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2020-09-29
Our New Normal
I think the biggest challenge I have faced because of Covid-19 is coping with the fact that this is how life is going to be for a long time.. Personally I don’t like the unknowns. We don't necessarily know when we'll go back to school or when well be able to play sports games. My family has always been very active and loved to go out and do things, so it has been different to just stay home all of the time. Luckily we have gone on some short day trips to the beach or to different restaurants but to be honest things are just not the same. Sometimes I find myself thinking what I’d be doing at that exact moment if Covid-19 wasn't a thing. Last Friday I was driving to my moms house around 6pm and I realized that if Covid wasn't a thing that I would be in the Cal parking lot tailgating for a football game. These are the type of things that unfortunately us as Juniors haven't really experienced yet and I don’t think we will be able to this year. Hopefully things will start to return to normal soon so we can finish our High School experiences the right way. -
2020-12-13
Online Learning during Covid
In March of 2020, My school Oaks christian was shut down and moved to online because of Covid-19. At first I was extremely excited for this and thought it would be just an easy two weeks of doing online work. It was very nice and a good break to have for the time being and I did really enjoy it, I was so relaxed by it and took off a lot of stress. After 2 months that changed fast. It went from all fun and easy then to more work than I have ever done, I was extremely overwhelmed and had to do so many things and I hated it. Lucky summer break came along and I was finally stress free, That was until the school year of 2020 came up and now I am more stressed than ever. I am a eighth grader that's getting assigned high school level work at a much higher than average work load, I do hope this gets better but this is truly hard to get through. -
2020-05-05
A Tough College Year
Life was hard for me for the last two years. As 2020 comes close to an end, I am almost wrapped up with my first year in college, though barely. Last year, due to some family issue, my grade was failing in high school, so I could not enter the college I was applied to, while in this year, the transition to college was still extremely tough due to the COVID pandemic. I had little to no social interactions with others, lives in complete isolation, while had to deal with college workloads. It was tough as I felt that my life was not in my control, and became increasingly frustrated. I had an extremely respiratory system as well, coughing and wheezing constantly, so I had to be careful at managing myself to not contain COVID. I felt like I was a burden on my family, who supports me financially right now, as well as a burden on the society. However, as I took a long walk across the city street during the night, I realized that this was out of my control. It was not my fault that the pandemic happened, and I am doing my part to prevent further spread of the disease. I am no burden of the society - no more than people who are not properly quarantining themselves, at least. -
2020-11-23
COVID and Montana High Schools
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. -
2020-06-20
Being a High School Senior During a Pandemic
As a high school senior, I was looking forward to my long awaited graduation. I had the honor and burden of being a student at Boston Latin School, the oldest public high school in America for 6 years, and all the stress, mental exhaustion, and all-nighters had finally paid off. I had been to my older brother's graduation in 2004, and the year 2020 was supposed to be my turn to walk across the stage and receive my diploma. Instead, the world had another idea, and Friday, March 13, 2020 would be the last day I stepped into the school building for class. Not only did I miss out on graduation, but also other senior year traditions as well. I didn't get to chant "It's all over" at lunch time, I didn't get to count down last few seconds on the last day of school, and worst of all, I didn't get to say good-bye to all my friends. Even though I'm wearing my cap, gown, and cord in the picture, what I got was still not a graduation. Instead, everyone showed up to school for a drive-thru diploma pickup. That was not what I waited six years for, but I appreciate the BLS faculty's consideration. Now I'm a Freshman at Northeastern University, and things couldn't be better. -
2020-04-20
2020 Cuyahoga Falls High School Senior Clap-out
A group of Cuyahoga Falls High School seniors jamming out to their second Alma Mater, Don't Stop Believing, one more time. They didn't get to share this moment at their senior prom, so they created a new memory -
2020-11-29
COVID-19 Video: In 60 Seconds, with Explanation and Thoughts
While I enjoyed quarantine, the effect it's having on the economy is quite substantial, and it's important to understand a timeline of this virus spreading through and affecting our world so we can understand just how much of an impact one virus can have. While I don't touch on numbers in the video, it's mainly to give an idea from the average person's point of view. The craziest thing is that it's only one of the millions of viruses that exist in wildlife, and this could happen so many times over, if people still keep up their idiotic behavior towards wildlife. -
2020-11-30
Finding The Sun Through The Clouds.
2020 is being described as the worse year of modern times. The year started off with an international crisis in the middle east, a series of devasting natural disasters, and of course the widespread pandemic of Covid-19. The pandemic ignited a financial crisis, and many people lost their jobs. As to date, the virus has claimed 1.46 million lives worldwide. It is understandable why so many people are biding their time, praying for this disastrous year to finally end. As I reflected back on the year, I am conflicted on my opinions on it. Covid-19 ruined my senior year of high school. I lost my graduation, my prom, and spring sporting events. I was forced to quarantine for many months in the springs, unable to see my close friends. My summer was lackluster due to the restrictions placed on my community. For my first semester in college I hoped to study abroad, however, Covid squandered that adventure too. I could look back on this year with a pessimistic mindset; however, that would be an untruthful interpretation of this year. This year has contained so many wonderful things, which have had a positive impact on my life. After years of persevering in high school, I finally got accepted into my dream college. I got into my first serious relationship with a wonderful girl. And despite Covid restrictions, I have been able to make so many new and lasting friendships in college. It is easy to write 2020 off as an awful year and put forth and effort to forget about it. However, I believe it is important to reflect on the positive events of this year. Ignoring the good things from 2020 will only strengthen its negative effects for years to come. If one can find the positives of 2020 then the year would not have been a complete waste. -
2020
COVID-19 and its Effect on Physical Activity
Before the outbreak began I was a three season athlete, training for Cross Country and Track. I ran every day and pushed myself on every workout as a distance runner. Then COVID-19 hit and the country went on lockdown. It was the end of my senior year, and I would be missing my final spring tack season. When it first started I tried to continue to train and do track workouts, but it wasn't the same doing them alone. I didn't have my teammates and friends to motivate and push me through the difficult parts of runs. It became extremely hard to train on my own, and I started to feel myself losing fitness. When the spring season was officially canceled I lost all of my motivation to continue. I started running recreationally, and not every day anymore. Before, I was considering trying out for my college team, but with events canceled and the increased difficulty of running alone, I couldn't keep myself in top racing condition. It is now towards the end of my first semester in college, and while I am still running, I still wonder if i will ever find the motivation to train hard and compete again. -
2020-03-13
The Creation of Memories
March 13, the covid-19 virus struck my highschool. We were sent home early and spring break was prolonged. Everyone assumed this would last a week maybe a month, but I knew that the devastation would last a long while more. Everyday during my lockdown, I focused on myself, more than I ever had before. I worked out every day, I baked, I did my school work, I was on a schedule. Over the four weeks I barely went out of my apartment, I tried my best to keep my head up high and try not to worry about the essential and front line workers. I buried myself into Tik Tok, which is what my story is going to be about. Through lock-down I became quite the dancer. I managed to learn most of the Tik-Tok dances and become fascinated with the Tik Tok algorithm. Although this sounds like a bit of a problem, I was happy, I spent hours a day on my phone scrolling. A screenager, I know. Well, in the midst of my scrolling I would come to romanticize my life post covid, how I will be making new friends and exploring new places. I made one Tik Tok a day, no kidding. I created an archive of the lockdown in my drafts. I devoted a lot of my day to Tik Tok, I kept up with the drama and followed all of the baking trends. However, my Tik Tok debut never occurred, sadly. But, I did come to find out new things about myself. I know, most people find social media toxic in some sort of way, as I do now, but during lockdown I felt it was a sort of outlet. I expressed myself and laughed, and saw a little happiness while being inside. I realized that all of my saved videos on Tik Tok would be an archive for my children, they would look at the videos and the umpteenth amount of selfies I took and laugh. Of course, the pandemic is no funny situation at all, but when my children learn about it and question how covid was for me I can show them. The photograph is not as important as my realization of how the Tik Tok changed the pandemic. It might have altered it in a bad way at times because people were glued to their screens. But it is okay for people to spend time on it, to make them laugh and to make them maybe become more creative. -
2020-11-18
As COVID-19 soars in many communities, schools attempt to find ways through the crisis
As schools reopened around the world, countries saw surges in new COVID-19 cases. In response, some countries have re-closed schools while others have remained upon and employed strict guidelines. -
2020-06-16
Class of 2020 Celebrated by a Rural Community
The rural community of Tuttle, Oklahoma honored their class of 2020 high graduates with a sign made out of a round bale of hay. The round bale was located just off of State Highway 37 next to the Tuttle Grain & Supply. As part of the creativity, the bale had a sign saying: "Class of 2020" with comments such as "Proud of You!" and "Congrats!" as well as "Great Job!" The sign then covered the face of the hay bale in the design of a large face mask. The community was acknowledging the circumstances that altered the 2020 senior year and graduation to be a smaller event. -
2020-05-09
My Story with Coronavirus
The story I wrote is about my perception of the beginning of the pandemic and what I learned after going to CVS to buy a card for mother's day. -
2020-07-19
COVID Graduation
On March 13th, 2020, my school like many others got the shocking news that we would have to shut down for a few weeks. At first I remained positive and said to my friends, "It'll only be a few weeks". However, I was very wrong. As the months went on, the time was extended more and more and my school and I become more and more discouraged. When we heard the news that our graduation would be temporarily cancelled and we would not be going back to school, the grade was devastated. My friends and I all facetimed together and cried over all the hard work we had done that may culminate in an online graduation. Our principals and school board did however work extremely hard to be able to hold an outdoor socially distanced graduation. I was extremely excited by this news. No matter what it looked like my grade and I would be able to celebrate the end of high school all together. Our school set up chairs 6ft apart where we the students would sit with our parents on the turf. The day of the graduation was the hottest and day of the summer and the sun was blazing down on all of us. Our school provided us with umbrellas in our school colors, blue and white, and gave the students BHS masks. Our principal began the ceremony in the traditional way, starting with a speech then calling up our class president. Later our vice principals were called to the stage to start their speeches. About halfway into the speech, they started to sing a COVID themed rap to the song "Alexander Hamilton". It was definitely untraditional however, it was amazing and it was the talking point of the day. We all walked across the stage and picked up our diplomas from a table so there would be no contact with anyone else. Overall, our COVID graduation was such a fun day and even though it was different than usual, it was such a nice way to celebrate finishing high school during such a crazy year. -
2020-11-11
And She Never Got to Finish Writing......
Because of Covid-19, I didn't get the normal senior year of high school experience. I never got to wear my prom dress, appreciate my last day of school, or even had a chance to say goodbye to the teachers who shaped me into the person I am today. I never got to participate in a senior prank, or use the money we've been raising since freshman year to use towards our senior BBQ and senior trip. I never got to say farewell to the people I've grown up with since middle school. Whether I was close with them or not, I would've liked to say goodbye considering I may not ever see them again. This pandemic never allowed me to close the book on my high school experience. No matter how old I get, I will always look back and feel like high school was something that was robbed from me. -
11/10/2020
Oral History of a Teacher, Wife, and Mother - Helen Farrar
Oral History of Teacher, Wife, and Mother, Helen Farrar about her experience during the pandemic while her husband was activated on the COVID-19 Relief Mission with the Texas Army National Guard. -
11/10/2020
Rosie Oral History, 2020/11/10
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. -
2020-10-28
My Sister Graduated Year 12 During a Pandemic
My younger sister went through Year 12 (the last year of high school in Australia) in 2020. When she showed me her yearbook, most of the graduation quotes were either TikTok references, sarcastic remarks about being at home for most of their final year of school, or genuine amazement that they made it through a notoriously crazy year in an actually crazy year. Due to the tight restrictions in Victoria for most of 2020, this Year 12 cohort did not get to go to formal, dress up for sports carnivals, have an in-person graduation, or even enjoy the basic senior-year pleasure of having a microwave in the exclusive Year 12 common room. One of her friends summed it up quite well in her graduation yearbook statement – “that was nothing like High School Musical.” -
2020-05-30
Having a Graduation during a Pandemic
COVID-19 impacted my senior year from the beginning and certainly still today. In my final year before college, students are given multiple opportunities that because of COVID, I was not able to do. To name some, my March of the Living trip got cancelled, my spring break trip with my friends got cancelled, the rest of my senior year got cancelled and put on Zoom, my graduation was very untraditional, etc. I attended Miami Country Day School for the last 12 years and I was so excited to get to walk and get my diploma in my own graduation. Unfortunately due to COVID-19, things were extremely different. At first, my school had decided to postpone graduation until December or COVID was not a huge impact to everyone's life. However, everyone fought and it resulted to an untraditional graduation. My school hosted for us a "drive-in" ceremony on the Barry University's campus. The ceremony was outside, everyone was social distanced, and the cars with family were lined up around the ceremony stage allowing my class to celebrate as a community. All families would honk for their friends and families. I say this ceremony was untraditional because everyone was able to decorate their cars with everything associated with their new school for the next 4+ years. I was extremely upset when I found out my graduation was going to be this way but it was by far one of the most special moments in my life. Even though I did not get the same graduation as everyone in the past years, I know that my high school did everything they could to make that moment extremely special because they know all the opportunities that we lost due to COVID-19. -
2020-11-03
Elizabeth Sconyers Interview with Jason LeClair
Jason LeClair is a teacher at a theater arts teacher at a charter school in Rhode Island. In this interview, he discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected parts of his personal life and daily routine. He talks about specific effects the pandemic has had on performing arts, such as the use of Zoom and drive-ins for theatre and concert, the delays in reopening the performing arts to the public, and how the shutdown of performing arts has effected the economy. Finally, he touches on some concerns for the future of performing arts and how he believes the performing arts will be different after this pandemic. -
2020-06-27
EHBS’s Class of 2020 Yearbook: Dear Class of 2020
I submitted this image because I think it means a lot to students who graduated during this pandemic. Although it's specific to my school high school, the message is one that all 2020 graduates can relate to. This image is meaningful to me because in the future when I decide to relook at my yearbook I will always remember that I graduated during a life changing pandemic. -
2020-06-06
A Redeemed Graduation
My friend, who has autism, was very excited to graduate from High School. He spent years struggling with behavioral issues, enduring the isolation that comes from being an atypical kid in a school that had not prioritized his needs. When the pandemic hit, it hit him particularly hard. He had a specific routine, one which included restaurants, public parks, travel, all of which had been cut short by the drastic effects of the pandemic. He had regressed in a lot of his behaviors and he became very isolated. He still continued with his education, and by Summer of 2020, he was to graduate, but was upset when learning that it would be only a Zoom graduation. However, local parents in my city got together and went outside with balloons out of their cars and honked to celebrate his graduation while his Mom gifted him his diploma. It was a very encouraging thing to know that all aspects of society, even those silenced voices, were considered and accommodated where possible in these troubling times. -
2020-06-04
A Redeemed Graduation
My family friend, who has autism, was very excited to graduate from High School. He spent years struggling with behavioral issues, enduring the isolation that comes from being an atypical kid in a school that had not prioritized his needs. When the pandemic hit, it hit him particularly hard. He had a specific routine, one which included restaurants, public parks, travel, all of which had been cut short by the drastic effects of the pandemic. He had regressed in a lot of his behaviors and he became very isolated. He still continued with his education, and by Summer of 2020, he was to graduate, but was upset when learning that it would be only a Zoom graduation. However, local parents in my city got together and went outside with balloons out of their cars and honked to celebrate his graduation while his Mom gifted him his diploma. It was a very encouraging thing to know that all aspects of society, even those silenced voices, were considered and accommodated where possible in these troubling times. -
2020-10-29
Homecoming Football Cancelled
The week of homecoming has always been a huge deal for the students at Great Falls High School. Even when I went there 10 years ago, we went all out. I cannot begin to fathom the disappointment for the seniors who lost their last chance to play a varsity homecoming football game. This season has been met with many hurdles. Limited spectators, masks, social distancing, sign ins and contact tracers for attendance, it’s been a lot of adjusting for everyone, but especially the players. They work their hardest to stay healthy and eligible to play. When news broke about the other team having had contact with covid, the boys were devastated that they would not have the opportunity to fulfill that homecoming legacy. The loss of this game in many ways was the equivalent of a lost season. -
2020-10-29
Great Falls Bison Football
This year is my youngest brother's freshman year of high school. Imagine our devastation when it was assumed that these boys would lose out on the opportunity to start their high school careers participating in a sport that they love. With thanks to GFPS and all associated groups, through social distancing, careful planning, and diligent hygiene-- these talented and amazing athletes were able to play for the very first time, at Memorial Stadium. Go Bison! -
2020-10-27T12:06
An Unexpected Return
After being out sick for a week filled with chills, doctors appointments, the smell of soup, and the feeling of my warm blanket, I finally returned to school on Friday. I could see the empty classrooms, hear the quiet rooms, smell the hand sanitizer, touch the desks and door handles with precaution, and taste the uneasiness in the room. I heard whispers of people talking about “the coronavirus”. I saw people wiping down their desks and chairs. I smelt of constant cleaning supplies. I felt my heart beating faster than normal. This were all new senses that were coming to me in one day. I was confused and scared of the uncertainty of it all. I was barely comprehending and my mind was filled with thoughts and heat full of emotion. Little did I know, that was my last day of school. -
2020-10-19
A Government Against It's People
Finding any type of media that will accurately show what little the government has done and the lack of support the people of America have is unbelievably easy. In fact, I had a hard time choosing between which cartoon illustration was better. I knew our government wasn’t perfect, but it wasn’t until Donald Trump being elected and the coronavirus pandemic hitting our homes did I realize how terrible things really are. These cartoons depicted so well how our government has harmed us more than helped us. The dangerous lies told by our own president and how the government won't take responsibility. When corona made its way to the U.S it was deemed unserious. On March 11th, 2020, President Trump said, “The vast majority of Americans, the risk is very, very low.” At that time there were 1,105 cases and 33 deaths documented in the U.S. The next day my highschool as well as every other school within the country closed down as an “extra week of spring break” due to the virus. This “break” soon became eight months and in the U.S alone there are now 8,128,524 ( plus 47,035 new) cases with 218,986 ( plus 475 new) deaths . The scare became real, people started stocking up leaving nothing for anyone else. We have almost 15 people in our home, it took my mom multiple trips to different stores in order to get the necessities for our family. You would think when a pandemic is spreading throughout people in the country you were placed in position to protect you’d address the problem seriously and work hard to find a solution. All Trump and our government has done was ignore the citizens deaths and provide false hope. What we did get was our president being sarcastic and telling us to inject lysol into our lungs. The citizen’s of America have seen other countries rise in numbers of coronavirus with us and then watch their governments actually handle the situation causing their numbers to decline while our numbers are still shooting through the roof. The panic of this virus does not even cross the mind of those who are rich, the group that our current president only cares about. They didn’t have to worry about medical bills in a country where the president doesn’t believe free healthcare is a human right because they know they are important in his eyes. At the end of this virus, it will be the stories from the one percent belittling the destruction of this virus rather than those who have actually suffered. America is running on ignorance right now. Our own president and government is not concerned with the health of the country. It is the government's job to protect and provide for its people, whether it be an outside threat or a threat within the country. When I look at those cartoons of Donald Trump and the coronavirus, it makes me remember how badly I want our country to actually function the way it is intended to. -
2020-10-19
Las Vegas, a Petri Dish for the Coronavirus
News of China’s “coronavirus” began to circulate in December of 2019. In March, the risk of the virus was very well known. This is when my high school shut down. In May, casinos shut down too. This was a good response by the government that was practically reversed in the months afterward. The picture above was taken on June 6 of 2020, months after people have become painfully aware of the virus. Casinos had recently reopened, and businesses were attracting tourists to make up for the massive losses of revenue during the quarantine. As you can see, there is a complete lack of social distancing, with some people failing to wear masks. This picture, to me, is but one of many examples of the government failing to protect its citizens. It’s no surprise that the reopening of commercial activity in Las Vegas resulted in another peak of Covid cases, unraveling all of the previous progress made to flatten the curve. Las Vegas is now a petri dish for the virus to thrive and spread. People in the healthcare field, including my father, are now under immense amounts of stress as Covid patients come pouring in. If officials, and citizens, had listened to common sense and scientific evidence from the start, we would have stopped isolating months ago. -
2020-05-16
Boss Gave a Private Prom
This was when I worked at a cafe throughout the pandemic, and at the time I worked there with my boyfriend. The cafe was located on the edge of a lake, with lots of other nice resteraunts surrounding it along with wedding and party venues. Our boss felt bad that the pandemic took away basically everything from us, so she decided to do something really kind for us, which was throw us our own private prom. The room was very large and reserved for the two of us, and there were really great decorations, lights, and food. We had access to the side of the lake next to the water and the entire room was only open for us. It was one of the kindest gestures anybody has ever done for us, and it was one of the best moments that I had throughout the pandemic. -
2020-10-15
Covid-19 in One Word: Present
I was on Spring Break during my senior year of high school when my school closed because of covid. They said it would be closed for one week, then two, then a month, then until next fall. No one knew what was going to happen. How will classes work? How will finals work? Will we have graduation? Can we go to college? What's gonna happen? The virus itself is scary and intimidating, but arguably more so is the uncertainty it brought to everyone's life around the world. No one could answer all of our questions. No one knew what would happen, and still, no one knows what the future holds. This uncertainty caused fear in almost everyone. Not knowing what will happen or how things will turn out, is a very uneasy feeling. This also caused fear. Now, this was a dangerous thing; fear weakens the immune system. As soon as I understood this, I realized I could not live this way. I needed to change my perspective or I would fall into the dark hole of fear of the unknown. So I decided to accept what was, let go of what was not, and be what is. I decided to focus purely on the present. This did not come quickly or easily. Honestly, I am still having to choose daily to focus on what I can control in my life at this moment. Every day is different. Some days I smile into the sun without a care of what the world will throw at me. Other days, I sit in bed wondering what could possibly go right. But despite it all, I remain in the present, the only place to truly be. This is why instead of thinking of everything covid has caused me to miss or how long it will last, I am focusing on the opportunities I have now, the new connections I can make, and the ways I can live in spite of this pandemic. That is why my one word for Covid-19 is present. Although covid may be horrible, it offers us the gift to learn how to live in the presence of uncertainty. -
2020-08-16
Senior Pictures During Covid
I took these photos of some of my family members during our time at a state park where we were taking my sister’s senior pictures. There were scarcely any other people around, and those that were had masks as well. While we were taking pictures at this park, I thought of how strange it is that years into the future, people in our family will look back on my sister’s senior pictures and will be reminded of the pandemic. Her picture will go up in our house next to ones of her from earlier years and will stand out due to that mask. It will be an interesting sight one day to look back on pictures of us with masks on and be reminded of what it was like to live through a global pandemic. -
2020-03-13
How The Pandemic Changed My Life For The Better
Learning How To Ride A Bikw -
2020-07-20
High school fall sports throughout California postponed due to COVID-19
I was not able to play sports because of Covid-19. -
2020-09-22
The Show Must (Not) Go On!
Senior year of high school: a time when every soon-to-be graduate has the same question of "what comes next?" on their minds. Some were awaiting admissions decisions from top-tier colleges and universities. Some finally became a team captain. Others were preparing for the College Board AP exams. Many had been eagerly anticipating the upcoming prom and graduation ceremony. For me, it was rehearsing for my senior school musical, "The Little Mermaid", in which I was playing Ariel. I was so excited to be playing a role that I had worked so hard to earn over the course of many years in the drama club, playing various ensemble roles, building the set, and fundraising for our shows. After months of rehearsals, practicing the music, learning the choreography, and advertising for the production, I was ready to share the passion and hard work of our cast and crew with the community. However, I was not ready for "what comes next". On opening night, just one hour before our call time to arrive at the high school and begin putting on costumes and makeup, we got the message from our director that our show dates had been cancelled due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic. I remember the moment clearly, as my cellphone began ringing and buzzing and creating every notification alert possible from friends and family expressing their sorrow. I was absolutely crushed. I wondered how this could be true, as the school had not even been closed down by the virus yet. In the weeks leading up to opening night, I had heard several stories of my classmates' little cousin or my teachers' grandchildren who were looking forward to coming to the musical and meeting their favorite Disney princess afterwards. The director's message was followed by the news that we would still come into school and perform an "invited dress rehearsal" run of the show to be recorded, with two family members per performer/stage crew/orchestra member permitted to attend. As I walked into the high school that evening, everyone around me had tears in their eyes and had appeared to be quite devastated. We had formed a family, one that stuck together through late-night rehearsals, technical difficulties, and the emotional drain that comes with rehearsing for hours after school everyday; but, within each other we found strength - strength that would bring us closer than we ever could have imagined to pour our hearts and souls into that final performance together. And that is exactly what we did. After two hours of giving our all in every scene, every song, and every dance number, we came together for a company bow that gave our final thank you to the family members who had come to support us, despite the increasing health risk that came along with doing so. Having earned the role of Ariel, I was given the final bow; so as I walked to center stage, wearing my frizzy red wig in a costume-rack wedding gown and surrounded by my best friends, I felt only gratitude to have the opportunity to share one final memory with my fellow seniors who also were performing in their last high school show. Looking back on this night, I consider myself so lucky to have spent my final weeks of high school doing something that I love with the people I love. I am very fortunate to have lost only a high school musical rather than loved ones to the COVID-19 pandemic. Going from constantly running - long school days and late-night rehearsals - to a complete stop during quarantine had been a shock. This slow-down, however, gave me the chance to spend extra time at home with my family before packing up and leaving for college this past August. Now, I consider myself incredibly lucky to be attending a college that is handling the pandemic so well, with all students wearing masks and social distancing. While it didn't seem like it at the time, the show did, in fact, go on. Just not quite in the way that I had expected. -
09/18/2020
Leana Fraifer Oral History, 2020/09/18
Leana Fraifer is an incoming college freshman for Northeastern University. Her experiences this past half year embodies the struggles and uncertainties so many students like her face. -
09/19/2020
Sara Akhtar Oral History, 2020/09/19
Interviewee discusses her life during the COVID-19 pandemic. She addresses life in Rhode Island, ending her senior year, attending college and family life. The audio recording I uploaded is my classmate's experience with COVID-19. -
09/19/2020
Eric Chapdelaine Oral History, 2020/09/19
Eric Chapdelaine is interviewed to share his perspective on the COVID-19 pandemic as a graduating senior in a small, private high school and as a current freshman at Northeastern University. -
09/20/2020
Case X Oral History, 2020/09/20
Life during COVID -
09/20/2020
Maria Simpson Oral History, 2020/09/20
This interview is conducted by a college freshman who interviews another college freshman about her experiences during lockdown. It covers how she dealt with isolation, how her high school experience had changed, and all the emotions and nuances that came with this strange new COVID-19 reality. -
09/19/2020
Cameron Mitchell Oral History, 2020/09/19
The submission is a testament to how much the pandemic has influenced this very important year of both our lives, that a class we take in our first semester revolves so heavily around COVID-19. This is an audio file of my interview with fellow Northeastern University student Cameron Mitchell, for our History 1215 class. -
2020-09-20
Radika Barot Oral History, 2020/09/20
It is the experience the average high school senior had during the Corona Virus Pandemic recorded on voice memo by interviewer. -
09/19/2020
Tehya Oral History, 2020/09/19
Interview goes over Tehya's personal experiences with the pandemic, from graduating her senior year to starting college as a freshman. -
09/15/2020
Kate [REDACTED] Oral History, 2020/09/15
Emiko Armstrong interviewed Kate [REDACTED], a Connecticut native, on the impact of COVID in its inception in the United States. They discussed her senior year in high school and Kate’s feelings on how her first year of college is going. They discussed Kate's home life during COVID quarantine, her hopes for the future, and what she thinks might be the lasting historic impact of COVID. -
09/17/2020
[REDACTED] Han Oral History, 2020/09/17
This is an audio interview with a classmate who is based in Korea. She is a freshman who is studying Pharmacy. She expresses her thoughts and experience on the current pandemic, Covid-19. -
09/19/2020
Ben Yrad Oral History, 2020/09/19
This story is important to us because everyone has been affected by the pandemic in their own way. It is critical for us to document these strugles and triumphs so we can look back on how we reacted to this pandemic and how we should react to the next one. -
0919/2020
Spencer Rode Oral History, 2020/09/19
Spencer describes the challenges and emotions involving the shutdown of his last semester of high school, as well as his adjustment to college life. -
2020-06-04
Senior Celebration
"I feel so bad about your senior year," and "I'm sorry your senior year was taken from you" were things I heard almost everyday from people. Honestly, I didn't care because it gave me a relaxing rest of the year because I decided to register for very rigorous courses. The school had been frantically trying to find something to do for the seniors to make senior year memorable without feeling disappointed. We didn't have prom or the senior trip where we go to Kings Dominion and then eat dinner on a cruise ship to go back to Baltimore. Like I said, I didn't mind that we didn't have these experiences, but I know there were a lot of disappointed people in my class. I knew it was going to be expensive and out of budget for me to go anyway. In May, I received an email from my school. It talked about how graduation was going to be and that there would be a bus parade for the senior students. I completely ignored it because I personally didn't want to go. I thought it would have been weird and not worth my time. A few days later my mom found out about the parade and was upset that I told her that I didn't feel like attending to it, and ended up making me go. When I got onto the bus I found out that two of my friends were on the bus which made it exciting for me. The bus only allowed 12 kids on it because of social distancing. We arrived at the school and waited for the parade to start. In between each school bus there was a firetruck or a cop car and they all turned on their sirens and honked their horns throughout the whole parade. There were so many people are parents on the streets of the small area my school district is in. I am glad I went to that and I honestly feel like this brought the community together during the uncertain times that the pandemic has brought to us. -
09/19/2020
Chris Kane Oral History, 2020/07/19
In this interview, I (a Northeastern history student) interviewed one of my peers about his experience with covid-19, and asked him his thoughts about the pandemic as a whole and the impacts that it had on him and his family. This interview helps showcase the thoughts of a college freshman during the pandemic and how life has changed for him and others as a result of the virus, which I feel is critical since all factors must be considered when looking at the covid-19 pandemic historically. -
09/18/2020
Madison Morris Oral History, 2020/09/18
Maddison Morris, freshman at Northeastern University, accounts her expirience of learning about COVID-19, it's severity, and how it affected her life as well as how it will shape the future. -
09/18/2020
Sophia Akhter Oral History, 2020/09/18
This interview with Sophia Akhter shares insight into the life of a college freshman and highlights how the Covid-19 pandemic effected her.