Items

• -0021-08-31

  Anger, Frustration, and Hope

  In December of 2020 my family went to Florida to pick up our eldest daughter. All but one of us tried to be diligent in wearing masks, distancing and reducing the risks as much as possible. Yet despite that a week later, on Christmas day, my husband started feeling tired and slept most of the day. That was as bad as it got for him. The following Monday we were all feeling ill and I was in the car line being tested, it was positive. On New Years Eve I went to the hospital by ambulance with my oxygen levels in the low 80's. I couldn't say goodbye to my four kids (two in college and two in high school) because I didn't want it to be a final goodbye. I spent ten days in the hospital. Thankfully the constant oxygen, medications and antibody therapies did their job and I didn't need to be intubated. However, the virus wreaked havok on my body. My eyes hurt and would not focus, my body and joints ached, my focus and cognitive function was shot. I struggled to find balance and felt like I weighted a thousand pounds (heavy, oppressive weight). I struggled for breath yet the oxygen took its toll as well leaving painful ulcers in my nasal cavity and after two months of oxygen, a hole in my sceptum. My sugar levels were dangerously high and difficult to regulate and I shifted from a daily pill to needing four shots of insulin a day. It has been eight months and my body still has not returned to any sense of normalcy. I still struggle with controlling my sugar levels. My cognitive recovery has been slow and things that would take an hour in the past now take three or four (like reading and analysing text). I struggle with exercise as my lungs still have not healed. Even walking up a flight of stairs leaves me in tears as I struggle for breath and feel like I'm drowning. I have to divy up my workable time because my body will only do so much before it gives out. I struggle with odd symptoms. I struggle to sleep and struggle to stay awake. I also struggle with depression and self worth. I now feel like a burden. No, I am not suicidal, but I would be lying if I didn't admit that there are so many times when I feel like my family (my spouse in truth), would be better off without this new version of me. They don't understand why I can't do what I did before and doesn't believe in COVID or vaccines or wearing a mask. It's all media propoganda meant to promote a socialist agenda. I only got this sick because I was overweight and had diabetes before COVID. It cuts like a knife when you hear things like that and when it feels like someone doesn't care enough to want to do what they can to protect the ones they say they love. Maybe that's my biggest takeaway from all of this. It's redefining who I am and how I percieve the people around me. The people I thought loved me the most, who I loved the most. It's opened my eyes to the divisions and the anger that run deeper than just the pandemic. But I've also seen the depth of human compassion and love. Friends who made sure my kids had food and whatever else they needed when they were quarantined. The staff at the hospital who ran themselves ragged caring for patients. My nurse practitioner who has been on this journey with me the past eight months and worked diligently to help me recover. The students I've worked with who adapted and were more accepting and flexible in all of this mess than their parents, as they learned new ways of learning. It gives me hope that while there is bad in this world, there is so much good.
• 
  2020-04-14

  Sweetness At Home During the 2020 Covid Pandemic

  I had just quit my job on February 28, 2020 since my military spouse and I were about to PCS (Permanent Change of Station) from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to New Orleans, Louisiana in late March. Mid-March the DOD issued a Stop Movement order for all troops so we ended up not moving until it was lifted on July 1. During the wait, we were in limbo not knowing what would happen with our moving situation, but fortunately we still had our house and stuff. My spouse picked up Covid on our house-hunting trip to New Orleans the first week of March before the Stop Movement was issued, but was never diagnosed since there were not enough tests to go around in North Carolina. For about two months we stayed home together, enjoyed each other's company, and made the best of it. I spent a lot more time in the kitchen than was previously normal, and loved every minute of it. Two years previously, my spouse gave me an ice cream maker for Christmas, but I never took it out of the box and it ended up in one of my difficult-to-reach upper cabinets. When I was organizing my pantry and kitchen cabinets one day to prepare for the time we would actually get to pack up and move, I spied it and thought I would finally give it a try. I have wonderful childhood memories of sitting around with my family and grandparents outdoors while the homemade ice cream my mom and grandmother made, churned in the electric ice cream maker on a hot summers day. I called my mom for her recipe and found a similar one online to reference (published by the Taste of Home test kitchen). The military commissary was out of a lot of groceries, so I made an online order at Sams since they had still had milk and heavy cream, and picked it up. I already had plenty of sugar and vanilla in my pantry. Before Covid, I rarely had time (because of work and school) to make desserts, so this dish was a real treat, a simple recipe, and was super fun to make. The taste of homemade ice cream was so lovely and smooth, with texture velvety, eating it right from the churn. It brought back all the wonderful memories eating homemade ice cream with my family as a childhood, to comfort me during a time I could not travel to see them. Food memories like this can transport one to a time when the world was full of closeness with one's family, when forced to separate due to a world-wide pandemic.
• 
  2021-05-31

  Pandemic pets: Pet shops seeing more abandoned reptiles

  Pet shops in Charlotte, NC report that alongside the increased demand for exotic pets, there has been an uptick in animal abandonment as well. The pet shop in this article reported that the number of rescue calls they received doubled during the pandemic. Exotic animals abandoned outside raise environmental concerns. If some manage to survive the winter, they could pose a threat to native wildlife.
• 
  2021-04-07

  NC Law proposed would ban Trans Students and Report Them

  A new law making its way through the North Carolina legislator would force educators to out Transgender students to their parents. It also would not allow for people younger than 21 to have hormones for transgender surgery or to have surgery or anything like that.
• 2021-03-06

  Queer During Quarantine

  Transcript of Interview with George Carter by Jessica Carter Interviewee: Lauren Barney Interviewer: Jessica Carter 3/6/2021 Location (Interviewee): Charlotte, NC Location (Interviewer): Phoenix, AZ Transcriber: Jessica Carter This transcript has been provided by Otter.AI w/ a 2nd pass for accuracy. Abstract: This is an interview I did with my friend Lauren about being queer during COVID. JC: All right. Hi, my name is Jessica. I'm an undergraduate student at ASU enrolled in history 494. The date is March 6, and the time is 3:01pm. I'm speaking with Lauren Barney, I wanted to ask you a few questions about your pandemic experience and how that has related to sexuality and gender expression. But before I do, I'd like to ask for your consent to record this response for the COVID-19 archive. The COVID-19 archive is a digital archive at ASU that's collecting pandemic experiences. Do I have your consent to record this response and add it to the archive with your name? LB: Yes JC: Perfect. All right, first, can you tell me your name, age, gender identity and sexuality? LB: Yeah, we do you want my last name too JC: No, it doesn’t matter LB: Lauren, Lauren, I'm 21. Um, I am gay. And I guess a woman. JC: For the archive. I'll also say Jessica Carter. Some variety of gay, non-binary, they/them pronouns 21 as well. Alright. pandemic, thinking you were bi then came out a lesbian? What were, like some of the, I guess, kind of moments that made you think that. LB: Okay, um, I guess a couple. Um, this one's really bad. Definitely Tik Tok. Like, the algorithm, I think just knows something's. And definitely I was like, this is strange. And then, the person I was dating at the time, was, like, literally said to me, like, wow, Lauren, you seem to be much more interested in women than you are in men. And that's when I had a mental breakdown silently to myself. And I was like, Fuck, I would say that was the main one. JC: Yeah, and like, something kind of, like interesting about the Tik Tok algorithm, right? Is that, like, it's based off what you yourself interact with? So it's like, not even something that you can really control? LB: Yeah, I think because it was so subconscious. It's not like I like would purposely like click on certain videos or stay longer on some videos. tik tok just, like, detected all those things, and was like, Wow, JC: so much harder to regulate your behavior when, like, it's on an app. Like you're not like consciously being like, I have to be straight now. LB: Yes, I would agree with you. Also, cuz no one sees your tik tok JC: Yeah, like nobody sees you have like videos, nobody sees what you're interacting with. So it's a completely neutral way for you to consume media, and it becomes so targeted because that's what like social media is now right. Just targeted. advertising. Yes. Um, what? Like, as you were starting to realize while you were still with your ex, though, so what are kind of some of the holdbacks that you had before like coming out and then living your life as a, like a queer person? LB: I think it's like scary when you like, have a perception of yourself as like one thing for so long. That it's like, hard to accept that that's wrong. I think especially when it's because I have had, like, a lot of like, straight passing privilege because I was dating a man, even though I thought I was by like, to just completely be like, actually, I'm giving all that up is like kind of scary. I think there were some other complicating factors for why it was really difficult to leave that relationship specifically. JC: Yeah, and when I like straight up asked you if I was if you were only still with him, because you just didn't want to be a lesbian. LB: Yeah, that was hard to hear. JC: I will be honest, I couldn't imagine going to a wedding with you to what I needed. Yeah. There was no that wasn't in the cards for me needed to not be an occurrence for you to marry him. LB: No, that would have been very bad. I would have been unhappy for the rest of my life as well. JC: So do you think that it's like a specific type of treatment that you accepted, like you were willing to accept, like so much worse treatment than you probably would now in a relationship because you maybe subconsciously wanted to keep that privilege? LB: I think yes. Um, I think for me as well like because I wasn't actually like in First in any man, like the idea of like, leaving, and then dating a man, like, again, was just like something that I, it didn't seem like a thing to me like, it just did not seem like an option. So I was like, Well, I guess we'll just stay here and, you know, have a very bad time. JC: Yeah. How do you think the pandemic specifically kind of forced you to confront? LB: I think a couple ways. I think that because I couldn't go anywhere. And I was living with this person, it was like, I saw that him like, every day. And I think that in and of itself, like, makes apparent a lot of issues. Um, I also think that like, because I was really limited in the number of people I could see because of COVID. Like, there wasn't anyone else that I had to, like, perform straightness for, like, when I was in Texas, like, I didn't have to, like see my family, or like my grandma, and like, behave and look like a certain way. And like worry about, you know, what would my grandma say, honestly, he's probably a little homophobic, but that's a problem for later. JC: Um like, when I was in Georgia, for that ethics bowl thing, I met up with my great aunt and uncle and we got lunch. And I'm, like, losing it, because the only thing I have is men's clothing. And like that really floral Express shirt, and I'm like, Oh my God, is this gonna look feminine? Like for this to like, be okay. LB: Yeah. And, yeah, definitely. JC: Like, because once you start to understand a lot of like, sexuality and gender as being a performance so much for other people, as opposed to yourself and kind of break some of that stuff down. LB: Yeah. I think also because like, when I like before the pandemic, and was like, interacting, like I could, like go out and like meet other queer people. And like other people who were like any identified as like LGBT, but like, during the pandemic, that's like, not possible. So it felt like even more like I was cut off from like, that aspect of myself. And it was like, What is happening here? Something is not right. JC: ah. And I recently just read the lesbian master doc, but like one thing that's like really big is like compulsive compulsory like heterosexuality. Yeah, I thought “I'm too smart.” LB: I read that as well. And that was not I mean, I don't know if it was a good or a bad time. Like, I think on one hand, like, it's a it was good for me to read it. Because it like helps me to be like, this is real. You're not just like making shit up in your brain. That document is Thank God for that document. JC: It's like really helpful. And it's like, caused a lot of reflection for me too. Because, like, for me when I was like, I guess I would like be with a man because like, I've, like, had what I thought or like emotional feelings for men, but like, on reflection, like all really like, mediocre men, like men that I probably would not, like ever be happy with. Yeah. Because like, my perspective is like, well, if somebody like needed me to, like, if the world was gonna end, I guess I could. Yeah. But like, I don't know, like, also just like authenticity, testing your queerness to try to have, like, fully, like, get out of that, if that makes sense. LB: Yeah, it does. I mean, I think for me, like, it's a lot easier now. Because like, back when I thought I was bi. Like, this was like a regular thing. I would literally have like, bouts of anxiety of like, I feel like I'm not gay enough. Like, I don't even know if that makes sense. Just that like I wasn't being perceived as queer. I was just being perceived as straight, which is like fair, because I was in a relationship with a man. And so it like that, looking back on that now, like, makes me realize, like, clearly something was wrong. And like, I knew it was wrong. I just, like ignored it. And so now when I try to authenticity, test myself, I think it's, like, easier to look back on that and be like, no look like, it's fine. JC: Yeah, and it's like, I don't know, because like, the like, the experience of queer women is so different than, like queer men. Do. Sorry. I just I was just saying that like the difference of like queer women is so much different than that of queer men because it's like a relationship that is just not for men in like a patriarchal society where almost like everything is for them. LB: I agree. I think it's like really hard to get out of that like priority. tising relationships with men. Um, no, I agree. I think that's why partly why I feel like such a disconnect from like, womanhood is like, what? I think society views is like what it means to be a woman like I can't exactly access that very easily. JC: Yeah, and like I think the Contra points video like does a really good job of like explaining that because like queer like Butch women, like especially being terfs was like one not something that I was expecting. LB: Yeah JC: But the fact that they feel like they need to, like double down on their femininity that they've constantly been forced to defend as opposed to, like, trans women who they believe just opting into womanhood is like an easier experience. When and I don't know, like, I guess starting to talk about like, gender expression is that compares with like, being queer. Like, for me, a lot of it's been, like, come to been becoming comfortable, like identifying myself as like a trans person. Because like, if you remember, like, I didn't always really, like claim that label. LB: Yeah, yeah, I remember. JC: And just like, I don't know, understanding that and like, what that means, because like, I feel like I have to, like have like, a hard definition. And getting comfortable with knowing that I do. Yeah. Have you done any, like, specific reflecting on like, gender identity stuff? I mean, I have, LB: I mean, I think for me, the reflection is just like, more so been about my sexuality. I'm like, what it means to be a woman because I think it's like, fundamentally different, like, as a lesbian, to be a woman than it was to be a straight woman and be a woman or a bisexual woman and be a woman. Like, I think that's the part that I have a hiccup on and say, like, Well, I suppose. I think that's been kind of the bulk of my thinking JC: My Tik tok, I'll get a lot of videos about break the way that like gender expression for women or for lesbians is like, so fundamentally different than for everybody else, right. And then, like, contrasting that, with how we relate to like, other queer women, if that makes sense, and like building community out of that. LB: Yeah JC: I don't know. That's just something that I've kind of been thinking about with regard to gender. LB: Wait will you explain that a little more. JC: Yeah, just like, because like, we've talked about, like our opinions on how there really is like, no LGBT community, because everybody's experiences so varied. Yeah, but like understanding that like lesbians relate to by women and that there is like that attraction to women, which, like, oftentimes, you have to fight about against being produced as a commodity for men. And then, like understanding like our own, like experiences is so different from that of by women because they still feel validation and can like be in relationships with men. LB: I would agree. Yes, I would agree with that. I mean, like lately Tick Tock has felt like it's a good idea to put on my for you page like videos of these like bi women who just like, wish they were lesbians or like, one day, like, they were like, I don't know, I saw this like specific one. And it was a bi woman being like, somedays I just like wish I was a lesbian. And then some days, I'm like, oh, but this man is hot. And I'm just like, this frustrates me to no end. And I wish you would not make this video. JC: Like, no, yeah, I used to get a lot of those videos. Like it's not easier. LB: Its harder JC: No, yeah. Because like, then you have to deal with like all other stuff. And there's not like there's a difference between the myth of like the greedy bisexual versus the predatory lesbian. LB: Oh, yeah. That Yes, I would agree. JC: One of those. Like, I'll even rank them one of those is explicitly worse and it's not the bisexual. LB: No, I agree. And like I also think that there's like a distinct difference and like, how I related to society when I was like, thought I was bi versus like, now like, I guess this is just like I have to like specifically like ask my therapist like when I first met her, like Are you okay with gay people? Because I live in fucking North Carolina? JC: And yeah. No, yeah. And I've been looking for one to be like an explicit statement on the website. Yeah, I use that all. I'm trying to get like insurance cover therapy. LB: Yeah, I am paying out of pocket for this very nice. She is said she's on the LGBT, whatever one of the acronym letters, and Huh, I don't have to have insurance or because I'm still on my parent's insurance. And there is no way I can be like, Hello, mom and dad, I need to go to therapy, and it's going to be on your insurance because I have some issues, because that is not an option. It's just, it's way more difficult. It fucking sucks. JC: Yeah, and like as compared to me, like my parents, like, want me to get therapy. But like, for me, it's just like, have conversation and like so much family stuff too. Because like my cousin like, Dean, he's like trans. LB: Yeah. JC: And like he was just so assuming that the family was going to be accepting of him. And that's crazy to me. LB: Yeah, JC: when I was 14, I realized I was queer. Like, I did not think I was gonna have a family. LB: Yeah. JC: And he's just like, so optimistic. So also like, trying to be this like, queer role model of positivity. LB: Yeah, I agree. I think that's really hard as because my, one of my siblings is like bi and she's like, not really out to like my parents. And it's like, hard. Because like, I obviously came out first, just to my parents, not to my grandma. But it's like when I talk to her, like, we're both like like because my grandparents on my dad's side are like Trump, Republican. They only watch Fox News kind of people. Like my aunt voted for Trump. And it's like, this. I like danger. JC: No, but like, my Aunt that but like, she's raising my cousin and like, apparently she's like, cool with it. But like, contrasting the political with the reality is so, so difficult to Yeah. like, also, like queer people have such a valid reason to be so wary of therapists and doctors. Like I don't want to get sent to pray the gay away camp, you know? Like, I'm an adult now. So that won't happen to me. But that was a real fear I had when I was younger. LB: Okay, did you have? Did you get your wisdom teeth out? Okay, on a scale of like, one to 10 how terrified were you that you were going to like accidentally come out while you were, JC: Oh I got my wisdom teeth out when I was 20 LB: Oh, shit. Really? JC: Yeah We waited a hot minute. No, but like I was really worried that for I guess, like for the gender identity stuff. I was concerned about that. Because, like, I think my parents would be accepting but I can't even begin to imagine how I'm going to explain what non binary is to like, to like 60 year olds, like I don't. LB: I tried with my mom. She just like, refuses. Oh, she said some really bad politics recently. Like I almost hung up the phone a couple times. Because she, okay. slightly off topic, but she literally said that she was like kind of unbothered by some of the allegations that have come out recently. And I was like, this is very upsetting to me. JC: Against Who? LB: I even remember. She was just like, fine, like, okay, that is not what I want here. JC: First came out is bi my parents like my mom. Like took that as straight light, if that makes any sense. LB: Yes, it does. JC: Like so desperately She wants me to end up with a man and that's just like not gonna. That's not in the cards for us, Nancy? LB: No, my mom does too. Like she has like made comments to like k before? Because my mom asked Kate right because I didn't say like I'm a lesbian and I hate men. To my parents. I was just like I'm dating a girl. That coming out was absolutely horrible, but that's fine. And my mom like asked my sister like how like does Lauren still like men like wanting me to end up with one basically what she said there's just like that is I would literally rather like die I cannot imagine. JC: like these little like tricky comments that like family members will make about um like basically trying to guide you back into being straight without explicitly like hate crime you. LB: Yeah, I mean, for me Like my mom would say this shit like to my face. Like, she'll say like to my sisters. Like, you can't fucking say this shit to Sarah. And like, Kate's just gonna fucking tell me. JC: It's super, super frustrating because like, the reflection that it seems like at least based on like social media trends a lot of queer women have had to go through as a result of COVID as a result of just like not being in the male gaze anymore, right? Yeah, like straight women just haven't had to, and in many cases, like feel just like they're being very cavalier about it. Like an unwillingness to understand and just like a complete inability to empathize. LB: No, I agree. Like, someone's because my Kate is like, literally the straightest person in the entire world. And it's like some of the shoots she says about like, gay women. I'm just like, this makes me not want to hang out with you JC: No, yeah. And like the fear, like I have like a constant like incessant fear of coming off as predatory because I'm, LB: oh, yeah, JC: definitely, like on the more masculine like end of it and like figuring out how to come to terms with that and realizing that that's not like, like a real thing that queer women do. Like where women are men. LB: Yeah. I think it's hard when the like, predominant perception that we have of people who like women are like predatory men. Like, do you remember like, Amanda, I like Kayla's house like Kayla's apartment. JC: If you think I remember any of those little excursions, you'd be incorrect. Can you remind me? LB: Well, wait, she was like, Look at this cute thing I'm wearing and then, you know, what do you remember? JC: Like vaguely? Okay, I'll probably fill in LB: like, both of us were like, wait, Amanda. No, we are like not looking JC: Oh, yeah. No, I do remember this LB: Like, I felt so fucking uncomfortable. JC: No, yeah. In like, it's so weird. Because she was like, look at my outfit. And both of us were like, I physically can't. LB: Yeah, I was like, I would rather die right now. Yeah. No, yeah. JC: And like, just like understanding and like, the way the pandemic has, like, forced you to look at those things is like, super frustrating. Because I definitely feel like it forced, like a lot of queer women to reckon with that before they might have been ready. LB: Yeah, I don't know that I was ready. JC: You needed to be? LB: I agree with you. Because I think if it went on any longer, that would be absurd. And it would just make it way more difficult. And then I wouldn't have had a lot of the experiences that like I had. JC: just wish that like. I don't know that like, even like straight women at all would do that kind of reckoning. Just like think about it. Because like, I feel like a lot for a lot of straight women because I've not seen very many like healthy straight relationships. LB: Yeah, I haven't either. JC: They just like hate their husband. And they're like, Well, why can't like are women like also to take their husbands? Like the rest of us? LB: Like, that's like, so frustrating to me. Because, like, being in a fulfilling relationship where the person doesn't treat you like a piece of shit. It's like, so nice. And this pisses me off like so. Like, it just makes me angry for those women. JC: Even like being in a queer relationship. I took it for so long. LB: Yeah JC: So wild to me too. Because like my like, in that relationship, the perception of like, She's like, the nice like fun one. And Jessica is like, a diet asshole all the time. Yeah, like, I don't know, like, I wish there was like a space where these relationships could be talked about to understand, like, the dynamics that they have. Because like, I think that like an open dialogue would make like straight and queer relationships so much healthier. LB: Yeah, I agree. I think like the is there's so much like stigma around that type of stuff. Like I know, for me, it was like, especially true like, first of all, you have to admit to yourself that there's a problem, which is very hard. And then to like, say that out loud to another person means you like can't ignore it anymore. JC: No, yeah, I remember. One time I got coffee with our dear debate friend. JC: Yeah. And I was with him and I was like, I should be happy. Like I've had this like girlfriend for like three years. I'm like, about to go do a study abroad. Like things should be good, but like my rat brain keeps telling me that I have to break up with her. And like, have you ever thought about maybe breaking up with her? I was like, no. LB: I feel that JC: like the same sense of security that like comes from being in like, a queer relationship because like dating or queer is so much more different to like, depending on like how progressive the area you're in is. Yeah. I don't know, the pandemic has definitely been like good for reflecting but like maybe not in like the healthiest way if you're constantly focused on yourself. LB: No, I agree. I think also because like a lot of people like are missing their, like normal support systems. Like having to do that recognition can be like so much more. I don't want to say like harmful but for lack of a better word, like it can be like a lot harder, I think. JC: Yeah, really stressful. Um, Do we have anything more to say about this or? LB: I don't know. That those were my comments. JC: I don't think so. This is about 25 minutes, so it's probably good. Alright, I'll stop recording.
• 2021-02-23

  How Covid-19 effected me

  Around March 2019 I was a freshman in college. At this time I was attending an HBCU in North Carolina 10 hours from where I live. Around this time Covid was relatively new and we didn't know much about it. About mid March the whole school received an email that we all had to pack up and leave campus by the following week and for some people that was easy because they lived either in North Carolina or in a close distance. After finding put this information I had to contact my parents and let them know of the situation. My family isn’t poor but we are not rich either so the finical stress that was put on them to call off of work and try and get some type of rental car big enough for all of my things without paying a bunch of money because we didn't have that to spend and rental companies already knew that this time was coming so of course they used it as a way to get more money my raising all the rental prices. So fast forward I come home and now were doing virtual school which was okay I really missed campus and my friends and class was so much more boring staring at a computer screen all day all the stores were closed it honestly felt like the world around me just completely stopped grocery stores closed no tissue or paper towels it was just everything happened so fast but I’m so grateful for my parents for coming to get me because they could of easily made me stay with a relative but they sacrificed a lot to get me home and I really appreciate it so much
• 
  2021-02-07

  Plan A Reopening Schools and Rights

  This document from North Carolina Association of Educators is explaining the legal facts that educators have in my state when it comes to opening schools fully under Plan A. This document shows what legal protections we have and don't have as a state employee and how COVID-19 is viewed as a public health issue. It is important to note that as of right now most school districts in my state are not on Plan A which is 100% open but instead are either on Plan B or Plan C. Plan B is partially open/ online and Plan C is strictly online. Our governor is encouraging our schools to reopen and is opening more vaccine sites as teachers are next in line for the vaccine. This is important to document because every state is doing so many different things and people's rights vary from state to state.
• 
  2021-02-04

  My Grandma's Passing

  Travel restrictions and emotional impact.
• 
  2021-01-24

  Students Accessing the Vaccine

  College students have been left out of many of the COVID relief efforts such as the stimulus payments. And now due to their status as healthy and young adults, many of them are now at the back of the line for receiving the COVID vaccine. An estimate reported by best colleges states that college students can expect to get the vaccine in April with the rest of the general population. North Carolina initially planned to prioritize college students but has now recently revised its plan so that this is no longer the case. For college students, the COVID process can be incredibly frustrating as they exist in an economically precarious place, as they are going to school and in many instances unable to work full time or worked service jobs that do not exist under COVID conditions. Vaccine access seems to be another area in which college students are disadvantaged due to their status and age. https://www.bestcolleges.com/blog/when-college-students-will-receive-covid19-vaccine/#:~:text=Most%20college%20students%20will%20wait,outstripped%20supply%20in%20many%20areas. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/north-carolina/articles/2021-01-14/nc-to-vaccinate-those-65-college-students-not-prioritized
• 
  2019-09-13

  Canceled Pride Parade

  My first time at a Pride parade was in 2019. The time at the pride parade made me super proud of who I am and that facet of my life. The photo I chose from the parade is that of the giant unicorn. I chose to use the unicorn photo because it truly represents LGBTQ+ people I feel because many people in my community consider themselves a unicorn which represents a mythological creature that is a myth and shows people view them as unique. The reason this picture represents Covid-19 is that for the past two years the Pride Parade in Durham, North Carolina has been canceled. It has bummed me out not being able to go to the Pride parade because having a new excitement for my community made me sad that I could not continue this. Also, I was looking forward to this event annually and making it a tradition.
• 
  2021-01-17

  My Covid-19 Experience

  The essay I've submitted demonstrates the societal issues that the pandemic has helped to unmask as well as serving as a personal documentation of my own journey.
• 
  11/27/2020

  CJ Willingham Oral History, 2020/11/27.

  The Oral History interview is with CJ Willingham and she describes her experiences and views during the pandemic year. CJ gives her encounters during the initial pandemic and how the pandemic is affecting her now. She explains her perspective on more than the pandemic. CJ shares her knowledge on protests, police brutality and police reform.
• 
  2020-10

  Vacation and Covid

  Here is a picture of my husband on a short trip to North Carolina. It was the first time that we had gone anywhere outside of our town in 7 months due to quarantine. We wore our masks at all times except when we were by ourselves. Here he is enjoying the small river we stayed near.
• 
  2020-05-01

  What I did During Lockdown

  During the Covid pandemic lockdown was starting to ramp up and my manager came through the hospital with sheets that basically were to be shown to police or someone who would stop me from driving on the highway, or roads while going to work. This paper stated that I was an essential employee of the UNC hospitals, and that I had permission to leave my house. However many people were not allowed to go to work because their buildings were shut down and local government were not allowing businesses to operate. Some of my friends were let go, my sister was furloughed, and my roommates had to work from home. I never realized that the sheer boredom started to get to people. One of my friends had to take medication for anxiety because not being able to go to work or do anything social was becoming too stressful. While I worked a full 40 hours every week, I found that I had my weekends that I filled with classic films, new TV shows and all types of social media. Cleaning the house every weekend was part of my weekend routine because there was no where else I really felt like being, and seeing the whole hospital cleaned up I started finding things to clean around the house. Within a few weeks I began going to the local lake, Falls lake and would take long walks around it or just sit and watch the sunset, during the later part of the summer I went to photograph the sand storms from Africa that made the sunsets spectacular. While many people had to make things up and go back and forth between work and boredom and being in the same environment all the time, I was given the luxury to see the weekend in a whole new way. With the coming of the summer at the time people were expecting to have a summer hopefully and as can be seen in this video from Wral planning on having outdoor time that they could go about in the old social environments, such as the mall or local shops.
• 
  2020-10-01

  Roadtrip

  This is a picture of my husband from our trip to Chimney Rock, North Carolina. We had not left our city of Charleston for months due to Covid, but decided to take a small trip for my 30th birthday. The entire time we were playing tourist, we wore our masks and did our best to social distance. In the area we stayed, there were signs everywhere that explicitly said, "You must wear your mask" or "Masks are required". However, many people chose not to wear them or had them on incorrectly. It was a little odd being around so many people during this time, but we made the best of it.
• 2020-03-16

  Silence at School, March 2020

  This is a true anecdote about my experience as teacher during the pandemic, and the sensory experience by which I recall these events. I am a teacher at a middle school in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In winter of 2019, I was aware of the coronavirus, which was something my students often joked about. For instance, if a child was out sick one day, the students would say the he or she had coronavirus, and everyone would laugh about it. It was funny to them at this time, because the virus was something that was mostly contained to places outside of the United States, and everyone thought it was preposterous that there was so much speculation about it on the news. My students engaged in speculation as well, and many of them concluded that it was actually a big cover-up for a zombie plague, and they would try to determine if I or their peers were also zombies in disguise. I recall hearing them laugh about it in the class, and I especially recall the return of one of our students to class after she had been out from the flu. I remember them asking her if she was a zombie, or if she had eaten bats before she got sick (remember, these are middle-school kids). Winter passed pretty much as usual, and cases began to occur in the US early in 2020. It was still seen as no big deal, generally. In March, we started to hear news stories about the virus in Winston-Salem. Some people claimed to know people who knew people who were related to someone with the disease in Greensboro. More and more cases began to appear, but it still seemed like something distant to us. Gradually, the sickness moved from Greensboro to Winston-Salem. I caught a cold in March, and by the end of the day on a Wednesday, I was feeling pretty bad. I told my many bosses that I would be out of work on Thursday, and on Thursday evening, I called out again. The first day that I was out sick, the school district had decided to close down the schools until further notice, starting the next day. I never got the chance to tell my kids goodbye, which was very painful, as we were all close and we had such a good experience in my class. Today, in October of 2020, I still haven’t seen any of them, as my school district is currently closed for in-person school. I wish very badly that I had the opportunity to say goodbye to them. Those are the events as they occurred chronologically. I will now recall the sounds that constitute my memory of the time. To begin with, my school is loud—our students are beyond unruly. I can recall the sounds of the end of a regular school day: raucous laughter, shouting, cursing, threats, insults, loud rap music, and the sound of me flipping the switch to cut off the overhead lights as we prepared to exit the classroom and make our way to the school buses. Then comes the sound of the announcements overhead, which no one can hear over the students, then the prolonged loud and dull tone of the "bell" which signals the beginning of the stampede to the buses. A chorus of shouts raises immediately—a proclamation of victory and freedom. It is exuberant. What follows is hundreds of footsteps on linoleum tiles, backpacks shuffling as kids adjust them on their backs, more yelling, screaming, and swearing, the sounds of an occasional "runner," who knocks the other students down to get to the buses, a teacher shrilly, piercingly yelling at him to go back and "try again", and reminding him that "you will not go up these stairs unless you can walk up them!," a muttered "f---you, b----," from a male voice that is just about to begin deepening as he turns around to try again, and so on until we get to the buses, load those kids up, and ship them out. Going to my car every day after work is over, my ears ring as I sit in the silence of my car with the doors shut before starting the engine and making my way home. I often sit for just a minute or two and enjoy the silence before departing, but the ringing in my ears gets uncomfortably loud, and I finally turn the car on and leave. When I go back to school on the Monday following my sick leave, the difference is remarkable. The school district has instructed us to come in safely, get whatever we need from our classroom that we require to work at home, and leave as soon as possible. Teachers are strictly instructed to only walk directly to and from their classrooms to their vehicles, not to visit with their friends, etc. Everyone is in their classroom, working quietly. The only sounds I hear as I walk down the halls to my room are the hum of overhead fluorescent lighting and my heels striking the linoleum tiles, echoing off the walls and rows of lockers. I hear my key turn in the lock of my classroom door, the flick of the switch to on, more humming fluorescent lights. Shuffling papers and sliding metal desk drawers and file cabinets come next. With a handful of papers in my arms (I travel light), I cut off the lights—the humming stops—and my heels strike the linoleum tiles until I open the exit door, walk across the parking lot, and leave. This time, the silence of my car is nothing extraordinary. Gone are the shouts, the yelled jokes, the subsequent laughter, the retaliatory swearing. Also gone are the kids coming up to me to just say "hey," do one of the complex handshake rituals we have worked out, and to ask me if they can have a dollar for a cookie in the cafeteria, which is a request that I have obliged so often that I will count it as a charitable donation on this year's tax return. On that last day in the school building, there was no sound of a kid coming up to me to tell me how well he did in last night's basketball game, and how poorly his best friend did by comparison, or a girl walking up to tell me that an unpopular teacher has once again worn ugly clothes to work, and that her shoes don't match either—middle school students pay a lot of attention to these things. Put simply, those are all happy sounds. They are the sounds of kids doing what kids do in 2020, saying the things that they say, and teachers managing the best they can. The sound of kids coming up to me to talk are the sounds of acceptance—acceptance of a teacher into their lives, who is usually the categorical enemy of the student. I'm glad to be an exception. These are the pre-Covid sounds. What follows conveys emptiness. The sound of echoing footsteps rebounding from the walls demonstrates how vacant the hallways are. The fact that I can hear the overhead lights hum is amazing in its novelty. The chatter of students is all gone, the desks, empty. For a teacher who loves his students, the sounds that follow the March arrival of the pandemic are the sounds of loneliness.
• 
  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.
• 
  2020-10-08

  Is this our future?

  I look at this photo of my granddaughter wearing a mask and cannot help but think this might be her future. When I was her age, we did not have to worry about such horrible things like a deadly virus taking lives locally and globally. But if this is to be her future, then it will be second nature to her, because she will have grown up with it. I still find it hard to believe that my granddaughter at three years old, and my three grandsons have fallen in line with the protocol of changes this pandemic has brought to our doorstep and what they now have to endure. Sure, they may have some complaints about missing their friends. Who wouldn’t? But in today’s world, we have the luxury to still communicate through technology. I am not saying it replaces social interactions, but it does keep us connected to our friends and family, which is so crucial in all aspects of our lives. They did have a choice to attend school physically or virtually; they chose to take classes online. By staying inside and only going out when necessary, they are protecting themselves and others. The rest of the world needs to understand how serious Covid-19 is, and I know so many do. But some still do not believe it is real or that serious. Some of those people I know personally, and it drives me insane! But do you blame them when every day you see in the media many high-profile political leaders stand in front of the camera before the masses and make fun of other high profile politicians for following the CDC Covid-19 protocol so as not to spread the virus? What examples are they setting? There is no respect shown for those who have lost family and friends or those infected with Covid-19. Why are we told not to worry the virus is not that bad when thousands have and still are leaving this world because of being infected with the virus. So, it is no wonder this type of influence has caused such unrest between officials trying to control the virus and those fighting against them. Here in NC, the populous are fighting our governor on closing the doors of different establishments, such as retail stores, restaurants, salons, non-essential establishments, churches, etc., when the pandemic is at its highest. If the virus has leveled and not spiking, he will go into one of the softer phases, more lenient to the establishments and all in lockdown. What is surprising and so disappointing is in so many church leaders' attitudes—how they have handled the pandemic from the very beginning. You can expect a lot of rebellion from some of the retail industry, restaurants, clubs, and so on. But when you witness on the news a church with its community, not following the Covid-19 protocol, passionately holding a rally against the governor’s mandates, you wonder what the logic really is behind their actions. Apparently, it is not about spreading the virus. It is disturbing, like a scene from a bad movie; it is so unbelievable. It confuses me because we learned in church to love and care for one another. Still, these churches' leaders chose to sue the governor, instead of protecting the parishioners and others from a worldwide pandemic, leading by setting a good example. The virus hit the state hard. The governor mandated the closing of all church doors. He did not have a sinister plan to take people's rights away. The governor is desperately trying to stop the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic and asking the cooperation from NC. Once all settled and under control, the doors will open to the churches as well to life itself. The churches' leaders are not thinking of their people's wellbeing or the rest of the world when a virus of this proportion is spreading worse than the flu. The leaders of the churches that are suing are causing unrest between their congregation and the governor. They should be following the guidelines set by the governor and the CDC by using new and inventive ideas to service and protect their communities from getting through these difficult times. Some religious communities are coming together and putting their brains to work, coming up with creative ways to continue to carry on their religious traditions. Documentaries have shown religious organizations across the globe, organizing ways to continue their spiritual practice and rituals. Friends have shared their experiences of what their churches are providing for them to keep the connection of faith alive. These stories are refreshing and give me hope, but it does not make up for the injustice because a federal judge overruled the governor's mandate and opened the doors. So, are we mixing religion with the government? I am so proud of my grandchildren for understanding and being more compliant with this horrific pandemic than the adults we see on social media. If one has true faith, one can worship anywhere because my understanding is the god these parishioners believe in would accept praise and worship from anywhere - not exclusively a church. The question is, who really has the power and who has always driven that power?
• 
  2020-08-21

  A Fluid Jail Cell

  The story I uploaded is my personal story about how my family and I handled the pandemic. A lot of what is on the news are extreme cases and I wanted to share that although these last months have sucked I have had the opportunity to be a part of an amazing community supporting each other and helping each other stay safe.
• 
  2020-08-10

  The Heart of Fuquay-Varina

  All of the small businesses in downtown Fuquay-Varina, a small town south or Raleigh, NC, painted hundreds of hearts on their windows while they were closed during COVID. It brought a sense of togetherness for the entire town while we were all isolated at home.
• 
  March 27, 2020

  From 24/7 to 24/3

  During these times of quarantine and working from home, it feels like every day is the weekend. It can be hard for some to keep track of time, unaware of what day it is. Instead of stating a specific day such as Monday or Friday etc, the creator plays with this concept and says that yesterday, today, and tomorrow is currently the way to keep track of time.Original text: Due to Corona, we officially have three days of the week 1. Yesterday 2. Today 3. Tomorrow
• 
  2020-04-05

  Coloring Sheet

  Coloring has been therapeutic during COVID-19. Charlotte, NC-based artist Stephen Wilson distributed a coloring book over email and social media to encourage everyone during this time.
• 
  07/10/2020

  Alexis Walker Oral History, 2020/07/10

  Alexis Walker grew up in Southern California but is currently living in Fayetteville, NC while her husband is stationed at Fort Bragg. Alexis is currently a full-time mom and a full-time graduate student in Arizona State University’s online History M.A. program. Alexis’s day-to-day life is mostly centered around her family and the social life of the family is heavily centered around the military community of Fort Bragg. In this interview Alexis reflects on her experiences as a mother during the COVID-19 pandemic and how that has affected the way she cares for her children. Alexis also provides a unique insight to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lives of military members, their families, and the military community as a whole. With the stop movement order issued by the military, the lives of Alexis and her family have essentially been put on hold until the military decides to relax this movement and travel restriction. Finally, Alexis reflects on the varying responses to the pandemic within a community made up of great diversity due to the varying cultural backgrounds of military families.
• 
  2020-07-10

  Freed From Prison, Dead from COVID-19, Not Even Counted

  The Butner prison complex in North Carolina is also a medical facility. Basically a prison that is set up to take care of inmates with chronic illness and disease, like cancer, etc. This facility has so mismanaged the covid pandemic that the few people being released early in an attempt to slow the spread were released, only to find out they already had covid and died after boarding planes to travel home.
• 
  2020-06-10

  Gay Pride Flag at Amazon Warehouse during Covid-19

  This photograph shows that despite the Covid-19 pandemic, efforts to continue the Civil Rights movement via the LGBTQ+ movement is still continuing, even in the work place.
• 
  2020-06-06T17:53

  Black Lives Matter Rally Concord, NC June 6th, 2020

  I was driving through downtown and noticed a section was blocked off and then I saw that it was infact a Black Lives Matter Rally. So, I pulled over and walked up to the rally to check it out and to talk to people and see what their views were on the issue.
• 
  2020-05-29

  Grocery Store Worker Still Wears Lipstick Under Her Mask

  My brother-in-law is a grocery-store worker in Texas. As the numbers of positive Covid cases rise, he continues to go to work. He believes in his heart that his work is important and that he is an essential worker. Jobs previously overlooked such as truckers, grocery store workers, or waste management, Now Americans are celebrating these workers.
• 
  2020-06-04

  Couple Gets Engaged During North Carolina Protest

  The country had many protests in June. Some were violent, but most were peaceful. There has never been such a large civil rights movement in our history. One particularly touching story is the story of a man who admired his girlfriend's commitment and action so much, he knew that he wanted to marry her. I guess he was considering marriage because he happened to have a ring in his pocket. So he got down on one knee and asked the big question. She said yes behind her face mask. She is pregnant and they call their child "Baby Batman" and plan to marry in September 2021.
• 
  2020-05-09

  Crabtree Mall Reopening

  The Crabtree Valley Mall was starting to reopen after over a month of being closed due to COVID-19.
• 
  2020-03-13

  Empty Shelves at Target

  When I went to Target to get Clorox wipes for my team, I saw the empty shelves of what should be products. It's important to record the item shortages and panic buying
• 
  2020-06-19

  Juneteenth Prompts Voter Registration in Black Communities

  The recent protests and Black Lives Matter Movement have sparked America's interest in promoting Black culture and historical events. One such event, Juneteenth Day, has captured the attention of many people. Juneteenth celebrates the day when the slaves in Texas were freed by incoming Union soldiers who were enforcing the Emancipation Procaliamtion Executive Order while also stating that the Civil War has ended (June 19th, 1865). Juneteenth was primarily celebrated in Texas until it spread to other cities and states during the 20th century. This was especially true during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Men and women who had participated in the Poor People's March on Washington D.C. began to host Juneteenth celebrations when they eventually went back to their respective states and cities. Today, Juneteenth "celebrates African American freedom and achievement, while [also] encouraging continuous self-development and respect for all cultures." One way African American organizations have promoted this 'self-development' is through voter-registration. In Navassa, a large black community near Wilmington, NC, two organizations have come together to do just this. As the news article states, "Women with [social sororities] Alpha Psi Omega Chapter and Alpha Kappa Alpha are sponsoring [a] three-day...voter-registration drive." People who come to this event are required to wear face masks and maintain a 6ft distance between themselves and others at all times. Although the Coronavirus has negatively impacted the Black communities in America, this Juneteenth Day will hopefully incite a rise in black-voter-registration and raise awareness for this important day in history.
• 
  2020-06-10

  Petition to Change a Park's Name During the Pandemic

  Even though the pandemic still lingers, the world is pressing on to combat other issues. The recent protests have reawoken the subject of racism in America. I believe the pandemic has afforded us with a unique situation where the nation has more time to discuss this issue at large. Plus, a lot more people have participated in those protests because they are either working from home or have lost their jobs, unfortunately. With all this additional time, people have sought to make changes to promote a more welcoming environment for the black community in many towns and cities. Thousands of residents in Wilmington, NC, have already begun a petition to make such a change. One of the city's most popular parks was named after Hugh MacRae. This man co-lead the plan to overthrow Wilmington's local government. While doing this, his group also demolished a black-owned newspaper office and killed/injured many African Americans. This event became notoriously known as the 1898 Wilmington Massacre. Over 8,000 people have already signed a petition to change the park's name. An interview by WECT News I watched today really struck me. The woman, who was a peaceful protester, had been asked why she thought changing the name of the park was necessary. She told the news anchor that "'I grew up there, I had birthday parties there, and it was always a terrible reminder of the history of Wilmington and having that park, a public park be named after somebody of such vile reputation is shocking and it’s a shame that although Wilmington acknowledged its history it does not do more and be more proactive to make a change.'" The legacy that this man and his mob caused has continued to negatively affect the black community in Wilmington. Renaming that park could lead to a reconciliation of the past in the present day. The reintroduction of the issue of racism and Black Lives Matter might not have been as impactful as it was if the pandemic had not occurred in the first place. Having people at home watching TV (especially the news), helped garnered the attention it needed to begin the movement again.
• 
  2020-06-03

  Information on Covid in Both English and Spanish

  This is a photograph of informational signage outside of the Civic Center in Clinton, North Carolina. The sign is written in both English and Spanish, illustrating how the Clinton was making information accessible to its diverse population.
• 
  2020-05-31

  Order Adopting Citywide Curfew During State of Emergency

  This order, written by city mayor Lew Starling, declares that as of March 18, the city of Clinton will be placed under a curfew from 8pm-6am until June 1 due to both Covid-19 and the presence of peaceful demonstrations following the murder of George Floyd
• 
  2020-05-31

  Curfew Declaration for the City of Clinton

  Following the Black Lives Matter demonstrations in the neighboring city, Fayetteville, the city of Clinton declared a curfew starting at 8pm
• 
  2020-03-10

  Sampson County Executive Order

  This is a copy of the executive order given by Governor Roy Cooper which declared a state of emergency for the state of North Carolina due to Covid-19 as well as Sampson County's compliance with that declaration.
• 
  2020-04-17

  Locally Displayed Photos of High School Graduates

  These images of graduates from Hobbton Highschool were hung on display around town for everyone to celebrate their accomplishment, together.
• 
  2020-06-07

  The New Age After Covid-19

  This picture indicates the strong measures put into place by businesses to help prevent the spread of Covid-19. We couldn't enter the cafe unless we had a face mask on.
• 
  2020-05-08

  Eastern Band of Cherokee Tribe Plans to Reopen Casino on May 18

  “With North Carolina starting to ease restrictions, Harrah’s has announced it too will begin with its first phase of reopening. In a press release, the company said that extensive health and safety precautions will be in place.”
• 
  2020-04-18

  Toilet Paper Aisle in Walgreens- Waxhaw, NC

  The toilet paper aisle at a Walgreens in Waxhaw, North Carolina with only one package of toilet paper left
• 
  2020-05-08

  NC Department of Health and Human Services: Corona Virus Guidance for Persons Under Investigation.

  I am a young Asthmatic woman and I was was sent to the emergency room today to be tested for COVID-19. This image is a photograph of paperwork I was given upon discharge from the ER. The paperwork itself was written by the NC Department of Health and Human Services on March 16, 2020. It was put in my hands on 5/8/2020
• 
  2020-05-05

  African American Covid-19 cases in Southern States.

  It shows that the African American population is getting hit hard by this disease in the South, even though they are less of the population
• 
  04/28/2020

  Going to work at Amazon during Covid-19

  This photograph was taken at an Amazon Warehouse facility in Concord, North Carolina. In this image you are seeing all employees waiting in line 6 feet apart as they are scanned by a thermo type scanner measuring your body temperature to make sure you do not have a fever. If you have a fever an alarm is set to go off. Once you have demonstrated you do not have a fever then you are given a mask so that you can work. April 28th, 2020 9:00 EST
• 2020-05

  NC State Parks status during COVID-19 pandemic

  how many state parks in the state of North Carolina are closed due to covid-19
• 2020-05-01

  Walgreens launches coronavirus drive-thru testing site in Durham

  An article describing a new drive-thru testing site in Durham, NC run by Walgreens.
• 
  2020-04-03

  Enjoying Spring at the Park

  This image was taken by me on one if my walks around a local park. I have been going to this park since I was three years old. Ever since the stay-at-home order was give for NC at the end of March I have noticed a much greater diversity in the demographics of people who visit the park.Traditionally the park would be populated by younger children, around elementary and middle school aged, along with young parents and their children. Now people of all types and ages frequent the park in an attempt to help normalize and adjust the the changes caused by the pandemic. Something I never expected to enjoy while going to the park is being able to see so many different people playing happily and making the best of the situation. Seeing others adjusting to the pandemic, in a way helps me accept the normalization of the changing social dynamics that have been created.
• 2020-04-30

  Life isn't fair and that's okay

  College student's perspective on senior year ending during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 
  2020-04-24

  Governor Roy Cooper's Three Phase Plan for Lifting COVID-19 Restrictions for North Carolina

  Powerpoint presentation of North Carolina's progress through the COVID-19 pandemic, and outline of the metrics needed for three-phase progression of lifting restrictions on public activity
• 
  2020-04-15

  My Brother Playing Beat Saber on the Oculus VR Headset

  Since COVID-19 is forcing people to stay indoors and isolate from others, I have had the opportunity to spend more time with my family. Every night, we try to eat dinner together and do something as a group, whether we watch a movie or play a game. The other evening my brother, Joshua, elected that we play a game on his Oculus VR headset. We played a game called Beat Saber. In the game different colored blocks come flying towards you and you have to hit them, following the beat of the song playing in the background. This proved to be a fun way for us to get together and hang out. I will say that if you ever elect to play this game be prepared for sore arms the next day. It is definitely a workout. Even though COVID-19 has disrupted everyone’s plans, don’t let it stop you from hanging out with loved ones (at home). I was really frustrated when I had to leave college and come back home, but I’ve actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Even though I miss being in class and seeing my friends, it is nice to finally have some time that I can spend with my family.
• 
  2020-03-26

  Social Distancing Powwow

  One example pulled from hundreds of how powwow dancers are dealing with the pandemic by sharing their social distancing powwow videos to stay connected. The gathering of people at powwows may be disrupted, but the chain remains unbroken. #IndigenousStories