Items

• 2022-06-01

  Covid-19 Through the eyes of a young adult industry worker

  I remember the days leading up to lock down, one of my professors was warning us that if need be we would effortlessly be able to transition the remaining weeks of class online. To my peers and I, we thought that was a little extreme to talk to us about going remote, we didn't think something that was happening in another continent would reach us so quickly. Fast forward a week or two, work was so slow we were ordering food and sitting around talking for the entirety of our shift. At the time I was a host and was getting paid hourly so I didn't mind but I didn't think about the way it was affecting our bartenders and servers. Within the next two days we were shutdown and I was filing for unemployment. Interestingly enough, that time was the most money I've ever made in my life. I was collecting 2-3x more money than I would have gotten if I was working. I changed my life style, I started nannying once August of 2022 came around because I couldn't afford to only have my hourly host pay once things started to open back up again. I was eventually given a promotion at work to Bartend once my nanny family no longer needed me since they were comfortable with the kids going back to school and day care. I was making a livable wage but it was nothing compared to what sales were before covid. It was never consistent, when the numbers began to spike people, reasonably so, would stay home and money was tight. I was so unhappy at my current job I was despiertly seeking a new one but in January of 2022, it was still a little scary, numbers were spiking and finding a new industry job seemed next to impossible. I found one but it came with a lot of consequences. I struggled financially for months. If it wasn't for the support of my family, I wasn't sure if I would have been able to make rent, pay my car, or even feed myself. Thankfully as the months have gone on it's gotten better. It's now June of 2022; over two years since the pandemic first started, and while nothing is normal, it's the closest it's ever been. Those who were once in the same position as me, scared of how they were going to survive are back to making livable wages. But I won't lie, I'm still scared, there is no certainty or promise that things will stay as "normal" as they are this 2022 summer. All we can do is hope and pray, and be thankful and grateful we're here to talk about it.
• 
  04/22/2021

  Zoe Tresemer Oral History, 2021/04/22

  Zoe Tresemer was raised in Brodhead, WI. She currently is a full-time student at the University of Wisconsin lacrosse. Zoe also works as a nanny in the lacrosse area. Zoe discusses how COVID-19 has affected her life including her work, family life, and mental health. She shares what it was like to be a college student and nanny during the pandemic. Zoe also tested positive for COVID-19 and shares her experience with that. So we also discuss her experiences with quarantining and getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Zoe also discusses her experience with news and the pandemic. The interviewer, Tyler Urness, and Zoe have known each other since both were kids.
• 
  2021-10-06

  Pandemic Rules Aren't Fun

  I'm a nanny to three kids. As a fun activity, I wanted to take them on an adventure to Build-a-Bear. For those unfamiliar with this store, you choose an animal that has no stuffing in it; then, you go to a big machine that has the stuffing in it, and with the help of an employee, you stuff your own animal. You can pick out clothes, accessories, a name, etc. It's very fun and something I've done multiple times as a child myself. I explained the process to the kids and they were very excited! However, upon arrival, we discovered that the kids couldn't help stuff their animal. They had to stand behind a rope while the employee does it for them. We understood this was the social distancing protocol. The kids were ok with it and had fun anyway, but I was a little disappointed because this was one of the best features. We have safety protocols for a reason and I comply with all of them. It's just frustrating when you want to have fun to get your mind off work or problems in the world that the pandemic reminds you it's there at every turn.
• 2021-01-22

  Covid Positives that Effected Me

  One Covid positive that effected me was my nanny. She lives with us and one day she visited her mom. When she came back, she had covid. She had to go stay with her mom while she quarantined, and my whole family had to get tested. Although we were negative, we still had to quarantine for a week. I didn't get to do any sports or hang out with any friends.
• 2020-10-13

  Finding Fun in the Little

  Nannying has been very different since the outbreak. I have had to use my creativity in different ways that don't involve being around people and working with what the family has. I wear my mask around the kids and the parents work from home and wear a mask while I'm there. Me and the kids created an obstacle course on their patio (hence the photo). I originally wanted to create this to make the time go by faster, however, it was a lot of fun for everyone. We created rules on how to jump/dance on each color.