Items

• 2020-09-30

  No Room for Activities

  I am not overly social. Therefore, the COVID-19 pandemic’s stay-at-home orders were not a big deal to me. However, the mandate meant no after-school activities for my kids who had a very hard time with it. My ten-year-old son took it the hardest as it meant no soccer, no chess, and no playdates which also meant no touching, no tag, and absolutely no wrestling. After classes, I would pick them up and chauffeur the kids around town to all their activities. If we had time we would sometimes stop by the mall and grab a bite to eat. If we had an hour to kill, we would run into the arcade for a quick game or two of Mario Kart. But all that stopped once COVID struck. There was no room for the kids’ activities—no sports, no music lessons, no mall eateries, no more Sbarro on the run, no arcade—so in essence, no more fun. Due to COVID constraints, my boy developed a small case of depression from not being able to play with his friends and soccer buddies. Seeing my son miserable affected me, especially after reading some children were committing suicide due to these restrictions. I forgot just how much bonding with friends and socializing meant when you are ten and surrounded by thirty other kids for five days a week. While the pandemic gave parents like me a respite from all their children’s after-school extracurriculars, it was not worth seeing my son sad like that, and socializing was not the only aspect affected. My kids really missed getting their hands-on activities with other kids at the playground and soccer field. Kids simply love playing anywhere and touching everything, so not being able to do so hampers their growth through play and touch. Soccer was an outlet for all my son’s pent-up energy and once it and the other sessions were taken away, he felt trapped at home. We would play in the backyard, but it was not the same for him. Although he may complain about school now, he still needs his friends. Luckily, the pandemic is over, and soccer and their clubs are all back on. My son is back to his normal rambunctious self again. My children are back to being full-time kids again!
• 
  2021-05-15

  Coping With Quarantine

  During the pandemic, I was had more free time. When quarantine started, I was just using my phone all day since I couldn't go out, however, I became tired of just using my phone all day. At first, I didn't know how I could cope with my boredom, but then I remembered the instruments I had my ukulele and guitar. I started playing my ukulele first since I already had some experience doing so, and I improved, learning new strumming patterns and songs every week. However, I ran out of songs to learn, so I went to my guitar, which was a struggle to learn at first. I started out with some basic chords that allowed me to play plenty of songs, and I built up from there trying new complex chords. Playing these instruments gave me something to look forward to when I started quarantine since I had more time I knew what to do with, but now playing instruments has become a regular hobby. Quarantine was tough for people worldwide as we were separated from friends and loved ones, but I believe with the extra free time people are able to work and improve themselves, making them more interesting individuals.
• 
  2021-02-14

  When Will The DJ Of Luv Grant Me My 1 Request

  In February 2021, Victoria based musician Future Star released their debut album called "When Will The DJ Of Luv Grant Me My 1 Request". The song "Duck Song" explores intimacy during a pandemic with lines like "i wanna be comforted, you can't hold my hand", "throw a blanket over me from across the room", and "we stay six feet away".
• 
  2021-04-18

  The Beginning of the End!? Corona Culture Spring 2021

  These items are a sampling of documents and links to news articles and public event dates that chronicle the reopening of some parts of the United States in spring 2021. One year after the start of the pandemic (the anniversary itself celebrated in various media), Texas and other parts of the U.S. were trying to return their businesses and services to more normal conditions. A community college's plan for reopening its main campus, a news article about a baseball park increasing its capacity (and having a sold out game), a listing of 2021 tour dates for popular musicians, and a town's decision to end its mask mandate all tell the story of people wanting to return to normal living. However, both government leaders and ordinary people could disagree about whether it was good to relax COVID restrictions as the announcement by a local mayor and the decision of a local school board suggests. These items reflect the challenges of returning to Pre-COVID lifestyles because not everyone was united in the belief that it was safe to live normal lives. This illustrates the interesting conflict between holding on to what makes people be or feels safe and those who believe such restrictions are unnecessary now.
• 
  2021-02-07

  ASL performer steals the show during Super Bowl national anthem

  Warren “Wawa” Snipe, who is deaf, performed the song in American Sign Language, and won over fans in the process. He also performed during H.E.R.'s rendition of "America the Beautiful."
• 2021-04-03

  COVID through a healthcare worker [PRIVATE Anonymous]

  Working through a pandemic as a healthcare worker was terrifying. At the very beginning there were a lot of unknowns, and I felt lost, and alone. As I would go through my shifts as a CNA I had to be strong for my patients. I realized I would be going home to my family, but they were not. I was their "visitor" for the day. Patients could not just go outside for fresh air or wonder the halls to stretch their legs, they were confined to their room. Working in the hospital during this pandemic gave me a different perspective. While there were really hard days, there were also really great days. One of the best days was seeing a COVID recovered patient walk for the first time in months. It was times like this that made me realize that you are not granted tomorrow, and to enjoy each day to the fullest. I am so grateful for all the nurses, doctors, environmental services, secretaries, physical therapists, occupational therapists, case managers, and social workers who all came together to help our patients get through a challenging time. The song "Better Days" gives people hope that change and "better days" are near. The music video shows clips of people from all over the world and the impact this pandemic has on them.
• 
  2020-03-14

  Last show before Quarantine

  This photo was taken at the last show I went to before the my university, school, and the world all shut down seemingly within around a week. It was in the middle of ASU spring break. It had around 100 people there, all outside. At that point, people were aware of Covid-19 and I expressed concerns going with my friends but we still went. The only protocols that people there were taking was hand sanitizer but at that point there were no established protocols with Covid-19 beyond hand hygiene (at least to the general public). I at that point had wore disposable face masks to my classes as the ASU health services were giving them out for free in the lobby and ASU seemed to be downplaying the threat.
• 2021-02-18

  When Covid is Over

  When Covid is over I am going to see my grandkids in Washington State and paint my son’s house and then take my whole family out to dinner in a restaurant. 
 When Covid is over I am going to dress like a rock star and play music in bars. 
 When Covid is over I am going to keep the thrifty habits and good hygiene and good recipes that I learned during Covid.  
 When Covid is over I am going to take my time browsing the hardware store and the supermarket. 
 When Covid is over I am going to visit friends and have parties. 
 When  Covid is over I will be thankful that Covid is over.
• 
  2020-08-21

  College Through A Pandemic

  While I have been incredibly fortunate to remain shielded from the harsher effects the pandemic has wrought on so many families and individuals over the course of the past year, I have faced a multitude of inner challenges in the transition from high school to college. Attending college, in the most normal of times, can prove a formidable adversary for those like myself who struggle with anxiety. Navigating a new campus, facing distance from loved ones, and managing an increase in course load all were deeply concerning facets of the experience in my eyes, even when a global pandemic was an inconceivable complication to these already daunting tasks. Most paramount of my worries, perhaps, was the social aspect of college. Though incoming freshmen are often reminded that this is an area of insecurity common to every new student, the restrictions that students were dealt amplified my ever-growing hesitations. Mandatory isolation, lack of social gatherings, and limited opportunities to meet others culminated into the manifestation of my deepest social anxieties. If I couldn’t cope with the pressures of normal interaction, how could I be expected to thrive in an environment barren of the very opportunity? I spent many nights leading up to the looming day of move-in sitting on the couch with my parents, often talking until the early hours of the morning. I was, at first, hesitant to express my feelings and risk sounding ungrateful or ignorant of the great privilege I possessed. So many people yearned to be in the position that I myself wanted any way out of. I was thankful for the opportunities that I had been given, and I felt that squandering them and conceding to my anxious preconceptions would be an insult to all those who weren’t given the same chance under the difficult circumstances the pandemic established. After many hours of deliberation with my family, I felt that letting my increasing social anxiety dictate my future would be disposing of a precious opportunity for personal growth. When the day of move-in arrived, it was impossible to ignore the pit in my stomach and the tightening in my chest once my parents had said their goodbyes and departed. Though I couldn’t have felt more alone in that moment, I quickly learned that this was far from the case. After only a brief period of awkward silence, my roommate and I set about decorating our space with posters representative of our shared taste in music and love of hockey, interests we soon found to be shared among a small group of people in our building. Through our conversations that first night, it was not only clear that good friends are much closer than my anxiety would have liked to admit, but also that we were going to establish a deep bond in experiencing the often challenging, always unique adventure of attending college in a pandemic.
• 
  2020-10-26

  Who are you?

  It has been weird. A time where the words “pandemic” and “quarantine” are not just being used in a book or video game. Isolation is a weird thing too. It is good in moderation, but what now draws the line between too much and too little? An hour can seem like days and a day can seem to be the same over and over again. I have been delving further into art and music as the days pass. It seems strange that sometimes exploring art and music has the same effect as isolation such that time does not seem to exist in the expected way. I sometimes forget that we are in a pandemic when drawing or alone as if it were already in the past. Art and music have always been in my life, so I expanded on them by trying new genres and mediums. It is not always easy to try new things or to be forced into new things. Often times, I did not appreciate or even like what I attempted in art. It would be quite hard to count the number of drawings I have thrown away or canvases I’ve painted over. Somehow, over the course of quarantine, I have found myself to be more critical of the things that I create. Perhaps it is from being isolated which gives me more opportunities to overthink. Perhaps it is the constant comparison to other people on social media. Perhaps my disgust is not a new development at all, but it seems more pertinent since it is difficult to focus on other things. Of course, this disappointment is crawling into other aspects of my life. The drawing is one that I used to think was decent, but I find myself only critiquing it. It depicts a human floating and wrapped partially in fabric. In October of 2020, I erased most of it and tried it again, but the results stayed the same. Art is interpreted on an individual basis, but I personally found it to be about identity. Everyone wearing a mask made me think about who we really are. I have certainly run into people where I did not recognize them at all with a mask. Part of the identification process is how people look and how they act. If we don’t know who they are, do they act differently? Does this make an individual, a different person?
• 
  2020-06-26

  My new hobby

  During the summer of 2020, not a lot was going on in my life. I had just recently finished my undergraduate degree and had little to do on a daily basis, there were no jobs, no friends, not even family. Gradually, I got sick of just playing video games day in and out; however I wasn’t getting sick of the music of these games, many of which used the banjo. Some of these songs seemed pretty simple, and with my previous experience rudimentary experience with the guitar I figured I’d be able to some of these tunes. I started picking up my dad’s banjo, which is in the photo I provided on a daily basis; using YouTube tutorials I started to pick up the basics. In all honesty it was pretty easy to pick up, and just a relaxing experience, I even grew to like the feeling of developing callouses on my fingers? That’s a little weird but it felt like they were physical reminders of how much work I was putting into learning this new instrument. Recently I’ve kind of stopped playing, but I still love just plucking at it every now and then. My friends online similarly liked hearing me play every now and then, so in a sense it was a great coping mechanism to boredom and loneliness. However, I’ve really stopped even plucking at it, I don’t feel a drive to do much anymore; so I just kind of stare at it now every now and again, which is incredibly weird. This item maters to me as it helped me through the initial stages of the pandemic, and helped me stay mentally active during quarantine. However, as the pandemic has dragged on I kind of have lost the desire to play it, or do much of anything else really. I’d like to add this item to the collection of performing arts as it is a musical instrument, and I would perform for my friends on Discord every now and then (but then again I’m not a professional artist or performer so I don’t think it’d be appropriate for me to be in that collection) Mental health on the other hand is a way more accurate collection for this item, as it really helped me stay mentally active during the pandemic.
• 
  2021-01-22

  My Quarantine Experience

  During the pandemic, I got really into music and started practicing daily for many hours since it was so enjoyable. It was also convenient since the pandemic has been here for a while, so it passed a lot of time. This experience is important to me because I've become extremely passionate about music, and I really want to dive deep into vocals and be able to sing well. I believe that music is a way to really express myself especially at a time of a pandemic.
• 2021-01-22

  How I (Barely) Get/Got Through Quarantine

  I was expecting junior year to be absolutely terrible since I was in eighth grade. I did nit think it would be spent in quarantine; making it almost twenty times worse. In my opinion, emailing questions and online tutoring cannot compete against in-person education. However, I do not want to risk others lives for selfish reasons. It is quite frustrating, seeing that our 45th president was incompetent. People seem to be more and more selfish everyday; valuing their comfort and fun over others’ lives. I hope we can go back to school before senior year starts. It is would be quite depressing to have freshman year be your only full year of high school. It is also quite depressing to have (almost since not quite) spent two birthdays in quarantine. In a little over a year, I will be a legal adult and will have spent my last teen years in quarantine. I am bitter. However, there were some happy times spent in quarantine. I was able to form a (better) relationship with my family. I was able to bake and exercise more and my mental health became *slightly* more stable. BTS are my favorite artists. I could write whole essays on why. However, if this ever gets onto an AP test in the future, I don’t want to be that person that makes you want to cry. I would know. Simply put, BTS has touched and saved millions of lives all over the world. They have broken millions of language barriers and stereotypes. They challenged the concept of masculinity and have stayed humble throughout. Coming from lowly beginnings, they have evolved and become brilliant people, artists, and role models. They are special to many. They also receive a lot of hate; this is not new. All of it stems from jealousy, racism, and xenophobia. How have BTS affected me? They helped me choose to live. They helped me realize that I was the one that had to save myself. You will hear many stories about them. They helped me love myself. In an era of unrealistic beauty standards pushed upon us through social media, it is almost impossible and kills. They released a single “Dynamite” and an album “BE” with an title track “Life Goes On” in quarantine. In “Dynamite”, their first all English song, they cheered us up and made us smile. They also proved that they were capable of getting Western radio plays and big awards (Grammy nominated); the Western media and industry was just too xenophobic to acknowledge their towering success over a good number of Western artists. In BE, the composed and wrote songs relating to us about how it felt like being in quarantine and encouraging us to keep going. Their title track speaks of the world seeming like it was passing us by as our life feels like it came to a standstill. You should give it a listen. To wrap it all up, I got through quarantine thanks to BTS. It’s like a butterfly reaction. Loving myself leads to confidence which leads to better mental health which leads to more happiness. Of course we still have sad and bad days but much less.
• 
  2021-01-22

  anime v kdrama race in quarantine

  staying at home made me binge more dramas and animes. they help with de-stressing from school and it's really entertaining. my friends and I would anticipate every week for the newly released episodes of "the promised neverland", "true beauty", "jujutsu kaisen" and many more... i think these shows became the symbol of my quarantine because they make this whole chaos a little more fun. I get to have this little getaway from reality every time I get into these shows that are so unlike reality. i started to listen to the korean boy-band ASTRO because of cha eun-woo and that resulted in stanning other boy-bands, I find it more unique than our American pop songs. even though i enjoy staying at home, i hope our journey of " 6 feet apart" ends soon because i think seeing familiar faces at school motivates me to work harder in school :))
• 
  2021-07-08T16:15:30

  Shaking Off this Pandemic with Style

  Having experienced a full semester of Junior year virtually during a pandemic, I can thoroughly say that it was the worst experience of my academic career. Every day of this semester was the same as the last, and I couldn't decide what new hobby to get into or find fun in the hobbies I used to do. Although I had this feeling throughout the semester, one person always stuck by my side, and that person was Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift is the music industry, queen of pop music, and the reason I love music in the first place. And Taylor's album, "1989," helped me get through my first semester of Junior year. Nothing brought me more happiness than listening to "Shake It Off" after feeling I had just failed all my tests for the week and then walking throughout my house as if I were a model while "Style" playing. I know it seems that I have been a die-hard Swiftie for a long time, but this quarantine was the only reason I discovered my infinite love for Taylor. Every song on "1989" makes you experience every emotion in the world, from feeling happy while listening to "How You Get the Girl" to feeling absolute sadness and existentialism during "Clean," my favorite of the album btw. So this rush of emotions felt while I listened to "1989" perfectly summarizes my experience during my first semester of Junior year. :)
• 
  2021-01-16

  Falling Back On My Escapism

  As the title suggests, this is a description of my favorite things that helped me through the pandemic. I think it's important to capture the pleasures we've fallen back on despite all the negatives.
• 
  2021-01-12

  My favorite things

  This document contains several of my favorite things that have helped me get through the pandemic, such as video games, music, my banjo, cooking and my dog Dobbs! I submitted this from the ASU HST 580 internship course.
• 2020-09-22

  September 22 2020 Music

  These past few months have just felt like the same thing on loop constantly with nothing new besides music. I have the same album on repeat for months now. The album is called “No Pressure” By Logic. I have really been enjoying it but sadly it is his last album as of now. I ordered his vinyl too. This year so far i can say its been very hard but this years music feels like a flashback to all the 2016 music. A Lot of good music has been made and im grateful for that because it's what I need to stay mentally stable during these times.
• 
  2020-12-15

  Jackson Brockenbrough

  Jackson Brockenbrough, Jdagiver Production, explained in a verbal interview that as a direct result of COVID his inspirational has been effected. Lack of city life has made it more difficult for him to tap into his creativity. The dullness within the current state of the world translates into his work as many artist are effected by the their life and surroundings as a source of inspiration. Jackson continued explaining that even though this time is more difficult to produce music, he has a responsibility as a producer during COVID. For example the world utilizes music as an outlet to express and feel emotions of such as emotions of fear and frustration that COVID induces.Jacksons has also been faced with the difficulty of individuals being unable to contribute to sessions like they did prior to job restrictions because of COVID. Jackson’s story explains how an entrepreneur faces not only individuals struggling, and competition but also effected by the economic state of his consumers too.
• 
  2020-04-23

  Cardi B Wears a Face Covering in San Antonio

  This is a photograph of a graffiti mural depicting the female rapper Cardi B wearing a face mask. This mural was originally painted by a man named Colton Valentine depicting the rapper with no mask, however, it was updated recently this year to adjust to our current global situation. I chose to place this item in the archive because I felt as though it demonstrates the significant roles that celebrities have over my generation under Covid. Many young people look to celebrities for advice and it is incredibly important that said people are setting a proper example by wearing a mask. I enjoyed bringing a different form of creative art into the archival collection with this object.
• 
  2020-04-09

  Twenty One Pilots one of the first to release a song during lockdown, “Level of Concern”, to help relieve anxiety

  I think this item is really interesting, and it does fill an archival silence, about musicians and what they did in lockdown- if they stopped producing music, if they were even more eager to, etc. I first heard this song in the lockdown, and it made me feel like I was connected to the band- he was singing about the same things I was experiencing, I realized everyone was going through similar things in quarantine. I had never thought about what musicians and singers were doing, for some reason I thought their lives didn’t change much, but they did. I thought it was really cool Twenty One Pilots saw that people were down, stressed, etc. and wanted to relieve some stress with a song about the pandemic.
• 
  2020-10-26

  "Get on the beers" Dan Andrew

  Victorians saw their freedoms and their complacency eroded as the Andrews government introduced a second lockdown. As it continued past the expected four weeks, many found enjoyment in the meme of the Andrews government allowing Victorians to “get on the beers”. The meme started during the first lockdown after Daniel Andrews stated on the 22nd of March that the closure of the pubs was not an excuse to “have all your mates ‘round to home and get on the beers…”. Since then, it has become a joke on the internet about when Daniel Andrews will finally allow Victorians to get back on the beers. Since the easing of restrictions, the joke has morphed from a desire to get out of lockdown and back to pubs, into a celebration of the success of the second lockdown. One musical duo, MASHD N KUTCHER, made a remix of Andrews from different press conferences from the second lockdown to be played at bars and clubs now that Victorians are able to go out. Through the creativity of such people, an admonishment by the premier has evolved to a shared joke, and then into a celebration of the persistence and patience of Victorians to go through a second lockdown successfully. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0NFqOHFJvw
• 
  2020-10-05

  Jewish Melbourne: NCJWA (Vic) Sukkot zoom event for Seniors Festival

  "We are honoured to take part in the upcoming 2020 City of Port Phillip Seniors Festival. As part of this online event, a special Zoom Sukkot celebration is being organised by NCJWA Vic. Rabbi Yoni Reyder will enlighten all the participants about the traditions and significant of Sukkot; and a Concert of traditional Russian and Yiddish songs will be performed by Gregory Cveigoren and Vered Harel. “We will present the different aspects of Sukkot which symbolise we are different but also strong when we are together” said Nellie Khoroshina, Golden Age Clubs Coordinator."
• 
  2020-10-02

  Jewish Melbourne: TBI Kol Nidre family service

  Melbourne was in lockdown over Yom Kippur and so Temple Beth Israel organised a video of their Kol Nidre Family Service
• 
  2020-11-17

  Bandcamp Offers Artists A New Paid Livestream Platform

  Bandcamp, the popular indie music streaming platform, has offered musicians a new revenue stream to replace in-person live shows. Fans can buy a ticket to access the show and purchase merchandise at the "virtual merch table". As the music industry has been turned upside down due to the end of touring and live shows, this offers another way to supplement the income of artists.
• 
  2020-11-18

  The Use Of A Commuting Students Vehicle

  A vehicle was how a commuting student got to and from school. I loved driving to school it gave me and opportunity to reflect on my day and go over any activities I need to do during the day and just listen to music. During this pandemic I can not do any of those activities. All classes are online so there is no need to drive my car and it just sits in my driveway. Driving was an everyday thing for everyone and since quarantine I have gone days without driving. However, I didn't not mind not having to pay for gas as often. This is the only plus side I see from not being able to drive during the pandemic.
• 
  2020-11-15

  The Healing Power of Music

  My friend Sarah who currently lives as St. Mary's University sent me pictures of the way she gets through her anxiety which is with music. The pictures that she provided show that the Healing Power of Music is a way to escape all the chaos that is happening in our lives around us. This shows when there is no where else to turn music always seem to have your back by providing comfort.
• 
  2020-11-15

  Faces of the arts shutdown: Nathan Hubbard: ‘As far as I know, everything is off the table’

  The San Diego Union-Tribune has published a short series chronicling local musician's experiences and struggles during COVID-19. This story is about drummer Nathan Hubbard and how he has gone from performing almost every day to having very little work.
• 
  2020-11-10

  Keith Sweat’s “Nobody” Election 2020 Version

  A FB friend shared this spoof on Keith Sweat’s song “Nobody” talking about the 2020 election of Joe Biden. The video was shared by Jody Hawes Jr. with the hashtag #NobodyRemix.
• 
  2020-09-15

  Jewish Melbourne: Chabad on Carlisle Q & A with the Rabbis about Rosh Hashanah

  On Tuesday 15 September Chabad on Carlisle held an online Q&A with their Rabbis, along with musical entertainment, for Rosh Hashanah
• 
  2020-03-17

  Corona DJ

  When faced with boredom, you either figure out a way to do something, or you rot away in peril. During the early stages of the pandemic, Italy was one of the hardest-hit countries in the world, the Italians would have to figure out how to do something when faced with the attached boredom. The residents in an unnamed neighborhood would innovate with this boredom in a fanatisic way. One of the residents happened to be a DJ and set up his rig to play to the whole block.
• 
  2020-11-04

  A Puzzling Distraction

  HIST30060. Millions of people picked up hobbies during their respective lockdowns, mine happened to be puzzles. A few in this photo I had before lockdown, but most was bought in the lead up to, as well as during. I bought my first colour puzzle about a month before lockdown started, when I first discovered the board games store Mind Games in Melbourne's CBD, though I did not touch it until study at home began. These puzzles gave me something I could be good at, with only one still incomplete months after I first got it (in my defence, it changes colour). They allowed me to multitask, I would watch movies for university while I had a puzzle in front of me, I discovered so much music through my Spotify recommended playlists that have become solid favourites, I've caught up on podcasts that were usually relegated to my daily commute to university. They gave me something I could control, in a time of change and confusion, a welcome distraction from everything happening outside of my house.
• 2020-10-05

  Xbox Live Shenanigans

  This is a trap remix of Darkthrone’s “Transilvanian Hunger” that I made on my phone in GarageBand. My friends and I usually congregate on Xbox Live every night after we get home from work for the night. With rising costs, dwindling savings, and less work available than ever before, we don’t really plan things anymore. When we do, the plans usually include cooking dirty burgers, drinking beer, and playing board games at someone’s house. That and playing Xbox together are the cheapest options for hanging out that we even have. Lately, our favorite pastime has been making beats on our iPhones in GarageBand. Someone jokingly told me that Norweigan black metal is the only un-sampleable musical genre. I set out to prove him wrong. Laughter and hilarity ensued.
• 
  2020-10-28

  Pandemic Playlist: Reflections of Quarantine Life Through Music

  In March I was laid off from my full-time job of 6 years. Those first few weeks of unemployment found me struggling to stay productive and positive. With too much time on my hands I did what any well-adjusted person would do in that situation—listened to sad music to make myself feel worse. Tom Waits – More Than Rain Like many Americans, I live paycheck to paycheck. I knew that missing even one pay period would mean falling behind on several bills. I get paid weekly which means that even though I don’t make a lot of money, I at least always have enough to make it through to next Friday. Being broke made me feel like a failure. I resented my pre-pandemic life of always being so busy and going the extra mile at work. What did I have to show for it? “None of our pockets, are lined with gold Nobody's caught the bouquet There are no dead presidents we can fold Nothing is going our way” The “our” in this song made me think of all the other people who were in the same situation as me. I was sad not just for myself, but for everyone else who was out of a job. It reminded me to be grateful for the things I still had. Tom Waits is someone who I admire for his humor, but this particular song is void of any playfulness. The best way I can describe this song is to call it a cross between a lullaby for pirates and a circus ballad for depressed clowns. It features a melancholic vocal and a wearisome accordion sluggishly making its way through the song. “It's more than rain that falls on our parade tonight It's more than thunder It's more than thunder” The pandemic is much bigger than what we initially took it for. It’s poverty, depression, isolation, death… The Specials – Ghost Town The Specials are my favorite band, and this song which is perpetually on my playlist took on several new meanings for me. “Ghost Town” was originally written in response to unemployment and racial tensions in Thatcher era England. Now the song seems as though it was written against the backdrop of Trumpism. “This town, is coming like a ghost town All the clubs have been closed down This place, is coming like a ghost town Bands won't play no more” Driving around downtown San Antonio during the early days of quarantine was incredibly eerie. All the usual sights had vanished: tourists waiting at crosswalks, work trucks driving to their next job sites, bicyclists slowing down traffic, mariachis playing at restaurants, and people strolling the Riverwalk. San Antonio was dead. “This place, is coming like a ghost town No job to be found in this country Can't go on no more The people getting angry” The harmonized ghostly screeches in the chorus set the spooky tone for the song. How can we possibly live in a city that is dead? When everything was closed, I felt like a ghost--dead and unable to enjoy my favorite hobbies. I couldn’t visit friends, travel, or waste time browsing clothing stores. I had a difficult time figuring out how to enjoy life. Ginger Rogers – We’re in the Money Of course a depression era song would resonate with me. For the first time ever I had money in my savings account. This was only possible because I was temporarily laid off and able to receive unemployment benefits. I begrudgingly went back to work when my boss received a Paycheck Protection Program loan. Not only did I have to work in-person putting my health at risk, but I also had to do so at my regular pay rate which was much lower than my unemployment benefits. Body Count – Body Count I discovered this song while watching a video montage of BLM protests on Instagram. I was immediately drawn to Ice-T’s angry vocals complemented by an equally aggressive punk rock backing. The lyrics sound like they written this year, but they are from 1992—a year after the Los Angeles riots. “God damn, what a brother gotta do To get a message through To the red, white and blue What? I gotta die? Before you realize I was a brother with open eyes” The Specials – B.L.M. Just like Ice-T, The Specials have been singing about Black lives for decades. In 1980, Specials guitarist Lynval Golding wrote a song called “Why?” after he was violently attacked because of his race. In that song he seeks understanding and asks his attackers “Why did you try to hurt me?” Almost 40 years later, Golding wrote another song about his experiences with racism. Again, he takes a gentle approach by telling the listener: “I'm not here to teach you I'm not here to preach to you I just want to reach out and say Black lives matter” Cher – Chiquitita These days everything exhausts me, and I feel like I have no time to rest. As soon as Cher opens with “Chiquitita tell me what’s wrong?” I start crying. Thanks for checking up on me, Cher. As with most of her songs, I get happy when her music comes on because I know I’m about to do an ugly sing-along. Nowadays this song just hits different. “You were always sure of yourself / Now I see you’ve broken a feather” I have never felt so uneasy and uncertain in all my life. I used to be the shoulder to cry on when my friends needed comfort. I no longer have the energy to offer my strength. Lila Downs – Una Cruz de Madera Despite being a song about death, the Lila Downs version is a happy, upbeat tune. She turns it into a party song. The overall translation of the song captures how I want my loved ones to handle my passing. Instead of a fancy funeral, I’d prefer a big party in my honor. I don’t want my family and friends to shed tears, or feel any sadness. The only thing I want at my wake is a serenade in the early morning. Toots – Got to Be Tough Toots is one of those artists who radiates positivity. It’s hard to be in a bad mood when his upbeat tempos and powerful, soulful voice booms through the speakers. I saw him perform live a few years ago and watched him with awe. He would step away from the microphone and continue singing at an impressively loud volume—his voice filling up every corner of the auditorium. I was pressed up against the stage because he motioned for everyone to get closer. Toots came over to me several times and squeezed my hand and sang directly to me. In those moments I felt so happy and lucky to be alive. My best friend was right next to me and we both had tears in our eyes. How lucky we were that this Jamaican icon came all the way to perform for us in a stuffy San Antonio venue! We swore that we would see Toots again. I was excited when Toots dropped his new single “Got to Be Tough” earlier in the year. It meant that a tour would follow. The song itself was also a great comfort. “Got to be tough when things get rough You got to be tough and this is a warning You got to be smart, living in this time It's not so easy to carry on” Sadly, Toots passed away from Covid-19 two weeks after his “Got to Be Tough” album was released. Listening to the title single doesn’t bring me much comfort anymore. It makes me think of how excited I was that I was going to see him next year. Now it just makes me nostalgic for the days when we could go to shows and experience a more intimate connection with music. Nothing beats bonding with thousands of strangers who are singing, crying, and dancing to the same music as you. The song makes me miss being as happy as I was that day Toots held my hand and sang to me.
• 2020-10-27

  Driving during COVID

  The first time I went driving after March 13th was to drop off groceries to my aunt. The freeway was empty with very few cars on the road. It was very peaceful being alone on the road. I heard the music from my car but not alot of other car engines.
• 
  2020-07-27

  "Hope to see you soon"

  Due to Covid-19 my uncle's birthday party was turned into a Zoom get together. The participants were asked to create a video and submit it before the event. Normally, I probably would have just said a simple hello but feeling isolated and full of stored creativity I decide to make song. Aiso, I had lost my job due to covid. The subject of the song was the wish we, I , have to interact with fellow humans at a time when we are not able to. Who even knew what Zoom was before Covid and would I have ever tried to create a song with a harmonica if i was not quarantined, probably not. I do not think I even said the word "quarantine" more than once a year, and then only for a crossword puzzle. I tried to create a song that expressed my feelings for the time and create a performance piece that was challenging for me to do. I think after the tenth take my lip muscles were cramped and I had actual lip abrasions from sliding the harmonica back and forth. The finished product was rough and maybe one of the other 30 takes would have been better but i was on a birthday dead line so it is what it is. Unfortunately, the video file proved too big or the sound too bad that when my video was played for the Zoom "party" most of the sound was lost. Hopefully, it was not edited out. This little video will always be my gateway memory of time spent during the Covid-19 lock down. Through this song I will remember everything that happened, which was and is a lot. During my time at Brooklyn college getting my MA in education there was a focus on different learning styles which I think is typified by my video.
• 
  2020-10-20

  Triggering Tik Tok Sounds

  The sounds in this video are from about 7 months ago, March 2020. Relatively, it wasn’t that long ago. And for me and many others, it feels like a lifetime ago because so much has happened this year. Many of us have had to grieve the loss of loved ones or our lives before the “new normal”. There’s been so much uncertainty with COVID-19, the economy, the 2020 election, and even our plans for next week. I was really struck by all of the comments accompanied with this video. And it really interests me how we turn to particular habits or media to cope with loss, uncertainty, and trauma. I feel like Tik Tok is a significant facet of 2020, especially for young adults and teenagers.
• 
  2020-10-20

  Carly's Quarantunes

  This is a playlist of songs I've listened to during quarantine and an explanation about each of them.
• 
  2020-10-19T22:08

  WEAR A MASK!!!

  Wear a Mask Mesita Wear a mask Saving people's life Is really heavy metal You could do it today If you wear a mask If you need to go out Decide to go get cucumbers or something I don't know Something essential Like wearing a mask Wear another mask Wearing a mask Is really, really cool It stops you from getting sunburnt on your lips Wearing a mask Is really, really cool It doesn't hurt your breathing at all Your oxygen levels will stay the same Trust me, random lady Wearing a mask is the coolest thing to do I think you should probably wear a mask And if you don't like to be told what to do, hey I mean just like, just look at- You can't drive drunk either Wearing a mask Wearing a mask, mask I found this song “ Wear a Mask.” by Mesita as a sound on the social media app Tik Tok, and when I saw this assignment I thought it would fit pretty good. This song isn't very good but It has a really good message about this pandemic and how people are taking it. Due to the pandemic we are required to wear masks for everyone's safety and to help stop the spread of Covid-19, but many people don’t seem to grasp that concept. During this pandemic I have learned how flawed our Government System is and the lack of action taken to help those who are suffering is outrageous. Out of all the issues that are contributing to the spread, NOT wearing a mask is one of the big ones. Those who are against wearing a mask think that wearing a simple piece of cloth is violating their First Amendment rights. They can seem to see as to why wearing a mask is for not only the protection of others around them but for them as well. People who do not wear a mask are the people who are spreading the virus, they are endangering everyone around them and action should be enforced among these people who are refusing to follow state mandates. One of the ajor reasons why they are not going to take action are that the majority of these people are of white complexion, but that's another argument for another time. ., Mesita, director. Wear a Mask, 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EXZKO56syo.
• 
  2020-10-18

  Care after 5km

  A friend of mine had a rough week. She lives down the coast, well out of my 5km play pen (the distance we Melbournians can travel from home). The phone calls are fine, but can be draining and don't replace a supportive hug. Feeling a bit helpless as a friend, I put together an hour of music I thought she'd find comforting. Diversifying the kinds of connections we keep up has been relieving in that way. Low pressure interaction, much like spending time in person when it is relaxed, calm, and conversation will bounce off stimuli in the world, is hard to replicate digitally. I've really stepped up my playlist game these days. She loved it. HIST30060
• 
  2020-10-09

  Jacksonville Drive-In Concert

  his news article talks about a drive-in concert performed by country singer Jon Pardi in Jacksonville, FL. Since the beginning of the pandemic, many notable concerts and live events have been canceled in the area. Hopefully, until the pandemic calms down, drive-in concerts and theatre will help keep the performing arts alive.
• 
  2020-09-29

  FigureItOut's Livestream Concert

  COVID-19 has made it near impossible for concert goers and fans all over the world to enjoy live music. Drive in shows have been happening across the globe but the band I work with felt like they could do more to bring the concert straight to the publics fingertips. Mike Weakly, a U of A graduate and great long time friend of mine, asked me if I would like to join him and his band for a livestream recorded performance for his album he just released titles "Searching For More". The set was made using social distancing safety parameters and all of the crew that was not the performing band wore masks at all times. The set was done locally at the venue known as the rebel lounge in Phoenix, AZ. It felt so good as a musician to get onstage again and perform even if it was just for a live audience. As long as you put passion into any performance, I believe you can portray the message you want to any group of people no matter what the environment is like. A lot of venues have been suffering from the lack of shows and events to host so many have been asking for donations or support from the Save Our Stages movement which is a fund to help venues stay open through such hard times like this.
• 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
• 
  2020-09-20

  Musical Monday's

  Chet Rosenbaum and his wife Dianne host “Musical Monday’s” every Monday night in their retirement village in Tamarac, Florida. Chet, a retired chief financial officer and military veteran, and his wife Dianne a professional performer and singer have always appreciated the joy music has brought to their lives. Now, in the midst of the COVID 19 pandemic, the couple takes that love of music and selflessly shares it with their retirement community. Whether it is Elton John’s “Crocodile Rock,” Billy Joel’s “Piano Man,” or The Platters’s “Goodnight Sweetheart” Chet and Dianne host an oldies party for fellow residents who comprised this county’s greatest generation. Solitude, boredom, and depression has turned into memories, laughter, and a strong sense of community with every note that is played. The tough times are subdued by the immense participation from the community. As each song is played another heartfelt memory from the past is found, and the hours of seclusion forced on them by the need for social distancing seems to be less and less significant. The love that Chet and Dianne give to their community members has been mutually shared in their appreciation and participation. Each Monday night Chet sets up his sound system and blasts oldies from his garage to a group of residents who although are wearing facial masks, dance and sing to every song that is played. The residents are so grateful, that the community presented Chet with a plaque of thanks signifying their appreciation. It read, “Your unselfish effort to bring some normalcy to our Monday is appreciated more than you can imagine, many thanks from your grateful Monday audience.” With that kind gesture by the community, Chet and Dianne realized how important music can be in our lives and how important it is with any difficult time to reach out to your fellow man, lean on one another, and use this shared strength to overcome adversity. Chet and Dianne are role models in their community, and I am proud to call them my grandparents. REL 101 *This is a photograph taken of my grandfather who was presented with a plaque of gratitude for his work in the community during COVID 19.
• 
  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
• 2020-03-01

  Mental Health Effects of COVID-19

  COVID-19 was an experience that presented the ideal conditions that would challenge our mental health. The fear of the unknown, fear of losing loved ones, fear of missing out on our precious years of life as well as not knowing when we'll see our close family and friends. We are separated from society unable to see our loved ones, schools are closed, many people lost their jobs or were unable to work to prevent the spread of this horrifying disease. As we're locked into our homes, we confine ourselves in our own minds which can often be our worst enemies at times for people like me. We need to be occupied and be around loved ones in order to stray away from negativity. During these times being surrounded by close family and friends was a luxury we couldn't afford because of the virus and ultimately many people like myself picked up hobbies to distract ourselves from the dreadful events occurring all over the world. During my summer break, I began learning to paint and would spend about a couple hours a day painting with my friends over Zoom which would either sometimes turn out to be a competition between us of who would do the best or we would just freely paint while listening to some calming music and keeping each other company. Although I am not very artistic or good at acrylic painting there was something very therapeutic about it. My entire focus and attention was solely on doing my best to recreate the painting from the tutorial I was watching on YouTube or trying to win the friendly competition with my friends and this helped me steer away from pondering about what's been going on in the world and was very stress-relieving. In a way my COVID-19 experience taught me a lot about my mental health and helped me find ways to make the best of the situation and not take anything for granted. Now a couple months into quarantine I still paint from time to time although not as much because the semester started and being bombarded with assignments and tests but I do make time for it if I find that I need to release my stress.
• 
  2020-09-15

  Kate [REDACTED] Oral History, 2020/09/15

  Emiko Armstrong interviewed Kate [REDACTED], a Connecticut native, on the impact of COVID in its inception in the United States. They discussed her senior year in high school and Kate’s feelings on how her first year of college is going. They discussed Kate's home life during COVID quarantine, her hopes for the future, and what she thinks might be the lasting historic impact of COVID.
• 
  2020-08-07

  Jewish Melbourne: Bring Shabbat Home

  On 7 August 2020, from 4-4.30pm, a group of synagogues in Melbourne together hosted a 'Bring Shabbat Home' online event. The synagogues involved were: Caulfield Shule, Daminyan, Elwood Shule and Hamayan.
• 
  2020-08-17

  Music Brings the World Together

  Over the quarantine, something that I really love was not able to happen. The Drum Corps International 2020 season was cancelled. Drum corps is like marching band, but a lot more intense. There are only brass and percussion instruments, and you spend the whole summer training to learn one 12-minute show. As a result of the season being cancelled, a nonprofit organization has started called Virtual Arts Inc. Over the summer, they put on a virtual drum corps show that I was a part of. I met a bunch of new people, learned a new instrument, and got a lot better at playing music. They are putting on another show in December that I plan to be a part of as well.
• 
  2020-08-10

  Music That Got Me Through Quarantine

  Music is something that has always helped me. But music has helped me the most with getting through this pandemic. It allowed me to just escape to a whole new world. This playlist in particular has many uplifting songs and very few down songs. I want more uplifting music because we need more positivity at a time like this. I hope my playlist can give others a positive vibe and good feeling.