Items

• 
  April 18, 2020

  Paper Product Shortage

  A sign of the times. Here is the paper product aisle in a Stop and Shop in Staten Island.
• 
  April 8, 2020

  Public Health Measures on Staten Island

  Social distancing, face masks, empty shelves and restrictions throughout Staten Island.
• 
  2020-11-18

  "Grocery chain apologizes after releasing 'super spread' ad for Thanksgiving"

  For generations that had never experienced a pandemic, the Coronavirus was not the only novel thing to adjust to. New nomenclature became the norm, including "Super spreader". The term was used to describe large groups gathering, especially during the holidays. Any other year, "plan a super spread" would be understood as a spread of food items. But for a population that was being restricted from large gatherings, in 2022, from holidays to Weddings to funerals, the company's attempt at clever advertising came off as tone-deaf and offensive. After backlash, Giant Food Stores formally apologized.
• 
  2022-03-20

  A Day In The Life

  Every day things that run through my head that have changed since the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic
• 
  2022-03-18

  Finding a lighthouse in the storm

  Living through the Covid-19 pandemic has been stressful for everyone for so many reasons. Personally, it has made me really anxious and I have felt like I don’t have as much control over my surroundings or life. I knew I had to find things to help me get through and cope with this feeling, things ranging from trivial to life-changing. Five things, in no particular order, that have helped me survive the pandemic are: 1. Video games 2. Podcasts 3. Grocery store drive up and go services 4. Drive-in movie theater 5. Gardening Video games have been a good brief escape from reality. The games have changed over the course of the pandemic. At first, I was really excited about Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Then it changed to Gris, after that it was Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and now I have been focused on Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Okay, yes I know, all of these expect Gris are made with a younger audience in mind. There is something so nice and simple about it though that as an adult I enjoy. A sense of childlike wonder that occurs while building a village, or fighting goofy-looking monsters, or catching and documenting creatures has been really refreshing and calming. Similar to the temporary “escape” from the news and reality has been listening to podcasts. I’ve been listening to fun ones and more serious ones. Not being able to see many people in person, it has provided a feeling of conversation, even if it is one-sided. I’ve learned and laughed a lot. I know grocery pick-up services have been around before Covid, but I only started utilizing it once Covid hit. I seriously cannot believe that it isn’t something that I used before. It seems like such a small, or silly, thing but it’s prevented me from buying random things and being more intentional about meal planning. This has been an improvement for my health and my wallet. I’ve learned to use coupons more effectively and different rewards apps, so being able to save even a small amount of money compared to before has been great. Especially due to inflation and rising food prices, and changing jobs several times over the last two years. I had gone to a (not so local) drive-in movie theater a couple of times pre-pandemic, but it has become one of my favorite things to do during Covid. Being able to have a feeling of normal activities while being able to be safe in my own little bubble of my car has been a great experience. The one I go to always does a double feature, and they have a great selection of food, snacks, a small arcade, and even go-carts. The best part? It’s only $7 per person! For reference, it’s $15.25 for one adult ticket to see one movie at my local chain theater. So even if my partner and I only stay to watch the first of the two movies, it’s still a way better deal. Plus the added ability to talk through the movie and not disturb others. The last thing that has been a help to get through everything has been gardening. I started during the summer of 2020 and have been growing things ever since. It has been really rewarding. I’ve been learning a lot about what grows well in my zone and what doesn’t, what I can actually use, and what I can’t. Fun tip: don’t plant six zucchini plants, you will have more than you know what to do with and have to start just leaving them on your family and friends' doorsteps. I know I will continue to find new things as the end of the storm of covid passes over us. I believe that sharing the happy moments that we do have during such a time of uncertainty and a mess of feelings, it can remind others either now or in the future, that some light did persist. These things are some of my lighthouses in the storm.
• 
  2020-03-13

  March 2020

  After our weekly grocery run, our pantry was packed.
• 
  2021

  HIST30060 Reflections on working in a supermarket during a pandemic

  Some reflections on the pandemic from my experience working in a suburban supermarket in Melbourne. I share some general feelings about how COVID changed the environment within supermarkets, as well as several pandemic-related interactions with customers.
• 2021-09-29

  Covid in Altus Oklahoma

  When reflecting back on the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2019, it is strange to think the whole country was isolated from other people for an upwards of three months or more. I was residing in Altus Oklahoma during the pandemic and there was a point where no one was allowed to leave their homes to even enjoy the fresh outside air. With this, a lot of local organizations were shut down for months including Churches, local eatery's, stores, and even some grocery stores. While I know my story is similar to many others, I believe that it is important to share all experiences with the community. Sharing will create a complete picture of how the pandemic shaped our society today.
• 
  2021-09-17

  Ariel Emrani and Kate Roche Oral History, 2021/09/17

  This audio file shares two perspectives and personal stories about the pandemic.
• 
  2020-04-20

  Banner hospitals open grocery stores for employees

  A press release announcing that select Banner Health hospitals have opened makeshift grocery stores for employees working on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 
  2020-04-14

  Sweetness At Home During the 2020 Covid Pandemic

  I had just quit my job on February 28, 2020 since my military spouse and I were about to PCS (Permanent Change of Station) from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to New Orleans, Louisiana in late March. Mid-March the DOD issued a Stop Movement order for all troops so we ended up not moving until it was lifted on July 1. During the wait, we were in limbo not knowing what would happen with our moving situation, but fortunately we still had our house and stuff. My spouse picked up Covid on our house-hunting trip to New Orleans the first week of March before the Stop Movement was issued, but was never diagnosed since there were not enough tests to go around in North Carolina. For about two months we stayed home together, enjoyed each other's company, and made the best of it. I spent a lot more time in the kitchen than was previously normal, and loved every minute of it. Two years previously, my spouse gave me an ice cream maker for Christmas, but I never took it out of the box and it ended up in one of my difficult-to-reach upper cabinets. When I was organizing my pantry and kitchen cabinets one day to prepare for the time we would actually get to pack up and move, I spied it and thought I would finally give it a try. I have wonderful childhood memories of sitting around with my family and grandparents outdoors while the homemade ice cream my mom and grandmother made, churned in the electric ice cream maker on a hot summers day. I called my mom for her recipe and found a similar one online to reference (published by the Taste of Home test kitchen). The military commissary was out of a lot of groceries, so I made an online order at Sams since they had still had milk and heavy cream, and picked it up. I already had plenty of sugar and vanilla in my pantry. Before Covid, I rarely had time (because of work and school) to make desserts, so this dish was a real treat, a simple recipe, and was super fun to make. The taste of homemade ice cream was so lovely and smooth, with texture velvety, eating it right from the churn. It brought back all the wonderful memories eating homemade ice cream with my family as a childhood, to comfort me during a time I could not travel to see them. Food memories like this can transport one to a time when the world was full of closeness with one's family, when forced to separate due to a world-wide pandemic.
• 
  2020-04-09

  Pandemic Dinner of Gluten-Free Orange Chicken is a Sensory Reminder of Evolving Grocery Shopping and the Effect on My Mental Health

  Pre-Pandemic, my small family of three went shopping altogether at our local Frys Grocery every Sunday. As the type of person that lives inside their head and has difficulty multi-tasking when distracted, this was usually an overwhelming experience. It involved avoiding people parked sideways in aisles, answering questions from my wife and daughter (somehow usually at the same time), and being interrupted by loud intercoms. To me it was sensorial overload every week of my hearing and vision to the point where I wanted to leave. When the pandemic really started up in April of 2020 my wife and I decided that my daughter should stay home and we would take turns shopping every week individually to decrease the chances of affecting the employees, the other customers, and ourselves. Along with this was my increased effort to come up with meals and recipes on my "turn." The recipe attached, gluten-free orange chicken from https://www.evolvingtable.com, reminds me of this interesting evolution in shopping that still takes place, as it is my turn to shop today. While my wife looks upon the idea of shopping individually as a loss and misses it...I am able to shop without being overwhelmed. Between less customers in the store (due to ordering online and pick up), the store progressing to using handheld radios, and being by myself, I can really focus and no longer am stressed and overwhelmed to the point where I just want to leave. Every time I make this recipe and taste the delicious orange flavor and smell that hot sesame oil that I had never used before the pandemic, it reminds me of how a stressful pandemic has strangely (and selfishly) made one recurring weekday of my life less stressful.
• 
  2021-08-07

  Food Is Not Always Comforting

  This is a story of my family's experience with food and the pandemic. For us, it was a reflection of another difficult time in our lives.
• 
  -0021-06-29

  Deli Smells and Sounds

  This story tells of the dramatic shift in "normalcy" that the pandemic interrupted.
• 
  2020-03-07

  Shortages worldwide caused people to act violently against each other

  When the pandemic began I would never forget how violently people reacted. Every time I stopped by a grocery store , supermarket or any store the lines were all the way to the back of the store and the lines outside of the store were incredibly long; all you could think about was how long you’d be standing outside and when it was your turn to go in would you even walk out with what you needed. In march of 2020 there was a brawl in Australia over toilet paper. I saw this video going viral on all social media platforms. Three women were recorded fighting in Sydney . Police were called to the scene when they received multiple calls that a woman had been assaulted. The lady had a shopping cart filled with packs of toilet paper leaving the rack empty so another lady grabbed one from her cart and that’s when the fight started . In the video footage you hear “ I just wanted one packet ”. It was heartbreaking seeing people be inconsiderate and violent over necessities . Many stores were experiencing shortages on toilet paper, Lysol, disinfecting wipes, alcohol, hand sanitizer and more. It was like you hit the jackpot when you were able to get your hands on those things . Supermarkets were also experiencing shortage in water and meats , the shelves in supermarkets located by me were completely empty at one point. I barely found good meat or packs of water when I needed to go food shopping. I felt like I had won the lottery when I did find what I was looking for . This pandemic has taught me that people will turn against each other if they have to. Instead of coming together as a community and helping each other out I saw very few good Samaritans give away essential supplies to those in need during this pandemic.
• 
  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.
• 
  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.
• 
  2020-03-12

  Empty shelves during the beginning of the pandemic

  I am sharing a video I took at the beginning of the quarantine period. People were panic buying food and other necessities while leaving empty shelves for others. I remember entering whole foods to pick up some bread, pasta, beans, and non-dairy milk because I can't have dairy. As soon as my cousin and I entered Whole Foods— the baked goods were fully stocked but the non-perishable foods were almost gone. I remember turning to my cousin in shock because the fresh fruits and vegetables in the lower level were fully stocked. I asked an employee where the bread and non-dairy milk was and they said, "I don't think we have any more bread. I stocked it a couple of hours ago and when I went back o check there were a few bags left". The employee guided us to the bread section and it was indeed empty. I thanked them and decided to look through the other aisles and the aisle that was the most apparent was the one I recorded. There were people with professional cameras taking pictures of this aisle and others (such as myself) with our phones recording. So many people were just as taken aback by the lack of food in many of these aisles. I already knew that this virus was serious but when I saw the number of people buying food and toilet paper and paper towels in bulk, I felt worried and nervous. I knew from the media that people were stocking up on non-perishable foods and that supermarket lines were really long. But seeing it first hand and seeing people coming to the aisle expecting to see a can of beans available or a bag of bread, only for it to be empty. This is a moment that I won't forget and the overwhelming feeling that this virus could affect anyone.
• 2021-02-25

  Conditions of Release

  My 80-year old mother got her second vaccine dose on January 25. She is now anxious to get out in the world. She wants to resume doing her own grocery shopping, and she really wants to get her hair done. I half-jokingly told her that the family would have to confer about her "conditions of release" (the kind of term used when people are released from jail or prison). After having just such a conference, we decided that after the second shot had two weeks to become effective, we thought it would be all right for her to start shopping in stores again, under the condition that she of course wore a mask and went out when stores would not be crowded. We advised her not to get her hair done, as that would put her in close proximity to one person indoors for an extended period. Mom was disappointed about that, but accepted the conclusion.
• 
  02/20/2021

  Toni Downs Oral History, 2021/02/20

  Toni Downs is the Director of Surgical Services, the Cath Lab, and Endoscopy at Mercy Regional Hospital in Manhattan, Kansas. She is 64 and has been in nursing since she was 21 years old. She has worked there for over a decade now, and has seen many challenges while working there. This pandemic has been the worst she’s seen since being a nurse, but it is not without its blessings. The nursing profession has been strong and fierce in fighting this pandemic and as a director, Toni sees their dedication and strength. When asked what her silver lining is during this pandemic, she immediately goes to nursing. Toni touches on other front line workers that deserve recognition, but she thinks that the pandemic has caused people to pay more attention to the hard work nurses do for their community. She sees being a nurse as a caring and rewarding job, and is glad other people are starting to see it too.
• 2020-02-05

  Pandemic Brand Reviews: Sprouts Farmer's Market Grocery

  There is a Sprout's less than 2 miles away from my house. My parents would often go to buy fresh produce and snacks from the bulk section. Due to the pandemic, Sprout's no longer offers their self serve bulk section. Instead, there are prefilled bags. My parents no longer frequent Sprout's, I think because of this new policy, or perhaps better prices elsewhere. Because my close friend works at Sprout's, I visit her at work. With the exception of the bulk section, everything is still the same. However, I do see the curbside pickup and grocery delivery options being used more. My local Sprouts has designated some parking spots for curbside pickup. One time when I was visiting my friend, she was on Instacart (grocery delivery) shopping duty that day. I walked around with her around the store as she picked up the items that the customer requested. She had to be very quick and find the items immediately. Not only that, but if the phone beeped, she had to drop everything she was doing to deliver a curbside order. Being an essential worker in customer service is very hard work. I hope that people can acknowledge and appreciate their hustle.
• 2020-02-05

  Pandemic Brand Reviews: I Miss Costco

  Costco is my absolute favorite place. It genuinely makes me so happy. Even going during the pandemic makes me happy. However, Costco is definitely not the same as pre-pandemic. Obviously, there are no free samples anymore. This is because it would be a health concern. Although I will miss munch and shopping, I understand that this cannot be expected during a pandemic. As of now, they have the free sample stations up but with just a display of the food. I know that the free sample employees are contracted by Costco. I haven't seen some of the familiar faces recently. This makes me worried, I hope they are still doing okay during the pandemic. I know that Costco cares about their employees, so I hope they found away for the free sample people to still keep their jobs. Another change I've noticed in my local Costco is the food court. The food court is Costco's loss leader, the delicious and extremely affordable food lures customers in and in turn makes them shop. Due to COVID, Costco's food court menu has been severely shorted. Fan favorites, such as the $1.50 hotdog with a free drink, chicken bake, and pizzas are still available. However, they are not the same products anymore. The hot dog, although still delicious, has a smaller bun. The chicken bake is completely different now. It looks more machine-made, and according to my father, does not taste the same. This really disappoints me, as the chicken bake is my absolute favorite item on the menu. The pizzas are only offered in cheese and pepperoni; the combo flavor has been kicked off. This also disappointed me because I only like the combo pizza. In addition, there are self checkout kiosks where you order and pay, then go up to the window to pick up your food. Other than the food, Costco is still the same. I think life will only be normal again for me when I can go to Costco on the weekend, shop and nibble on the free samples, and still leave room for a chicken bake and combo pizza to go.
• 
  2021-01-24

  Home Food Delivery: What a Treat!

  One of the most basic survival needs is food, so when the pandemic hit many individuals were struggling to meet this need with the changed food landscape. Restaurants were closing, grocery stores had restricted supplies, going grocery shopping could be dangerous in terms of exposure to the virus and exposure to people fighting over items, and many people weren’t in the habit of cooking at home every day. So this most basic of needs underwent significant shifts due to the pandemic. I dislike shopping, cooking, looking up a recipe, cleaning up the kitchen, and even eating. So I tend to eat out quite a bit. I pivoted during the pandemic to getting home food delivery and that change has been one of the few positive effects of the pandemic. It saves me time, reduces stress, and improves my health because of the healthy food choices.
• 
  2020-08-09

  First Potato Harvest

  I have been a home gardener for a few years now, and love to cook using the things from my garden. When Covid started to hit the US in late February/early March, the resulting panic resulted in widespread shortages in the grocery stores for many common items of American households. News reports consistently told us that food supply networks were in jeapordy. I had never grown potatoes before (though I have grown sweet potatoes), but I decided that for its nutritional value to space ratio, it would be worth growing potatoes this year. Thankfully, the media had seemingly overblown the shortage problem (at least in my area), but that didn't matter because I enjoyed growing potatoes and had a great harvest. My first dish I made with my homegrown potatoes (and homegrown carrots) was a delishous pot roast. I was able to include a glass of y homebrewed beer to complete the meal. Sitting down for this meal was certainly a bright spot during the pandemic and was the culmination of several months of labor and enjoyment.
• 2021-01-20

  Rules

  I get all the rules and how they are necessary to be healthy but the one thing that sucks the most about Covid is the masks. Image riding down to the grocery store with your friend and when you get down there the person says you can't enter without a mask. Then you have to ride all the way back to your house gat something soft to go over your face then you can go back. You get back to the store you go in and there is no more toilet paper or hand sanitizers. You walk past that weird aisle and then you get to the candy aisle, every kid's heaven. You grab your favorite candy then get in line. yo get to the line and realize that it wraps around the store. You run to the back of the line to make sure you save your spot. You grab out your phone to text your mom that your going t be late. She says yeah I get it its Covid. You chat with your friend about all the other stuff that is going on in the world like BLM and Trump not being president anymore. You finally get to the front of the line you buy the candy and head back to your house. That's covid for you my friend says.
• 2020-03-30

  Rules

  The first really big change that happened was the masks. For the first month or so it was really hard to breath but I have gotten used to it. I also couldn't leave my house for a couple months and the only time i left my house was to go to the grocery store and I couldn't leave the car. I felt very happy to even just go into the car. Staying in the house for that long got kind of boring though.
• 2021-01-15

  My experience of irtual learning

  My routine for my online learning from the corona Virus is was odd at first because we were not in school and fully online. the benefits were I not to spend more time with family but the downside is that we couldn't leave our house but only for groceries and we could not see any friends or go to school.
• 2020-12-09

  Shopping during covid

  we've all been able to shop at our convince with no troubles until covid. Now shopping isn't as simple as It was before. Now we are urged to wear face protection, a certain number of customers are only allowed in at a certain time, creating long lines out side of the shopping establishments. The severity of covid was at an all time high closing most to all retail stores, leaving open the essential need stores, such as grocery, convenience and pharmacies.
• 
  2020-11-13

  My View

  When the spring semester of 2020 ended early on account to the ever-spreading virus known as Covid-19, I thought everything would be back to normal in a couple months’ time of quarantine. I assume most people during this time had this optimistic outlook on what the future held; however, we were wrong. I am now writing this at my desk in my dorm room where I now spend the majority of my time. All of my classes are online with the exception of an in-person lab that I have every two weeks. The only time my roommates or I leave this solitary space is usually to get groceries. I decided to use this picture because this has been my view of the outside world for almost two and a half months, while I wait impatiently for the year to be over and this quarantine to be relieved.
• 
  2020-03-13

  Customer Notice at Woolworths

  HIST30060: A ‘Customer Notice’ at Woolworths in mid-March, explaining their new returns policy alongside a list of affected products. With half the shelves bare due to ‘panic buying’, grocery stores implemented new rules to avoid having to give refunds to people who changed their mind. I took this photo at a suburban Woolworths, packed with frantic shoppers and overflowing carts.
• 
  2020-05

  Critical Industry Employee Authorization to Travel Regardless of the Time of Day

  When this ongoing pandemic initially began, people were not sure how long the extremities would last or whether COVID-19 was as bad as some people claimed it to be. As we now know, the wearing of the mask has become politicized with some movements and ideologies, and the safety and wellbeing of the community is being contested with freedom, pandemic conspiracies and/or blatant denial. It is now November 6, 2020, and I can safely say we as a global community have seen ridiculous and ineffable events unravel over the past year. Sadly, these unique occurrences are far from ending as the pandemic is worsening in terms of case spikes and as the people are growing ever more weary. I am reflecting during this election period, looking back at the strange changes I haven't seen before in my life, and recently I found this work document I had at home. The document presented is a paper granting the holder the right to go about their day, allowing them to travel when others were not allowed.This paper was given to me at work during May 2020 just a curfew took place. Although the mandated curfew in San Francisco only lasted about a week, I remember that people did take it seriously more or less as I walked to work barely seeing anyone outside. The paper would help me if the police stopped me at any point. My parents were worried that I would get pulled over since I worked evening shifts (luckily I didn't have this happen). What is interesting and scary about this document was that others could have been fined or got into trouble if they were stopped; this was something I never considered at that time. Others may state that this document is scary in terms of historical precedence to the nineteenth century in America. This can be tied to freedom papers in segregated and/or slave based areas in the American south when African Americans had to possess such papers stating their business either on their or someone else's behalf. The repercussions otherwise could have been horribly severe if they didn't have said papers. Thus, this paper holds power and grants amnesty from punishment. Two different periods with different purposes but similar implications and deterrents. Interesting what can be created during a modern pandemic.
• 
  2020-10-20

  Face Masks. Corona Virus Media

  This media is a photograph of several shoppers leaving Walmart all within 6 feet of each other and wearing face masks. I chose this image because I work in retail and experience and enforce this requirement on a daily basis. The reality of wearing face masks while completing everyday tasks is still something that I personally am getting used to. Face masks create a barrier especially in the workplace because it makes it difficult to communicate with customers and coworkers. When working in retail stores you are supposed to create and maintain a connection with the customer in order to push sales. This is difficult to do when wearing a face mask because you have a difficult time speaking and maintaining a distance while shopping, selling, and cashiering multiple customers.
• 
  2020-03-14

  No More Pasta

  This photo means that the pandemic was huge enough to impact people’s lives. They took all the essential supplies from the supermarket. Peoples’ will to live is huge and that makes them able to survive. That situation in the market was kind of a fight. The day before he took this photo, the French government announced a national lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. He realized how the government announcement to lock people down without any prevention could cause chaotic situations.
• 
  2020-03-13

  The great costco chicken shortage

  My partner and I went to Costco to do regular grocery shopping for the week when we stumbled on the emptiest isles we have ever seen at any Costco. I remember turning to my partner and saying “This feels unreal. I have never seen a store this empty and I don’t think that I ever will again”. It was still March, and my partner was just told by his job to stay home and that the office would be closed for a while until Covid was under control. We didn’t know at that time seven months later he would still be working from home. It was eerie being in a store that was so empty and it is hard to explain what it felt like to see that. It was at a time of high panic for others but I hadn’t felt that same panic until that moment. I was very worried we wouldn't be able to get chicken for the foreseeable future and I didn’t know what we were going to do. I panic purchased a five pound bag of dry pinto beans that are still living in the back of a cupboard in my kitchen, unopened, on that trip. I think of my quarantine experience in multiple stages, the first to being before Costco, and after the great Costco chicken shortage. I think other people felt the same way I did; After they saw people panic buying, they started panic buying or fretting more than they may have been in the months before quarantine. The beginning feelings of panic did do good for me though, they made me more conscious of what we are eating and how much food we actually buy. I feel like the changes have benefited me for the better. Arizona State University HST485
• 
  2020-10-15

  Do You Know I'm Smiling?

  I pride myself on being a friendly southerner, mainly while out shopping or eating at restaurants. I know retail and food service employees have very difficult jobs, so I always try to be friendly, understanding and tip well. One of the ways I’ve always tried to appear friendly is by smiling. But now with the COVID-19 pandemic, masks are required pretty much everywhere. Essential workers are overworked, and now my face, covered with a mask from the nose down is hiding my smile. They cannot tell how friendly I appear; now I just have to try and say loudly(so they can understand me from behind the mask), that I don’t mind how long I had to wait, I understand they are busy, and it’s okay. I usually try to ease their concern with a nice smile. I never realized how much not being able to smile at people would impact me. I’ve never felt more pressure to “smile with my eyes” or “smize” as Tyra Banks would famously tell the models on the America’s Next Top Model television show. Life’s hard for smilers, no one can see our beautiful expressions with masks on.
• 
  2020-10-05

  What influenced me during the pandemic

  Hello everyone, my name is Eddie Wu. I was born US but raised in Taiwan, a country that is nearby China. That means we are the first few countries that is influenced by COVID-19 due to the geography distance. At that time, my family was separated, me and my siblings living at Tempe, taking classes. My parents were at Taiwan that time facing the COVID-19, my parents are asked to stay home and put on masks when they go out. Then one more month later, the first case has happened in US. First, I think I will just stay here doing normal classes and will stay normal. Then my parents suddenly asks my siblings to go back to Taiwan, because Taiwanese government have already showing their ability to control the pandemic at Taiwan. So, it suddenly changed my day that time. My siblings are back to Taiwan, and I stayed here alone. It is scary that while the first few cases are founded in US, I am the only few person who put on masks in public places. I still remember at March, when I went to one of the store to get groceries, I have my masks on and my gloves on, some other customers told her child that I am sick so I put on my masks. During the pandemic time, it does change the ways I get groceries, socializing with friends, and taking class. The pandemic have make me getting bigger amount of groceries in once. When I am trying to doing activities with friends, mostly we are doing it on voice chat apps, if we have to meet outside, I always ask them to have their mask prepared, and also I will bring hand sanitizer to clean our hands. The last the changes the most is my classes, I am an UAS student, most of my class will be really hard to teach online because we don’t actually see the items in real life if the class is online, so most of my class are really hard for me that time, because it is online, somethings aren’t clear enough and I need to spent more hours to learn it myself. These are some major things that changes in my life during pandemic.
• 
  09/20/2020

  Erika Knox Oral History, 2020/09/20

  Erika offered the story of her personal experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and her thoughts on the broader situation affecting the world.
• 2020-05

  A Month at my Grandparents

  I was stuck at my grandparents for a month with my two brothers, sister, cousin, and my grandparents during the start of the first wave of COVID-19. We didn't really do anything but stay inside. When we first got there, we had to wipe off my PlayStation 4, PlayStation controller, Headset, and all of my PlayStation games. When we got groceries, we would wipe them off and let them dry overnight. The worst part about the entire thing was that I had to shut my PlayStation off a lot and had to be off at a certain time. It was upstairs so I couldn't try and play on it at night but I also got up at 8:00am or 9:00am for online classes that didn't even count as a grade.
• 
  2020-08-27T21:35:00

  The wait

  Well for a while it was really hard to find toilet paper. Like really why would someone buy all the toilet paper
• 
  March 16, 2020

  Students Stocking Up for the Quarantine

  This was the last day we spent on the same campus. At the time we didn’t know it was going to be goodbye. We were all trying to stock up on what we needed for a couple weeks to spend some dining dollars [on campus cash equivalency]. Clearly as RIT students we had our priorities in order. One of my friends had a basket full of Monster Energy Drinks, and the other had armfuls of boxed pasta.
• 
  2020-07-08

  "We understand some of you are upset, but please direct your feedback towards us"

  A tweet from Ottawa Public Health addressing those who have been taking out their anger regarding the city's recent move to mandate masks in public spaces towards business employees attempting to enforce the rule.
• 
  2020-05-24

  Grocery Store Patrons Do not Comply with Social Distancing

  Guys! We're supposed to maintain social distancing! Some people, no matter what, just will NOT obey the rule. People crowd you wherever you go. Especially in checkout lines, people tend to crowd close. Once I worked up my nerve and told the gentleman behind me to please step back. He immediately lifted his arms about a foot out from his sides and started taking giant steps backwards, lifting up his knees, until he reached the wall of the store. Jeez!
• 
  2020-05-29

  Grocery Store Worker Still Wears Lipstick Under Her Mask

  My brother-in-law is a grocery-store worker in Texas. As the numbers of positive Covid cases rise, he continues to go to work. He believes in his heart that his work is important and that he is an essential worker. Jobs previously overlooked such as truckers, grocery store workers, or waste management, Now Americans are celebrating these workers.
• 2020-05-22

  Many

  The shelves are no longer empty. Everyone is less nervous or stress about the pandemic and no longer hoarding all the supplies.
• 
  05/07/2020

  Food Give Away for Musician's Village Flyer, Ellis Marsalis Center for Music, New Orleans, LA

  The Ellis Marsalis Center for Music distributes food to Musician's Village residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 
  05/18/2020

  A different world

  Grocery shopping has become an experience. At the grocery store floor guides direct the flow of traffic and spacing. Masks were required in this grocery store. Plexi-glass shields separate grocers from patrons. This is a photo of my feet, maintaining a six foot distance from the patrons in front of me.
• 
  03/26/2020

  Little Free Library

  In response to worries about shopping and access to food/paper goods, the Middlebury Little Free Library, which normally holds books, was switched over to a Little Free Pantry, where people could donate or pick up grocery staples.
• 
  05/21/2020

  Despite Purchase Limits, Shortages Persist in Important Disinfectant Categories at Walmart During COVID-19.

  Important disinfecting products such as Clorox wipes and Lysol remain in short supply, despite the limiting of one per customer at the Newcastle, Oklahoma Walmart. These products are important in the disinfecting of the COVID-19 virus for both homes and businesses. These products have been difficult to find since at least mid-March of 2020. Contributed by Clinton P. Roberts, curatorial intern for Arizona State University, HST 580. #HST580 #ASU
• 
  2020-05-16

  A Tweet from Councilmember Herb J. Wesson, Jr. of Los Angeles sharing photos of food distribution to the community.

  A Tweet from Los Angeles City Councilmember Herb J. Wesson, Jr. about partnering with actor Danny Trejo to provide 450 boxes worth of groceries for those who need it during the crisis. #HST580 #ASU #Twitter #CommunityOutreach #Groceries
• 
  2020-05-15

  Stater Bros. Entrance Sign

  As we move deeper into quarantine here in California, many businesses have moved towards displaying signs like this. It speaks towards a recognition of the seriousness of what is currently happening, as well as how we are all in this together. In order for essential workers to be kept a little safer and able to do their job, we all have to do our part. *Photograph, found at the local grocery stores