Items

• 
  2022-04-29

  This is our shot

  This is an Instagram post by stutteringloudly. This person is celebrating his mom getting her fourth dose.
• 
  05/05/2021

  Catherine Lee Oral History, 2021/05/05

  Catherine Lee may have been born in Maine, but she currently lives in Eau Claire, Wisconsin with her husband and two kids. She works at the Center for International Education at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and discusses how COVID-19 has affected that job, along with her family life and mental health. She shares how living through the pandemic with her family has changed her views on what is important and how she sees the future of her job. She also talks about her children in school and why she was glad to see her daughter go to kindergarten. Catherine shares that she urges more people to get vaccinated.
• 
  2020-04-20

  Mask Bag

  This image captures a bag of masks that a doctor (my mom) carried with her during the pandemic.
• 
  07/25/2021

  Lauren Pease Oral History, 2021/07/25

  Ashley Tibollo interviewed stay-at-home mom, Lauren Pease about her experience with the Covid-19 pandemic. In this interview, they discuss her experience with the lockdown, her worries about the pandemic, and what life was like during lockdown with her foster child. This interview also touches on political protests, virtual learning and her husband's transition to working from home.
• 
  2021-07-16

  And No You

  My mom died of COVID-19 last July when her nursing home in Atlanta was overrun with the virus. Before that, she lived with me, my dog, and cat. The way she lived in the house made it truly a home for us. I am a workaholic, often using the house for a fast supper and some sleep before starting all over the next day, sprinting back to work. The poem is our way of telling her how much she is missed.
• 
  2020-06-18

  Hearing Floyd Breathlessly Call for his "Mama"

  “Even as an adult, I’m 31, when I feel depleted or I have nothing left, even as a mother, I call on my mom,” said Nikkia Hines, of St. Louis Park. Hearing Floyd breathlessly call for his “mama” in the video that has now been seen around the world is what called mothers everywhere to action. “His mother had already passed and that was his last straw,” said Hines. “That part. I can’t…I can’t verbalize how I feel.” - reporting by Courtney Godfrey
• 2020-03

  COVID- College Freshman Edition

  My introduction to COVID-19 was something I will probably never forget. March of 2020 I was in my freshman year of college halfway through spring semester. It was being rumored that COVID was taking over the US and people were dying from this virus. I was uncertain, as the rest of the country, as to how many more people were gonna die and truly how contagious this virus was. I had some knowledge on the virus because I actually did an informative speech on COVID back in the Fall of 2019 in my public speaking class. At the time of my speech there were about 10 possible cases within the US. That number today is about 27.3 million in our country alone. Everyday became uncertain with health and travel which both played a major role in my life. I attend my university in Pennsylvania, and I live in Florida, leaving me 900+ miles away from my family. Being 18 at the time, having rumors of our university closing down scared me. I became afraid of how I was supposed to pack up everything on my own, find somewhere to keep it or a way to ship it home, and be on an airplane, and finish my freshman year of college during a global pandemic. There were then rumors of states shutting down and people being unable to travel in and out which made my situation even worse and my stress levels to increase. Spring break was approaching, and many schools developed the same plan- close schools and universities down for a few days and go from there. This turned into schools remaining online for the remainder of the school year (3 months). This is where my story gets fun (heavy on the sarcasm ). Before I flew home for spring break my mother called my school and specifically asked if the university planned on shutting down so that way, I could properly plan out my flight, pack up my room and put everything in storage. The university said that they did not plan on doing so and if plans changed, they would notify us. Well….. I flew home two days later on a Sunday and once I landed, I got an email from the school that we would be remote for the rest of the spring, fall 2020 was uncertain and that all residents needed to move out within week time. I was filled with anxiety and anger. I now had to find a storage place, figure out how I was going to transport everything because I didn’t have my license, and if Florida and Pennsylvania would let me travel. This also meant that I had to pay for another flight to school and back home as well as a hotel. I was able to book my flight, work with Res Life on a timeframe to move my stuff out and a storage place with a way to transform. My main issue once I landed was a place to stay. Everything in the country began to close including hotels. I did not book a hotel in advance because I was told that I could stay on campus, but of course when I arrived, I was told otherwise and had to find a hotel. Once again, my mother made a phone call and was able to get me a two night stay at a hotel. In the end I was able to pack up everything and fly home without getting the virus, it just took a lot of hoops to jump through to get there.
• 2021-01-25

  covid 19

  ive never really taken the time to look at the stats of Covid 19. In reality i think i was too scared to come. face to face with the facts. now that i look at it i have to realize that theres nothing i can do. the 99 million cases. i cant solve all of them. but i can do my part in helping stop spreading it by wearing a mask and social distancing. i also never took the time to realize how much covid actually affected me and my life. back when covid was first starting out i had a friend get it. she's fine now. but with the 2.13 million deaths, she is very fortunate to not have died. i do my best to stay safe. especially because of my mom. my mom had cancer back in 2018, so her immune system isn't as strong as others and she is more likely to get it.
• 2021-01-21

  Coronavirus in My Community

  Fortunately, not very many people I know have gotten COVID-19. Maybe two or three people I know, at most, have tested positive since quarantine started. For my mom's birthday in the beginning of January, my parents decided to do a wine tasting event at our house. There was a moderate amount of people there, about twenty I'd say. My friend's parents were there and had just gotten back from visiting family in Ohio. My parents were sure to warn everyone invited that they may have been in contact with the virus during their traveling, but had not tested positive, yet. Unfortunately, a couple days after the party, almost their whole family had tested positive for COVID-19. Everyone that attended the party was on the lookout for potential symptoms afterward, as they have been in contact with the couple who tested positive. This couple had very minor symptoms and never felt severely unwell during the infection. Most people my family, friends, or family friends know that have gotten COVID have never experienced severe symptoms, but it's possible for them to become severe. Symptoms can consist of a fever or chills, coughing, shortness of breath/trouble breathing, fatigue, body aches, loss of taste/smell, sore throat, sinus congestion, nausea or vomiting, and/or diarrhea. I am thankful that my family and I have never gotten COVID and few people we know have.
• 
  2020-06-28

  Pregnant in a Pandemic

  This blog says a lot about the pandemic and how it affects parents to be. It highlights the feelings that would run through the mind of any mom getting pregnant in the current state of the world, and the difficulties with it. It is important that historians can look back and understand the feelings that are going through our mind and how we chose to voice those through writing. A quote that resonated with me in this blog was; “It’s hard not having my husband by my side as I watch our precious miracle wiggle and kick on the ultrasound monitor. To feel robbed of the magical experience we had with our first two. They allowed me to FaceTime him after the exam so that he too could see our healthy baby boy, but it simply didn’t make up for the empty space beside me where he rightfully should have been.”
• 
  2020-03-19

  Text Messages between my Mother and I.

  This is a small conversation between my mom and I when she went back to work during the beginning of quarantine. She works as a medical secretary at a local doctor’s office and works closely with sharing phones, computers, and other spaces. It was not until recently that there was a COVID scare following Thanksgiving, but, she tested negative since they are from a different department. This item connects to the week focusing on historical thinking on and off the web as this was never something that I would have considered sharing beyond my close group of friends since it feel mundane now. I think that this is an “Item of interest to future historians that helps illustrate something particularly significant about the year 2020” as we see her in full gear. While the precautions no longer have the dress or hair mask, she still wears the medical-grade mask with her gloves and face shield each day. Seeing people in action will humanize the pandemic and make it seem like something that truly happened than just another historical moment with accounts like this.
• 
  2020-08-07

  Everyone Needs a Mask!

  My mum sent me this very adorable photo of my dog wearing a face mask to gently remind me to wear a mask while in public to keep me safe from COVID-19. In Victoria, masks have been mandated in all public areas since July, regardless of social distancing. My mum sent this photo to some of our friends and family too, to cheer them up during the difficult times Victoria was going through at the time with a strong rise in cases. She had also reminded me, like with how our dog Snowy was wearing it in the photo, to make to cover both the mouth and the nose for the mask to function properly. Snowy did not much like wearing the mask, but he certainly looked extremely cute in it! Although at the time when my mum sent me this picture she had meant it as a joke, unfortunately with the new strain of the COVID mutation rumouring to originate from minks in Denmark, the possibility of dogs or cats contracting COVID-19 perhaps isn't so far-fetched. Remember to wear a mask and stay safe!
• 
  2020-10-04

  Kids Now Know to Ask "Are you in a meeting?"

  This Tweet shows one of the major changes in our society and home lives. With so many people working from home children have learned to approach their parents and ask if they are in a meeting before saying anything else.
• 
  09/18/2020

  Isabelle Cincera Oral History, 2020/09/18

  This interview is about Isabelle Cincera and the affects the pandemic had on her life as a high school senior. The interview discusses the impacts such as online school and her social life. Isabelle demonstrates a great example of how Covid-19 directly affected the life of a student.
• 
  2020-09-03

  Telling Them

  COVID-19 had been set back after set back since March when colleges and universities closed. I was slightly behind as I was extremely ill, with what my doctors now believe was the coronavirus, in January at the beginning of the semester. I had been dreading this day since August when my summer classes had ended. I had to tell my parents. I didn’t know how so I had waited until I had relocated into Pittsburgh again and my transfer was complete into the pre-pharmacy program instead of the professional program. This pandemic and my lack of motivation had ruined my chances of going to pharmacy school. I watched my dreams slip one year further away. I had to tell them. I was supposed to be matriculating into the professional phase this year but here I am in my third year of college being stuck taking another year of college at an expensive private school. I had to tell them. Between getting sick and losing 15 pounds in two weeks and being stuck home for months, the pandemic had taken a serious toll on me physically and mentally. I had to tell them. I called my mom after she got out of work on September 2nd, 2020 and she could immediately tell something was wrong. I had been preparing myself to do this for almost a month and it still wasn’t enough to hear the disappointment in my mothers voice. My parents had never been anything other than supportive even when I made mistakes but here I was terrified of what might come of this. My parents and I discussed what my options could be, maybe I could concentrate on a minor while I take the last few classes I needed to continue into pharmacy school, or maybe I could take a gap semester and gain some experience in a hospital pharmacy. I cried and cried to my mom hating the fact she was disappointed in me and thought her and my dad would hate me. The next morning, after my mom had calmed down, I received the text message saying everything would be okay and as a family we would work it out. My family and I decided I would stay at Duquesne for the full year and I would work towards a business minor. I had to tell them and once I did I started to see the silver lining within the pandemic… I had never been as close to my parents as I was currently.
• 
  2020-07-17

  comfort quarantine 70th birthday

  My mother had turned 70 this past July during quarantine. She wanted my brothers and I to join her for dinner. I didn't feel it was safe enough with 8 people to socially distance at a table. I instead surprised her by leaving this assortment of home homemade and store bought goodies for her 70th birthday. I wanted her to still feel loved and special.
• 
  2020

  Missing Hugs from Little Big Momma

  While we've lost so much in this pandemic, the most precious thing I've lost is the ability to give my mom a hug. I won't allow myself to put her at risk, I am out in the world and she is safe in her home.
• 
  2020-05

  Tweets from Inside a Prison 5/10-5/16/2020 by Railroaded Underground

  These images show the Tweets of an incarcerated person utilizing a contraband cell phone to let the outside world know about prison conditions during the pandemic. This week he talks about how mother's are the ones that never give up, Mother's Day, justice, socioeconomic factors that lead to prison, death, politicians, voting, lethal injection, and the words of a six year old child.
• 
  2020-04-17

  Life In Isolation: The Coronavirus... Jennifer Lyn McFall

  A virtual exhibition by the Evansville Museum of Art, History and Science
• 
  2020-06-04

  Look At Me Go

  A Meme describes how productivity has changed since Covid-19.
• 
  2020-03-18

  Ben's First Day of Homeschooling. Ben is Eight

  The transition from in-person classrooms to remote learning was very difficult for many parents. Most parents didn't have any idea where to start. Ben's school assigned him a journal project and this is his entry from his first day at home.
• 
  04/06/2020

  Pasuaha Yang Oral History, 2020/04/06

  I did a podcast based on my journey through the Coronavirus of the struggle I was dealing with my schoolwork. The whole process was complicated, I had some time where I was struggling with being motivated with my schoolwork. But I pushed through it. The podcast was beneficial because I was able to reflect on my day and talk freely about how I feel. Overall, it was a great experience.
• 
  2020-05-01

  Notes From an Essential Worker

  The COVID-19 virus disrupts life, particularly our relationships with those we love. But, relationships are flexible and adapt to circumstance. My brother's economics professor has not posted his final grade, yet. Remote learning creates many opportunities for students to violate the academic integrity policies of their schools, and my brother's class was no exception. Due to several perceived violations on the final exam, his professor delayed the posting of all final grades. In other words, although he did not cheat, he had to sweat it out with everyone else. My mother knew he was worried and wanted to leave him with some encouragement in the morning, so she left this note on his laptop before she left for work. We don't see her in the morning anymore, but my mom is always there for us. #FordhamUniversity #VART3030
• 
  2020-05-09

  New Realities

  When visiting my mother this weekend, we decided to take a trip to the gas station to get some drinks. My mom is immunocompromised and takes Covid-19 very seriously. She said if I planned on going into the convenience store I had to wear a mask. She keeps masks like this in the glove box as well as hand sanitizer in her car. She puts on the mask and sanitizer before she enters the store, and puts sanitizer on again when she returns home, before she goes inside.
• 
  05/08/2020

  trump Murdered my Mom

  This sign went up in front of my neighbor's house this morning. It expresses the anger the family feels about the current administration's failing response to the Covid-19 outbreak and the consequences it has had for their family.
• 
  2020-04-09

  Notes From an Essential Worker Series #2

  The COVID-19 virus disrupts life, particularly our relationships with those we love. But, relationships are flexible and adapt to circumstance. Due to the stress the virus puts on her non-profit organization, my mom must leave earlier for work and cannot see my dad in the morning. So, in addition to leaving notes for my brothers and I, she leaves a few for him. Most of these notes offer him encouragement, as working remotely is a stressful change for most people. Next to her note, she leaves a coffee filter filled with coffee grinds, so he can make his cup of morning joe. Although my mom cannot do these things in person anymore, she still lets my dad know shes there for him. #FordhamUniversity #VART3030
• 
  2020-04-20

  Reflections in reflection.

  Visiting my mother through her window -in her assisted living facility.
• 
  2020-04-02

  Journal of the Plague Year entry 1- Logan Bellos

  You don't ever understand the severity of something until it affects your own life.