “drive by” graduations or even online ceremonies from home. With the amount of high school seniors we had, St. Anthony was able to host 4-5 different Baccalaureate Masses for the purposes of social distancing. This way, all seniors got the opportunity to wear their cap and gowns, dress from tassel to high heel, and experience what a graduation ceremony in the Catholic Church would be like. For this one day, the ability to come together and see many of my friends that I hadn’t seen for months brought so many emotions. There was much question prior to the mass as to whether we students would actually be able to get through with it. The safety of ourselves and the family’s of one another we’re of utmost importance, while our right to be acknowledged for our academic successes the past 4 years felt necessary. We 2020 graduating seniors of St. Anthony High School were so fortunate to be able to experience a graduation ceremony in the manner we were allowed.
2020-08-01

2020: A Wild Year of Change

I feel like this photo is a great representation of what 2020 has been in my life. For me, 2020 started with a bang. At the beginning of January, I was flying across the country to California with about 10 people for my wedding. We were determined to start the year off big and what’s bigger than going somewhere you’ve never been to marry your partner of 10 years?! It ended up being even better than we had planned. Looking back, I am so glad that we decided on a random Wednesday in January to get married because if we would have waited, it never would have happened. This is one of our wedding photos, just the two of us holding hands, looking towards the future, and ready to take on anything…little did we know what was in store. We weren’t even out of the honeymoon phase when February hit and rumors started flying around about news of a deadly virus that was becoming a major deal in most of the world. We worried what would happen if it became a problem in the United States and how would that affect our family. By the end of the month, we were traveling to our best friend’s intimate wedding, while wondering if we should even be attending (my husband was the best man). On our way out of town, I got a text from a friend telling me our city was going to announce a lock down that weekend and would probably take effect on Monday. We stressed and cursed ourselves for leaving but we were only 20 minutes away from our destination. A few hours after the wedding ended, the city announced the lock would be happening. We were so thankful that we had recently gone grocery shopping since we knew a panic would begin. The next days were us waiting to know if I would still have a job. The city deemed brewery production “essential” so off to work I went. It was eerie. The brewery staff met, and we discussed our options on a short-term and long-term basis. There would be a lot of switching to the full-time employees taking over all responsibilities in order to meet salaries and keep our jobs. It seemed like an okay plan and I was just thankful to have a job. While the days, weeks, and months dragged on, each day became more draining and grimmer. Was it worth it to be living in a city we were planning to leave before the pandemic happened? Was it worth it to be working a job with increased stress and less hours/pay? My husband is self-employed, my job is deemed “essential”, but I had qualifications to take those skills anywhere. I’m working on a bachelor’s and my husband is almost finished with his master’s. I did awful in the Spring semester due to work related COVID-19 stress and was ready for a change. We were already going to leave but we became too afraid to follow our plan. After a long night of discussing stress and how our living situation was just causing us depression, we decided there was no time like the present to change our stance in life. We could follow stay at home orders no matter what our address was, and social distancing is the same everywhere. I put in my notice at my current job and we both began the job hunt. I landed a job within a few weeks and that was it. We had to set this into motion. We have been in California for almost three months and it was the right decision. We both have jobs that make us happier, we’re content staying at home in our new place when not at work, and I have all A’s in college! While it is extremely hard to see any kind of light or hope during such a tragic and extreme pandemic, life does continue. My bills and rent are still due every month. I still have to acquire a paycheck and take care of my family. And I deserve to do them in a place with lots of sunshine in my backyard perfect for hanging with the family and studying.
2020-10-08T19:44:54

Masks may reduce viral dose, some experts say

Many Researchers have known that masks can prevent people from spreading viruses to others. Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease physician made the argument that people wearing face coverings will take in fewer coronavirus particles. They have found the more virus in the nasal plume, the likelier the people were to get infected and experience symptoms. Some researchers have estimated that about 40 percent of coronavirus infections do not produce any symptoms. But when people wear masks, the proportion of asymptomatic cases seems to increase. Wearing a face covering doesn’t make people impervious to infection, but these trends could make a milder disease, reducing deaths.
2020-10-08

SF Public Library + SFMOMA giveaway

SF Public Library has partnered with SFMOMA to provide free art kits at mobile library locations. I live in the city, and thought this was a neat way for the library to engage with people while their branches are closed.
2020-10-08

Watch Me Grow Right Through The Concrete Cracks

The story behind this image is something I hold true to my creative process, in aspects of the pandemic, what I would like people to know is that even when life seem colorless with no blossom, we have the capacity to make something beautiful out of pain, fatigue and tiredness because humans are relentless and resilient, like a flower growing right through the cracks.
2020-10-06

The Media & COVID-19, Lesson Plan

This curriculum was designed for a junior level US History course. Students are asked to identify a news article that highlights an important aspect of the COVID-19 experience. Students are also asked to write a summary of the article that includes an overview of the article, why they selected the article, the importance of the article, what the article reveals about life during COVID-19, identification of any noticeable bias in the article, and a statement about the responsibility of the media during the pandemic. The curriculum and student work are being submitted to the JOTPY archive to provide insight into the topics that are important to teenagers, as well as the expectations and reality of the media during the COVID-19 pandemic. They also give insight into the vast array of perspectives teenagers living during the COVID-19 pandemic have based on the diversity of their current life experiences.
2020-10-06

"Trump mounts bizarre and misleading White House return despite warnings"

A display of how the president is acting ignorantly during this time.
2020-10-04

Raiders fined $50,000 for COVID-19 violation

This news article mainly explains how the Raiders were very recently charged a large fine of $50,000 for allowing an employee who was not allowed to enter into the lockerroom during this pandemic. The NFL has regulations and rules made fro the players and teams to follow, and the raiders broke one of the rules. Surprisingly, this isn’t the first time the raiders have done this. The raiders along with a coach were fined a sum of $350,000 for having one of the coaches on the sidelines not properly wear his mask. I chose this news article because I really like watching football with my family and keeping up to date on different teams. I knew that I would enjoy reading this article and it also mentioned the COVID pandemic. This news article reveals how many sports have had to adjust to the pandemic. Before COVID, there weren’t as many regulations on what teams had to do, but now that the Corona Virus is spreading easily many teams had to adjust to the new way of life. The bias that could possibly exist in this news article is the disliking of the Raiders. I think that a Raiders fan would react differently to this article than an enemy of the Raiders. A fan might be embarrassed, while a rival might find it amusing. The responsibility of the media is to inform the public on new information. This information allows the public to learn about the pandemic and easily adjust. Fore example, now that this article has been published, I would think that most NFL teams would try to avoid making the same mistakes that the Raiders have made. No NFL teams want to be fined.

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