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2020-07-18
Notes for Nurses
This is a photo from inside the COVID unit at St. Joseph's Hospital. Children all over the Phoenix area have been sending drawings and letters to the frontline workers, thanking and encouraging them to keep saving lives. The nurses on the unit have put them all over the windows and walls for everyone to see. -
2019-06-06
I Can't Breathe
This was June 6th 2019. There were Black Lives Matter protests everyday for the last couple weeks. The world was angry and wanted people of color to be treated equally. Everyone in the photo is socially distancing and wearing a mask but still fighting for equal rights. No one forgot about COVID, yet COVID was not the only issue occurring in the world at that time. Arizona State University HST485 -
0000-08-01
Life Still Goes on
Although the pandemic temporarily placed a hold on what everyone could do, the pandemic didn’t place a hold on everyone’s life. The pandemic started in March around spring break of the Spring semester of 2020. Due to the pandemic I had to make a choice to stay in Phoenix and continue working and going to school or leave everything move back home. I made the decision to move home and start over. I was fortunate enough to get a job in these hard times which took up a lot of my time and distracted me from what was about to come. In August I had to make the decision of moving back to Phoenix for school or stay home and do school completely online. Although most of my classes are online anyways and this seems like a very small issue it was very draining for me. After many trips to Phoenix, many tears, and many panic attacks I made the decision to move. Due to the last-minute move and the stress that came with it I began to second guess the decision I had made. Every day I try to convince myself that it was the right decision and that I am doing good considering the situation we are all in. I also feel as though my mental health has been rapidly decreasing. With that being said, I know I am not the only one that feels as though the combination of no human interaction and online school that isn’t teaching us anything has caused mental health issues to increase. A good friend of mine created a group of classmates at the University of Arizona and composed a letter to the President, after being asked in a class how they were doing, explaining how bad they were doing. They received no response; it was a very good concept but not enough to make a difference. -
2020-05-20
Escaping it All
This tent is where my father and I slept for a couple of nights during the beginning of the pandemic. We camp a couple of times a year because it gets so hot in Phoenix, which is where we live. But this trip wasn't just a heat escape, it was break from all the noise and the fear in the world. We originally were going to an official campsite however they were all closed due to the Covid-19 outbreak. This didn't stop us though, we just began driving on random dirt paths with my 2004 Toyota Corolla. After probably 10 dirt roads we finally got lucky and found a place to set up camp. There were even a couple of other people camping, don't worry we kept our distance. There were some points when I thought we would have to call it quits but I am so glad we didn't. If you've never been camping I highly suggest you try it. It's a great place to just relax your mind and focus on the simple things in life. Which is why one of the first things we did was turn off our phones. Being able to just live in the moment is something I don't take for granted anymore. It's so easy to get caught up in news and media, but when you're out in the woods none of that applies to you for that time. My dad loves being outside in nature away from everything, but he has glaucoma and can't drive. I know how much these little trips mean to him. If it was up to my dad he would be camping for months at a time. He's retired so I can see why but I don't have the time to do so. I just want this to me a reminder that doing small stuff like this can really go a long way. Especially in times like these. Thank you for reading my story and I hope you all are doing well during these times. -
2020-10-08
Fear of the Unknown
Although I have been fortunate enough to say that no one in my family has contracted the virus thus far, that's not to say that it hasn't had an impact. Since the discovery of the virus, there has been an abundance of mixed information, terrifying rumors, and confusing data. There have been times when one could think there was nothing to worry about, and other times when one could feel uncomfortable leaving his/her home. Overall, the most terrifying part for me is all the things we don't know about what's going on. Along with that, is not knowing when you or a family member might have it. I'm sure we have all had our scares during this crisis, but one in particular really frightened me. My dad has been in and out of hospitals for over 5 years now, and it has been a rollercoaster of emotions for me and my twin sister. The most recent time he was in the hospital, he was transferred from my small hometown to a hospital here in Phoenix. In his condition, and after everything he has lived through, we knew that he would not survive if he contracted the virus. It sounds pessimistic, but if I were to go in-depth about his medical history, anyone would agree. With that being said, we were terrified about him being in a major phoenix hospital at the peak of the pandemic. Not to mention the medical facilities he would have to regularly go to after the fact. So far, he has not contracted the virus, but the stress remains present even more so than it has been in the past. Sometimes the stress and concern that these types of disaster causes are just as impactful as the disaster itself, and COVID-19 has proved that to be true. -
2020-10-06
Arizona Senate Debate Amid the Pandemic
Political Debates have been a challenge for candidates and debate commissioners. After Trump's contraction of COIVD-19, more precautions are taken for in-person debates. In the U.S. Senate debate between Senator Martha McSally and Mark Kelly had a glass barrier between the candidates to prevent the spread of the virus were one of them to contract it and not know. -
2020-09-21
QUARANTEENS
QUARANTEENS is a collection of art from around the world, but with a heavy focus on the Phoenix scene. And obviously by teens in quarantine. It contains a loose and colorful agglomeration of visual art, text, and ideas that sometimes contradict each other, but always in a good way. -
2020-09-24
Watching Pre-March 2020 Movies and TV Shows
I’ve spoken with a few friends about this strange phenomenon I experience sometimes when watching movies or TV shows now. When watching a movie, when I see a large number of people in a room together without masks I get a short bout of anxiety. I immediately think, “What are all those people doing in a room together without masks on?” But then I remember that the movie I’m watching was filmed before March 2020. I’ve noticed my roommates do the same thing when we watch movies together. I distinctly remember this scene in “Gone Girl” where there are many people in a large room walking around and one of my roommates said, “Wow, look at all those people in a room together.” I think this shows that while many of us view the pandemic as a temporary moment in history and will “soon” be over— the pandemic has still embedded fears and anxieties in me that I would otherwise not think about. How I would approach normal things i.e. walking around in a grocery store or watching a movie, I now approach in a completely different way. I don’t think these fears or anxieties will last very long after the pandemic is over. It’s just interesting to see the ways both my friends and myself behave towards completely normal things pre-March 2020. -
2020-08-22
‘We don't turn anyone away’: As virus forces some nonprofits to cut hours and services, refugee aid group works overtime
by Jessica Myers for the Luce Foundation: Southwest Stories Fellowship -
2020-09-17
Hermit HERALD VOL 1 ISSUE 64
cell tips -
2020-09-03
Fewer planes and much less noise
I was offered a job at Arizona State University at the last minute. How last minute? I had already started teaching on campus in my previous position when I got the official offer. We moved to Tempe, AZ in the offseason. The rental market was full of pricey AirBnBs, but not a lot of homes for rent. I have two kids and a dog, so we set our sights on a house. I also wanted to be close to ASU, preferably walking distance, but I knew that was a big ask. We did, however, find a home. It’s walking distance to Rio Salado, downtown Tempe, and ASU. The catch is that it’s in the flight path for the Phoenix airport. When a plane flies overhead it sounds like a long, dull roar. It’s so loud you can’t hear yourself talk or talk to anyone around you (if you’re outside). Before COVID, the planes flew in and out of the airport like taxis. I counted how often they flew overhead, and it was about every 54 seconds for most of the day. Sometimes it felt so loud you didn’t want to sit outside. Post-March, however, everything has slowed way down. There are fewer planes, and that means we sit outside a lot more and enjoy our outside space. I recorded the sound of a plane passing overhead while I hung up laundry to dry. It gives a sense of how long the sound takes over the area. -
2020-08-13
Given history of discrimination, can community help Black-owned businesses survive COVID-19?
Vandana Ravikumar/Luce Foundation: Southwest Stories Fellowship -
2020-07-11
The Governor Killed My Father
When Kristin Urquiza's father Mark Urquiza died in July as a result of Covid-19, she wrote a scathing obituary, that was published in the Arizona Republic. She wrote: “His death is due to the carelessness of the politicians who continue to jeopardize the health of brown bodies through a clear lack of leadership, refusal to acknowledge the severity of this crisis, and inability and unwillingness to give clear and decisive direction on how to minimize risk." As its contributors, we added this to highlight the very real costs of the pandemic in the working-class and non-white communities that have been hardest hit by the virus. In this instance, Kristin Urquiza wrote an obituary that called out Arizona Governor Doug Ducey for his inconsistent and inadequate response to the crisis. This message highlights the degree to which the virus is not just a biological phenomenon but also a political one. -
2020-07-05
Phoenix Mayor declares crisis as federal government fails to assist
Phoenix Mayor Gallego highlights the city in crisis as corona cases surge. Gallego also notes that her requests for federal assistance have largely been ignored. The Mayor talks about overwhelmed health centers in the state and the lack of tests available. Arizona continues to be a global hotspot for the virus for the past few weeks. As a hometown Phoenician, it saddens me to see my sates role in the pandemic story. Just this week Arizona went back into partial lockdown as ICU's filled up. I want to keep adding Arizona stories to the archive in order to document the poor response here from both the government and public. The state traded in a few weeks of being fully reopened for potentially months of re-lockdown. -
2020-05-31
Picking Up Brunch
COVID has really made me re-evaluate my eating habits. I've seen so many amazing restaurants and bars close during the pandemic, and it has made me hyper aware of the need to shop local. Due to the economic impacts of the virus, I've stopped ordering from chain restaurants, and I find myself only ordering from local vegetarian and vegan restaurants who I want to see stay in business. Beyond worrying about the economic stress placed on local restaurants, current events have been eye opening regarding the values of certain businesses. There have been restaurants and bars in both Phoenix and Tempe that are reporting several COVID-19 cases among staff but have refused to close. One such example of this has been Zipps Sports Grill, where the manager waited nearly a week before disclosing a series of COVID cases among staff. In other places, such as Mill Avenue in Tempe or Old Town Scottsdale, photos have emerged of patrons packed together at bars without any masks at all. It is unconscionable to watch these businesses-- some of which are legitimately at the center of public health outbreaks-- refuse to close, placing business interests above human lives. Beyond these public health concerns, some restaurants have outwardly supported police or penalized employees for supporting protesters following the murder of George Floyd. The popular chain Starbucks, for example, initially banned the wearing of "#BlackLivesMatter" pins until public outcry forced them to update their policy. While a lot of restaurants and bars have been terrible, there have been other restaurants which have adapted in really awesome ways. The photos attached here capture my experiences picking up brunch at one of my favorite restaurants in Phoenix, The Coronado, a self described "{Woman + POC + LGBTQ Owned}" vegetarian spot in Phoenix. Early on in the pandemic, the restaurant made adjustments to ensure pick-up would be safe. As you can see in these photographs, the line is clearly marked with red tape so patrons always stay six feet apart, there is never more than one guest in the restaurant at a time, and masks are required. Although not pictured here, inside the restaurant, a plexiglass barrier has been set up to ensure there is a shield between the employees and the patrons, and payment is contact-less so no cash or checks are allowed to reduce contact spread. The Coronado has also been fairly active in Phoenix, using their platforms to highlight the needs and successes of local organizations. It's also possible that they have THE BEST french fries in all of Arizona. This pandemic has forced me to re-evaluate my values as a consumer. I don't want to give my money to irresponsible, uncaring, super chains who are more concerned with profits than ethics. Luckily, there are a lot of awesome restaurants in Phoenix that have great safety measures and great community engagement. I hope when this pandemic ends people will remember which businesses put profits over people and will continue to shop critically. I know I will. -
2020-06-19
Mask Up Phoenix
As case numbers in Arizona continue to rise, governor Doug Ducey has finally allowed cities to mandate the usage of masks in public spaces. This is the official City of Phoenix Instagram account publicly supporting face masks. -
2020-04-01
"Coronavirus postponed Pride, so the party is going online. Here's how to celebrate"
This article notes the shift from Phoenix Pride to a new virtual Pride event. From the article: "To fight the spread of the new coronavirus, Phoenix Pride 2020 was postponed. But members and allies of the LGBTQ community can still celebrate this weekend, online from the safety of home." -
2020-04-01
"The Best (Virtual) Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Week"
One of the events mentioned in this article is the newly formed Virtual AZ Pride. The article speaks to community excitement about the new event. From the article: "Arizona Pride It’s been nearly 40 years since activists organized the first Pride march in Phoenix. This year, the annual event will get a new twist, as people avoid large crowds to help stem the spread of COVID-19. The first Virtual Arizona Pride event is happening on Saturday and Sunday, April 4 and 5. Expect an eclectic lineup of conversations, film screenings, music, comedy, drag storytimes, performances, and pop-up shops. The free virtual event is a way to support the local LGBTQ+ community, experience work by local creatives, learn more about Arizona LGBTQ+ history, and show a little love through online donations to participating creatives if you feel inspired to do so. You can find the daily schedule online." -
2020-05-08
Phoenix Indian Center Collects Donations to Help the Navajo Nation
With the Navajo Nation in crisis, much needed supplies--from diapers to bottled water--are collected by urban Indian center and delivered to the reservation. -
2020-04-27
Flyover from Luke Air Force Base to honor healthcare workers
Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix, Arizona, issued this press release. They performed a flyover with 15 aircraft that followed a route that encompassed the entire valley. They encourage people to not gather in areas to watch the flyover, but to stay in their homes. -
2020-03-15
Empty toilet paper shelves at Winco
The video shows the empty toilet paper shelves at a local Winco in Phoenix, Arizona. Due to the pandemic, Americans are stockpiling toilet paper and other home essentials. #REL101 -
2020-04-28
Match Day 2020
As the COVID-19 Pandemic has swept across the country many colleges have made changes to their celebrations and ceremonies. University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix annually celebrates their fourth-year medical students next steps into residencies with Match Day. On Friday, March 13, 2020 medical students across the country opened sealed envelopes to discover which residency program they would be going to this June. University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix traditionally celebrates this in-person signature event with flash mobs, confetti, streamers and special contraptions that house these envelopes. This year, the college found a way to have all the students, families, faculty and staff celebrate this event virtually. I wanted to share this video with you as a reminder that even during a pandemic, good things do happen; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0B5ozKpW_60. Congratulations Class of 2020 and best wishes for a wonderful future. -
2020-04-28
REL_Life During a Pandemic
This is a short story about how my life has been effected by the COVID-19 Pandemic. -
2020-04-02
South Phoenix church still hosting in-person services despite widespread call to stay home
The article describes one church community's response to COVID-19 and Gov. Ducey's proclamation to practice social distancing except in "essential activities." A spokesperson from the church community stated that they are not practicing social distancing and would continue to meet. -
2020-04-15
Self Reflection
Self Reflection -
2020-04-14
The Tiny Cenzontle Bird
Story -
2020-04-01
Phoenix Sky Harbor during COVID-19
Today marks my 7 year anniversary with a major airline right out Phoenix Sky Harbor. Although I wish circumstances were better, there has never been a day where I've seen the airport so empty, a ghost town. Due to COVID-19 we have dropped nearly 75% in revenue. In fact, most people think of the airpot as dangerous but when I go to work I only see other co-workers walking around, which is less than the grocery stores at this point. It's sad to see all the vendors and stores closed down. We all know this will take a while until things pick back up, months even. Until then we are all washing our hands, disinfecting everything we can, avoiding touching passengers boarding passes and remaining in high spirits. -
2020-04-06
A Letter to My Future Self
Dear future self, Welcome back to the wonderful world of the COVID-19 outbreak. It’s been a year, so you will be in 2021, 17 years old and about a month from graduating high school. Current status: I don’t even know, the US is doing the worst in the world (for COVID-19 cases and other assorted issues haha) and last time I checked 34 of the states have stay-at-home orders. It’s April 6th, 2020, and we have been self-quarantining for about 3 weeks now, but the actual stay-at-home order from Ducey is fairly recent. All I’ve been doing is go to work a few times a week, babysit twice a week, and do online school. I’m excited to be a senior next year, especially because I’ll have a half day. When the outbreak first happened in China, I can’t say I cared or knew a lot about it. Come February it was getting worse, and we heard about schools closing, but looking back I was in a bubble, and I felt like it wasn’t going to really affect me. (“They won’t close schools, and it’s not like anyone I know will get it”). We joked about it constantly, but we’re Gen Z, we’re nihilistic about everything - walking through the school I heard banter about people trying to get COVID-19 just so they will cancel school. Around then was when I started to see real effects of Corona, movies not being released in theaters, talk shows filmed at home. So, I began reading the news and listening to a news podcast every morning in hopes of educating myself. As I started to grasp the situation, my bubble burst all at once. It was the day after I took my SAT (I was one of the few who did take it: most test centers had been closed due to the virus - once again I was not directly affected), and it was announced that school had really been cancelled, so my first week of quarantine began. Spring break was coming up, and I still had a lot of hope: that we’d be back in school, that this would be over soon, that we’d still go on vacation, that life would quickly return to normal. Everything accelerated so quickly about a week after that, and the situation became stressful. All of the sudden my daily routine of waking up, going to school, coming home, sometimes working, sometimes going to French Honors Society: it was all gone. I realized I wouldn’t see my friends in person for months, and that I would have to try to keep my grades up from home. The only thing that really brought normality was my favorite show (Good Mythical Morning) that brought new episodes (now from their homes) daily, so that’s what I woke up for each morning. The next week I continued work, which I had taken a week’s break from to assess the situation, and started babysitting for two kids whose parents needed someone to look after them now that we are all at home. Having something to do brought a schedule to my life, and shortly after that school started up again online. I hope that by the fall the outbreak has calmed. I have been listening to the news podcast for a couple weeks, and scientists such as Dr.Fauci say the virus might be seasonal, meaning it would never really go away. However, the swine flu was really bad like 10 years ago, and now it is just one of the strands of flu we get shots for. In my free time I’ve been playing a lot of Switch, FaceTiming with my little cousins, and hanging out in the backyard. It’s really interesting to hear about the situation from the perspectives of younger kids because they see things much more simply than we do. It seems like they just miss going to school, and are waiting for this to be over already: I’d guess it’s hard for them to grasp the severity of the situation, especially since it seems like a lot of adults are failing to do so. I think the main thing I will remember from this time is the confusion and some of the hopelessness I feel, staying at home to protect myself and others but wanting nothing more than to go back to normal life (as I suspect everyone who goes through an upheaval in their life feels). Anyway, I hope you’re doing well, future me! P.S. Do you still listen to the same music and podcasts I do now? Right now I’m loving The 1975, Nirvana, Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Mayer (as I have literally my whole life - no way that’s changed), and the Mythical Feel Good Quarantine Playlist that Rhett and Link made. As far as podcasts, I listen a lot to Ear Biscuits, Philip DeFranco, and NVC, and some Dolly Parton’s America. -
2020-04-02
Feelings Of Being Quarantined
Being self isolated is pretty hard for me, but somehow I'm a natural at being self isolated. All I do now is just hangout in my own room. I do all of my classes through Zoom and I also do homework on my laptop as well. I also solve Rubik's cubes and play video games as well in my spare time. I'm really trying my best to avoid going outside until this virus dies out and I'm being very cautious on what I'm doing so I don't end up getting the virus. -
Social Distancing at the Grocery Store
There I was, at the grocery store. As I approached the checkout line, I waited, to let the man ahead of me have some space. As he paid I put my groceries on the conveyor, figuring the space between us was more than sufficient. He looked at me and asked, “a little close, aren’t you?” I thought I was sufficiently distant. I said, “ excuse me.” In a perturbed voice, he asked, “Did you see the sign?” What sign? I wondered? I decided to step back and as I stepped back, I looked for the sign. There it was. So, I snapped this picture as he finished. He left. I checked out. As I left the store, I noticed that same guy laughing and joking with his buddies. Not two feet from each other. I laughed to myself. So much for social distancing. -
03/28/2020
Bleeding Hearts
A blood drive on Phoenix, with social distancing imposed so we don't harm each other while trying to save each other. Seemed a little on the nose -
2020-03-15
Cheap flights from Phoenix to Seattle!
Seattle was the first major hot spot of COVID-19 in the United States and continues to have high case reports. Airlines are still flying in and out of the major US airports including Phoenix and Seattle. These prices for March and April are ridiculously low. It's almost as though nobody wants to fly right now.