Items

• 2020-03-06

  March of 2020

  March of 2020 is one of the most memorable dates in my life. I was a junior in high school, and news of COVID-19 spreading throughout the United States was increasingly growing. I remember being on a bus with people who went to my high school after our school's girls basketball team played a game a couple hours away from where our school was. Our team lost in a close regional finals game, so the ride back home was somewhat gloomy. I remember people behind me talking about this new virus, now COVID-19, and I heard them say, "I hope it doesn't come to Ohio." This moment is engrained in my mind because just a couple weeks later, the whole world went into lockdown, and I missed out on the rest of my junior year of high school. It is somewhat weird to think about how back in the earlier days of the pandemic, everyone was confused and worried about what COVID-19 was, and now, it is just a normal aspect of our lives today.
• 
  2020-06-01

  A privilaged white latina women.

  In the beginning of the pandemic, I was frightened like many others. My parents are older than most of my friends, both around their late fifties' early sixties. In the area I was living, Ohio, I began seeing many lawn signs of Covid 19 not being real. Like anyone who believes in science I became extremely frustrated. People coughing in line behind me at the grocery store when I was with my dad and talking loudly about how masks were “stupid”. I began feeling personally targeted because of wearing homemade masks from the beginning. I feared how many people I would have to come in contact with at work and how I might affect my parents' health just by living under the same roof. As Covid came into fruition I was a part of one of the lucky companies that gave the option to stay home from work and be paid a minimum. I was grateful. I began seeing a decline in mental health on social media. People could not take being home without their friends or their families were toxic. That’s understandable and I do not chastise anyone for feeling that way. My frustration stayed as I acclimatized myself to be home for months. I started paying close attention to news about organizations like churches, friend groups etc. gather even though we were in the height of Covid. I thought to myself “Can't it just...wait? Let us be safe first and gather later.” I feel it is unfair for me to make such a statement because I don’t know these strangers' lives at home, but it was hard to not take it personally when I had to shower anytime I went out for groceries or a mandatory meeting at work. Not to mention the constant dousing of sanitizer that my family and others who were fearful of Covid had to do to feel safe. All this was happening in America in my middle-class neighborhood and social media started showing the disparities between classes. I was lucky that my whole family could afford to stay home but there were many...many families that had to keep working even though they could die. Just to keep a roof over their heads. This especially affected people of color and minorities in our country. There was and still is social unrest. Finally, the disparities that had always been there had been forced to be paid attention to. There was no relief for the frustrations we were experiencing and bottling during this time. About midway through covid I found out my uncle in Colombia died because he had to continue driving a Taxi for work and no vaccinations had been issued. It just felt like there was nothing I could do but panic and wait. Then, one of the most egregious acts of police brutality had occurred. George Floyd had been murdered by a police officer who pinned him down with his knee as he said “I can't breathe” until he no longer could. America turned upside down. We saw videos of buildings being destroyed, fires, mass protests, shootings, the worst you could imagen. As a collective we had reached our boiling point and the last straw was this murder. My family was against my brother and I protesting because Covid still being at its height. I have protested at the Womens March in D.C and several pro-choice marches in Ohio but the Black Lives Matter movement was something I needed to educate myself on and stand up for. It was a calling for someone in my position of privilege to show up in numbers for people of color that deserve rights just as the rest of us. I often reflect on how my life could have been so different. My father is Colombian, and my mother is Polish. I look white and have always been raised in a middle-class neighborhood. I have not had to face the same injustices as my father, my family and minority groups in America just based off the color of my skin. Police brutality has always been in existence but when we were all home during Covid with modern day technology and video evidence, we felt that video to the core. We felt the pure rage and frustrations as a society of how we were not being cared for in the way we thought we would have been during this pandemic. I have never witnessed in my lifetime such united support for one another. Such a strong fight against people in power who are coming after the people we call friends, workers, lovers, and family no matter the color of their skin. In such destruction, pain and chaos I had never felt such beauty in our society. I will never forget the feeling of unity around me I had felt as hundreds of people laid down on the hard pavement during the Black lives Matter protest yelling “I cant breathe.” Finally, we could help the unheard be heard and take a deep breath together.
• 
  2022-03-31

  COVID-19 and pregnancy: More new mothers dying, increasing women's fears during tense time

  This is a news story from The Columbus Dispatch by Megan Henry. This story is about the rising fears of new mothers as COVID has increased their chances of dying. In 2020, motherhood mortality rate increased by 20% in the United States. There were also large disparities in who died, with Black women dying three times the rate of White women during pregnancy. Dr. Jason Melillo, an OB-GYN for OhioHealth claims that COVID is the main culprit for the rise in pregnancy related deaths. Pregnant women are more prone to complications from COVID, with things such as blood clots, stillbirth, and preeclampsia happening more often. This concern has made some couples only deciding on pregnancy until they have both been vaccinated. Dr. Melillo hopes that over time, mortality rates associated with pregnant women will go down.
• 
  10/27/2020

  Henry Wathan Oral History, 2020/10/27

  This interview was recorded as part of The Covid 19 Oral History Project, a project of the IUPUI Arts and Humanities Institute associated with The Journal of a Plague Year: A Covid 19 Archive. This interview was conducted through the University of Cincinnati in partial fulfillment of credit for HIST3158 under the supervision of Dr. Rebecca S. Wingo.
• 
  2021-03-05

  First State Mass Vaccination Clinic

  A screenshot of when my college announced that our basketball arena would house the first mass vaccination center in our state. I sent this to my family because I thought it was so cold my college got this opportunity. Most of my family got vaccinated here and it was so well run and easy!
• 
  2020

  HIST4800 Bowling Green State University Prompt

  Assignment prompt given to HIST4800 students of Bowling Green State University, by instructor Andrew M. Schocket, Spring 2020
• 
  2021-04-13

  How does the pandemic affect children?

  This article speaks about the clinical trials that have begun in Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in hopes of getting a vaccine out for children as young as five years old. At the moment about 3,000 children have been on a waitlist to be involved in the trial. There are sites at which people are working to get dosage limits right for children ranging from 2-4 aswell. Many responses were collected by children on how they felt about being a part of the trial. Lila, a third-grader who is 8, was asked what was the best thing about participating in the vaccine trial, she replied, "knowing I might be able to not wear my mask anymore and knowing that the coronavirus vaccine is coming out." The effects the pandemic has on the children are visible as their hopes are to help the pandemic stop so that things go back to normal for them.
• 
  2021-01-21

  While holding hands husband, wife die from COVID-19 days after 70th wedding anniversary

  The increasing death toll from COVID-19 has devastated many families on a personal level. One instance illustrates that like no other. An Ohio couple that had recently celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary both passed away minutes apart, leaving behind seven decades of memories, five children, 13 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren. Dick and Shirley Meek celebrated their anniversary on Dec. 22. It was then when they innocuously told their children they were feeling a little under the weather. "They said to all us kids, 'we think we're getting colds,'" said Kelly Meek. But suddenly, things got bad and it was evident this was no mere cold. On Jan. 8, they both tested positive for COVID-19. When things started to worsen for both of them, the family asked for them to be together for their final moments. Hospital staff found a room for two beds and the necessary equipment. Dick and Shirley died in each other's arms on Jan. 16. They were due to get the COVID-19 vaccine on Jan. 19.
• 
  2021-03-02

  Why Aren't Ohio's Grocery Store Workers Eligible Yet for a COVID-19 Vaccine?

  Despite grocery store workers being essential frontline workers and a part of the CDC's vaccination recommendations, they were not given access to the vaccine in Ohio until it was open to everyone over the age of 16. While Governor DeWine insisted that age was the most important factor in determining vaccination eligibility, he neglected to realize the amount of exposure these essential workers were encountering daily. Also left out of earlier access to vaccines were public transportation workers, food and travel workers, U.S. Postal Service workers, and manufacturing workers. The vaccine is available to any Ohio resident over the age of 16 as of March 29th, but in more populated areas there have been issues with registration and long waits for the first dose. Including more occupations in the rollout of vaccines may not have prevented these issues from happening, but it could have ensured that those enduring more consistent exposure would have an easier time getting the vaccine, as they would not be battling the rest of the population for an appointment.
• 
  2021-03-27

  Is This Patriotic Enough?

  Lee Wong, chairman of the West Chester, Ohio, Township Board of Trustees, condemned anti-Asian violence during an impassioned speech that has now gone viral.
• 
  2020-03-12

  The Beginning

  The picture that I uploaded was taken on March 12, 2020. This was the very start of the pandemic and stores were packed and peoples carts were al full. This picture represents the panic that was occurring and the unknown of how long the lockdown would be.
• 
  2020-04-02

  College Student in Covid

  I wrote about my story through covid. I am a college student studying Early childhood education. I am also a child care worker. My submission is about what it was like going through college during covid. This is important to me because it's my experience and I know many other college students feel the same way.
• 
  2021-03-16

  Local support group helps grieving families who lost loved ones to COVID-19

  With COVID-19 restrictions, handling grief is difficult. The normal ways of showing support for a family, or person, that has suffered a death are not currently possible. People are isolated and are unable to receive the emotional support they need to handle the loss. Those who have lost loved ones to COVID-19 seem particularly hard hit by the grief and isolation. In response, a grief center in Cincinnati has started a special online support group for people who have lost loved ones to COVID-19.
• 2021

  The year that was, pandemic and my mental journey

  I live in Cleveland, Ohio. I grew up an hour away in Ashtabula, Oh. My fiancé and I went to a concert they day before everything else closed down. We had no clue it would be the lass mass gathering we would go to in over a year. We moved during the summer and that kept us going. However, after being in lock down and not being able to see our friends and family began to make things harder. We all know the tole that covid has played on physical health but mental health is something the news hardly covers. We have young nephews that we couldn't see. My dad turned 60 this summer and we couldn't have a big party. Summer passed and fall came we thought maybe we can get together for Thanksgiving. Then well if we skip Thanksgiving we can have a family Christmas. That would not be the case. My sister and brother in law had a big family Thanksgiving with his family and they all ended up getting covid. They were around my dad and he got sick. Christmas was a no go. I was worried about my grandma who was 84. It is now March 2021 and we are "remembering" the last year. People without anxiety are feeling the mental affects of a year were we were not able to have parties, gatherings, weddings, and even funerals to remember the lives lived and lost. It is hard not seeing the friends and families that we took for granted before covid. We all need to take a moment, and take a deep breath. Check in with our mental wellbeing. It has been a long year.
• 
  2020-12-20

  Borders

  The way covid has affected me has been through seeing my family in Canada. Each year my family travels from Akron Ohio to Ontario Canada so we can see my mom's family. My dad's side lives in Akron so we see them a lot, but it is hard to travel to see my family in Canada sometimes. Covid just made it that much harder. Clearly traveling up there in the middle of the epidemic in the spring would be a bad idea so that already took away one of our three trips out of the year. Then halfway through the summer before we were thinking about going up to our cottage the borders shut down. That really put a damper on things because now two of our trips were cancelled. At this point it has been a little over a year since I have seen my family and that is unprecedented in my lifetime. Finally, as Christmas was approaching, we had hopes that covid would be handled by then, but the borders remained closed and the cases and deaths kept rising. This was upsetting because I was looking forward to seeing my family at least once in 2020 and those dreams collapsed. When we go up to see my family at Christmas time it normally starts off as the first few days are catching up with each other. I love to tell them my stories and they all love to hear them. We then proceed to relax the next few days by going out to lunches with everyone and then making dinner at someone's house. Things can get pretty wild once the people of age start drinking. We have had many karaoke nights along with pool parties and barbecues during the spring. They may not go smoothly, but everyone ends up having a great time. I miss goofing around with my cousins who are all younger than me by one to 8 years, so I always am the leader of the group and decide what fun we get up to every night. Often times we end up chilling in their basement listening to music and telling stories after everyone starts to go to bed. Then on Christmas we wake up to a big breakfast and start opening up family gifts. After all the gifts are open it's time for lunch and to start partying again. We then proceed to get dinner ready and then after dinner we go right back to partying. We normally stay another two days and then leave. All in all it is a really relaxing experience and a chance to get away from the world. It really sucks that covid ended up taking that away from me.
• 2021-01-21

  symptoms

  im really quite lucky to not have known many people with Covid-19, but there are a few people that I do know personally that have/had it. My friend avarie went to ohio for Christmas and on the trip back, they were starting to feel a little sick. they decided to go get tested and her mom was positive. she described feelings of shivers, runny nose, cough, sore throat, nausea, and feeling tires all the time. She was a very healthy person so it didn't affect her maybe as bad as it did others, but it was still bad.
• 2020-12-25

  covid holidays

  My brother, parents, dog and me always go to Ohio to spend Christmas and new years with our family. This year, it was different. First of all, we had to wear masks on the airport and plane, and the seats were spaced out. When we went Christmas shopping we had to follow Covid rules to stay safe. Also, we usually go to our family's church for a new years celebration, but we skipped this year and went to see another part of our family in Kentucky for new years, because it was not safe. Sadly, the holidays this year were different, but at lease we were staying safe and keeping other people safe.
• 
  2020-04-20

  2020 Cuyahoga Falls High School Senior Clap-out

  A group of Cuyahoga Falls High School seniors jamming out to their second Alma Mater, Don't Stop Believing, one more time. They didn't get to share this moment at their senior prom, so they created a new memory
• 
  2020-05-26

  Black Lives Matter Cincinnati

  Kristin braved the risks of contracting Covid-19 to join Black Lives Matter protesters all over the United States in the wake of the death of George Floyd.
• 2020-11-22

  Voting during the pandemic

  The 2020 election was supposed to be my first chance to actually vote in person: unlike my peers, I was only 17 during my senior year of high school, and I had spent almost all the subsequent years out of state. And while I might have had the opportunity to visit my polling place in 2019 that was no longer an option once I signed up to be a poll worker and was assigned a precinct that was not close enough to mine to make it during my lunch break. Covid already disrupted my plans to be a poll worker for the 2020 Ohio primary in March and I forwent the opportunity to work the polls during the general election due to the risk of virus spread. Although I myself do not have many risk factors, I live with my mother who is in a higher risk category and occasionally visit my grandmother who is even more so, therefore I try to limit my exposure as much as possible. With voting in person seeming too risky, I went with my old standby of voting by absentee. However, while I normally complete the entire process by mail (the Ohio Secretary of State automatically sends me a request form at this point), I did not feel entirely confident entrusting my ballot the USPS this year. Rather I made use of the drop box at the Hamilton County Board of Elections so that I could be assured my vote would count and not be affected by the widespread postal service delays partially induced by the virus. Thankfully, the BOE has the functionality to allow me to track my request form, my incoming ballot, and it being recieved and counted so I could be doubly sure of everything working.
• 
  2020-05

  Sick, Broke and Stuck at Home

  This Is a story about my being at home during covid-19 endemic May 2020. By this point, we were 2 months into lice living with a pandemic in America. Things were not progressing as people thought it should have been. And on top of going through the pandemic, there was a racial war going on. So, Not only was I dealing with being a human being and trying not to get sick Or get my mom, my little brother who is only 5 years old sick, but I was also struggling with being a black woman in America. A black woman with black parents, two black fathers, and a black mother and brother. I was scared to death every day. I hope they're dying because of the pandemic or dying because of my skin. It's still a story is still a feeling that I go through every day. It is December now, but I have a little more hope because of higher beings that I'm hoping and putting a little faith in doing what we need them to do to better our country. Now the name of my story is sick broken at home because, during May 2020, I was all of those things. I was not because of the pandemic, but because I had crazy allergy attacks, I was allergic to something I didn't know I was allergic to, and I think I was just mentally sick. My anxiety was at an all-time high. I was depressed, and on top of the fact I was home with a younger brother who is also autistic, and although he is high-functioning, there are times where he just doesn't understand like most kids don't know what they're going through and why the world is now changing so fast. And having to deal with adult anxiety while also dealing with child anxiety and having to pinch pennies because the government hadn't given me the money I had applied for and been approved for. It was all depressing, and while I am blessed to say that none of my family members who got covid died, it was so scary to know how drastic you could be. Now I know I don't know for a fact if I had to live in there was a point in February where I had gotten very sick and my stepdad had gotten very ill as well to the where we self-quarantine to not get my mother and my brother sick. I had never felt so bad in my life, and I've been very ill for four to the point where I couldn't get out of bed, and whatever flu I had was worse than that. And not three, four weeks later that our country goes through basically a state of emergency with everyone shutting down on March 13th. It was my last day of work, it was my last paycheck, it was my last everything until late May, and I still have the bills to pay. I got claimed as a dependent the year before, so I was one of the millions of college students who didn't get the stimulus check and whose parents didn't get anything for them because they were between 17 and 25. Everything in the country was being held handled during that time did nothing for me; it did nothing to help my family or me. Every day was a struggle, and every day I felt stranded like I was just a number, and nobody recognized the pain everyone was coming through on more than one level. And then you also have people who we're refusing to do what is so simple to do and call minor things like wearing a mask, slavery. How damaging that was to a fair few amount of people, and I'm talking millions of people. This pandemic is not something I'm going to look on with anger or pain because, for one, I met good people after the fact. I had many things that happened to me for the better, but the month of March through May had to be the worst months I'd had in a very long time. And as someone who's been through a lot, that's not something I say lightly. My only hope is that a lot more good will come out of this unfortunate and heartbreaking situation than bad.
• 
  10/17/2020

  Emily Tyler Oral History, 2020/10/17

  Transcription only: In this oral history interview, I sat down and interviewed Emily with a range of topics including: her background, employment, family, household, community, health, information sources, government, and the future. This interview was conducted at Emily’s apartment in Cincinnati, Ohio. Informed Consent was obtained previously before the interview.
• 
  2020-03-13

  Their School is Open, But the Kids Are Staying Home

  This story talks about the proclivity for families to stay home even as schools begin gearing up to have classes transition back into the classroom, out of fear for COVID.
• 
  2020-04-13

  Kids for Positive Change make signs to thank essential workers

  This photo is of a child holding a handmade thank you poster for healthcare workers and other essential workers. The children who made these thank you posters wanted to show their appreciation for essential workers around them locally and around the world. He is thanking them for their service and staying at home so that he will be healthy for them.
• 
  2020-11-04

  Social Justice High School

  The Bedford City School District in Bedford Heights, Oakwood, and Walton Hills, Ohio are supporting their Bedford High School/Art Department efforts to memorialize the fight for Social Justice. The significance is not how much publicity the art project will get but that Social Justice is reaching even the smallest of corners in the United States. The Black Lives Matter protest and Social Justice reform determinations have gathered acknowledgements everywhere and hopefully the movement does not stop its traction to change social injustice towards minorities. Again the art project by Bedford High School is a statement that Social Justice is still progressing towards reform no matter how small it might seem.
• 
  10/19/2020

  Maria Carney Oral History, 2020/10/19

  I interview my maternal (and only living) grandmother over the phone about her experience of Covid while primarily self-isolating in her mobile home. There is not so much direct question and answer but over the course of a somewhat rambling conversation pretty much all the topics get covered. Although she remains pretty spry for her age, there are some places where she loses the thread or misunderstands the conversation.
• 
  10/10/2020

  Claudia Wall Oral History, 2020/10/10

  An interview between Camden Bailey and their aunt, Claudia Wall, whom works as a care provider in an independent retirement community. Mrs. Wall who is in the senior demographic herself talks about providing care for elderly residents while living in a retirement community herself (however, the community she lives in is just for seniors 55+, the one she works for has nurses and staff around to help residents, where she lives does not). Please note, due to the familiar nature between the two, Mrs. Wall will refer to Mrs. Bailey as "Larissa" or "Riss" at times (this is just Mrs. Bailey's middle name/a nickname for it).
• 
  2020-10-21

  Meanwhile in Ohio

  Scrolling through Facebook I came across this on my feed. A home in Ohio has been decorated for Halloween COVID style. I thought this was a hilarious way to showcase how COVID has affected every aspect of our lives. I love seeing the humor during this time when we need it most. It looks like the biggest and scariest skeleton is playing dodgeball with COVID balls. I’m not sure which skeleton I loved most, the one with the Lysol or the one with the toilet paper.
• 
  10/04/2020

  Lucas Hynes Oral History, 2020/10/04

  In this Oral history, I interviewed my brother Lucas about his experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. He is a freshman at the University of Cincinnati, and the interview focuses on that part of his identity. It begins with us talking about campus life in general. We also discussed his perceptions of COVID-19 both at the beginning of the pandemic and now. His perceptions have not changed much, although he believes that it’s important to listen to scientists as new information is released. We then talked about government response to COVID-19, as well as the response at the University of Cincinnati. Finally, he discussed things he felt he has missed out on because of the pandemic, and what he thinks school will look like going forward.
• 
  10/04/2020

  Jennifer Rehling Oral History, 2020/10/04

  This was an interview done with a nurse and the impacts she has seen in in work, life and community.
• 
  10/05/2020

  Bailey DeMoss Oral History, 2020/10/05

  The content of the Oral History project is to record peoples experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic. What that does is it helps researchers and others understand different peoples experiences other than their own. This helps them come up with information and statistics to go along with their research of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
• 
  2020-04-15

  All is Lost

  I was an associate editor for our student magazine "The Lakelander" at Lakeland Community College. I became infected by Covid-19 on March 23, 2020, two months before I was to graduate with honors from the school. Our student staff gathered on-line to talk about our final magazine for the school year and we asked everyone to write about their experience with the pandemic. This was my submission. The Lakelander is print only, so it is unclear when or if these stories will be published.
• 
  2020-03-19

  Fighting Creative Blocks During Quarentine

  Of course the pandemic hit everyone's motivation and zest for daily life pretty hard, but as an artist whose social circles are mainly comprised of other artists, I noticed an especially hard hit to the creative output of my peers. I've heard before that suffering and despair is supposed to bring out the best artists have to offer, but in reality the inverse is often true- Van Gogh painted the Starry Night while he was getting specialized care in a mental health facility, after all. It's hard to find your spark when it feels like the world is caving in on all sides, but I was determined to find a way to keep myself from falling into a months long creative drought I knew I'd find myself in if I didn't do something about it. I didn't have the energy or desire to touch full sized pieces, but I reasoned with myself that I could stand to go smaller scale to save on both energy and time without sacrificing the feeling of accomplishment that comes with a finished piece, and so the day before every non-essential business in town shut down, I ran to my local Michael's and picked up the cheapest acrylic paints I could find and 3 packs of six 2 inch square canvases. I tried to think of a subject that could easily be captured on such a small surface, but was also sure to spark joy in myself and perhaps others if i chose to share them, and landed on the topic of pets, since they were easily one of the biggest comforts for myself and everyone else I knew during our prolonged stints sitting at home. It was a good move, I think- looking at an an image of an animal for long periods of time never hurts your mood, and sharing photos of the finished paintings with my friends who own the animals pictured brought a boost of serotonin to both parties involved. More than one person suggested I start an etsy page and sell them, but I think I'm content to just let them be a quarantine hobby and act of kindness during a deeply depressing time.
• 2020-03-14

  A life of unpredictable moments.

  During the time of our spring break in 2020 we were headed to Florida with a bunch of friends and my brother who was in high school but got switched to online 2 days before. During that time the pandemic really took off. While we were there everything got shut down in Florida and in Ohio, nervous about if we were still going to be able to make it back to Ohio. In case of a travel band. We were confused and was kinda upsetting while we did have a pool in our back yard everything was getting shut down, the beaches, parks restaurants and basically the whole state of Ohio back home. The thing that was good to come out of this was my younger brother then a senior in high school was able to last minute come with us because his school went remotely. While we spent that whole weekend in the pool and ate the only restaurant that seemed to be running while everything was closing down.
• 2020-07-21

  No Ice Cream

  Every year since I was born my family and I would go to a campground up in Wilmington, Ohio and camp a couple weekends out of the year. One main reason we would like it up there is because at their little store they sold Hershey's Homemade Ice Cream. Ever since COVID has happened they have kept this little store closed and that meant for us no ice cream. :( COVID has changed many peoples lives, mine not all that much. I currently work at UPS so I continued to work, even though my school went to online, I still lived a pretty normal life.
• 
  2020-06-02

  Protests amid a Pandemic

  When George Floyd was murdered, the country erupted in a way I had never experienced in my life before. I thought I had seen chaos with the multitude of protests that followed the US 2016 election, but I was wrong. People who had always claimed to not be "political" were posting, sharing stories, and there was outrage. In the first week, in Ohio, we were met with violence. Being immunocompromised, and fearful, I stayed behind when I was in Columbus. Some of my good friends got arrested downtown. Others got maced, shot at with wooden bullets with a rubber coating, and went to the hospital in an already stressful situation. When I moved back to Cincinnati, I was no longer living with 4 roommates, and I decided if I wore a mask, and brought hand sanitizer and disinfectant, and did my best to stay 6 feet apart from everybody, I needed to get out there. The protests I attended over the next two months included vigils, organizers meetings, community panels, and celebrations of Black lives. My parents were unhappy with my decision, due to the news coverage, and several people I know getting arrested. However, this was too important. Growing up, I heard the names Trayvon Martin, Eric Gray, Tamir Rice, Sam Dubose, Sandra Bland, and many more. This was the straw that had broken the camel's back. The pandemic had meant many were furloughed, and out of work, leaving more time to read the news, watch the news, and research issues. Many were angry at how the pandemic disproportionately affects Black and Brown communities, and for this blatant, act of police brutality to be filmed and shared across the world, it was too much. In Cincinnati, over 300 people showed up to hastily planned protests, and some of the more organized and advertised ended up with well over 7,000 people. The protests themselves were nothing like what I had seen on the news. Every 10-15 minutes, a fellow protestor would offer everyone cold water, snacks, hand sanitizer, and masks to anyone who did not have one. There were always medics with a first aid kit ready for the people who overheated, twisted an ankle, or got maced. I learned the ratio of baking soda to water that many carried if people were to be pepper-sprayed again. It was a community of people who cared about each other, took care of each other, and want the world to be better. I want that story to be told, because it never hit the media. The compassion I witnessed every single day. The groups of people meeting up every night, individuals carrying someone who was having an asthma attack to a shady area and giving them cold water, a ring of people around a young girl who stepped on a piece of glass that pierced through her shoe into her foot. Immediately, there were bandaids, water, alcohol wipes, and help to be given. The medics tent, offering granola bars, fruit, and snacks if anyone gets hungry. Food not Bombs catering many events, giving full meals to anyone who needed one. The care packs we had made for the friends who had been arrested, the community resource pages which allowed people to express needs and them being taken care of, from needing cat food to needing to pay rent. The resource guides, the calls and letters and emails to public officials. Although this is a weird time, strangely it was one where I had felt the strongest sense of community, in my 21 years of living.
• 
  2020-08-20

  Rona Fever

  My name is Alexis and I dont really have a crazy life changing rona story. We got to spend more time together as a family and explore Ohio but my story is pretty much the same as everyone else's who is taking rona "seriously." we stay to our small family and friends, look at everyone who coughs like their satan and forget our mask every single time before leaving the house. I will be taking ALL of my classes from home due to medical reasons and I also have a 11-month, soon to be 1 year old roaming the house. Wish me luck! I wish my fellow classmates luck as well and lets have a dope rona themed semester!
• 
  2020-08-04

  Worst coronavirus outbreak in U.S.: A timeline of how San Quentin earned that infamous distinction

  This article includes a video interactive timeline that shows how they believe covid was introduced to San Quentin Prison in California as well as coverage of the pandemic in several other California state prisons.
• 
  2020-07-10

  Columbus Zoo & Aquarium Trip with Friends

  On July 10, 2020 my best friend, Lauren Ash and her boyfriend, drove up from Marietta, Ohio to Columbus to go to the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium with my boyfriend and I. We purchased the tickets right before the Zoo re-opened in early June. The Columbus Zoo is very popular, usually having thousands of visitors a day. However, because of COVID19, they were forced to limit the number of visitors each day and at specific times. So, in order to go, you must buy a ticket in advance for a specific date and time range. From there, they can limit the number of people inside the zoo at a time. We hadn't seen each other since January and missed both of our birthdays during mass shutdowns, so we decided the Zoo would be an easy and safer way to meet up and see each other briefly. Because of some sanitation concerns and social distancing, the zoo was different. Many drink and food stations were closed. All glass had signs on them to "Keep 6 feet apart" (as seen in some photographs) as well as ropes preventing visitors from getting close enough to touch any glass (also seen in some photographs). Paw prints or circles were painted/laid on the ground in front of viewing areas to help people keep 6 feet distance. Some activities were shut down entirely, like some animal identification games in the Africa exhibit (seen in a photograph). The boat ride that winds through the park was closed with tarps over their seats while the boats kept eerily floating through their paths (as seen in the video). Walkways that in the past were usually packed with people going any direction were empty, with signs and painted lines to move traffic in ways that would keep visitors from passing each other too closely. On top of that, there were sanitizer and hand-washing stations scattered around the zoo that had not been there before COVID19. While face masks were only required to wear indoors at the zoo, many people did not wear them at all. My group decided to wear them the entire time, and we took a couple of selfies along the way. Overall, it was a fun and relatively safe trip. I'm glad I got to leave the house for a bit and spend some time with my best friend!
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  03/30/2020

  LaTonja Crowder Oral History, 2020/03/30

  Description from the interviewer: LaTonja Crowder reveals how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted society and her day-to-day life. The interview also reflects how LaTonja witnessed other catastrophic events such as Hurricane Katrina and refugees migrating to Columbus. Subject Heading(s): Family Life, Food & Drink, Social Issues, Business & Industry Tags: Non-Profit, Walmart, Hurricane Katrina This submission is in partial fulfillment of course requirements for Dr. Rebecca Wingo at the University of Cincinnati.
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  03/30/2020

  Deborah Lydon Oral History, 2020/03/30

  Title: Interview with Deborah Lydon by Lauren Meister Creator: Deborah Lydon and Lauren Meister Date: 03/30/2020 Description: This interview from Deborah Lydon highlights the response to the coronavirus (or COVID-19) pandemic within the context of the Midwest. Her insight as a healthcare lawyer with a background in biology gives a different perspective to her evaluation of the situation compared to someone in a different field of study. This interview was conducted during the second week of required social distancing as required by Mike Dewine, the Governor of Ohio.
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  03/21/2020

  Susan Gould Oral History, 2020/03/21

  Susan Gould describes her preparations for COVID-19 and what everyday life is like in a state mandated lockdown. She also explains how her employer, Menorah Park, a nursing home located in the epicenter of Ohio’s Covid-19 outbreak responded to the pandemic.
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  3/22/2020

  Heather Brehm Oral History, 2020/03/22

  This was for Dr. Wingo's Public History Practicum class at the University of Cincinnati to contribute to the COVI-19 online archive.
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  3/31/2020

  Keith Anthony Oral History, 2020/03/31

  This interview discusses the experience of Keith Anthony during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The interviewee discusses how the pandemic impacted his personal life as he reflects on the pandemic’s larger impact. He also speculates on how society will look moving forward.
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  2020-04-28

  Local Coffee Shop Extends Delivery Service

  Instagram page @lifeincolumbus shares photograph of masked coffee delivery from local shop Jennings Java Coffee Roasters
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  2020-04-27

  Local Ohio Church Donates Food to Community for those in Need

  Pastor Gray from Zion Baptist Church in Chillicothe, Ohio shares photograph on Facebook of food ready to be donated to local people in need amid COVID19.
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  2020-04-24

  Ohio Extends Foster Care Service for those "Aging Out" Amid COVID19

  Amid COVID19 shelter in place orders, Governor Mike DeWine announces that the 200+ Ohioians that would "age out" of foster care (by turning 18) May-July 2020 would be able to stay in their foster homes. The state would cover the costs to keep these citizens in place.
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  2020-04-28

  Local Campsite Permanently Closes Short-Term Camping

  Scioto Post article about a local campsite and popular nature retreat closes overnight and temporary campsites due to COVID19 permanently. Cabins and rental reservations were not canceled.
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  2020-08-15

  Stuck At Home

  Quarantine has been overall boring for the past two months. My day consists of being on my laptop and scrambling to get work done or just on my phone while scrolling through social media. By the end of quarantine, my average screen time probably has reached to 12 hours per day. I haven't talked to any friends for awhile that I often talked to while school was in session which I honestly don't mind because it means that those friends won't last after high school.
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  03/25/2020

  Playground in Shaker Heights, Ohio closed due to Covid-19

  A sign explains that the playground equipment at Horseshoe Lake Park in Shaker Heights, Ohio is closed due to COVID-19