Items

• 
  2021-07-16

  HIST30060: pandemic poetry

  I began writing poetry last year (2020) since I suddenly found myself with much more time on my hands. I wrote this poem earlier this year when I was in a boring Zoom tutorial. Reflecting on it afterwards, I found the theme of lagging very pertinent for my feelings during the pandemic.
• 
  2021-10-08

  covid in 2021

  I’m Brayden O’Connor I go to lone star middle school, I’m from Pocatello Idaho, I was born in 2009. What I like about school is probably getting to see all my friends and meeting a bunch of new teachers each year. My hobbies are baseball, hockey, hunting, camping, being outside, and playing with my dogs. I would describe the start of this school year as, very stressful, difficult, and boring. It’s not similar at all. And what’s different, is probably almost everything we don’t have to wear masks anymore and we don’t have to wipe our desks down after the period, we go back full time now no more a day b day, no more hybrid, no more Wednesdays off. A lot has changed but it is still manageable, like we must use hand sanitizer and we must be careful of everything we do. Its very different than what it used to be when it was the 4th quarter of 5th grade. During then we had to go full online because there was the covid outbreak. Then in 6th grade we were pretty much all online for most of the year but then at the very end we went back to school with masks mandatory. But then this year, (7th grade), we are back to school full time with masks optional.
• 2020-12-09

  Life in the Pandemic

  My life in the pandemic was tough. I couldn't work so I was not able to pay my bills, I like the rest of the world during lockdown had to sit at home bored out of my mind because nobody could leave. I was very scared for my mom when she got covid because she had oxygen issues and also heart issues. Going to school during the pandemic really bothered me because I lost a lot of focus and became very lazy when it came to handing in assignments. I would rather physically go onto campus because when I am actually listening to the professors' talk, it makes it so much easier to understand and to focus.
• 
  2020-08-15

  The Covid Guard

  The beginning of the pandemic almost perfectly overlayed with my beginning in the coast guard. From my first unit to A school, to my second unit as a rated member, Covid 19 has been a major part of every pit stop. I endure endless safety briefings to the now mandatory Covid 19 vaccine, the military did not fall short in its education and preparation for the pandemic.
• 2021-09-06

  home learning

  writing about covid
• 
  2020

  Humorous memes about coronavirus

  During quarantine I collected many humorous memes about staying at home and the problems that brought. All sorts of subjects were covered: cooking, getting along with your spouse/roommates, homeschooling the kids, learning to bake bread, being stuck at home, sanitizing, facemasks, people hoarding toilet paper, boredom, effects of isolation, etc. Here are a few of those memes.
• 
  2020

  Humorous memes about toilet paper during corona

  During quarantine I collected many humorous memes about staying at home and the problems that brought. All sorts of subjects were covered: cooking, getting along with your spouse/roommates, homeschooling the kids, learning to bake bread, being stuck at home, sanitizing, facemasks, people hoarding toilet paper, boredom, effects of isolation, etc. Here are a few of those memes.
• 
  2020-07

  Silence and Isolation

  This is important because it speaks to the daily struggle of living through the pandemic. I was not touched by the disease itself, but my life was changed by it. My submission describes my sensory experiences of isolation during the pandemic as I moved to a new city for work. It expresses how the pandemic brought more than health issues but social issues to society as well.
• 
  2020

  Magical Summer!

  Because of all the restrictions in place last summer, it was hard to watch all the kids in the neighborhood try and find stuff to keep them occupied and happy. I live next door to three little girls. So one day, when they were not home, I built a small fairy house on the tree between our yards. The girls believed that a fairy had moved in and they couldn't be more excited. Every few days or so I would go and sprinkle glitter around the house so it looked like the fairy was walking around the house. It was so much fun to hear the girls yell in excitement when they saw new glitter or a new addition to the fairy house. It made them and happy and it made me happy. Of course, their parents knew it was me, but to their young imaginations, a real live fairy was living in their yard.
• 
  2020-09

  Covit-19 and the outdoors

  What do you do when you cannot do what you normally do? In Arizona the guidelines of the Governor have been pretty light except for a couple of weeks on April 2020, otherwise he was very proud to say that Arizona would follow the CDC guidelines “the Arizona way”. Meaning? We recommend the mask but is up the business to decide the extent of the enforcement; six feet distance, the same; stay home if you feel you have symptoms, of course. I have to say that the business, for the most part, have taken a more responsible posture than the authorities. Even today April 2021, when the Governor remove any obligation to wear mask, I continue to see most of the business, and population at large, that continue to wear the mask in public. So, with these light restrictions what do you do when you cannot do what you normally do? The answer for many Arizonians, and visitors, has been outdoor activities! Hiking, biking or simply going to the park. My story is of last September 2021. I too decided to resume my mountain biking activity in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve and I sent my bike to a shop for routine maintenance and replace of my old tires. What I find out is that the shop could not find any tire of my kind through their suppliers in fact, they told me, it is getting difficult even to buy a new bike, the bike market just exploded . . . I was not alone. They suggest for me to go to Amazon and look for tires and I was lucky to find my tires from a pool of only 7 in all US!!! Silver line: thank to Covint-19 the US population is finally exercising, I’ll take it
• 
  2021-04-11

  Pandemic Street Art: teenage tagger made to apologize and cleanup

  New York teen tags the streets in "response to multiple stressors. Quarantining boredom. Family problems. Feeling stuck since graduating high school and not yet finding a job or college that fit."
• 
  2021-02-24

  School in the Era of the Pandemic

  Going around the school, there are signs and posters scattered around the entire vicinity, requiring masks and social distancing. Prior to any of these events, people were constantly together, with no masks, crowded rooms, etc. Now it is crazy to even fathom that I've been to a concert with thousands of people bumping into each other. Although this seems like a generic topic to discuss, I'm sure in the future it will seem so inconceivable.
• 
  2021-02-04

  My Mother Will Be 80 Years Old This Week

  My mother will have her eightieth birthday this Sunday. She is not likely to share her story here. She has a computer and uses the Internet. However, she usually only looks at other people’s posts on Facebook and does not use Twitter at all. I will therefore tell some of her story myself. My mother has been stuck in her house for nearly a year now. She lives only a mile or two from each of us, so my sister and I get her groceries for her so she does not risk exposure to the virus. My mother was resistant to this for a while, from a combination of independence, a disinclination to impose on others, and a plain desire to get out of the house. My mother probably has not gotten a hug from anyone in nearly a year. We call her nearly every day, and we do visit with her on patio, but we always keep our distance. As much as she would like to see people more, she does not want to break social distancing. In her view, she has stuck with it this long and does not want to waste that effort. When I talk to my mother, she often expresses boredom. She reads, works on puzzles, watches television, and calls family (although she does not want to bother people). The other day I half-jokingly suggested that she spend some time writing her memoirs. It would be a gift for her children and grandchildren to record her life experiences. My mother has started writing several pages a day. She writes long-hand in a notepad, then types up what she wrote on her computer. I was amused when she told me this, because I have not written that way in more than thirty years, and younger generations likely could not imagine doing it this way. My mother made one of her rare trips outside the house last week. She was able to navigate the website and get herself an appointment for a COVID vaccination. I was rather proud of her for persistently navigating a website that I found confusing and difficult to use. Her persistence in seeking a vaccination speaks to her eagerness to get life back to normal.
• 
  2021-01-22

  The Feels Zone

  My last six months of quarantine have mostly been what this shows, especially the first months. Me, in my messy room, holed up, doing school and homework, playing games, eating, sleeping. Many days were so similar they started to muddle together and I would forget what day or time it was. My only escapes were YouTube, video games, or anime. That is what most of my days consisted of, and still do. Of course I have my parents with me, which is always a plus, but they're always working as well. Also, they can only entertain me for so long. Then I’m bored again. The only things that were consistently fun were playing games and watching anime. But even that got boring after a while. I tried working out at first, and drawing, but eventually just stopped for no real reason besides unmotivation. There were a great deal of days where I just skipped meals or slept in for the same reason. After so long, going out to see friends was so refreshing, and one day of seeing friends was enough to make my week. Besides that though, quarantine was just really boring. Not being able to see friends at school, or go out is what made quarantine especially boring. This quarantine got me feeling ways I have never felt before; lonely and depressed. Other than that, quarantine has been just bland.
• 
  2021-01-22

  Growing Book Collection

  As an avid reader, I used to have a small collection of books for myself, to open up when I get bored. When the pandemic hit and there was little to do besides read or stare at a screen all day in this house, more and more books joined the shelves.
• 2021-01-21

  Life with covid

  I have been lucky enough to not have many people close to me get infected with covid. However there are a couple people I know that did get it. One case that affected me was my orthodontist. He got diagnosed a few days after I had an appointment with him. So obviously I had to quarantine. I got tested and tested negative. But I still took the necessary precautions. That whole week I could not leave my house. I missed soccer practice. I couldn't hang out with my friends. It was lonely and boring. Luckily no symptoms ever appeared and all was well.
• 2020

  My virtual learning experience

  My virtual learning experience was not unique, I imagine, consisting of waking up about five minutes before school started, sitting through a class while watching endless hours of youtube, making myself breakfast during my break, and the occasional going to water polo after three more classes. Though I have always thought that school lacked challenge, virtual learning bored me out of my mind, I could not stand it.
• 2021-01-15

  Virtual Learning 2020

  The first day we were informed we would be doing online school was on March 13, 2020. My parents had both gotten an email from my school explaining that we would be doing school from home on our laptops. I was both shocked and excited when I heard about this. Before that day the thought of us doing online school was just a rumor. The following day at school was just learning about how online school was going to go, and how to get logged on to all our classes. Everyone was so excited for the first 2-3 weeks, since we didn't have to get up so early. But soon enough, we all started to become lonely, bored, and anxious. Most people couldn't wait to go back in person. Online school was boring since we had to do all our classes over zoom calls, and it was extremely hard to focus trying to learn through a screen. The days were long, drawn out and boring. There was no way to socialize with your friends other than FaceTime. Personally for me the online good party about learning virtual was the fact that we got to sleep in an hour later. Overall, we did online school for 8 months(not including summer break). It was unlike anything I've ever experienced and we've finally gone back to school this month(January 2021). It isn't even a question how much better in person school is than virtual learning, for me. It was boring, dark, quiet, and everyday was exactly the same as the day before. I am so happy we get to return to the way things were before last year, but we still do have lots of precautions for covid-19. I'm just glad that people are finally getting things back on their feet, and things are returning to normal(well, at least more normal than last year), and we can all appreciate in-person school for what it really is.
• 2021-01-15

  Experiences While Learning Virtually

  Learning virtually seemed so amazing in the beginning, but once it was the only option, it was terrible. The beginning seemed like a nice break from going to school, but after a while I was ready to go back. Being on a computer for almost seven hours a day, five days a week was killing me. Our classes were 80 minutes long, and all we did was sit and stare blankly into a computer. We weren't able to see any friends, and overall it was super boring. Some good things about it was we were at our own houses, so i didn't get up until 7:45 a.m to be in class at 8:00 a.m. If you were on a trip or in a different place, you could still bring all your school stuff with you and not miss anything. Overall, I am glad to be back in school again for now.
• 
  2021-01-13

  Pandemic Hacks

  At the beginning of the pandemic, it seemed for a bit of time that the infrastructure of the world was on shakey ground. Thankfully, our food supplies and economy did not collapse. However, the experience and extra-time during the pandemic led to me trying to become more self-sufficient in my livelihood. I have had a vegetable garden for years, but I started to grow different things this year than before. The picture above was my sweet potato harvest experiment, which I was pleased with and had a good amount of nutritious sweet potatoes. I had similar results with things like beans and regular potatoes (very nutritious and filling). On top of these things, I also tried to learn how to make products that I used regularly (even if these were more luxury items than necessities). Growing various herbs and spices, I began to make my own salad dressings, marinades, sauces, and pestos. Additionally, as a fan of craft beer, I enjoy drinking new and exciting beers but do not enjoy paying premium prices. During the lock down, I learned how to brew my own delicious beer for less than half of the cost from the store. All of these projects were fun to do, diminished boredom, and are skills which I can use to enrich my life moving forward.
• 2021-01-15

  School during COVID😢

  School during COVID is okay because there is a lot of ups and downs. For example School is quite simple but I want to go on campus. Stay home gets kinda boring and thats one of the down falls.
• 2020-03-13

  The Beginning

  My mom said that we were going to keep me home from school for a couple of days and I remember thinking...what is happening? I stayed home from Wednesday-Friday and on that Friday, my mom drove me to school in our Black honda to go pick up my books and clean out my locker because we were going to have an "extended spring break" which really turned into 8 months+ of online school. I thought that this was all super crazy! I was in shock that we had to stay home and learn from a computer. My opinions have changed a bit from back then. I started off thinking that this all would fly by and we would be back in school in a couple of weeks and maybe a month, but now I am not even sure if the world will ever be the same. Will we always have to wear masks? Maybe, but no one knows because the virus keeps getting bigger and bigger. I just couldn't believe that all of this was happening, at first, I thought it would be fun, but as time went by it just got kinda boring.
• 
  2020-09-22

  My COVID Experience

  This journal entry was written as a part of the American Studies class at California High School in San Ramon, California. It tells a short story of how life was like for me before we had to go into quarantine due to covid-19.
• 2020-12-17

  Relaxation to being Brain dead

  During COVID I have learned how much I actually missed school. When COVID first hit I was happy, no school, and time to relax, but then sports and hanging with friends stopped. Going to school is really where I saw my friends and it was time to socialize and learn. I went brain dead during quarantine that when school started i was completely lost and out of it. I say i miss school because online learning is tough and not enjoyable. I learned that school was actually kinda fun. When cases started too slowly decrease many places opened back up and hanging with friends were aloud with caution, this was the time when life started to feel normal again, until it wasn't. December we start to see a rise to cases and we are no longer aloud to see people and the stay at home order has been in place.
• 
  2020-03-31

  TikTok Saving Millions from Boredom During the Pandemic

  I chose this because I think it was actually really significant during the pandemic, and also just in 2020. TikTok is an app where people create 60 second videos, it can be dancing, making food, doing pranks, whatever you want. TikTok started becoming popular in 2019, but it really blew up in March when we were all stuck inside. I know from myself, I spend endless hours on TikTok, so did the rest of my family, even my parents. I haven’t met anyone who didn’t go on TikTok, or at least see TikToks online during lockdown, it was everywhere. I think this is significant to the pandemic and 2020, because it was how most of us kept busy, around the world. We were all watching the same videos, doing the same dancing trends, cooking the famous food for that week, etc. TikTok now has 850 million users.
• 
  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.
• 
  2020-11-12

  "How the pandemic got people smoking again" - Vox

  With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have been pressured to develop bad habits such as overeating, alcoholism, doom scrolling, and impulse shopping. But one pandemic indulgence that stands out to medical officials and journalists is smoking, which damages lungs and puts one at an increased risk from dying of COVID-19. In an article for Vox, journalist Melinda Fakuade provides readers with an overview of the reasons why more people have taken up smoking during the COVID-19 pandemic in spite of the increased risk of death. According to Fakuade, a major factor that explains the increased prevalence of smoking during the COVID-19 pandemic is the sheer boredom that comes with being unable to leave home without risking contracting COVID-19. Not being able to leave home and spend money on other amenities also increases one's access to discretionary spending, which can be used to fund cigarette smoking and other bad habits. Fakuade also emphasizes the role of stress, which induces people to take up bad habits such as smoking as a coping mechanism. According to her, smoking functions as a way of maintaining a routine and sense of control in a time of extreme instability. Finally, Fakuade considers whether or not the increased prevalence of smoking during the COVID-19 pandemic constitutes a reflection of an internal "death wish," on the part of smokers.
• 
  2020-03-17

  Corona DJ

  When faced with boredom, you either figure out a way to do something, or you rot away in peril. During the early stages of the pandemic, Italy was one of the hardest-hit countries in the world, the Italians would have to figure out how to do something when faced with the attached boredom. The residents in an unnamed neighborhood would innovate with this boredom in a fanatisic way. One of the residents happened to be a DJ and set up his rig to play to the whole block.
• 
  2020-10-27

  One Thing From The Pandemic

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

  Finding Ways to Fill your Boredom

  As I sit on my bed, debating whether or not to attempt one of the many online math assignments or to find another way to fill the empty time that is left in the day. My mom is downstairs trying to teach a first grade lesson on “Beginning, Middle, and End” of writer’s workshop. I can hear how overwhelmed she is to try and get her students to both pay attention and understand the lesson she is trying so hard to explain. My Dad is in his office slamming his keys on his keyboard as he is very loudly expressing the values of communication to one of his clients. “It is important for you to tell me or Peter when you and your wife decide to…” The many conversations that are happening between so many people in one household checks off the idea of watching TV or reading a magazine article. I can even see the annoyed look in my cat’s eyes as he sits next to me. I can tell that he definitely knows that this is not normal for both Mom and Dad to be on the phone and working at home in the middle of the day. So all I do, is just sit on my bed, finding not the most entertaining but productive ways I can fill this boredom.
• 
  2020-06-03

  The Ribbon Handkerchief

  At the beginning of the pandemic my family was afraid to go out because mom works at a retirement. We were afraid of unknowing contract COVID-19, passing it on to her and then her passing it on to the elderly residents at her work. Most of our weekend activities involved going out: shopping, hiking, visiting friends. Since we couldn't go out save for a few exceptions we needed to find new activities to fill our spare time. Which led us to old hobbies. When I was younger, my mom and I would do needlecraft together but when I entered high school I decided I was too busy for that. We packed all the supplies up and stowed them away in the closet. Since we had nothing else to do, we got out our old supplies and dusted them off. We didn't have many patterns or other supplies left but we did have a few things. One of the few things we had was an old handkerchief embroidery kit, an old gift to my mom from one of my aunts. This particular kit involved ribbons, something I had never worked with before. The handkerchief took longer to complete than it probably should have, especially since it was such a small area, but I got it done even if it wasn't perfect. Although it was such a small thing, working on this handkerchief helped take my mind off of things and alleviate my boredom for at least a little while.
• 
  2020-10-14

  Driving to Apartment

  The audio recording are the sounds of my car and the cars around me as I drive home after another day at work on Dover AFB. I could explain and explore all the things that COVID impacted on the base as well as in regards to deployments, missions, and military/civilian personnel, but that will have to be a separate COVID story for another time. As for my car ride, the audio highlights one of the most confusing things about human behavior for me during the pandemic. Where was everyone going? Majority of businesses were closed. Visitation to family and friends were greatly discouraged. The beaches were closed. All the states around us were closing their borders. Yet, people were driving all about the roads like the COVID wasn’t going to stop them from being somewhere. Don’t get me wrong, the base was still open and I was still going to work. Also, a good portion of the people living in or around Dover were military or military families. Still, traffic around me didn’t ever seem to really slow down or make sense connection to the pandemic. In fact, the closer you got to the base, the worse the traffic became because the base had closed all their gates but one. This meant that everyone who needed to be on base to work or go to medical (not much was open at the start of COVID and things are slowly working their ways back to somewhat “normal” hours) had to go through a singular gate. I would sit in my car for almost an hour, listening to my music and the music of the cars around me as I waited impatiently for my wheels to a spin a few more inches forward. In some ways, this audio clip reveals something special about the history of the pandemic. The audio and my story attached to it showcases not only the human nature to adapt, but also humanity’s resiliency to sustain a way of life. At the same time, pandemic unveils our values and driving force. For instance, were those driving around the pandemic going to work for monetary value? Were they driving to see loved ones through a window? Maybe they were driving just to have a purpose? Or they just trying to escape the confines of the sanctuary of their home? Was it about politics? This also brings about the question of fear. Fear of being alone. Fear of confinement. Fear of death. Fear of boredom. Fear of lost freedom.
• 
  2020-03-20

  Fresh Air, But For Only So Long

  During the pandemic, specifically between March and June, there wasn't much for me to do with work. I would help my Dad with his now unfamiliar school work. I did play games and watched the entirety of Parks and Recreation, but couldn't stave off the boredom. I needed to do something. So, I would go on walks. Sometimes I would go by myself and sometimes I would take my dog Carolina. She loves taking walks and it was something new for her with every walk. I lived in a rural part of town and the air was fresh. The smell of flowers drifting in the air, while also smelling cow manure as well. All I could hear was the sound of the birds, neighbor dogs and the farm animals. Carolina would stare at those dogs or animals, but never approach them. It was wonderful to breathe in the warm air. Cars were a rare sight and sound when I would walk along the asphalt with no issues. It was so quiet. It was nice to have the road to ourselves. Prior to COVID, people would be driving along our road frequently and we could hear them even from the end of our driveway. There seemed to be less garbage in the ditches too. Sometimes, I would see whole families walking along the road, probably wanting to inhale that fresh air that I was enjoying. Mid to late summer though, the air became thick with smoke. The fires around Washington, especially from nearby Selah, were suffocating and my walks stopped. There was even a fire on the ridge behind our house and I was worried that we would have to evacuate. The sky was muggy and the area was too warm, thankfully, since we all started wearing masks, we could cope with the fires. Mostly, I was disappointed that the fresh air I breathed towards the beginning of summer was gone. The picture I chose to share was a picture I took of the fire that started on the ridge behind our house. It's not the best quality, but that smoke was what closed out the summer. There was a lot to deal with this summer; COVID and fires mostly, but somehow, we made it. *Photograph, this is something that I took myself.
• 
  2020-04-16

  Trying New Hobbies

  This sums up what the beginning of the pandemic was like for me. I was bored as hell, and I just wanted to do something I thought would be a productive use of my time. So when I looked at the guitar in the corner of my room I figure I give it try. Besides, it was just collecting dust anyway. I feel like everyone was trying new things or new hobbies to make up for being inside for so long. Especially if you have a big family like me. The funny thing is that after about four weeks, I just stopped playing. I think I'll get back into it soon.
• 
  2020-09-25

  The Rippling Effects of COVID-19

  COVID-19 came as a shock to everyone. No one could have predicted the rippling effects it has had in everyone's lives. This pandemic impacts all kinds of people- young, old, single, married, rich, and poor. It is the common thread among all of us. It is what binds us together during this difficult time. This time will never be forgotten. It will be written in textbooks and taught to future generations. Many families are going through a hard time. Who knew a virus could infiltrate people’s lives like this and flip them upside down? No one saw this coming. Many families are struggling financially including mine. We weren’t prepared for this. We thought it will all blow over soon enough. Unfortunately, we were wrong. First, my school closed. Then, my job place closed. Then, my gym closed. It seemed as if the whole world was shutting down right before my eyes, slowly stripping the things I love the most. The thought of being trapped in the house, all day, every day, for who knows how long, gave me anxiety. Slowly, life began to become very boring. Waking up knowing that you’re trapped in the house. Curfews were put up in my city. It’s like we were little kids and the Government was our parents trying to protect us from the monster- COVID 19. I suddenly had so much free time on my hands and didn’t know what to do with it. I decided to pick up some new hobbies. I tried everything. From painting to reading. It was a crazy time for all of us. When we were finally allowed out, I was so happy. Happy that everything will go back to normal, happy that I could get my old life back, happy that I could leave my house again. However, it wasn’t what I expected it to be. We had to wear masks, gloves, and maintain six feet apart between people. I remember the first time I went out in months. Everyone had covered faces and only eyes of sadness and fear were able to be seen. We all looked the same, yet on the inside we were different, each of us experiencing the impacts of the pandemic in a different way. I was shocked. I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that a virus, something that is not visible to the naked eye, has turned our lives upside down and forced us to deal with the consequences. As of now, September 2020, life is somewhat what it used to be, but it will never return back to the way we’ve known. The fact that this has become our new reality, is kind of scary. But we are not out of the clear yet, there’s still so much work to do. We have to cooperate with all the guidelines and stick together. Especially during these difficult times, together we are stronger. This is all my own interpretation of the times we live in now and how it has impacted me and changed our lives forever.
• 
  2020-09-18

  Pandemic Baking Skills

  Just like scores of others, I attempted baking as a hobby to fill all the extra hours I found myself having during the pandemic lockdown. At first, my attempts yielded tasty but not terribly appealing to look at dishes. But after a few practice rounds, I found a knack for making cobblers! Peach and blackberry, it turns out, are my favorites! Having a hobby is even more important now that everyone is spending more time indoors.
• 
  2020-05-11

  Nick Maleno's Covid-19

  This story explains what i did to help my get through the first part of this pandemic.
• 2020-05

  Time

  Time. Time is an interesting concept. Everyone always wishes for more of it, but most people are not sure how to use the time they are given. Well, the point I am trying to make is that there are so many hours in a day, but do we know how to use them? Due to Covid-19, I really was able to think about this. For the first week or so, I saw this pandemic as a vacation from my rigorous class work. In the following weeks after that, I was in a constant state of boredom. I feel as if this is the story for most college students. This is when I decided I needed to do something about it. As the school year had concluded, I began to look for a job. Come to find out, it was truly not as hard as it seemed to find a job during a pandemic. In a week’s time, I had started my full-time job and could not be more excited. Of course, it took time to get use to the long hours and the physical demands, but, in time, it had become the perfect cure to my boredom. In fact, it felt so good that I did not want to stop there. With my newfound energy, I began to exercise for a minimum of two hours a day. When that was not enough, I decided to teach myself about the economy and the stock market. Now, me sharing my quarantine experience is not to gloat or to try and portray myself as one that is greater than another. With this story, I am trying to portray my realization that my view of time has changed. Before the pandemic, I would not believe that I would be working a full-time job, working out, and learn for fun all in the matter of 24 hours. I would not have thought I had enough time. With proper motivation though, and a more strict schedule, I had begun to realize that time is something that you will not have forever, so try and use the time that you have currently to its maximum potential.
• 
  2020-09-16

  Does the COVID-19 Pandemic Trend Influence the Virality of Trends?

  Trends define a generation. As someone who is interested in observing the rise and falls of trends, I was interested to see how the pandemic would influence the virality of trends. After all, most people are cooped up in their homes with not much entertainment. The rise of the social media app TikTok, coupled with the power of viral trends, combine together to influence the fads and trends of this generation.
• 
  2020-04-03

  Boredom Hike

  I’ve uploaded pictures of my hike to signify my boredom through this time. With just staying home, going on walks or hikes was like an event in your day/week. I don’t normally take pictures during my hike because it takes a lot to get good pictures and it’s a mostly boring desert when hiking. I was so bored that I decided to challenge myself and try to take good pictures on this mediocre hike. This is the type of little thing about this pandemic that everyone can relate to. I never would have done this without quarantine.
• 
  2020-07-01

  Quarantine

  I submitted a pile of packages in my room as my photo because with nothing to do and preparing for college, I found myself ordering a lot more items and clothing online than I ever had before in my life. Mostly all of the online stores were also having huge sales, which did not help my shopping addiction especially while I was bored with no where to go and nothing to do.
• 
  2020-03-16

  All Set with Nothing to Do

  During quarantine, many people were bored. All we could do was stay home.
• 2020-05-31

  covid

  one upon a time there was a virus that was new and dangerous. Plagued by fear, the US issued a self-quarantine and limit of social encounters with other people. this angered many people, but it was very necessary. my family is being torn apart by this and I honestly would rather get coronavirus than do this for another month or something. its ridiculous. My parents would freak out at dinner every night because Im not living up to their expectations that seem to have risen during this worldwide state of panic and fear, while I'm getting yelled at for not wanting to set the table or something like that. also, they keep putting time limits on everything I do related to technology; I'm honestly amazed they haven't figured out how to put a list on my school issued Chromebook. once again, ridiculous. I cant believe they expect me to constantly be in a productive state during the worst year of my life. even if after today, everything was sunshine and rainbows, I would still look back on 2020 with the worst taste in my mouth imaginable. ridiculous. my parents tell me I'm going to tell mt grandparents about his, but really, as soon as it ends, I'm going to do my best to forget about this, but It wont be easy, that's for sure. ridiculous. every day, I do that same thing. wake up, shower, school, lunch, moar school, dinner, boredom , sleep, repeat. And i resent almost every single minute of it. Only on the weekend can I feel a sliver of happiness and contentment, only until my parents badger me about responsibility. Give me some time to myself, for god's sake.
• 
  2020-05-01

  2020 Pandemic

  Due to the Coronavirus, many people are demand to be in quarantine for everyone’s safety, and staying home for many was quite bored. Eating becomes a habit of most people and they consume more and more food because of boredom. This is important to be because even those, staying at home is boring but it's for everyone safety as well as we should find a new habit to stay healthy.
• 
  2020-05-29

  Humorous Schedule in Quarantine

  At first, people in quarantine didn't know what to do with themselves. This is one person's humorous schedule of his or her day. It shows the boredom and emotional toll of being isolated.
• 2020-05-17

  More Time for Hobbies [MISSING MEDIA]

  The pandemic is obviously a bad thing. However, there have been a little bit of good that has come out of it. For example, many people now have the time to revisit and develop hobbies that they previously never had time for before the pandemic. Perhaps, they've even picked up new ones. For me, I got the chance to improve my photography and editing. I couldn't shoot people for obvious reasons, so I took my car out instead! The quarantine has definitely given myself and many others a chance to invest more time into the hobbies that we enjoy doing.
• 
  05/19/2020

  Left on Read

  "Left on Read is an choice-driven narrative platformer about the harsh realities of modern age communication. You play as a college freshman, texting your crush over a long period of time. You must carefully choose dialogue choices to keep the conversation interesting and the relationship alive as you do your best to not get left on read. Good luck."
• 
  05/07/2020

  Email from Nancy F. about life during the Pandemic in Baltimore

  This is an email a very dear friend wrote to me. We are both teachers. She retired this year. The pandemic hit when she was adjusting to retired life - pursuing new hobbies and also keeping up with former colleagues like me about school. *Nancy F. A retired private school teacher. *Nobody else contributed.
• 
  2020-05-18

  Go Back to Normal!!!

  I have learned in this quarantine that is you want to do something and not be lazy, then you must attack it head on and just go for it. The hardest part of accomplishing something is definitely starting. If you can start the thing you want, then you are more motivated to finish it because you have already spent time and effort trying to accomplish the thing you want. Even when I get out of this quarantine, I am going to try to apply this to my daily life. I really wonder when things are going to get back to normal, or if things will go back to normal. This might be the new normal which is a scary thought. I hope this is not the new normal because I had a plan for my future. Well kind of, but this is definitely not what I had planned. I am trying to remember that it is not about what I want for my future or what I think is supposed to happen in my life. It is about God’s plan and what he wants to happen in my life. *Original text in Creator: Nicole Dumitrascu #LSMS #NSD
• 
  05/09/2020

  Pandemic Ponderings Zine

  It is a zine of my personal perspectives, experiences, and observations during self-isolation.