Items

• 2021-12-22

  Charleston, South Carolina 2021 Christmas Trip

  After COVID travel restrictions were lifted, my family and I seized the opportunity to visit Charleston, South Carolina to spend Christmas with my cousins. Despite the chill of December, we were able to explore the historic town at our leisure. While some shops remained open, their hours were adjusted due to the holiday season and COVID precautions. Similarly, many restaurants offered a limited menu, which disappointed my sister and me as we are both picky eaters. During our visit, we made sure to visit Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, a renowned historic house with beautiful gardens and one of the oldest plantations in the South. However, due to COVID, several attractions within the plantation were closed. It was also mandatory that we follow the necessary safety measures by wearing masks around other groups of people and inside the gift shop. Despite the limitations imposed by COVID, my time in Charleston was truly wonderful. I had the opportunity to immerse myself in the city's rich history, even if I couldn't fully explore all the places and shops as I had hoped. But most importantly, I cherished the moments spent with my family during this special holiday trip.
• 
  2013-03-14

  Pandemic Dream Vacation

  This is a photograph i took on my last major vacation to South Carolina in 2013. If I could travel anywhere I would go back there and I would go back to Disney World and my dream vacation that I have never been on would be Hawaii. Due to circumstances that happened in 2013 I have been unable to return to South Carolina since. I would go back because I have some positive memories there and it was the last trip before my mom got paralyzed two months later and it is one of her favorite spots too. I have also enjoyed trips to Disney World and have always wanted to visit Hawaii. I did have a trip planned to South Carolina and Florida in February 2020 but had to cancel because of Covid and I have not had a chance to go back since.
• 
  2021

  Changes in the House--Anti-Vaccine Mandate Bill

  South Carolina House changes its rules and advanced a bill against the federal vaccine mandate. On December 9th, 2021, the House Ways and Means Committee amended House Bill H. 3126 that blocks employers in state and local governments and school districts from firing or suspending unvaccinated employees. House Bill H.3126 will make workers who were fired or suspended due to their unvaccinated status eligible for unemployment benefits. This bill would also allocated $10 million dollars to the department of Health and the Medical University of South Carolina to fund COVD-19 testing for private employers. The House Republicans argue that an employer's right to fire an unvaccinated employee is "discriminatory" in nature. They also attest that private businesses and public offices cannot mandate an "unlawful" mandate that violates the individual freedoms of employees. Thus, the House Bill H.3126 signifies a growing concern of individual autonomy in the State. As the pandemic continues to variate and spread, some civilians feel that COVID-19 protection should stop at the doorstep of private business owners. As Republican Russell Ott argued, South Carolina now faces the possibility of growing liability lawsuits if this law is passed. While this bill may protect employees, it would not protect employers and private business owners from being sued in the event that one of their employees contracted COVID-19 and passed it to a consumer.
• 
  2022-03-26

  Locked In and Locked Down: Surviving COVID-19 in FCI Edgefield BOP

  The COVID-19 crisis has impacted mass incarcerated facilities at an exceeding rate, exacerbating existing staffing shortage and leaving those housed in large numbers increasingly vulnerable to COVID-19. The Federal Correctional Institution in Edgefield, South Carolina is no exception to this hardship. FCI Edgefield has be forced to expand its use of a practice called "augmentation" or allowing those in non-correctional roles at the prison to work in correctional officer roles. This is because staff members are getting sick an exceedingly high rate, causing some staff to have quarantine for several days while others have chosen to retire early out of the fear of high exposure and incentives losing way due to the crisis. Since the pandemic has taken off, only a small number of inmates have died from COVID-19, about 50 in total. Yet, due to less experienced staff on site due to shortages, one inmate died due to undermined symptoms on January 27, 2021. Overall, stories like these are important because they show how state officials, lawmakers, and policymakers have made little strides in reducing and slowing down the spread of the coronavirus in state and national prison systems. People like my mother, who works at FCI Edgefield, have preexisting medical conditions that put them at a heightened risk for complications if they were to catch COVID-19. Thus, we should make aware that these state officials have waited too long to make strides towards reducing the prison population, routinely rotating staff, and increasing social distance measures in the jail populations. As the pandemic wears on, much is still needed to be done in prioritizing staff and prison populations for vaccination matters. While this idea has generated some wide societal debate, I find it hard to argue that people who work and live in correctional facilities are at a major disadvantage in this crisis. Therefore, it is only fair to consider these high-risk groups first when prioritizing phases and measures of the vaccines and health and well-being.
• 
  2022-03-16

  Navigating through COVID-19: A Personal Vlog of Ashley Hampton

  Spend a day with me as you see me (Ashley Hampton) navigate through a normal day in present COVID-19 in Anderson, South Carolina. I vlog about my workplace, shopping centers, and businesses in Anderson to give perspective of how COVID-19 has changed the way these institutions function on a day-to-day basis. Despite statewide coverage, not much is documented about South Carolina and COVID-19 in this archive, let alone, residential experiences. The objective of this video is added to the South Carolina COVID archive as well as highlight how personal experiences with COVID-19 may vary depending on which region you live in and community.
• 
  2021-10-14

  Smell of Covid in Carolina

  This story of the pandemic deals with the sense of smell and how it relates to my experiences while working as a security guard at a local college.
• 
  2021-10-14

  Smell of Covid in South Carolina

  Until recently I worked for Campus Security at a small college in the upstate of South Carolina. Before Covid, my job mainly consisted of patrolling the campus on foot and by vehicle. I would let students into their dorm rooms when they were locked out, perform traffic duty, write parking tickets, and occasionally perform searches if we thought a student had a weapon or some other kind of contraband. When the virus began to make itself known on campus, our job descriptions changed. Oddly enough, we were expected to deliver meals, three times a day to students who either had the virus or were in quarantine due to exposure. At first, we only had a small handful of students to feed but by the Fall of 2020, we were delivering meals to nearly one hundred students. Keep in mind, there were at the most, only four officers delivering these meals at any given time and the student to be fed were spread all over campus. The one thing that really stands out in my mind during this time is the smell. I have never been a huge fan of breakfast but the smell of scrambled eggs that never seemed to go away, almost ruined the first meal of the day for me. No matter how quickly you delivered the meals, by the time you finished, the patrol vehicle smelled like scrambled eggs. If it was a warm day, which it usually was in South Carolina, the smell was particularly heavy. House Keeping had to sanitize the dorms daily. One particular dorm building had a smell of its own due to the fact that a large trash bag burst in the elevator and spilled its contents all over the ground floor lobby. Many of the quarantined students lived in this dorm and I can still remember the rancid smell when walking through the front door. No matter how much they cleaned, house keeping never could quite get the smell out. While working at the college, I was like most, worried that I would contract the virus. To help prevent this, I sanitized my hands on a regular basis. The smell of alcohol wipes and Lysol will always remind me of this time. I also wore a mask wherever I went and would sometimes spray different scents on the mask to make it smell nice. Smell, above all other senses, will remind me of Covid and my time as a Campus Safety Officer.
• 
  2021-03-13

  On the Fence

  South Carolina legislation and its residents have always been on the fence about COVID but when senator Lindsey Graham caught it back in March of this year, reality started to settle in. This was a wake up call to southerns and South Carolinians alike to start taking COVID mandates more seriously. I empathized with Graham but also was somewhat grateful that his sickness would be a lesson to others.
• 
  2021-05-12

  Et Tu , Brute?

  When Governor McMaster signed an executive order stating that children had to wear mask in schools, the state went bananas. Many began to question whether McMaster's hawk feathers were starting to turn white as many people formed their opinions on what was the correct way to implement health guidelines in schools. I feel like this shows the pushback our governor was starting to have with COVID guidelines since our numbers were the highest in the South along with Georgia the month prior. I also felt like this was funny change of events considering that the governor was the first opt in to South Carolinians not wearing mask when the CDC confirmed it was safe.
• 
  2020-05-31

  I Can't Breathe

  We marched up 4 miles of downtown Greenville chanting his name throughout the streets. I remember feeling like his name was a battle cry. I call to action. And a call for us to rise up and understand the true meaning of reason of why we choose to gather here today. George Floyd. His life was was tragically taken but his legacy was lovingly memorialize. It was beautiful to see and take part of historical moment like that. A moment of where a marginalized individual was taken out of the gaps and silences of history and placed right front and center within our cultural and society.
• 
  2020-06-03

  Take the Pledge

  I regrets speaker's name but remember the impact of her words at the Black Lives Matter protest held in Anderson, South Carolina. This speaker talked about the importance of peace and understanding when joining arms with brethren and allies during pivotal times. I remember her walking off the platform and wishing I could her more. Overall, her speech was fierce, firm, and empathetic to us and the cause. Her call to action by asking the audience to take a pledge embodies to true spirit and essence of Black Lives Matter protest.
• 
  2020-06-04

  Small Town, Big Affairs

  The challenges of both COVID-19 and the lockdown illuminated the disproportionate burden black and brown communities have been facing with jobs, communities, and police. In the midst of the profound trauma of George Floyd's death, many communities had to come together to address what parameters were they enforcing for both the health and safety for its member. Many protest like the one shown in Anderson, South Carolina took place May-August of 2020 to demonstrate how a growing pandemic forced individuals to think about others' vulnerabilities--specifically those inflicted from police brutality.
• 
  2021-08-12

  Charleston Animal Society working to get exotic pets adopted as shelters hit breaking point

  NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Thousands of animals across South Carolina are in need of adoption including some more exotic options you may not think about taking home with you at the Charleston Animal Society. “Right now, we have a bearded dragon which is a very cool lizard and they have special needs, special diet as well as two bunnies, and two guinea pigs, so that’s a lot of animals that are extra care at the Charleston Animal Society as well as needing homes,” said Kay Hyman who is the director of community engagement at Charleston Animal Society
• 
  2020-08-30

  The Together While Apart Art Project

  I want to share a beautiful story about hope, healing and creativity during the pandemic that originated here in Charleston, South Carolina. It is about how 20 artists from 8 different states got together from afar while physically separated to spread joy and happiness through a large art collaboration. There was no other goal than simply wanting to heal our world.   The Together While Apart Art Project grew from a desire to combat the sadness and isolation that was prevalent during the pandemic. Twenty artists from over 8 states got together from afar to use their creative gifts to collaborate on one large work of art. What is significant about this group project is that each artist channeled the emotions they were experiencing during the height of the global pandemic in hopes of healing themselves as well as providing comfort to a broader audience.   The 20 artists were from many diverse backgrounds and from 8 different states. I was able to locate them through an open call on social media, as well as using contacts generated by a wide range of friends and family. At the onset of this project, the only art supplies I had to send each participant were an abundant supply of recycled shipping boxes. Because much of my art is built from repurposed items, keeping this theme of repurposing for the Together While Apart Art Project was very fitting.  I sent each artist several 6” x 6” square pieces of cut cardboard from these recycled boxes with one simple instruction: think outside of the box! My goal was that through the creative process, each artist would find an outlet for his or her feelings and eventually these emotions would transform into joy. Ultimately, our collective joys would be multiplied and shared with many others through our artwork.  I knew the world needed this dynamic group’s creative gifts. I also knew these amazing participants needed to share their gifts in order to process the current situation the world was in. I can say with certainty, that I am amazed at the outcome. This collaborative piece tells an inspirational story of resiliency, connections and hope during a pandemic that none of us could have imagined a few years ago.  And now, it is time to find this amazing piece a home. If you have a suggestion for an appropriate place that we might donate and/or exhibit this piece, please let me know. I would consider doing a rotation cycle so that several organizations may each enjoy this amazing artwork. Wherever this piece is displayed, I hope it inspires love, warmth, optimism, strength and happiness-the emotions we all felt while creating our individual squares. When people view this beautiful collaboration, they will be reassured that our collective strength grows when we come together by showing love and support for one another. When we connect with one another, we can use our strengths to work towards a greater good. Together, even while apart, we can do great things. And despite the utter chaos and sadness in the world, there are always kind hearted people working to find ways to bring hope and healing to others. Here is a very short video celebrating this project. https://youtu.be/9eGsOCIqESY Fondly,  Deane Bowers  Charleston, SC  804-874-2929
• 2020-03-12

  Life of a College Student During The Covid-19 Pandemic

  My Story begins in Newberry, South Carolina, in March of 2020. During this time, I was a sophomore at Newberry College. Newberry is small town with very little to do. So, three of my friends and I plan to drive to Charleston, South Carolina, for the weekend. Our plans were to hang out at a beach all day then go have dinner with my friend’s parents. Unfortunately, this plan got cut short after receiving an email from the school around 3pm. The email stated that students have to leave campus within 2 days. We were all shocked by this news. Many of the students from the college are from out of state or from another country entirely. I am from Florida originally, so I have to figure out how to get home with all my stuff in two days. Fortunately for me and my friend, who is from the same town, my parents came to pick us up the second day. At this point in the pandemic, our classes either were canceled or finished online. Most teacher would just let the students pass not to put pressure on the students or themselves. During the summer, I was trying to figure out what was going on at my college, what was their plan on keeping students safe? are classes online? Where are we going to get our food if the cafeteria is closed? Ect. The college would provide little to no information on what their plans were and they were going to charge students full price for worse conditions in housing and in class. I eventually transferred to Florida Gulf Coast University; I did this for many it was cheaper, closer to home, had better education and they provided an actually plan for COVID-19. That following December, two of my friends and I contracted Covid-19. I believe we got when we went out to lunch together. Luckily, this was during our winter break, so I was not on campus and did not infect anyone else. The interesting part is how the virus effected all three of us differently, my first friend had no symptoms, the second only lost his smell and taste, and I had the rest. I had an extreme fever, soar throat, one of the worst head aches ever, bad fatigue, and my body was really soar. I quarantined for two weeks and got tested to know I was not contagious anymore. Overall, the Covid-19 virus forced a large number of students to transfer colleges or drop out and move in with their parents. Many schools, foundations, workplaces, and establishments did not have a plan or idea on how to handle the virus. Many people were let go from their jobs and are unemployed and this caused some local businesses to go under too. The most difficult this with the virus was the lack of information about it. Some people had symptoms and others did not. The information we were receiving was different from other sources. We could not trust our own government on what information to keep us safe.
• 
  2020-09-23

  Wedding During The Time of Corona

  This is a photo of my best friend and his bride during their wedding in Spartanburg, SC
• 
  11/29/2020

  James Morrel Oral History, 2020/11/29

  James W. Morrell has worked with Wal-Mart for over 20 years. In this interview he describes his experience working for Wal-Mart before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 
  2020-11-22

  Interview with Brad and Christina Long: Restaurant and Food Industry

  The contributor of this item did not include verbal or written consent. We attempted to contact contributor (or interviewee if possible) to get consent, but got no response or had incomplete contact information. We can not allow this interview to be listened to without consent but felt the metadata is important. The recording and transcript are retained by the archive and not public. Should you wish to listen to audio file reach out to the archive and we will attempt to get consent.
• 
  2020-11

  Red Curry Tofu Rice Bowl at Bon Banh Mi in Charleston, SC

  Bon Banh Mi is a small local restaurant with two locations in the Charleston, SC area owned by two friends. Like many other restaurants in the area, they were hit by Covid-19 and had to figure out how to continue service in order to stay open. They just recently started offering inside service, however most people sit outside to enjoy their food. Masks are required at all times, except when eating food.
• 
  2020-06

  Panang Curry at Gathering Cafe

  During the pandemic many restaurants in Charleston, SC were shut down or only offered limited service. Gathering Cafe in Charleston only offered takeaway orders with two tables for outside dining. The restaurant is family owned and has a limited staff because of Covid. They also had a new baby, so in order to keep people separate from the restaurant, a large glass window was installed. They had to do their best to keep their restaurant open while also protecting the new member of the family.
• 
  08/16/2020

  Kyle Ballard Oral History, 2020/08/16

  Kyle Ballard is active duty military in North Augusta, South Carolina. Kyle identifies as a gay man and uses the pronouns he and him. He has witnessed firsthand the federal government response to the pandemic as he works on a military base and was given a restriction of movement order after falling ill in March. Despite his illness, he was unable to get a Covid-19 test due to testing restriction at the time. He spends most of his time working at the military base and developing student government for Arizona State University’s online campus. Kyle discusses the potential issues faced particularly by LGBTQ+ youth in the middle of the pandemic and his disappointment in the government response across all levels. He lives with his boyfriend Mason and recounts how it was difficult to not see him as much after the quarantine had ended. Kyle wishes the media would focus more on what other countries have done to successfully limit the spread of Covid-19.
• 
  07/17/2020

  Kiersten Camby Oral History, 2020/07/17

  This is an interview of Kiersten Camby about her experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kiersten is a fulltime wedding planner. She lives with her fiancé and two German Shepherds in Spartanburg, South Carolina. At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, Kiersten was temporarily furloughed from her job and spent most of her time in self-isolation. Her fiancé is an officer and continued to work. Kiersten was able to return to work 3 months after being furloughed and was able to slowly return to full-time status. During her time in self-isolation, Kiersten continued to be able to see her family to enjoy dinners and at-home movie nights. Kiersten and her family have taken the precautions to remain healthy and she hopes that life will one day return to normal.
• 
  2020-06-08

  Training New Marines in a New Reality

  This screenshot from the United States Marine Corps Recruit Training Depot Parris Island Facebook offers a look into some of the adjustments the military has made in order to stem the spread of COVID-19 within its ranks. In a telling sign of the pandemic-era, these new recruits all wear protective masks in order to prevent possibly-infected water droplets from escaping into the air and triggering an outbreak within the barracks, an omnipresent threat, especially in boot camp.
• 
  05/21/2020

  Roadside sign offers encouragement and social distancing message

  A roadside sign in front of Strange Bros. grading company in Taylors, SC shares messages of hope and encourages social distancing.
• 
  2020-05-16

  Flowers in front of a closed real estate agency

  On a trip through Pickens, SC my partner and I happened to pull into the parking lot of what appeared to be a very closed real estate agent with beautiful flowering garden running wild in front of it. I don't know if the business is closed because of the Coronavirus or just because it is Saturday but this picture made me think about how little nature cares about our business, even the nature we think we control. Even though we might have planted them there those flowers will keep growing beautifully with or without us.
• 
  2020-05-16

  Heritage Elementary School honors staff and students

  Signs outside of Heritage Elementary School in Traveler's Rest, SC honoring their faculty and expressing love for their missing students.
• 
  2020-05-16

  Traveler's Rest High School celebrates the Class of 2020

  Across the country and the world graduating students have missed the rite of passage that is their graduation ceremony due to the need for social distancing canceling all large gatherings. Communities have looked for ways to honor them and make this time feel special. In Traveler's Rest, SC the main street is lined with signs which feature the senior photos and names of the graduates. These pictures show only a small selection, the signs run the length of the small town's main strip.
• 
  05/16/2020

  Event sight left half constructed when Covid-19 hit

  This is an event sight in Pickens, SC, a place to hold weddings etc. The parts which are finished are absolutely beautiful but work stopped on the rest of the grounds when the pandemic began and one has to wonder if the need for social distancing and the economic downturn will make it impossible for the owners to continue the project. The piece of land is beautiful if scarred up at the moment and if it doesn't end up an event space it should become a park. My partner and I stumbled across it looking for a place to turn around because Table Rock State Park was at capacity. We could always use more beautiful places to spend time in nature, especially now.
• 
  2020-05-16

  Chalk Heart Drawing

  I found this chalk heart on the sidewalk outside of Heritage Elementary School in Traveler's Rest, SC. It made me smile and gave me hope to see it and it just felt important to pass along. So much of what ends up documented here is how life has changed. This reminded me that the important things haven't: joy and love and play are all still happening.
• 
  2020-05-16

  Town Spirit Stone with masks

  This is the town Spirit Stone in Traveler's Rest, SC. It is in front of Heritage Elementary School and people decorate it to celebrate special events, birthdays etc. Here someone has altered the a's in an ordinary birthday message so they are "wearing" masks. Neither the original artists nor the person who added the masks left a signature.
• 
  2020-05-15

  Quarantine buzz cut selfie

  A selfie of my fresh quarantine buzz cut. I decided to shave my hair off when it became overgrown as a very potent sign that I will not be going to get a hair cut until it is actually safe to do so, not just safe for me as the consumer but safe for people whose job it is to cut hair. There is a lot of tension in the US at this time between people who feel that we need to open up the economy in order to facilitate a speedy return of the status quo and those who argue that it is not worth losing more lives to save the economy. I wanted it to be visually clear that I do not intend to endanger someone else or be part of their having to choose between financial ruin and physical illness simply for the sake of my own vanity.
• 
  2020-05-09

  Iconic Greenville SC hat store Jungle J's open for curbside service only

  Greenville SC's famous hat store Jungle J's opens after a partial lockdown with curbside service only. They even had a mirror set up outside to try on hats. The store is extremely small and cramped inside and social distancing would be basically impossible within.
• 
  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
• 
  2020-03-26

  Catawba Nation Adjusts Services in Response to Pandemic

  While seniors will continue to receive meals and some services will continue to be partially offered, Catawba tribal citizens are informed about how COVID-19 has impacted daily tribal operations. Seniors will be closely watched, with a phone tree to check on them “since they are hardest hit by this virus.” #IndigenousStories
• 
  2020-04-29

  Day at The Lake

  This is the road to a family lake near Loris, South Carolina. Built over 60 years ago the road is very worn down and the brush has grown up all around it, but it is still there. I went out there this past week just to clear my head after this past week. During, the Covid-19 season that we are stuck in I have found it necessary to get out and away to a place that you can breathe at. No news, Facebook, or Instagram just you and nature. Trust me it is a good way to keep sane.
• 
  2020-04-28

  week of april 27

  Week of April 27, 2020 I am from Myrtle Beach, SC and as most people know South Carolina was one of the first states to open back up after President Trump gave his blessings to each governor to make their own decision regarding how quickly and what to open up and what to restrict. During this entire month, Covid 19 has revealed some uncomfortable truths about America. Every day brings a reminder that we are a country of extreme haves and have nots – and this applies to people have accurate information. We as a country have the most Nobel prizes in science and also the most willfully ignorant people when it comes to understanding science. How else can we explain electing a low information buffoon who pushes bullshit cures and disinformation that will actually kill people. Injecting disinfectant??? Really? Trump knows that there is no disinfectant at stores. But he like many Americans believes that science is just an opinion instead of trying to understand it. These people are far better at dismissing inconvenient science than trying to understand how it will affect their lives. Thinking is hard. Repeating memes is fun. And after all, isn’t not believing in Darwinism really Darwinism? When facts are inconvenient, these folks just scream that “I can’t hear you.” This goes to prove another fact, that America cares more about the corporate health of its companies that the actual health of its citizens. Corporations got most of the bailout cash. And corporations and the politicians corporations pay are behind the “grassroots” push to prematurely open America. Georgia has one of the lowest rates of testing in the country and it is the first to completely reopen. That’s what happens when you make medical decisions for political reasons. Like the mayor of Las Vegas offering to make her city a control group with testing. It would be like a doctor saying they were going to treat cancer with lower taxes. Republican governors believe that sacrifices have to be made for corporate profits. Frankly, I don’t want to be a statistic. And because of trump’s attitude toward this has been that he won’t take any blame, our response to the pandemic has been ad hoc, conflicting, and piecemeal. Some states have had responses founded on research surrounded by states with policies founded on Twitter hashtags. It is amazing to some that viruses don’t respect state lines or how deadly they are. The conflicting responses are like having a no smoking section in my car or a no peeing section in my bathtub. I have to give credit for most of this post to a post I follow on Facebook called Mrs. Betty Bowers. It reflects my feelings and frustrations but says it far better than I could.
• 
  2020-04-26

  COVID 19 Abandoned Building

  This picture was taken at an abandoned building along Highway 905 in Longs, South Carolina on my drive home from work. Being out of work for over two weeks made me eager to get back to work as a pet groomer achieve some sense of normalcy. Work can often be fast paced and the new requirement of masks and curbside-only pick-up made things a little different, but I looked forward to the drive home, which I usually use to clear my head and unwind. Seeing this made me realize that no matter where we go or what we do, COVID 19 will have a lasting impact that we may be reminded of in the least expected places. Hopefully this can be painted over in the future with something far brighter and encouraging.
• 
  2020-04-25

  Day 20 South Carolina Quarantine

  An intimate account of what is going on in South Carolina.
• 
  2020-04-27

  NJ to SC

  Yesterday, I spent hours driving on I-95; I started in NJ and went down the coast. In NJ it is required to wear masks and to 6 feet apart from each other; I was curious to see how strict other states were. When arriving in South Carolina I notice that it was a different atmosphere than in NJ. People were living there everyday lives, some taking the precautions need while others were not. In NJ it is spring, and where I live it has not stopped raining or been over 50 degrees for weeks. I noticed that I had different emotions living in South Carolina for 2 days then in NJ for the past 7 weeks. I wish I could have stayed there and laid in the sun for hours. Hopefully the rain will stop and the sun will come, I think everyone up here will benefit from it.
• 
  2020-04-22

  Week of April 20th

  Week of April 20
• 
  2020-04-18

  Stay off the Beach

  Normally the beaches are crowded in April. Covid-19 has closed the beaches. The regulations are enforceable by law.
• 
  2020-04-05

  April 6th - April 12th

  The week of April 6th, 2020 – April 12th, 2020 marked over 21 days of quarantine for myself. Here in Conway, South Carolina, it feels as though life has taken a hit, but not to the extension that you see in places such as California or New York. Whether it is people have been lucky here or just not enough testing to actually confirm the correct number is anybody’s guess. You can still go into a store such as Wal-Mart and find an overwhelming amount of people at any given time. Even though Governor McMaster has put on a stay at home order for all nonessential workers, it just doesn’t feel like daily life has slowed down for many. For myself, the only positive that has come from all of this are the low gas prices, as low as $1.19 in some places! One of the biggest issues that I have seen is the mental aspect of the country. The panic, the worry, the fear. Granted it is unprecedented times, but instead of calm and trying to find positive in this, all over the TV and media is negativity. In my hometown of Adams, Massachusetts, this virus is destroying them, but yet when I talk to family members, the lack of action is mind – blowing to me. My mother works for a dentist office who continues to stay open, even after her boss recently came back from a cruise. Is it ignorance or greed? I have struggled with those two topics of this whole situation. It is clear now that the measures taken at the beginning of the outbreak were not enough. Now the government handing out money to people to try and keep them afloat is their way of trying to curb public opinion. What better way to prevent an outcry of the public than to give them free money to keep their opinions to themselves? For me in this situation, the real fear in this, is my mind. As someone who has struggled the majority of my life with addiction and alcoholism, it is a crippling time in the sober community. On April 15th, it will mark my one year anniversary of being sober. These last few weeks seem to have tested me more than ever. With the social gatherings limit, that means all of the meetings I was attending every week are no longer an option. Being laid off and not being able to go anywhere, you have restless legs and a restless mind. This past week I have done hours of yard work and home maintenance just to keep my mind busy and hopefully exhaust me to the point where I just go to sleep. I am one of the lucky ones, I guess. In the last ten days, I have had to watch three friends in sobriety, go back out, and lose their lives to the disease. I know the longer that this pandemic goes on, the more friends I will have to say goodbye to and you just pray that you stay afloat. There has been good in this though, there are pop up groups that have created online meetings where you can facetime in and get to have meetings with people from all over the world. I’m not sure what this next week holds in store, but just like everyday I pray we see the light at the end of the tunnel. P.S. I miss sports desperately (this was supposed to be the Master’s tournament this weekend!).
• 
  2020-04-09

  A photo from the Myrtle Beach Sun news.

  This is a recent image of the tourist attraction, that is Myrtle Beach. As a life long local, if you were to tell me in April our beaches will be empty, under any other circumstances I would not have believed it. This really gives us who have been to Myrtle an understanding of the severity of this pandemic.
• 
  2020-04-07

  John Gaddy

  Short text.
• 
  2020-04-02

  Sewing elastic on n95s

  One of our local hospital groups in Horry County, South Carolina, Tidelands Health, had a stock of n95 respirators from a previous public health crisis. However, the elastic securing bands had degraded and become brittle and cant be stretched. They solicited local volunteers to sew on new elastic so the masks can be used. The hospital had a contactless drive up checkin and pick up system. They provided the masks and elastic, so I spent the afternoon repairing 35 small n95 respirator masks. I have a box of large to finish tomorrow before I return them. It is a small thing, but it really helped me feel like I was doing something tangible and helpful for my community.
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  2020-04-02

  Take out only ! River City Cafe Myrtle Beach, SC

  No longer can we go inside of restaurants. My local Hamburger joint where I would usually go and sit inside and enjoy their delicious food. Now you must call ahead and pick it up.
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  2020-03-31

  Q activity - camera rig

  Staying busy doing stuff that I've been putting off during week 1 of the real lock down.
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  2020-03-18T10:30

  My bookshelf of Death and Plague books

  Officials at Coastal Carolina University announced campus would close, Wednesday March 18 at noon to nonessential personnel. Faculty were encouraged to get any last minute materials from offices so buildings could be sanitized then locked down for the foreseeable future. I went in to get papers, files, and books. This shelf is comprised of my books on disease, death, dying, and human remains; main areas of my research. I packed a few books to bring home, but I havent brought myself to unpack or read any of them yet. My current research is on death and human remains in museums.