Items

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  2020-04-14

  Reflections of a Grocery Worker

  This photograph is a selfie photo from my time working at my local grocery store in Wakefield, Rhode Island, USA. I don't have many photos from this period that reflect the pandemic and my memories of it, but this photo represents the early days as the USA first began to adopt masking after the CDC realized that non-symptomatic spread was happening. Experiencing the pandemic through the lens of a grocery store was very interesting. It was a unique perspective for understanding different people's anxieties and doubts around the pandemic. It was also a strenuous place to be during the pandemic, having to constantly adapt to supply chain issues, worker shortages, and the mental strain of working in a likely unsafe environment. About a month into the pandemic I was asked to move from my home department of prepared foods, and help the grocery-stocking staff catch up with the unpredictable shipments coming in. Shortly after that, I was moved over to the front of the store to help keep count of the people in the store and encourage customers to use masks/hand sanitizer. I remember being met with a wide variety of gratitude, skepticism, resistance, and more--even including a lecture on covid as a conspiracy! At times, this role brought me anxiety as I saw news stories of door-people and security guards being killed or harmed for asking visiting customers to wear a mask. In a weird way, when I left my job to attend grad school at UMass Boston, I felt a bit of suvivor's guilt. Whenever I come home to Rhode Island, I hear that the folks at my old store continue to struggle even over a year deeper into the pandemic.
• 
  2020-12-14

  Florist during the pandemic

  John Mello runs a small local flower shop that has been providing flowers to the local community for years. When the pandemic hit, quarantine was a major adjustment for John’s business. Customers who regularly came in for celebratory gifts, flowers prom, and wedding flowers, no longer came in at their usual rate. As a result, John’s business slowed. This flower represents the fragile life of a local business, and how without the consistent type of attention it needs, like water and sunlight, it will die just as quickly as a flower.
• 
  2002-12-15

  Shellsea

  Chelsea Campbell explains in a textual conversation that small business struggle with both competitors such as small and big business. Small businesses have been emerging since COVID-19 has begun as a solution for those who have been laid off from their jobs. Chelsea helps to explore the idea that although this is amazing for the small business community it makes it harder for other competitors. Additionally, larger business are able to work around issues that smaller business face such as large shipping cost and difficulty receiving products as they the money and ability to resolve more issues then someone who is attempting to compete with those same standards. Chelsea explain although there is always more room for creativity and entrepreneurship she has had to adjust tactics to become more competitive with other brands even if this is a direct sacrifice for her business.
• 2020-12-15

  Scraps To Sale

  Sydney Sousa is a trained artist who has been been directly effected by Covid-19 frustrations as a small business who trying to stay afloat. As an attempt to help conserve money during this difficult time Syd has resorted to cutting open and scrapping the last bit of paint within her tubes. As a small business its hard to buy in bulk as you may not need that much product at ones however it is often cheeper this way, especially with a decrease in sales during COVID-19, its been difficult to manage money. Similarly, as a business she experienced frustrations with new regulations such as store hours or limited products because of limited manufactory. Syd expressed that not only is this a tool she uses to save money but also time as sometimes she most be creative to create solutions to problems COVID-19 presented her.
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  2020-12-14

  COVID Calm

  Brie Breyer is an example of a person inspired by the stillness of Covid who has been able to compete with her creative side for the skills and opportunities to become an entrepreneur. Brie has begun briecrafts on instagram which is a store dedicated to homemade jewelry and furniture handcrafted. Brie has explained that the break in that COVID provided her allowed her to explore her creative being by learning tools that she already possessed. Brie’s motto is discover by doing, not only has she developed new techniques and enquired skills but also discover a new passion. Although Brie is unsure of her future possibilities she expressed greatly that she feels a sense of accomplishment discovering this new ability.
• 
  2020-11-03

  Elizabeth Sconyers Interview with Jason LeClair

  Jason LeClair is a teacher at a theater arts teacher at a charter school in Rhode Island. In this interview, he discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected parts of his personal life and daily routine. He talks about specific effects the pandemic has had on performing arts, such as the use of Zoom and drive-ins for theatre and concert, the delays in reopening the performing arts to the public, and how the shutdown of performing arts has effected the economy. Finally, he touches on some concerns for the future of performing arts and how he believes the performing arts will be different after this pandemic.
• 
  09/19/2020

  Sara Akhtar Oral History, 2020/09/19

  Interviewee discusses her life during the COVID-19 pandemic. She addresses life in Rhode Island, ending her senior year, attending college and family life. The audio recording I uploaded is my classmate's experience with COVID-19.
• 
  2020-04-01

  Narragansett Tribe Closes Tribal Parks and Beaches

  “Narragansett Indian Tribal DEM Environmental Police and Narragansett Tribal Police Department will continue to monitor Tribal Parks, Camping, Beaches, and Tribal Lands for compliance. If people are blatantly ignoring the new rules and they choose to congregate at Tribal parks and beaches they may be cited if actions and behavior are not corrected.” #IndigenousStories
• 
  2020-03-30

  evacuation | a college covid-19 story

  I filmed this on my phone during my last day on my college campus in Providence, RI, (after evacuation measures had been announced) and during my 12-hour drive home to Greenville, NC.