Items

• 
  2021-02-10

  A year of Zoom church

  We are approaching a year of dealing with COVID-19. Our little Presbyterian congregation has been worshipping by Zoom during this time. Zoom Palm Sunday; Zoom Easter; Zoom Advent and Christmas. We are preparing for Zoom Ash Wednesday as we live through our second COVID Lent. How do you do Ash Wednesday over Zoom? We will impose ashes on our households or by ourselves, as we hear “From dust you came, and to dust you shall return.” The PCUSA sent advice about what kinds of ashes are appropriate. Burned candle wicks, outdoor dirt, or even house dust were all deemed OK. This letter, with ashes from last year’s Palm Sunday palms, came from one of the church elders. It speaks to the longevity of the pandemic and its disruption. It also speaks of all the little things that individuals have done to keep our traditions in some form and keep our community connected to each other and to our communal rituals.
• 
  2021-02-12

  New Year, New Hope

  This Year of the Ox is coming in much differently than the Year of the Rat. Last year, with the smallest shadow cast over the new year with news of a SARS type virus spreading through China, we were still able to celebrate normally, and thought those who had taken to wearing masks were exaggerating the seriousness of the disease. We had new year’s dinner with family, the kids wore their traditional outfits to school and fed red envelopes to the lion dancers, the city held their annual parade, and we even celebrated at Disneyland’s California Adventure, with local community groups coming in to perform and celebrate. Whether you say “新年快乐,” “Chúc Mừng Năm Mới,” or simply “Happy New Year,” Lunar New year is a huge celebration in our community and that celebration certainly isn’t happening in the same way this year. However, even though it’s tempting to focus on the fact that we’re sequestered at home and are physically separated from family, friends, and big celebrations, there is much optimism with the hope of the vaccine. All day, my phone’s been buzzing with new year messages, most of which end with “may the new year bring better tidings” or “may this new year bring much health.” Even talking to my in-laws for the new year today had an extra sense of joy, because they shared they are getting their second dose of the vaccine on Thursday. With light at the end of the tunnel, we are able to talk for the first time about maybe being able to see each other in person by the spring. When my son played piano for them virtually, I imagined it won’t be too long until these FaceTime visits will be replaced by the real thing. So here’s to the new year - may we all see health and peace.
• 
  02/07/2021

  Jo Ann Richey Oral History, 2021/02/07

  This is an interview with Jo Ann Richey about her COVID-19 vaccination experience in January of 2021. She talks about how pandemic restrictions have affected her work and social life. She also speaks about where and how her vaccine was conducted. She includes personal insight into how she hopes the vaccines may change her life and society as whole in the future. Contributed by Clinton P. Roberts, HSE, for Arizona State University for the #RuralVoices and #VaccineStories collections
• 
  2020-03

  A Year Without Rowing

  The end of my freshman (2019-2020) spring semester of college was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic gradually growing more and more. Not being able to have a normal freshman year and sophomore year (2020-2021) was not what I was expecting going into college. I have always expected my college years to be full of fun times and rowing but instead they have been full of the COVID-19 pandemic and online school at home. Traveling has been cancelled due to the pandemic which is what stopped studying abroad chances in different countries around the world. Not only was my college years cut short but also my college rowing career as well. Freshman year the spring season was cancelled due to COVID-19 as well as my sophomore fall season and maybe spring. The spring break has been cancelled for the school due to the pandemic which meant the teams spring break training has been taken away which is where we get into racing sprint pieces on the water. Being able to race and perform in regattas at a collegiate level is something I have always looked forward to throughout my high school years. Not being able to have the chance to compete against other colleges especially in the main season of rowing which is spring is something that is upsetting to myself, the rest of the team, and the rowing community. Having limited rowing opportunities for practice such as small boat rowing, small group pods, and the location. Strict policies from the athletics department have been guiding what we can and cannot do for rowing. There are plans for my sophomore spring season of competing against other college rowing teams if the COVID-19 pandemic begins to decline. If the pandemic begins to decline it will lead to less policies enabling the team to practice as a whole team and in bigger boats like 8s and 4s. This will allow the teams to practice at a higher degree on and off the water to become ready to compete in the regattas. The picture that I have attached is from my fall season of freshman year when there was no pandemic going on. I picked this picture because it is special to me because my collegiate rowing season has only been a semester long. Wishing that my next two years of rowing will be COVID-19 free and full of races and regattas. Hopefully the vaccine will help fix the pandemic and move towards the future into a COVID-19 free life.
• 
  2021-01-18

  Stories of Resilience

  As Covid-19 continues to rage and take lives, there are also the lucky ones that survive. This article shares the stories of 14 Covid-19 survivors. Though the people featured come from different age groups, races, socio-economic statuses, and geography, they all share the common experience of coming out on the other side of a lengthy hospital stay. The stories range from an infant who has spent most of his life in the hospital and has survived both a liver transplant and Covid-19, a woman who is now considered a “long hauler” with debilitating symptoms that plague her long after diagnosis, a nurse who caught the virus saying goodbye to own mother who was dying of Covid-19 and regrets nothing, a man who fought two weeks on a ventilator determined to live to see his daughter get married, and a couple who survived together and were able to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary. These stories remind us of the seriousness of Covid-19, as one survivor states "This is not a joke. This is for real. Take it seriously. It can happen to anybody." However, these stories also remind us of the tenacity of the human spirit, the skills of the medical staff, and the hope that is still alive within this pandemic year.
• 
  2020-03-24

  Worldwide pandemic street art

  USA Today, like many other media outlets, uses their platform to share images of street art that conveys community messages about COVID-19. Photographs range from March 2020 to January 2021 and include graffiti tagging, murals, paste-ups, and stencils. Many styles of art are represented and can be telling of how artists represent emotions of fear, solidarity, hope, thanks, and humor during the pandemic. Several of the contributions are put on boards covering windows of businesses that shut down during the pandemic, others are on hospital buildings, streets, and businesses.
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  2021-01-30

  Promising COVID-19 Vaccine News Has Some Itching To Travel Again

  COVID-19 has led to many restrictions on travel, both domestic and international. Some families have already started planning for their next trip after the pandemic. The travel industry has taken a major financial hit due to the pandemic and many are hoping that regular travel will resume this year.
• 2021-01-31

  Suffering and Loss

  I work as an investigations contractor assigned to assist my county health department with interviewing positive covid-19 patients. I recently spoke with an 85-year-old C19 patient who was hospitalized and awaiting surgery for a brain bleed at the time of our conversation. She explained that she had fallen in her backyard trying to retrieve her feral cat's bed from a rainstorm, tripped, and laid in the rain for almost two hours before anyone found her. Both she and her late husband contracted covid-19 around Christmas, and he died soon thereafter. The hospital where he received his final treatments allowed her to visit him just before he passed, which is an unusual and gracious blessing at this time. The medical interview that normally takes 30 minutes required almost two hours and tears from both of us. When we finished, I wished her well, offered that I looked forward to speaking with her soon, and asked God to bless her. I called her hospital gift shop and ordered a carved wooden angel to be delivered to her room, as she’s a woman of faith. I had the card signed from me and the Health Dept, so I suppose I’ll find out this week if anyone complained about it. More than anything else, I’m hoping her file shows a successful discharge and recovery by now. She told me she looked forward to trading in the cafeteria food for her son's gourmet cooking, and I pray she's already done that.
• 
  2021-01-26

  Covid 19 Final Entry - Statistics

  Covid-19 has around 20-2,000+ victims a day losing their lives. Around 2,000-10,000+ people are being diagnosed a day. This whole corona virus is a total pain because of all the lives that we have lost as well as everything that has been shut down and re-opened and shut down again. Everyone's lives have changed and their still is no vaccine thoroughly thought through and produced yet. Hopefully everything will be over soon.
• 2020-01-28

  Everyone But Me is Vaccinated

  As of today, 1/28/2021, many people have already had their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Many of my friends and family members work in healthcare, so they are either on their first or second dosages. I myself have not had the vaccine, as I do not work in healthcare. I was surprised to see that this vaccine has more side effects than typical vaccines. After their shot, many feel their arm may be sore, or get exceptionally tired. My family member, after their second dose, felt slightly feverish. Luckily, these are the expected side effects, and they don't last more than around 1-2 days! I believe that they are now extending vaccines to front-line workers such as police, firefighters, etc in Arizona. Arizona has not been very good at social distancing, and I know many people personally who have gotten COVID (who luckily have recovered), so I hope that the general public can have access to the vaccine soon.
• 
  2021-01-20

  Poet Amanda Gorman has a star-making moment during Biden-Harris inauguration

  I was teaching during the inauguration. But I pulled up the ceremony and allowed the students to watch Biden take his oath. Afterwards I quickly shut it down and tried to catch up on the lesson I had already planned. One of my students during 6th period unmuted (which is rare). "Mrs. Bell? Did you see the poet? It really moved me". I told her I would watch it after class. When I did get a chance to watch it, I was so sad I missed the opportunity to share Amanda Gorman's dream of a better America with them in the moment. The next day, each class watched it with me. Students who normally never speak applauded her, telling me what her vision meant to them, that she was elegant, that she was brave. Watching her speak was a moment I will never forget. She made history with words of hope in a horribly fractured America. She brought a sense of patriotism and optimism that I haven't felt in some time. I know she inspired kids everywhere. Ahhh!!! It was so good. "If only we're brave enough to see it, If only we're brave enough to be it".
• 2021-01-25

  Some Final Thoughts

  Well this is it. Over all there are about 25.5 million cases right now. Just some final thoughts I hope that lockdown ends soon and that this NEVER has to happen again. Ugh it is so bad living in this pandemic, mask wearing, lockdown. So bad and so annoying. You can never do anything fun without a mask. Well I guess this is a time in my life I will never forget...EVER. It is bad but it is not the worst, I am just grateful that we at least get to go to school in person. Well it was wonderful writing these journals.
• 
  2020-03-18

  A Message of Hope

  Villa Park, Illinois. U.S.A. A message of hope from our community to yours. Villa Park residents came together to create an inspirational and hopeful message for everyone during the COVID-19 pandemic. -HOPE-
• 
  2021-01-22

  Fish Out of Water

  Since March 2020, my life has taken a complete turn. For my past high school years, I’ve constantly been in the pool playing water polo or swimming. In an odd way, I have built a connection with the water. It’s become a part of my day, a part of my life, and I took it for granted. I thought I would get to feel the adrenaline and the nervous wreak on game days when our season came, but it never did. As someone who was always in the water and active throughout the week, it was a change of scenery when we had to stay home because of the severity of the pandemic in California. Not being able to play my sports represents my high school experience as a junior because everything feels out of place. Most of my days used to revolve around practices and games, and not being able to attend these felt strange. This might be a minor inconvenience, but this little change threw me off guard. I had to find other ways to adapt to the situation and learn how to organize my days so that they could resemble one similar to before everything happened. I’m sure there are also many others who feel very unmotivated during this time of unrest. I, too, fell into a hole where I lost motivation because there was nothing to look forward to and I feared that things would never go back to normal, but I eventually adapted to this new reality because I realized that I could not predict the future. In a way, the lockdown was an opportunity for me to improve myself and take on new hobbies I have always been interested in. I started to cook more and even tried baking!
• 
  2021-01-19

  Resilient Child, Resilient Mom- Reflection on 2020

  The first picture was taken April 29, 2020. Remote schooling was not going to end, we thought it would only last a couple of weeks. My child was falling apart, I was falling apart. The second picture was taken about seven months later, November 27, 2020. I had been furloughed, school opened up and then went remote again, we learned how to wear masks, we learned how to social distance. We joined the family bubble, in Illinois. I reflect in January 2021 and I want to note that we are figuring it out together. We continue to teach each other. The second picture is my favorite picture of 2020 that I took. I think this picture speaks to the attitude we are putting forward together. This is a picture of my daughter with her cousin, this picture gives me hope and energy.
• 
  2021-01-17

  Entering 2021

  2020 was rough. I don’t want 2021 to be a repeat. This is my hope for 2021. This is what I hope to accomplish this year to keep myself motivated.
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  2021-01-14

  The End of an Era with Mickey Mouse for Californians

  Since 1988, my annual pass has made Disneyland my second home. Growing up within walking distance of the park, randomly deciding to Disneyland to hang out was a normal part of our day. Bored after school? Want to go out to dinner? Want somewhere to walk around? Popping into Disneyland was the answer. It's not just that I spent nearly every 4th of July, Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve, birthdays, and whatever other holiday there is there, spur of the moment visits for us are like a non Californian deciding to go to Starbucks. Shoot, when my grandparents took me to the park to play as a kid, they meant going to Tom Sawyer's island - to us "the park" is synonymous with what most people call "Disneyland." Married with my own family now, swinging into the park on the regular is still our normal. Before the pandemic, we were at Disneyland a minimum of once a week, even if it was just to go on a couple of rides and grab a bite to eat. Today. for the past two hours, my phone has been buzzing like crazy with people messaging me about the news. As one friend said "it's like our safe space has disappeared." Disneyland has always represented a safe space, a respite from stress and pain and reality. The pandemic truly wasn't real to me until March 12, when Disneyland announced it was temporarily closing its gates by the weekend. We rushed to the park, and, as you can see in my Instagram post, I naively thought we'd be back by April. Reality hadn't set in. Still, through these 10+ months of being home, knowing that we would eventually be back at Disneyland was a beacon of hope. Acknowledging that life after COVID is going to change in ways we didn't consider is setting in now. I realize for someone who didn't grow up in the shadow of the castle, this all probably seems strange. But losing daily access to the place you have been the most for the past 33 years is a sobering moment.
• 
  2021-01-11

  How I Learned My Parents Were Getting the COVID Vaccine

  This is the way I learned my parents were scheduled to get their COVID vaccine. I don’t know what one they’ll get - and it doesn’t matter to me or them. They are 65 (66 in February 2021). My dad has a heart condition. I am deeply relieved that they were able to be scheduled to get one!! I am so grateful!
• 2021-01-07

  Covid-19

  My first memory of Covid-19 was in late December of 2019. I was sitting on my couch watching TV when I heard my dad in the other room talking to my mom about how the new "coronavirus" desiese was getting worse in China. I was shocked at first about what he was talking about, so I went into the next room to ask him what was going on. He explained to me how there was an epidemic going on in China, and how some people have died. It all seemed very new and since it was all the way in China I wasn't very concerned with it other than thinking that it must be scary for residents of China. Fast forward a few weeks when we get back to school, lots of kids in the hallways were making jokes about the disease that was spreading, and were saying things like, "Don't forget to use hand sanitizer cuz of corona." Up until mid march the jokes kept on running, and the epidemic in China became more and more of a big deal. Until the night before march 14, 2020 everything was still a joke, and the rumor of us doing online school from home was still a running joke. But on the night of march 13 we all got an email telling us that we'd be doing virtual school from home for the next two weeks. The following Monday we started online school, and we all thought it would just be for two weeks. I was up in my room all day, and we only got short breaks in between classes. The first week everyone seemed to enjoy it was we had to use zoom calls for our class periods. The second week of school everyone including myself started not liking the idea of virtual school as much. Even though we got to sleep in later, people were sick of sitting at a desk almost all day long. Soon enough they extended our time we would be doing school from home because of a pandemic for longer. The coronavirus had spread to the U.S. and most people rarely left the house except to go to the grocery store because everything was closed. Whenever my mom or dad would go to the store they would wear a mask and gloves to make sure they didn't catch any germs. Lots of other people did the same. By this time almost the entire country was in lockdown. It had grown into a full-blown pandemic; other countries like Italy we also bombarded with the panic of Covid-19. Everything was a complete disaster just by mid-april. I had no idea when we would be going back to school, or when things would return to normal. I still don't as a matter of fact. by this time I thought we'd go back in may, but we didn't. In the first couple weeks of may, just a few days before my 13th birthday, everyone at this point hated online school, it was dreaded by children across the country. This gradually got worse and worse, teenagers' mental heath was tanking by a landslide. Quarantine was now taking over my life completely. Most days I would sit in my room the entire day even on weekends since we couldn't go anywhere. Throughout June was probably the worst moth for my metal heath, and I think many others would agree. Saying we were bored would be an understatement; I wasn't depressed much like a quite a few of my other friends ,as far as I'm concerned, but it felt like all of our happiness and livelihood had been taken from us since what we started lockdown. Soon after, in July things started to open up again, the cases for covid-19 were getting lower(which was good), and people basically assumed quarantine was over. The nest month since things were opening up previously we all thought we would go back to school, but a few days before school was supposed to start we were informed that we wouldn't be going back, and we had to continue with online school. I was extremely disappointed, and I thought hopefully we'd go back by at least October. The following months through Christmas break we stayed in online school, and almost nothing happened. I spent my days the exact same as the day before I would sit in my room do school and then look on my phone or listen to music(mostly One Direction, The Beatles, and 80's music). My life became dark, boring, and quiet. By this time everyone was so fed up with quarantine, since we had been in lockdown for the past 9 months. Even Christmas felt different this year; usually I'm super excited and this year I almost didn't even care about the holiday's and I can't explain why. I'm currently writing this on January 7, 2021 at 9:05 pm. We've luckily gone back to school yesterday for the first time in ten months. There are plenty of safety precautions to make sure none of us get sick like: wearing a mask, social distancing( staying 6 feet away from people), and there are even certain ways to we have to walk around hallways and the campus to keep us in order. I can already feel a change in myself since we went back yesterday. It already feels like things are getting better now that we don't have to do virtual school with zoom calls for classes. I'm also really glad I get to see my friends, and hopefully make some new ones. If there's anything I've learned from being a part of the current pandemic it's that you can't give up or give in to other things going on with the world or even within your own life. No matter how tuff things you have to remember who you are and what you want to be. If anyone in the distant future is reading this I want them to know that, and how lucky they are to be apart of something as wonderful as life can be. I found myself more often than never longing for the past hoping for answers, only to find out the past is inside all of us, and even when the hardships of reality kick in you have to remember how amazing it is to get to experience something as rare and beautiful as life is. So don't take things for granted and appreciate every moment because you'll never know when something as mind-boggling as a world-wide pandemic will happen to you. Long story short never give up on your hopes and fantasies; it might just be the thing you'll need the most.
• 
  2020-10-05

  Senior Year in NYC: The Monumental Moments - Cheers, We’ve Made It This Far!

  Our senior toast revolved around celebrating the fact that we made it to October without giving up, not that seniors in college need too many reasons to toast. Getting through each day has understandably been a challenge but we are one step closer to returning to normal life. **Fordham University, SOCI2200
• 
  2020-12-05

  Being a 25-year Suicide Survivor and my QPR (Question Persuade Refer) Suicide Prevention Training Save a Life of a Total Stranger 2000 miles away

  I just wanted to send you the story about meeting Chaz Ah You, the young man that went from a total stranger to another son. He is a football player at BYU. It was a very emotional meeting but one I'll never forget and treasure ALWAYS. I was able to save Chaz's life through divine intervention and QPR Suicide Prevention Training. That is why we can't sugarcoat the importance of addressing suicide prevention head-on. It's not a comfortable conversation nor is it warm and fuzzy, but we have to have those uncomfortable conversations to become comfortable to evoke change. I am so glad Chaz is here. We will continue to have these uncomfortable conversations to change not only how people view suicide but to educate and break down the walls of stigma to STOP suicide. Have some tissues when you view this story. Everyone should take QPR Suicide Prevention Training! It saves lives! 25-years ago, my Aunt Kellie nicknamed "Aunt Spankie" saved my life when I called and told her, "She could have my shoes," she didn't hesitate to have me involuntarily committed. She's a HERO in my eyes because she did whatever it took to save my life. She didn't worry about me getting mad at her, my mother, or my grandmother being mad. As bad as February 14th, 1995, was to be involuntarily committed, handcuffed, and taken to a mental health facility, it saved my life and started me on the long road to recovery. It also awakened me to help others like me, especially in my culture and people of color. Mental health isn't one size fits all. Today, I'm a board member with NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) NC, a volunteer with AFSP (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention), MHA (Mental Health America) of Central Carolinas, an NC certified Peer Support Specialist, a certified Mental Health First Aid for Youth Instructor and a certified QPR (Question Persuade Refer) Suicide Prevention Instructor. When the Governor of NC issued the Stay Home Order in March, I was given the opportunity to do QPR Suicide Prevention Training online. I had no idea I was going to train so many. I started training on March 26th, through May 30th and trained 600 people from 23 states and 5 countries for FREE. I took a break in June and started back training in July, finishing on December 19th. To date, I have trained over 1000 people from 24 states and 5 countries . I am not done. I plan on continuing my quest to stop suicide through paid and free training online until the QPR Institute tells us to stop training online and go back to face to face. That's over 1000 people that are now certified "Gatekeepers that can and will save a life through positive action while providing HOPE. I have trained people from all walks of life, sports psychologists, directors of sports medicine, directors of nutrition, teachers, a congressional aid, social workers, student-athletes, pastors, an NFL player, therapists, social workers, college professors, 10-D1 college football coaches (Michigan, AZ, Wake Forest, BYU, Navy, Perdue, and others) former Charlotte Mayor, Jennifer Roberts, DA Spencer Merriweather, 36 nursing students from NCCU, sorority sisters (AKA & ZETA), colleges students, two CBS News producers, a CBS News reporter, a local news reporter, nurses, an entire college conference (Sunshine State Conference), 56 student-athletes from the Sunshine State Conference, 80 student-athletes from WSSU, a Native American reservation, directors of sports wellness, numerous college athletic trainers (Carolina, Ohio State, UMASS, Liberty University, Howard University, South Carolina, UCF, UT, Clemson, High Point University, UVA, UGA, WSSU, FAMU, Notre Dame College, UMass, and Eastern Washington to name a few) and many others have taken the training. In an hour and a half, that is how long the training is, I can train anyone how to recognize someone in crisis or suicidal, talk and listen to them in a nonjudgmental way and help them to get the help they need all the while providing HOPE and positive interaction. The training teaches you that anyone can save a life while being positive and providing HOPE. I also use my own suicide attempt to dispel the stigma that surrounds mental health and to show you can get the help you need, you can recover and you can have a good life. You don't have to be a professional to save a life. You just have to care.
• 
  2020

  Manchester Essex Regional High School Contrasts on COVID-19

  Manchester Essex High School is a place where students have the opportunity to learn by having hands-on interactions with academic resources such as art, music, technology, science labs, debate, sports, and even how to take care of the environment. Manchester was filled with students ready to engage with a shared goal of academic success. Students would meet in the library to do homework, complete research, and chat with friends. The teachers would find time after class to assist students with homework questions and help them improve academically. In particular, I loved to stay after my math and art classes to discuss ideas, strategies for learning, and even creative brainstorming with teachers. They helped me solve math problems and even envision how a piece of art can be “read.” Sadly, the physical human interaction has been switched to virtual. Now students do all of their classes online and are not allowed to practice sports, clubs, after school band and other activities offered by the school, in person. Like myself, I imagine many other students find it hard to connect with teachers and keep up with a good academic year, something we’ve only ever experienced in person. However, the necessity of virtual learning in 2020 and the foreseeable future presents an opportunity to learn to adapt and challenge oneself to thrive in a new environment. All we can do is hope, hope that when COVID is conquered, and history is made, students like the ones at Manchester Essex High School will have become more adaptive, and even more eager to interact in person and engage in intellectual discourse.
• 
  2020-07-31

  Australian Health Worker quote on anxiety

  Everyone's feeling that level of anxiety. But I think that it is a renewed sense of hope that we do have the cavalry coming in terms of extra support. Quote from Female aged 43, Other Health Services. Image created by the Health Worker Voices project: https://mspgh.unimelb.edu.au/healthworkervoices
• 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.
• 2020-11-28

  My experience with COVID-19 at the end of 2020

  When COVID-19 began to affect everyone's daily lives including mine, I was not happy with the adjustments we had to make over the summer. Wearing masks and not being able to see certain people got really annoying. However, as time passed on, I learned to deal with the requirements needed in order to enjoy life again. Yes, we may have to wear masks and social distance, but at least businesses are open. We can still do all the things we use to do, only with a few guidelines implemented. Most people thought this pandemic was the beginning of the end of the world. But I believe this pandemic has made us stronger. We as humans are able to handle any negative impact that comes our way. Sometimes life can be challenging, but we will always find a way to get through it.
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  2020-11-20

  Covid Digital Journal

  This video shares fears, experiences, and the fight to see a better future.
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  2020-10-03

  Jennifer Martin Oral History, October 3, 2020

  Graduate student at ASU, Angelica S Ramos interviews mother of four, Jennifer Martin of Kentucky, to get her first-hand experience of being a working mom during COVID. In this interview, they discuss the hardships of motherhood, how the routine of the household has changed and the hardships Jennifer has encountered. Jennifer also expresses excitement for moving out of the suburbs and into a farm, a decision which was made during COVID.
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  2020-10-31

  Trick-or-Treating During the COVID-19 Pandemic

  For this year's Halloween, my mother wanted to hand out candy in a safe, fun way for the trick or treaters to enjoy. She found a way to maintain the appropriate 6-foot distance by utilizing a long PVC pipe as a chute to send the candy shooting down to the trick-or-treaters below on our front porch steps. This picture exemplifies the measures people have done to maintain normality amidst this devastating crisis and I believe it captures the common effort to minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19 while still engaging in fun activities.
• 
  2020-04-29

  Neighborhood Fence, Chippewa Falls, WI

  A simple poetic sentiment on my neighbors fence is more than enough to brighten a day. It might have been written with the "community chalk" placed near the sidewalk a few doors down.
• 
  2020-11-05

  Lethargic Lockdown

  HIST30060 - In reviewing this 'plague' year, I feel that there can be no simple way of explaining the whirlwind of emotions that seemed to fluctuate just as readily and sporadically as our daily covid- case numbers did back in April and May. My first uploaded image is a photograph I took of a note that was found in our letterbox in Balwyn, which we received on the 7th of April. Later we discovered it was made by two younger girls who lived at the bottom of our street, who had been writing similar letters for all our neighbours too! I felt it was very important in this unprecedented time to cherish the small acts of kindness, particularly given the emotional state of lockdown. Despite their relative insignificance, it is these small communal acts which I will cherish, which keep us connected to those around us, while ironically social distancing at the same time. Similarly, the young sisters who made the card are the same age as my niece, 9 years old. I often look at this card and think of how their youth has been irrevocably changed in this pandemic. My second image is a photo I took of Mills beach in Mornington on the 31st of July. I think it will always remind me of the occasion where I snuck down to the Beach, on the premise of doing some 'maintenance' at a family property, which was what I explained to the police who were patrolling the highway. My father has had his bouts with pneumonia in the past, so the family decided that if he could conduct his work from home, then it would be best to get of Melbourne. So my mum and dad were staying down the in Mornington from late March and came back to Melbourne around the start of November. Although we would routinely call eachother on zoom, this photo in a way commemorates the time where I had to sneak down to the beach in order to see them. Though a beautiful sunset at mills beach, there also is a sense of morbid beauty and unease to the photo. It was the only time I think I have ever seen such beautiful weather and calm water, with no boats or people in sight. The third image is a screenshot from a facebook invitation to a party which was created in early March. The guys that made the group event had originally planned to host a get together by December. I think in a sense this does give some explanation in regards to the expectations of corona, and the hysteria that was surrounding it in early March. I think as explained in the screenshot, although we didn't know what to expect, all we did know was that "the next few months are gonna be very long." Recently they updated the invitation from a party that will maybe happen in March next year. Although it may be some form of normality to look forward to, I think that this year more than any other we have learnt to prepare for the worst. Though it is currently listed to go ahead around March next year, part of me thinks it will be delayed again. My fourth image is a screenshot I took from an instagram page called "melb_lockdown," which was created in early April this year. It is an instagram page that features many artful collections of the Melbourne CBD area in black and white photographs. As one who often indulges in photography myself, I think the artist behind the instagram page is always trying to send a message with his work. I think what strikes me most is naturally seeing images of one of the 'most liveable' cities in the world, which is now devoid of the very things that have have given the city it's -claim-to-fame.' The once frenetic energy and vibrancy of the busy Melbourne CBD is now lifeless, colourless, and painfully mundane. My last image, is a meme that a friend of mine sent me. Similarly it is a an Instagram page called 'Covid 19 Funny Memes.' Though very funny, it also highlights a lot of the communal attitudes that have fluctuated and changed through out the pandemic. In late February/ early March, I believe that because it the pandemic was largely still a distant story that was affecting Europe more readily and Australia, it was something we really engaged in a kind of hysteria with. Because we hadn't experienced it, it was something we couldn't truly understand. Certainly these sought of humorous memes were not being created back then. But now I feel having lived with the pandemic for the last 8-9 months, people's attitudes have altered so much. I think because we are now more prepared to satirise, mock or create humorous memes is not to suggest that we have become apathetic towards the pandemic, but I think it shows that we are 'over it.' I think now living with this shadow over our lives for 8 months has taken its toll, and humour may be one way we can attempt to disassociate ourselves from this monotonous cycle.
• 
  2020-04-07

  There's Still Hope

  The picture was taken April 7, 2020, about a month into quarantine in Las Vegas, Nevada. This was a time when the only human interaction you would get is at grocery store when you were scrambling to get supplies for your home not knowing if you or a loved one could be the next victim of this pandemic. My household and I were scared, not knowing what to do besides stay quarantined in our home and not try to get tired of each other. We decided we wanted to change up our routine of just staying in the house, and drive down to get a view of the strip to see how it looked with no people. We drove by the electrified city with usually hundreds of people walking the streets partying, to only see the streets empty and all the buildings lights shut off. However, as we drove by the casinos and hotels by Aria Casino, there were two buildings with lights lit up in the shape of a heart. This showed me, despite all the trouble and heartache this pandemic has brought, there was still hope in our city. That one day we will overcome this pandemic together, and in the mean time we just need appreciate what we have, show our loved ones that we love them, and quarantine to help preserve the lives of others. The hearts gave me a sign of hope, that my family and I were not in this alone. *A picture taken by me driving down the strip.
• 
  2020-10-19

  2021: First, show us the trailer.

  This is a picture I took from a popular Bulgarian meme page on Instagram. The text is in Bulgarian and it states “First, show us the trailer.” I am choosing this picture because I think many people can relate to it. The reason I can relate to this is that last summer when I was in Bulgaria, I had the best time. I left with the summer memories and hopes that next summer. 2020, will be a prolongation. All year that was my main motivation but, alas. The year 2020 came with all its surprises and flaws, and all my plans and dreams were destroyed. This thought me that plans always change, and hopes and dreams can be easily ruined, but still, I would love it if we could get a little trailer of what to expect in the next sequel called 2021. After all, hopes and dreams hold us alive.
• 
  2020-10-15

  The Magic Golden Pothos

  This is a Golden Pothos. It is one of many that I have in my home. This Pothos, though, is unique because I propagated and replanted it all during quarantine. Way back in March, I snipped a leaf off one of my other Pothos. Dropped it in a glass of water and waited for it to begin to sprout roots. Nothing incredible or out of the ordinary about this Pothos from all the other Pothos. But, I created this Pothos. I watered it, made sure it got enough, but not too much sun. I patiently sat by and watched this small little plant grow, undisturbed by the outside world. This small common little houseplant has, in essence, helped to keep me grounded during these challenging, unpredictable times. Every week as I watered my Pothos, I would be reminded that although so much has changed in everyone's daily lives and continues to change at an unfathomable rate, certain things will continue to be undisturbed. My little Pothos being one of them. By holding on to this way of thinking that there are things that are within my control that will move forward regardless of the outside world, I continue to find hope in today and, more importantly, tomorrow. There is no denying that this event has shaken every institution worldwide, doing irreparable damage to an untold amount of lives, families, cultures that will never be forgotten. But, there is always hope when there is life. I feel like these times a breeding ground for nihilistic thought, which can be very destructive. So, I have this daily reminder, through my Pothos, that there is still hope. Cheesy, I know. But, sometimes cheesy works (I know cheesy again)
• 
  2020-06-09

  Oakland Artists Create Murals in Solidarity with Blacks Live Matter

  Oakland residents find community and hope as they create street art across the city in the days following the death of George Floyd. Local artists and community members created murals on boarded up storefronts to express their solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Store fronts were boarded up as a result of shelter-in-place orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic and as a protective measure during the protests that flooding Oakland's streets following George Floyd's murder.
• 
  2020-06-01

  Democracy in Action- The Fight for Racial Justice During The Pandemic

  I took this picture on June 1st, 2020, on the first day I left my house since March. The COVID-19 Pandemic was still raging outside, but I felt that it was worth the risk to fight for racial justice. Thousands took the streets after the murder of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor to demand change and an end to systemic racism. My friends and I were some of them. We rallied outside the State House, only steps away from the dorm that I will be living in two weeks from now. Surprisingly, the protests gave me a strange sense of hope for our country. Despite the risk of COVID-19, all these people still collectively decided that this was too important to miss. They were willing to risk their safety to demand justice for people they had never even met. I’ve been to protests before, but this was like no other. It showed that people truly care about each other. Because of this, I believe that the US will come out of this pandemic stronger than before.
• 
  2020-08-23

  "Hope"

  This mural caught my eye because it represents hope and love during a time of distress. I think we forget that love and hope is what we need as a global community. We are all going through this and we get caught up in the derision and life. As the artist said that he wanted to "provoke hope" of life after lockdown. "And also to show the tightrope between fear and love that many of us are walking at the moment."
• 
  2020-08-11

  Relax. Think COVID-free thoughts.

  San Francisco Bay Area artists, Mark Harris, created a stunning mural on the boarded up windows of local business, Rose Gold Piercing and Tattoo. Rose Gold shut its doors at the start of California's COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders and has yet to reopen. Harris's message to "Relax, think COVID-free thoughts" is a reminder of how much our world has changed and is being dictated by the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the pandemic continues to wreck havoc on the San Francisco Bay Area, Harris's art brings hope and beauty to local residents. Harris's mural is a part of the larger San Francisco Bay Area art initiative, Paint the Void. Over 100 murals have been created in public spaces throughout the San Francisco Bay Area as a result of Paint the Void.
• 
  2020-04-17

  Coronavirus Kindness: Bay Area Artists Create Murals on Boarded Storefronts to Uplift Local Communities

  Businesses across the San Francisco Bay Area have closed, some temporary and some permanently, as a result of California's COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders. Those that hope to re-open have boarded up their windows to try to protect their stores and inventory. As a result of the crushing economic blow of the COVID-19 pandemic, the vibrancy of San Francisco streets has vanished. In response, local arts are turning boarded storefronts into beautiful murals with messages of hope. Local artists are "bringing life and beauty to our streets, sending messages of love to people in their community." Two local art agencies, Building 180 and Art for Civil Discourse, have teamed up and created Paint the Void. Paint the Void pairs local artists with boarded up businesses in an attempt to beautify the city and "to bring hope into the community and inspire people." Artists hope to eventually auction their murals and donate the funds raised to those in need.
• 
  2020-08-16

  Paint the Void

  Artists around the world have faced insurmountable challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. San Francisco Bay Area artists are turning public spaces into canvases to inspire hope. In the turbulence of the COVID-19 pandemic, Paint the Void emerged. This organization's mission is "to match local artists with boarded up businesses to create murals as a response to the void left behind in the wake of COVID-19." The group is raising money to grant artists stipends "for their hard work as guardians of hope and beauty in these unprecedented times." To date, the organization has helped 91 local artists create 100 murals across 84 storefront in the San Francisco Bay Area.
• 
  2020-08-11

  Holy Saturday

  This is a story about the quarantine separating me, and most importantly others in my community, from participating not only in the sacrifice of the mass but also catechumens from receiving the sacraments of initiation during Holy Week. It's the most sacred time of the year for Catholics. It marks not only the anniversary of a deeply changing experience for me, but it's the time when I can see candidates enter the body of the church fully, and for that body to either be baptized or renew their baptismal vows.
• March 26, 2020

  COVID Share Your Story #RITtigers #14, Physics Major's Point of view

  Once we were directed to leave RIT, I was overwhelmed. Things felt so uncertain and hopeless, I was seriously considering dropping out. But after the outpouring of support from all corners of RIT, and especially the academic provost's decision to offer pass/fail options, I truly felt that things would be okay. The situation is manageable and RIT is here for us. There is so much love within our community, and I'm trying to help spread it wherever and whenever possible. Even though we're physically distant, I feel closer than ever to my family and friends. Everyone is checking in on one another and actively trying to make the day brighter. For instance, I've reconnected with many friends from high school in the form of meme-sharing and messages of support. I've even become closer to my younger sister by recording music together. We have seen examples of the world as a beautiful, interconnected community. Let's keep it going. Spread the love <3 If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Keep your room clean, keep your chin up, keep your friends close, it's all going to be okay.
• 
  2020-07-30

  Plant Surprise

  At the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year, our area was overrun with invasive “ankle biter” mosquitoes. My students and I were constantly bitten, and I eventually bought a “mosquito repelling” plant from Home Depot. I’m not sure it actually worked, but it was a nice addition to my classroom. On March 16, my last day before we were sent home, I put my plant outside to enjoy the rain, thinking I’d be back in a couple of weeks, like we had planned. I didn’t set foot in my classroom again until July 30. I thought of my little plant often, and was sad imagining it drying out, or getting thrown away. Imagine my shock when I drove up to my classroom to grab some items from my room to prepare to start Distance Learning for the new year and seeing my beloved plant quadrupled in size! I grabbed my items from my classroom, marveled at how it was a bit like Chernobyl with everything frozen on March 13, the last date the students were in school, and went to grab my plant to safely take home. We found it had actually broken through its pot and rooted itself into the ground. My husband (who drove with me) dug it out and I replanted it in my yard. I see my plant as sort of this odd symbol of hope and resilience in 2020. Despite being put in a situation where it was expected to die, it managed to fight, grow and thrive. I’d like to think that in this year of upheaval, we’d all be able to do the same.
• 
  2020-05-18

  Covid as a collage

  I wanted to make something that was colorful and cheerful to remind people of the good things that are still happening in the world and that it is okay to find a light even in the darkest of times. None of this is to take away from the grim situation we are facing on a global level. It is hard to ignore the lack of medical supplies, the millions of people who have lost their jobs and that the economy is at a historical low point. I want to continue to help in any way I can, focus on the positive and hope that we as a nation can come together and beat this pandemic.
• 
  2020-07-17

  A Warm Meal Shared

  It's my story in how something mundane like cooking a meal and the community of sharing a meal is affected severely by COVID 19. Since I live alone at present, it is difficult, let alone near impossible to share a meal with anyone else and the disconnect I feel affects me and possibly some people who have to live alone and no one to communicate with. It's also a story of longing forward to see my fiancée again and trying to live life with a semblance of normalcy in an uncertain world.
• 
  April 16, 2020

  Newburgh IN US Post Office SIgn of Unity (2)

  These photographs were taken to document some of what people in Evansville and its Tri-State region saw and experienced as the realities of the Covid-19 pandemic came to the area in the spring of 2020. Many of these images represent literal signs of the time, while others figuratively depict signs of the pandemic.
• 
  May 3, 2020

  Newburgh IN US Post Office

  These photographs were taken to document some of what people in Evansville and its Tri-State region saw and experienced as the realities of the Covid-19 pandemic came to the area in the spring of 2020. Many of these images represent literal signs of the time, while others figuratively depict signs of the pandemic.
• 
  April 16, 2020

  Newburgh IN Sign of Hope

  These photographs were taken to document some of what people in Evansville and its Tri-State region saw and experienced as the realities of the Covid-19 pandemic came to the area in the spring of 2020. Many of these images represent literal signs of the time, while others figuratively depict signs of the pandemic.
• 
  April 16, 2020

  Evansville IN Aldersgate UMC, Sign of Hope

  These photographs were taken to document some of what people in Evansville and its Tri-State region saw and experienced as the realities of the Covid-19 pandemic came to the area in the spring of 2020. Many of these images represent literal signs of the time, while others figuratively depict signs of the pandemic.
• 
  April 16, 2020

  Newburgh IN Premiere Tan Sign of Hope

  These photographs were taken to document some of what people in Evansville and its Tri-State region saw and experienced as the realities of the Covid-19 pandemic came to the area in the spring of 2020. Many of these images represent literal signs of the time, while others figuratively depict signs of the pandemic.
• 
  May 1, 2020

  Evansville IN East Side Sign of Hope (2)

  These photographs were taken to document some of what people in Evansville and its Tri-State region saw and experienced as the realities of the Covid-19 pandemic came to the area in the spring of 2020. Many of these images represent literal signs of the time, while others figuratively depict signs of the pandemic.