Items

• 
  2020-10-05

  The Pandemic in Prisons: Covid-19, Repression, and the Carceral State

  This podcast episode is from the Revolutionary Left Radio podcast featuring show host Breht and guests.
• 
  2020-07-23

  Snap Judgment podcast episode on covid-19 in San Quentin state prison (CA)

  Podcast episode produced by Snap Judgment in which they look at covid-19 outbreaks in San Quentin prison
• 
  2020-03

  A Pass for the Lockdown

  This is an important submission to me, because it was a weird way for me to feel like more than just a simple grocery clerk, but also I felt more heavily the weight of the whole COVID pandemic. I was given this letter by my store manager at Kroger, back in late March I believe, when the city was placed under a lockdown. It was in the event any employee, on their way to work, was pulled over and asked why they were out driving during a lockdown. It makes me proud, in a way, to ensure that people still are able to shop, but it's also scary because, well people still come to shop for groceries. I haven't kept it in my car since the lockdown lifted, but I am concerned I will need it again, with the rise of cases.
• 
  2020-11-12

  HISTW300 Global History of Food Oral History Assignment

  This is an assignment by Prof Christine Peralta at Indiana University Bloomington for her HISTW300 students to create oral history transcripts. *may include private health info
• 
  2020

  Ben S. and his Art

  My friend Ben has been creating art ever since lockdown started and continue to make art for his studies and own enjoyment with all the extra free time some have gotten due to COVID-19. Ben is a queer artist who enjoys drawing anything from monsters to people and every iteration inbetween.
• 
  2020-10-03

  ChongQing on National Day

  The National Day is the longest holiday in China, and usually, everyone likes to take the opportunity to go out and take a tour to another city. After months of quarantine and lockdown, the data showed that people were desperate to take some fresh air and the volume of travelers reached 5 hundred million this year. This is a photo of the QianSiMen Bridge in the city of ChongQing, it was under lockdown and forbid cars to pass through so travelers could take a walk on the bridge and see the Cityview at night. The bridge was full of people and the policies only allowed one-way on each side of the bridge to control the flow and avoid chaos.
• 
  2020

  The Warning Signs

  While COVID-19 restrictions became part of the everyday, it was at times difficult to keep track of their constant changes and revisions. Businesses started to put up signs outlining their policies for staff and clients to keep everyone safe. The first image is from a cafe in Potts Point, one of many local businesses put under strain by the pandemic. The second is from an aged-care facility in Woollahra in response to the beginning of the second-wave outbreak in Melbourne.
• 
  2020-08

  The Plastic Ducks of Paddington

  Teddy bear hunts and rainbows in windows became a somewhat common sight during the lockdown as people tried to bring cheer to people passing by. My favourite variant was in the driveway of a house in Paddington. I have no idea who lives inside but I loved walking past and seeing what dramatic scene they’d managed to create with their plastic ducks. Whether re-creating Arthurian legend or bringing the beach to Paddington, a glimpse of the new story being told through ducks never failed to brighten my day.
• 
  2020-10-31

  England Shutdown Again

  England goes into lockdown again.
• 
  2020-10-31

  Exercise from home

  I submitted this image because I bought these shoes in anticipation for the lockdown, assuming that it was going to shutdown gyms. Running/Jogging/ walking became one my primary sources of exercises during the lockdowns. This image is meaningful to me because to me, exercise is super important, so running has allowed me to both get exercise and get away from the screen for a bit.
• 
  2020-10-25

  San Francisco is Leader in Slowing the Spread of COVID-19

  Despite being one of the most populated cities in the United States, San Francisco has the lowest death per capita. People who violated safety protocols were held accountable, and long lines were regulated to ensure social distancing. Masks were also handed out by the police. When I visited San Francisco, I was astounded by how many people there were, and how small everything was. I would have thought that San Francisco would be heavily debilitated by the pandemic.
• 
  2020-06-04

  Health Officials Agree With Protests.

  This article is about public health officials urging people to join the fight for social justice. While the health officials state that everyone involved needs to be aware of the risks and take precautions, now is the time to demand change and join in solidarity with those affected by racial injustice. This post demonstrates that during the COVID-19 pandemic, health officials were agreeing with protests and the Black Lives Matter movement. This article is important because it demonstrates that social justice is needed yesterday, today, and tomorrow no matter what is happening.
• 2020-10-27

  Everyday Life in Quarantine

  When quarantine hit us I had no idea what to do. I was pretty much drowning in boredness during the first week or 2. But then I started picking up a routine that I followed to keep me busy.For example when we were in quarinitine i was in a basic routine. Workout, shower, eat, video games, eat, video games, sleep. Sleep and for everyday during quarantine I pretty much did this. I didn’t set a alarm because I was awaken by my mom’s step class and even though it was almost 10 I could hear her steps getting louder and louder until I was out of bed. Hearing my mom’s footsteps and having nothing to do I decided to go to the garage and lift. The garage was silent except for the iron banging when I put it down. Once I was done i immediately went to the shower and got cleaned up for another day of laying around. It was like I was in auto-pilot during the day trying to make myself busy. Around 5ish I could smell my mom’s cooking which always brought a warm feelings because I was thankful that my family was safe and we can eat together as a family. After dinner I hopped onto the playstation until I felt my fingers twitching and getting cramps. When It was too hard for me to keep my eyes open I lay in bed wondering if it will ever be normal again. And asking myself, what will I do tomorrow?
• 2020-03

  Going to The Market During COVID-19

  During the COVID-19 pandemic the only time most people left there houses was to go to a market to get food once and awhile. In my house one person would go once a week and everyone always wanted to be the person to go. We would have a shopping list that everyone would write what they wanted and the person selected would have to get everything on the list. During to the market it felt like no one was on earth anymore. The roads were empty with no one insite. The markets were the busiest place so they had to restrict the number of people inside at once. While inside the market everything felt so dirty because you would constantly think about “was this touched by someone who had COVID.” This is important to remember because this is the only place people went during the pandemic and it made them happy just to get out of the house.
• 2020-10-27

  Senses Throughout the Covid Experience

  I remember the intercom on March 13th telling the students “School will be out for two weeks due to the Coronavirus.” At first, this was awesome, we got time off school with no homework!! But then the break never stopped and school never resumed to what it used to be. Being quarantined went from days, to weeks, to months, and hasn’t stopped yet. We barely finished the school year online and thought we would go back at the start of next year. Oh were we wrong! All we see is the computer screen! We were quarantined for another 3 months and proceeded to do the first semester of the 2020-2021 school year online. Hopefully we get to go back to school next semester. We will be able to talk to one another and get out of the boring home. This virus has blocked us from our homecoming, football season, sports, hanging out with friends, celebrating holidays, socializing at school, and seeing family. Instead, we are on the computer for 5-6 hours a day either in zoom meetings or doing homework. We now can’t touch everything, talk to who we used to, and taste all of the diverse foods we would go out and have. It isn’t healthy! We need to go back to school next semester even if it is hybrid. This pandemic has taken a toll on everyone and we need to get through this together.
• 2020-04-01

  Cooped up

  It was a Saturday, the day after school was out, and an announced break from school due to Covid-19. I was at my friend Zach’s house, when they had announced a shelter in place. I was very nervous about this happening because nothing like that had ever happened in my lifetime. After this night, I was cooped up in my room, and it felt like I was in there for eternity. All I did was play video games, and do bodyweight workouts to make time pass by. This happening is very important to me because I never knew how it was to feel lonely, until this point in time occurred. In my room I saw, beige walls and a dark room all day, I smelled the food I ate in the room, and I touched the ps4 controller and my bed all day. I also heard my brother yelling over frustration while playing on his computer.
• 2020-10-26

  Music in COVID-19

  During COVID-19, me and my friends have discovered lots of new music. Before this pandemic happened, we only really listened to rap and a little bit of other genres. But we have had lots of time to discover new music and broaden our taste. Just alone I have discovered that I like way more genres than I used to, for example, I didn’t know that I liked jazz and soul music but I found out that it’s actually really good, and I have opened up a new world of music for me and my friends to listen to and not listen to rap all the time now. So the pandemic completely changed the way I listen to music.
• 
  2020-10-21

  Responding to the COVID-19 crisis as a student from a different state: Arumi Ortiz

  This is an oral history with Arumi Ortiz conducted by Victoria Villaseñor. Arumi was born in Veracruz, Mexico and moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma when she was 15 years old. Arumi is now a senior at St. Mary's University.
• 
  2020-10-08

  COVID-19 in Lebanon

  An article outlining the COVID-19 situation in Lebanon and how it is straining the already fragile healthcare system.
• 
  2020-09-24

  Female World Leaders’ Pandemic Lessons

  Author Kara Cutruzzula cites Avivah Wittenberg-Cox’s assertion that four principles successfully guided women leaders: trust, decisiveness, tech, and love. The six lessons from female leadership are as follows: 1) Include everyone, 2) Be authentic, 3) Tell the truth, 4) Be decisive, 5) Embrace technology, 6) Leaders of every kind can learn from these women. This article highlights COVID-19 responses that are of international importance. The decisions these women made for their respective countries are of great historical value. The article also provides a contemporary opinion about the positive reception these decisions received.
• 
  2020-03-14

  No More Pasta

  This photo means that the pandemic was huge enough to impact people’s lives. They took all the essential supplies from the supermarket. Peoples’ will to live is huge and that makes them able to survive. That situation in the market was kind of a fight. The day before he took this photo, the French government announced a national lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. He realized how the government announcement to lock people down without any prevention could cause chaotic situations.
• 
  2020-10-20

  Strip of emptiness

  Ive always loved my city, I loved how busy it was with all the people admiring it. Now it has lost some of its charm because of the pandemic and I want to show how different it is now.
• 
  2020-10-03

  Feminism during Covid

  Unfortunately, gender violence has been increased due to Covid. The lockdown can have several psychological and social consequences. According to Mittal and Sighn, the "surge of gender-based violence (it is due to) economic insecurity and alcohol consumption." Also, their research concludes that "gender-based violence has been one of the most neglected outcomes of pandemics." Particularly in Mexico, gender-based violence has been a constant problem, from the "muertas de Juárez" in the 90s to the lack of interest of the Mexican government to deal with the femicide in 2020. Even with the pandemic, the feminist movement has been very active. The photo I chose is from a member of "el bloque negro", a feminist group during the takeover of the CNDH (Human Rights National Commission) on October 3rd. Now, the CNDH is controlled by several feminist groups and works as a shelter for victims of gender-based violence. In Mexico, ten women are killed every day. Even with these statistics, last year president AMLO has eliminated the government’s subsidies for women's shelters. The pandemic demands isolation but the high gender-based violence in our country and the rise of this problem due to the lockdown can't be ignored, even if lives are at health risk.
• 
  2020-03-26

  Emptiness & Unknown By Alexandria Bucy

  I created this powem after a video I took during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. The Las Vegas Strip was desolate of travelers from all over the country. This was something our city hasn't seen in years- possibly since September 11, 2001? Even then, I am not sure it was as silent as it was that night. I based a couple of the lines on the soft breeze in the background of the video I shot. *Poem, and I created it myself
• 
  2020-08-07

  More outdoor time

  We had to find ways to beat cabin fever, and that was hard because it was the hottest summer on record in Arizona. We took mini trips to Sedona, Tucson, and Camp Verde. We hiked and did as much outside as we could on cooler days. The kids enjoyed taking trips, because they couldn't see their friends or play with them during the lockdown.
• 2020-10-16

  Pre-Pandemic, what did we know? Teachers knew nothing.

  March 12th, 2020 seemed to be a perfect spring day in Southeast Georgia, it was a beautiful morning. I am a teachers assistant in a self-contained classroom in Liberty Co., GA. We had a long weekend ahead of us, March 12th was a Thursday and we had Friday off, 5 day weekend, and all of the kids knew it! So as any teacher would do we had a relaxed day. We taught normal morning lessons, talked to the kids about why they will not see us on Friday, Monday, Tuesday, or St. Patricks day that was coming up. So, we painted pictures of rainbows - nothing out of the ordinary, at least not in our little self-contained bubble. The teachers for some time had been hearing about this virus, and that it was far worse than the severe flu we saw in 2018, or anything else we have seen from overseas. This illness was something that we all were closely monitoring in the news because schools are the perfect breeding grounds for germs of any illnesses; however, we knew one thing - that there were some measures being put in place for travel. Then we get an all-call on the intercom in our classroom, "Hey 201, we just want to inform yall the main water line is broken up the road. We suggest you call your parents to get ready to receive their children, its a half-day." STUNNED we all took a moment, took a breath. Our 7 kids had no idea what was happening so we all took to our phones and called the parents of the most vulnerable first, then the ones we knew may take some time to get a hold of. Next we informed our parents of the children who ride buses that they will be on their way home within the next hour as the school had no water. We rallied up our kids, went through our daily clean up (4 hours earlier than usual) and gave them all tight hugs. Some of them didn't want to leave, some really didn't understand why they were going home so early, and some just wanted to get out of the crowd. In the end, I hugged every last one of my kids I took up to the front office because I had a sick feeling about this weekend. I told them to be good and listen to their adults and I waved goodbye. For most, that was the last time I saw that set of kids again because last year's class was older. Those children went onto middle school. Friday, March 13th, 2020 came and rumors started that we may not be going back to school on Wednesday because of some virus called Coronavirus. What was this? Why? No one understood. My teacher friends were all communicating online what was happening, a lot of uncertainty. The weekend came and went, nothing. Monday, the 16th of March, we got the news we weren't to enter ANY school building, this virus is highly contagious. I'd seen the news and by then China, Japan, Korea, and Italy were on total lockdown, Spain was following suit; along with the rest of the world, the US was the only nation in the world not really doing anything. However, in Liberty co. we were on lockdown, schools shutdown. At some point we were told only lead teachers and 2 assistants per grade level may go into the school to help get the children's personal belongings, this did not happen. Everything was shutdown, it was too dangerous. Personally, I didn't hear from the majority of my students after March 12th. Many factors are at play here: little to no technology in low-income homes, parents decided that since school was out they weren't obligated to stay in the area so they went to visit family in different Counties/States (so no communication was made) or parents didn't pick up the phones when we would call, those that we did see online wasn't for long because our teaching method is very hands on for Special Education our parents had no idea how to help at home and some gave in a put YouTube videos on all day. This wasnt easy for ANYONE I know. Pandemics, changes in general, and a sudden life change is ALWAYS hard. School as we know it will never be the same. As of today, this new school year we are doing hybrid teaching, which is giving parents the option to send their child to school face-to-face learning (with a mask on at all times) or they can have virtual learning. Our county provided everyone child and staff with ipads, so there's really no excuse at this point. I'm optimistic for the future, I feel a change in teaching. It's hard to change a system that is so engrained in our systems but we can figure it out.
• 
  2020-10-13

  Trapped in Peru

  A Japanese tourist, Jesse Katayama is Stuck in Peru during the pandemic. He has been allowed into the ruins of Machu Picchu after a seven month wait. Stuck in Peru since mid-March, he was only allowed to enter the Inca Citadel on special request. There are 33,305 deaths because of Covid-19, which is the highest per capita mortality rate.
• 2020-05-27

  The impact of COVID-19 on student achievement and what it may mean for educator

  I wanted to submit this article because I relate to it so much and how the pandemic has made so many students like me struggle to succeed from home where there is so many distractions and you just can't focus most of the time.
• 
  2020-08-10

  Staying Active during Quarantine

  This photograph shows how different the time is compared to before the pandemic. I used to go to a gym called Orange Theory a few times a week to do HIIT workouts, however during quarantine they were closed and I had to find a way to still stay fit while not being able to actually go to the gym. I ordered some dumbbells and resistance bands on Amazon and would set up a space outside to do my workouts after running outside. It was different for me because I like having a coach present to give me workouts to do and to push me harder so it took some adjusting. Overall, this picture represents quarantine because it shows how we much adapt in order to keep going with our daily routines.
• 2020-10-15

  Surviving the Apocalypse

  I live in nice town in the Eastbay about twenty miles from San Francisco. Its population is around 70,000 and its downtown is home to dozens of restaurants and high-end retail stores. On the afternoon of March 16th of this year Governor Gavin Newsom ordered all non-essential businesses shutdown and locked down. The next morning I took a walk downtown only to find that the normally busy streets were deserted. It felt like I was one of the last people on earth. The normal sounds were all but gone and it sort of felt like an episode from the Walking Dead. For the next couple weeks and eventually months I walked downtown every day and sat on a bench reading a book. The business that I used to work at was deemed non-essential, so I was initially furloughed. Over time people gradually began venturing out and some of the familiar sounds returned such as people talking and the noise of traffic. Two months into the pandemic almost all of the businesses in my town were still closed. On my daily walk one afternoon I noticed something odd. As I looked up from my book, I noticed a large convoy made up of dozens of vehicles racing into the retail shopping district. Once there the drivers parked their cars and people began pouring out. Within a few minutes there were a couple hundred people breaking into and looting the closed retail stores. The towns relatively small police force was caught by surprise and within a half an hour almost every high-end retail store in town was cleaned out. There was no protest involved it was simply a coordinated raid. The next day on my walk downtown I noticed that every business in town had been boarded up and all the people were gone again. A little later in the pandemic the California wildfires began. I continued my walks with the constant smell of smoke in the air. On many days the sun was completely blocked out by smoke. The massive fires created a weird atmospheric condition. The smoke hovered at about 5,000-10,000 feet and it was as dark as night on some days but there was relatively little smoke at ground level. Now about seven months after the lockdowns began things are returning to normal and I still walk downtown every day.
• 
  2020-10-14

  Paris Sets Curfews as Cases in Europe Rise Again

  Cases in Europe and in the United States are starting to rise again. Paris and London have set nightly curfews to reduce the amount of interaction between its citizens to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
• 
  2020-10-14

  Las Vegas Lockdown - March 29

  These two photos were taken on the strip at the beginning of lockdown in Las Vegas. Both photos show the government in action as they were taken during lockdown when the strip basically shut down. These photos show empty streets and billboards telling everyone to stay home and stay safe. The billboards provided a sort of unity within the city since it encouraged everyone to “be kind from a distance” and were small reminders that we were all in this together.
• 2020-10-12

  Visa extension

  My mother in law came to Arizona from Arequipa, Peru in Febuary. She arrived a few days before the news of Coronavirus seemed to be spreading in the United States. She has been an absolutely lifesaver. Without her, I don't think I could have managed, especially once school was effectively cancelled for my kindergartener in March. Having my mother in law around is like having another mother, another set of hands to help. She is pretty active and mobile, so she doesn't mind keeping up with the 2yo and she helps me take care of all those details around the house that I never have time for like cleaning, washing dishes, letting the dog out, letting the dog in, breaking up the fight between siblings, cooking, all of it. Now we split most of those chores, since my husband works outside the house. I couldn't do it without her, and I should say that we don't take it for granted. We pay her what we would have paid the daycare for the 2yo, which is actually a decent weekly income when translated back to Peruvian soles. This image shows that there are limited flights back to Peru and that Peru is still in a waves of curfew and lockdowns. We've applied for an extended visa, and I'm hoping she can stay through December. I know she misses home, but she's also glad to be useful and to be living somewhere that isn't enforcing curfews and periodic lockdowns.
• 2020-10-12

  Living Through a Pandemic

  The pandemic has affected my life in many ways. In the beginning when we were on lockdown, I did not get to see anyone outside of my immediate family, which was super hard for me. This took a toll on my mental health because I felt very isolated. I was only able to communicate with my friends and extended family through social media but not being able to see others face to face was hard. I also had to stay in my house and wasn't able to leave for anything expect for emergencies. As restrictions have loosened, I have been able to see some friends and family, but it is limited on what we can do together. I am also missing out on the true freshman experience. I have not been able to go to school, meet new people, join new clubs, or even go to football games. The world around me is also changing greatly. We are expected to stay six feet away from others. We must wear a mask when out in public and I can almost feel a sense of fear in others. The pandemic has also affected others in my life. I took the time to interview a family friend, named Christine, to ask her about how the virus has disrupted her life. Her experiences were very similar to mine. Christine felt that in the beginning it was extremely difficult to not see people, remain in isolation, and only go out for necessities. She had to cancel a trip to Ireland and was not able to work. This took a toll on her emotionally and mentally. Christine felt very alone and often was sad and worried. Some of her friends and family contracted the virus, so she was worried about what would happen to them or if she would get it herself. Luckily, she never did. Christine feels the world has changed greatly over the past six months. There have been social-distancing guidelines and a mandatory mask order put in place. When she goes out, she is constantly worried about getting sick or if she is and is infecting others. Christine misses the way things were and is hoping for an effective vaccine soon. Overall, this pandemic has been isolating, scary, and disruptive to daily life. I haven't been able to hang out with friends, go to school, or go to dance. I know of people who have gotten sick. When you turn on the news, you hear of people dying every single day. I hope in the near future scientists come up with a vaccine that will help things go back to normal, but I am not sure if things will ever be normal again.
• 
  2020-08-01

  2020: A Wild Year of Change

  I feel like this photo is a great representation of what 2020 has been in my life. For me, 2020 started with a bang. At the beginning of January, I was flying across the country to California with about 10 people for my wedding. We were determined to start the year off big and what’s bigger than going somewhere you’ve never been to marry your partner of 10 years?! It ended up being even better than we had planned. Looking back, I am so glad that we decided on a random Wednesday in January to get married because if we would have waited, it never would have happened. This is one of our wedding photos, just the two of us holding hands, looking towards the future, and ready to take on anything…little did we know what was in store. We weren’t even out of the honeymoon phase when February hit and rumors started flying around about news of a deadly virus that was becoming a major deal in most of the world. We worried what would happen if it became a problem in the United States and how would that affect our family. By the end of the month, we were traveling to our best friend’s intimate wedding, while wondering if we should even be attending (my husband was the best man). On our way out of town, I got a text from a friend telling me our city was going to announce a lock down that weekend and would probably take effect on Monday. We stressed and cursed ourselves for leaving but we were only 20 minutes away from our destination. A few hours after the wedding ended, the city announced the lock would be happening. We were so thankful that we had recently gone grocery shopping since we knew a panic would begin. The next days were us waiting to know if I would still have a job. The city deemed brewery production “essential” so off to work I went. It was eerie. The brewery staff met, and we discussed our options on a short-term and long-term basis. There would be a lot of switching to the full-time employees taking over all responsibilities in order to meet salaries and keep our jobs. It seemed like an okay plan and I was just thankful to have a job. While the days, weeks, and months dragged on, each day became more draining and grimmer. Was it worth it to be living in a city we were planning to leave before the pandemic happened? Was it worth it to be working a job with increased stress and less hours/pay? My husband is self-employed, my job is deemed “essential”, but I had qualifications to take those skills anywhere. I’m working on a bachelor’s and my husband is almost finished with his master’s. I did awful in the Spring semester due to work related COVID-19 stress and was ready for a change. We were already going to leave but we became too afraid to follow our plan. After a long night of discussing stress and how our living situation was just causing us depression, we decided there was no time like the present to change our stance in life. We could follow stay at home orders no matter what our address was, and social distancing is the same everywhere. I put in my notice at my current job and we both began the job hunt. I landed a job within a few weeks and that was it. We had to set this into motion. We have been in California for almost three months and it was the right decision. We both have jobs that make us happier, we’re content staying at home in our new place when not at work, and I have all A’s in college! While it is extremely hard to see any kind of light or hope during such a tragic and extreme pandemic, life does continue. My bills and rent are still due every month. I still have to acquire a paycheck and take care of my family. And I deserve to do them in a place with lots of sunshine in my backyard perfect for hanging with the family and studying.
• 
  2020-10-08

  My Getaway

  Since the coronavirus outbreak, nothing has been the same. With all the lockdowns and stay at home orders, it has been very difficult for many people to maintain their livelihoods. It is crucial for us to do our part and practice social distancing in order to prevent the spread of the virus. Once the stay-at-home orders were lifted I immediately found myself heading up north to escape the 110+ degree heat in Phoenix, Arizona. Heading into the north’s beautiful wilderness has allowed me to cope with the pandemic’s situation. I have been traveling north consistently, which has become my ultimate getaway from everything, especially with the COVID situation. Exploring nature is something that I greatly enjoy doing and is one thing I would recommend to occupy your time in these situations. These pictures implemented here are some of the things I have done to cope with the situation of COVID 19. I hope you enjoy these photos I was able to take and upload here to ultimately share.
• 
  2020-08-25

  Sidewalk art about inmates fighting California's fires

  There have been over 8,000 fires in California during 2020, and CalFire has been short staffed due to COVID-19 lockdowns at prison facilities. Inmates and typically make up 40% of the CA's firefighters, and this piece of sidewalk art drew attention to the incarcerated people risking their lives to stop the fires.
• 2020-02-09

  Preparation in February

  This is just a story about how I prepared myself for the pandemic. In late January and early February I was obsessively following the Covid-19 outbreak in China. Each day I would wake up by checking the latest news out of China and I would do the same before going to bed. I had never thought much of new diseases before because they always seemed to be overblown by the media compared to the actual effect. Though when the media wasn't really covering what was happening in Wuhan it peaked my interest. Each day there was some breaking development that no one in the mainstream would talk about. Whether it be China welding people into homes or when they built a brand new hospital in a week's time specifically for Covid patients. Over the course of the month I prepared myself and my close friends for a lock down. I was convinced that within a few months myself and everyone I knew would have lost a close friend or family member to the disease. I ended up buying masks right before they went of stock due to China buying them out at stores across the US. I gave some of the ones I had managed to get to friends and family to prepare them. The friends who took me seriously were able to stay in their houses for most of the mandatory lock downs without needing to run out to the store for supplies. This story is not to pat myself on the back, because I ended up still being wrong about how deadly the virus would be (it was based on China's numbers, which I still doubt to this day). I know now we judge the severity of the virus based on total case numbers. Although back in Feb it was looking like covid-19 had close to a 5% mortality rate instead of the thankfully much lower rate of >1% now.
• 2020-10-06

  South Dakota and Covid-19

  It shows that many states are going into lock downs with heavy restrictions, but South Dakota is being more free.
• 2020-09-10

  Retirement in the Rumour File

  My Dad used to listen to the rumour file every morning for work, I remember one time he had to work all day on something that broke on the rumour file that morning. As I've tried to be setting a new routine and waking up early, I've been listening a lot to Ross and (recently) Russell in the morning. It's nice to use live radio to feel connected during this lockdown, particularly when AW is so Melbourne based. I'm nowt alone either I think their ratings have gone up something like 30%. This guy rang up with a rumour about a former number one draft pick retiring this week. As a Carlton Fan and a receiver of many a failed number one draft picks, I thought it had to be one of ours. Sure enough, a few hours later news broke that Matthew Kreuzer was retiring. Another draft pick hampered by injury that never hit his prime into the Carlton graveyard. I still even now think of Kreuz as a pimply eighteen year old. At least I got to break the news to my mates and feel ahead of the curve, and the rumour file is really helping me get through.
• 
  2020-10-05

  Why Prisoners Aren’t Reporting Feeling Sick

  Prisons and jails were not planned or constructed with thoughts of weathering a pandemic, not was the system of incarceration. For these reasons, and our cultures current view of incarcerated people as less than human, many are suffering in silence. This article explains why incarcerated people are choosing not to tell anyone if they experience symptoms that might be from COVID-19.
• 
  2020-10-05

  A barista's pandemic story of retribution.

  This is a short viewpoint from a Starbucks barista in a city setting and gives an idea of some of the panic that set in initially during those few days leading up to lockdown.
• 2020-06-01

  Life During Covid-19 Digital Pop-Up Exhibition

  Students in Dr. Michael J. Kramer's Digital Methods for Historical Projects seminar at SUNY Brockport share stories about one object from the spring of 2020 during the Covid-19 Pandemic, https://brockportkramer.com/covid19/. Alan Gowans—Getting Past Personal and Public Anxieties Carson Werner—The Day Baseball Stood Still Cecil Frazier—Double Standards Gilberto Diaz III—Memes of COVID-19 Education Jared Rosenberg—Diary From a Mini-tunnel Joe Lasky—The Twitch and the Rosary Jordan Aviles—Music and Other Necessary Items Joseph Massaro—Music as an Escape From (and Turn to) the New Abnormal Leslie Hoag—TikTok-ing History Connections Nate Mundt—Recognizing First Responders Ryan Gibbs—Am I Doing It Right? Samantha Symonds—Saving Lives or Saving the Economy? Sebastian Phipps—Living In a Twenty-First Century Pandemic Steven Willard—Brutal and Grim Realizations Will Secules—Bringing The Office Home
• 
  2020-09-06

  Quarentena sedentaria

  Meme from Being Peruvian Instagram. It makes light of how inactivity leads to weight gain during the pandemic. Peru has some of the strictest lockdown orders, and it's a society that is accostomed to walking and traveling across the city daily. Loosing daily activity has slowly, but surely affected everyone's health.
• 
  2020-09-29

  An Unprecedented Time

  We are living through an unprecedented time. This story tells of how the Coronavirus affected my life, as well as those around me.
• 
  2020-03-30

  The Great Outdoors

  The pandemic continues to rage over the country and has changed the daily way of life for millions. However, sometimes change isn’t bad and might even be needed. Before the pandemic hit, I lived my life mostly stuck inside, only going out for school and necessities. Due to the lockdown and shutdown for most businesses, my parents decided that this was a great time to explore the great outdoors. They knew that my lack of activities already would lead to an even lazier demeanor if those ceased to exist with the pandemic. I absolutely am not an outdoors person, nor do I enjoy being under the hot sun, but my parents forced my siblings and I out of the house. The first few days weren’t great as it was quite hard to go from nonmobile all day to exercise under the blazing sun. As I got use to it, I actually began to love the daily routine of wandering for hours and leaving my stresses behind me. I also picked up some earbuds and began listening to music as I explored. Sometimes the music brought me great energy and a new bounce in my step and sometimes, it swayed me into dreaming about endless possibilities. However, as the days passed, I began to notice more than my just my thoughts and I begun to take more interest in the nature around me. I would often stop to stare at the various flowers, trees, and scenery in my neighborhood. Hence the picture of the green fern as I begun to take pictures of the plants that I thought had a special aura. The day I saw the fern, the sun happened to be at the perfect angle shining down upon it and the swaying wind made it look majestic. What I believe is that the pandemic may have completely flipped one’s life upside-down, but it doesn’t mean it has changed it for the worse. Rather it simply takes just a little effort to take notice that there is so much more to the world surrounding us. *Photograph, I took the picture. change, our, world, perspective
• 
  2020-07-06

  Being an International Student During the Pandemic

  This screenshot I had taken on July 6th, 2020 to send to my mom in a panic. I am an international student from Saint Lucia so I flew home in March of 2020 when Saint Lucia was going through a week long lockdown. My mom did not want me to be stuck in the United States without any family if Saint Lucia locked down for months. I left Florida with two weeks worth of stuff as I thought everything would blow over quickly. Four months later, I was still stuck in Saint Lucia and my visa had expired. Unfortunately, the closest embassy in Barbados was closed. I thought that I would never be able to finish school when I got this notification as they weren't renewing student visas for many people if schools were unsure about their status. The rule was overturned and everything worked out but this screenshot reminds me of a time when I truly saw the effect the pandemic could have on so many lives.
• 
  2020

  Jewish Melbourne - My Two Lockdown Experiences - Day by Day

  I shared my thoughts, experiences and feelings: my family and me in lockdown. In both lockdown #1 and lockdown #2, in daily blog posts over many weeks. Many of the stories include Jewish-life aspects.
• 
  2020-04-14

  Caged

  This object was made when we were a few weeks into being on lockdown. This painting was a tad bit challenging because I had to find different ways to get the tools I needed before the due date. At the time stores were being temporarily shut down and I was too afraid to go inside a store with ten or more people in it. The idea of the painting is based off of Maya Angelou's poem "A Caged Bird". I painted a bird being caged up but eventually being free from its problems and flying free into a care free world. I chose this piece of art for this assignment because it describes how I felt during the pandemic. At the time I felt like a caged bird and was waiting for the moment I was able to break out and be free again.
• 2020-09-25

  The Rippling Effects of COVID-19

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