Items

• 2020-07-01

  The hidden costs of the pandemic

  Covid-19 was a surprising event that has shaken how many view the world. I am here now retelling my story on behalf of HNSC 2100, Fall 2020, M. Horlyck-Romanovsky. The pandemic has brought the worst in many. People were selfish, people took advantage of those who were desperate, and there were countless fights for small things in stores when it wasn't a big necessity. It brought me to think that humanity is really that selfish. But in a turn of things, it also brought together many people. Those who cared for one another were always there to talk to, sharing what they could and giving helpful advice to handle this pandemic. This leads me to my family and friends. When it first began, I was scared and felt all alone. My friends were the first ones I'd contact and first hear from. Worry washed over me when I realized there were certain friends I rarely talked to, making me want to go through who I had contact with and those I didn't. Time felt short and precious as you see many people's lives ending too soon because of this virus. In a sense, it made me value life more. While this opened my eyes to one side of life, it also opened my views to another part of life. When there is a more significant issue, those in power still refuse to do what is for the greater good, but instead for profits. What could have been a perfect time to provide resources and funds to marginalized and those in poverty communities they desperately need to prepare for a foreseeable shutdown? Instead, nothing was done for a while, and jobs were taken away to keep everyone at home. There was money to use, especially in bigger businesses and the Government, but it needed to be seen as profitable. What was worse about this was that I actually worried that the Government wouldn't have money in general, but looking into how more prominent corporations asked for millions, if not billions, in compensation for lost revenue, which they did receive in the end, made me extremely upset at the priorities of where our society is. Not only first losing faith in humanity but also in our own governmental structures. I wanted to grow up to work at these more prominent corporations due to their fame and how they represent themselves. But seeing this and the lack of giving back for the greater good, I have lost interest in even being associated with these types of corporations. One big thing that did come from all this chaos was the need to advocate for the smaller groups of people who can't or are afraid to speak up. I now want to work in a place where we can easily provide feedback/assistance to communities that are being impacted but not cared for. I take inspiration from my friends who have been there by my side, taking time when they could and always showing their support. Without them, I couldn't have gone through the pandemic with my sanity intact. While on the topic of sanity, the ways that the cost of living and prices of food went up at such a dire time of need were the most insane part of this pandemic. No one can afford food; it is clear no one is willing to spend on higher quality foods, and it's going to waste, so in turn, the prices would go down, right? No. The entire industry would rather destroy their own crops than give them away at dirt-cheap prices when it would have benefited everyone. Getting rid of the excess waste while making some money for selling it cheaply and the people can actually eat healthily as the prices plummet due to an abundance of this resource. Being a good defense against the virus if your immune system is at its peak! It infuriates me that this did not occur. My family struggled to make ends meet and put food on the table. It was the first time I had to reach out to food pantries, and I saw such long lines. It was a saddening sight to see. Every day, week, month, you'd see a line. Just how many really needed help, but no one could provide it. And when help did arrive, it was a measly couple hundred dollars or close to a thousand after half a year of suffering. If only food prices would have gone down as the entire world was going down, too, that would have been a blessing in itself. Even today, it is hard not to find myself using a food pantry. I wish I wasn't and didn't require these services, but it has become a regular occurrence ever since the pandemic. Now that it has quieted down while still occurring around the states and the world, the virus has taught us one thing. We must be ready to fend for ourselves; it is a sad truth, but it has become an untrustable and helpful place for the Government. I hoped we could move toward a better future, but this wasn't true. But that is what I took from this, and I plan to do work to combat and help others. The one good thing I see that came from this is my experience.
• 
  2019-09

  Covid-19 Changed my Life

  The item that I am a submitting is a short summary of my experience during Covid-19
• 
  2021-11

  Masks Aren't Meant to Be Worn for 38 Hours Straight

  My first trip post-Covid was greatly affected by Covid-19, from expensive tests to missing two national landmarks to a flight delayed by lack of crew to wearing a mask for nearly forty hours straight. I was finally able to travel again, but the signs of the pandemic were still everywhere.
• 2020-05

  Pandemic In Ohio

  During the pandemic it was certainly a struggle for all of us. In my rather large town called Hilliard, many didn't take the pandemic seriously. People straight up just did not care about what was going on, and were even convinced it wasn't real. Even students were denying to wear masks in school. When in came to the point of complete isolation people were surprised, as if they didn't see it possibly happening. I want people to know that this is pandemic is 100% real and it cannot be taken lightly.
• 
  2020-03-13

  Life Changer

  This story is about how Covid-19 changed my life and many others in a very dramatic way. It was March 13th, 2020 and I was in Garden Valley visiting my grandma. We had already heard news of a "deadly wide spreading virus" infecting and killing many, but we didn't think much of it. My mom got a call from the Elk Grove Unified School District stating that all students in the district will not have to attend school the following days. Well those days became weeks, which became months, which then followed up to be almost 2 years of online school. I had no idea what it was like doing online school and neither did a lot of students at the time. We had no idea what life was going to be like for the next 2 years. Quarantine, wearing masks 24/7, keeping distance from our loved ones. People were dropping like flies from this virus, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, and more. The virus mainly affected the elderly and young children, but also people who already suffered from major health conditions. School became a big struggle for me because I wasn't able to learn in person so the work always confused me and my grades stayed low throughout every semester. I was doing somewhat well in my photography class but keeping on track was still a struggle for me.
• 
  2022-01-10

  life at NAU during 2022

  in this journal I have mentioned many times how COVID really never effected me or the work that I had to do.
• 2021

  Covid-19 During College

  My freshman year of college was 2020. Almost all of my classes for the year were online only or online for most of the semester. This made attending classes very strange. It was not easy to ask questions online during the lecture and after class we were not always able to ask questions online. Most professors struggled just to figure out the technology to teach so it was harder for students to learn also.
• 
  2022-03-07

  There’s A ‘Vibe Shift’ On Reddit—People Are Sharing Heartfelt Stories Of Loneliness And Isolation Due To The Pandemic And Working From Home

  This is a news story from Forbes by Jack Kelly. This story is about loneliness felt from isolation that people are discussing on Reddit. Subreddits like r/antiwork and r/wallstreetbets, a lot of these conversations are sharing details about their feelings they might not want to share elsewhere. Since Reddit allows people to submit anonymously, it gives others an environment they can give more details on subjects they maybe wouldn't tell to even their family members. Some of these discussions are about those that are single and work from home, which creates a very solitary experience. One woman, 27, on Reddit describes trying to join Facebook groups and do online dating to have more interaction during the pandemic. She says she felt a slight panic seeing her other friends get married, have kids, or engaged, which made her feel even lonelier. Others describe the challenges with finding remote work and needing support to help cope with that hardship. The lack of socialization has had massive effect on young adults just starting out in life, and it has given some worse mental health as a result. While some might thrive with being alone, others have suffered. Another woman, 32, says that prior to the pandemic, she was a 'social butterfly' and outgoing, but is now antisocial and a shut-in. She says that she lacks the motivation to go places like she used to. In addition to this, her place of employment is considering permanent work-from-home for employees, making some of those social struggles even worse. Some Redditors ended up giving advice for people that shared stories like these, such as smiling every day towards someone, or going outside for 15 minutes or longer. Simple things like this were common suggestions to help with some people's mental health issues induced because of the pandemic isolation. I think that this story helps show some of the negative effects young people have had with readjusting their entire lives, and then feeling lost once they get too used to it when things are starting to go back to "normal."
• 
  2022-03-07

  Rose Oral History, 2022/03/08

  At the Arizona Historical Society's 2nd annual Covid Memorial event, I spoke with Rose and recorded her story about losing her brother, John, to Covid. Rose describes the challenges she faced being far away from her brother as he was diagnosed and then ill. She currently has her brother's dog, Emma, and is trying to re-home her according to her brother's wishes. Rose describes how her last communication with her brother was a text for help. After the recording was turned off and we were walking out, she described how she felt when she was parked and walking to the hospital to say goodbye to her brother she saw anti-mask protestors at Central and Thomas Road. She was so sad and angry that these people were arguing against something that might save lives. She said that she couldn't argue with them and just wished them good health and walked away.
• 
  2021-01-01

  Navigating my mental health during COVID- Working out and Dieting

  Have you ever had a hobby that was critical to your mental health? Well ever since High School, my sanctuary has and still is, the gym. As someone who works out almost every day, the pandemic put a hamper on the manner in which I would have to work out. Gyms were closed, at the time it was winter, so it was not like I could go outside to workout. I was left with only lightweight dumbbells. During this time, things were hard for me as I felt out of shape and weaker than normal. I always felt as if I could go to the gym and block out the rest of the world and now I couldn't do so. I struggled at first, and there were times I would get so mad at the world over it. But what could I do? Nothing. So, I had to figure out what could help me get through this awful time. Which led me to learn how to properly diet and make myself the best out of the workouts I could perform. By counting my calories in a journal and still using those dumbbells in different variations, I was able to get into the best shape of my life. Now I weigh around 170 (was around 190 prior to doing this) and feel more energetic and happier than I have been in a long time. My mental health in my opinion is the best it has been in a long time. I figured that without the gym my life would go through a spiral, but it got better. This was the one time that I have been grateful for the pandemic because although it has unfortunately ruined many lives, it forced me to better myself in ways I would not have thought of prior to that. Now because of the experience, I know now that no matter what, you have to make the best with what you have and never let it bring you down. There is always a bright side to things, and contrary to belief, things WILL get better. For me, finding new ways to work out and diet helped me tremendously. I am grateful I was able to find another way to be in my "sanctuary" without actually having to be at a gym and hope others can find their "sanctuary" The moral of this story: Don't let COVID completely control your life, there are ways to battle this Pandemic and stay in good mental health. Find your method and take off with it as I did!
• 
  2020-11-05

  Life as a Student during Covid

  Living on a college campus during a pandemic had many stuggles. You had to get creative with ways to spend your time.
• 
  2021-12

  How My Life Has Changed

  My life feels weird. I feel like everything almost moved too fast, but not fast enough. I think due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we all have a weird feeling of how time works. It seems almost as if the days pass by faster than I can imagine, let alone each month. I blink and the semester is practically at a close. My life feels busy. My days are consumed with school work and nannying, as almost every week feels the same. I try to incorporate different aspects of my daily life into each day to have a feeling of change, yet also normalcy. I personally have faced academic and personal challenges. I feel as though I do not have the same energy I did when in the classroom. I felt like I have lost my passion for learning, as it almost feels more forced than it did before. To do all your work through a computer screen is not easy, let alone to do it for years on end. Personally, I have had a hard time with a lack of communication with family and friends. Some of my peers and I discussed the difficulty with just talking to people now! It just feels so strange. The sudden change to college was weird. I started off at a University and hated it. I think due to COVID, I had a hard time picking out what I needed in a school, as I also didn't know how the upcoming school year would look with the pandemic. I feel as though I have adapted, but I wish things could go back to the way they were. Nothing feels the same anymore and I feel as if my life is slipping through my fingers. Therefore, I try to embrace the time I do have, even though we are still living through the midst of a pandemic.
• 
  2021-04-07

  The Mental Pandemic

  The pandemic was difficult in more ways than one. Health and safety were covered by all news stations, but the deeper hidden pandemic was the struggle of mental health and staying mentally healthy during isolation and lockdown. These screenshots showcase that mental health was an important topic that people were struggling with but the university tried to give help to students and staff that were struggling. This screenshot is important to me because they were resources I utilized that helped me mentally go through the pandemic and I believe deserve more attention.
• 
  2020-09-14

  Virtual Pow Wows - A result of Covid -19

  Every year as a tradition Tribes of Native Americans gather to celebrate through song and dance at events known as Pow Wows. These events reinforce long-honored traditions, the most important being unification. The Pow wows allow for the togetherness of the people and the connectedness of the tribes. Covid -19 brought an abrupt halt to that for hundreds of indigenous tribes across the U.S and Canada. As a result, the only way to share some of these meaningful traditions was to offer a virtual option. While not the same it did allow for some of the singing and dancing competitions to take place. The long-term after effect though is that not having the in-person Pow Wow resulted in a significant loss of revenue for those tribes that were hosting the event. Pow Wows bring in significant revenue from vendors and non-indigenous spectators. This loss has had a trickle-down effect on the indigenous communities making it more difficult to endure the pandemic. As a parent of a Northeastern student, not having the ability to have my daughter physically share in the in-person powwows is disappointing. Pow wows are more than just celebrations they are an opportunity to connect with your identity and heritage-which is vital for the younger generations.
• 
  2021-10-08

  Lone Star Covid Archive

  My name is Cardin Madera I go to Lone Star Middle School, and I enjoy school. I would describe the start of this school year weird because it has been a long time when I last went to a full year of school and I am not into the routine yet, so it makes it weird. Last year is similar because we still must sanitize our hands to keep us safe. Also, the staff are still not messing around about Covid-19. If you were to tell a joke about Covid, “saying this kid has Covid” and it is a lie you would get in trouble. It is different than last year because we do not have to sanitize our hands as much. Then we get to have our masks off the entire day if you want and it is not like we have half of the school students at school and the other half at home. There are somethings that changed between 4th and 7th grade because during 5th grade we were almost done with the school year but then covid hit and we had to do online for the rest of the school year. Then in 6th grade at the beginning of the school year we were doing online for a long time, and it was not helping a lot because I really could not ask questions about the assignment we are doing and about the lesson.
• 2020-08-27

  Covid Schooling

  During the Covid-19 pandemic, many lives were lost and changed forever. I was one of the lucky ones where myself and no one I knew was affected. One thing problem that surfaced to me during the pandemic is the online schooling. My fall semester of 2020 at Duquesne University was all online and it was a struggle being in my house just outside of Pittsburgh. Professors and faculty did their best to learn the technology and to teach the students through online interactions. I truly give them all the credit in the world for that, but it is extremely tough to learn. There is no clear-cut communication between students and their professors. Usually, you are able to form some sort of relationship with the professor, but there was not an easy way to do it. It was also hard to form a relationship with your classmates. You only knew the people that you knew before the pandemic. With no relationships in the class, it felt a lot harder. There was no one really to help you or just discuss the class with. People rely on people and in the online world, it is hard to have that connection. Our world cannot stay online. People need to be in offices and in schools working with one another. The online world is a way to hide from doing work where we need to be face to face. People need people. Our world depends on each other and the online world is a great thing, but it cannot be implemented for schooling. It was very hard for me to learn online because I was distracted by all the things at my house. What would you rather do, listen to an hour lecture or watch a tv show? It was hard to stay focused on schooling because it did not feel like school. I blame myself for not being able to pay attention during the classes, but if I struggled with it, I know many other kids did too. While taking 5 courses online, I have to be honest in saying I do not know if I really learned anything. I am thankful that I was not online too long.
• 
  2020-03

  Life of a College Student During a Pandemic

  The COVID-19 pandemic has affected so many people all across the globe in many different ways. One of the big groups of people that have been affected in the United States is college students. I was a semester and a half into my freshman year here at Duquesne when everything began to take a turn for the worse. Looking back to then, I was still finding my way and learning what it was like to be a college student at the time, just beginning to become familiar with the lifestyle. The past year and a half as a college student has been a long and hard process of transitioning into life as a college student during a global pandemic. Simple things like going to class in person, to eating with my friends in the dining hall were not as simple as they once seemed. Many students, like myself, struggled with being as involved in online classes like we were during in person classes. Along with that, I struggled with retaining a lot of the information given to me by my professors during class time, communication between student and professor was not as easy as it used to be. But not only has the education aspect of college changed drastically, there has been a huge change in the social aspect of college as well. Simple things like meeting with some friends to go get dinner after a long week of classes was not as easy as it once was. Looking back, freshman year now feels like an eternity ago, a lot about my life as a college student has changed due to this pandemic. Certainly, things are becoming better, and we are getting closer to normality, but the pandemic still affects me as a college student till this day. Still having to wear masks on campus as well as getting a COVID test when feeling a little bit sick are some things I have had to deal with recently. Life as a college student is ever changing during the pandemic, it has been very hard at times, but it is certainly something I will never forget.
• 
  2021-07-01

  Healing

  Over the past year, I have made significant progress with my mental health. It wasn't until the world told me to stop and stay at home that I realized I wasn't living. I had to examine myself and face my feelings. I realized that my cup was empty and I didn't have the capacity to care for myself. Despite the fact that I still have a lot to do, I feel more optimistic about the future for the first time in a long time. For this, I am truly grateful. What I hope for myself and others is that we make peace with our pain and fears and that we can find the beauty in our struggle.
• 
  2020-07-10

  Emotional Dam and Educational Fall out

  This shows that before the pandemic, I struggled to get the help I needed to deal with my stress, and the minute everything got shut down, so did I. I ended up not knowing what to do and failed my classes and explained to my family that I've had depression and anxiety issues. Im currently still trying to recover, and it truly feels like my college doesn't care because they take forever to respond, knowing I'm in danger of failing and having some personal struggles.
• 
  2020-08-09

  COVID Relations

  This picture was taken in my hometown of Elko, Nevada. My girlfriend and I decided to take some days off and go visit as her parents live in this small mining town. This small town had some pretty lenient restrictions, or they were being poorly enforced. One specific place or I guess monument when looking at the context of the town, the catholic church, was keen on maintaining social distancing protocols and doing what they could to protect those who decided to attend mass. I myself am not much of a religious individual and to be fair my girlfriend isn’t either, but her parents are. Due to this we decided to attend a bright and early 8 am mass. This is a selfie that she took as we are walking into the sermon, masks on of course as we were both wanting to follow the recommendations for our safety as well as the safety of others. This picture only shows half of the changes that were made to the normal sermons, every other pew was closed off and they made sure that people kept the masks on and made sure that each family was at the appropriate distance. This picture means a lot to me because it is the last time, I saw her family and it is mostly due to COVID reasons. Travel is harder and more expensive it seems, and this makes it all the more difficult to plan a trip. The past year has been difficult on every individual and everyone has gone through their own battles and experiences with COVID. This is a memory that brings a little bit of light to an otherwise very dark situation. Personally, speaking this may be one of my favorite memories of the past year and although I am not a religious person I would relive this moment again because of how much it meant to me.
• 
  2021-03

  How to Survive a Plague with a Disability

  As I’m writing this, it is March 2021 and it’s been a year since I’ve updated this blog. Although I don’t only write about travel here, it’s been depressing to look back on my past trips and have to wonder when I could be in the world again. But I’ve been far from silent during this time. You can read many of my reflections on the pandemic and other topics over at The Mighty, where I have been an editor for the past five years. One year ago, when the pandemic was just beginning in the United States, one of my good friends posted a social media message about supporting each other during what most people thought would be a strange, scary, but ultimately short period of our lives. Part of it went something like this: My mask protects you. Your mask protects me. It’s a nice sentiment. Wearing a few layers of cloth over your face may not help you much, but it helps to prevent other people from getting sick. It’s a kind, visible act we can all do to show we care during a difficult time, to protect others who are at risk even if we may think we would not become seriously ill. It seems so simple, right? How could people not do this? But we all know what happened. “My mask protects you. Your mask protects me,” only works if the other person values your life enough to consider it worth protecting. I’ve been horrified by the number of government officials and online commenters who have viewed the deaths of elderly and disabled people as “acceptable losses” in exchange for keeping non-essential gathering spaces open. My life, and the lives of people with high-risk conditions, are more important than your trip to Disneyland. Don’t you think we want to go to Disneyland too? I’ve also noticed that able-bodied people often assume disabled people will be provided for in emergencies, and in general. They believe there are a lot of government programs and charities to help us, and that such programs are run well and meet our needs. This widespread — but utterly false — belief in a functioning safety net for “the vulnerable” gives people an excuse to behave selfishly while convincing themselves they’re not doing anything wrong. “Of course, there will be a plan to protect nursing home residents, and immune-suppressed people can stay home, so we can throw parties and go without masks if we don’t like them.” In reality, the needs of people with disabilities are often disregarded, misunderstood, ignored, and even actively opposed. We have to fight for access to everything, and sometimes end up on multi-year waiting lists for housing assistance, in-home care, and other essential programs and services. We must battle with government and private insurance to get the mobility equipment we need. We are GPS tracked like criminals if we need personal care assistants, with “fraud prevention” used as an excuse. We often depend on programs with ridiculously complicated requirements, and one missed deadline, one paperwork error, one month where we made “too much money” can cost us everything.
• 
  2021-02-07

  Supporting Children with ADHD During A Pandemic

  ADHD is thankfully not as new of a topic to talk about, but I cannot deny that the stigma against mental health still exists today. While thinking about how so many children are now spending a year and an uncertain future indoors, learning from home, and some unable to grasp why, I thought about those with ADHD. A person’s home is supposed to be associated with comfort and otherwise relaxation from a day at out in the world – at school and work for guardians. Associations can be very powerful, and it can be rather disruptive for children with this big of a change. Half a child’s day is typically dedicated to academics and social connections and is especially important for children in their formative years. Due to the pandemic, they have been pulled from that environment they have already associated with learning, friends, and routine. The links provide some assistance for guardians who may be struggling with their child(ren), especially those diagnosed with ADHD. Concentration and routine seem to be the biggest obstacles, so I do hope the strategies provided may be of help to guardians and their dependents. https://childmind.org/article/giving-kids-with-adhd-support-and-structure-during-the-coronavirus-crisis/ https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/COVID-19/Pages/ADHD-and-Learning-During-COVID-19.aspx https://chadd.org/adhd-and-covid-19/
• 
  2021-01-15

  Virtual theater

  This is an article showing what virtual plays you can watch and when/where. I find this article important because live theater is no longer a possibility in the pandemic so we must find solutions. This article explains that there are places you can watch recorded plays from the past and the contributions will be going straight to the performing arts which are financially struggling since March. This is a very helpful article for those who want to watch broadway again while also helping the business. Broadway will be back one day but until then there has to be adjustments made and this will help them get ahead start financially when they open back up.
• 
  2020-10-24

  On the Navajo Nation, COVID-19 death toll is higher than any US state. Here's how you can support community relief.

  This news report highlights how the public can help contribute to the Navajo Nation COVID-19 relief efforts. It includes video interviews with Navajo members struggling to survive without proper resources and offers five Native non-profits that people can donate much needed necessities to. Archiving this piece will allow future researchers to document the Navajo struggles and the relief they received from non-profit donations.
• 2020-10-15

  COVID Scare

  Going through the pandemic, I always knew how serious the situation was especially considering how large the number of cases were in Arizona. However, despite all of the people that were getting sick, I never had anyone that I knew who contracted the virus through most of the Pandemic. That was until late 2020. Now due to the precautions I knew I had to take, the only two places that I ever really visited apart from staying at my own home were my parents' houses. My mom and step-dad were extremely cautious when it came to the Pandemic and so too were my dad and step-mom however, I knew because my dad was an essential worker he would be exposed a bit more. One October day, my heart sank when I got a call from my Father telling me that he tested positive for the virus. This sparked a number of fears throughout my head like: "Is my father going to be okay, especially considering he has pre-existing conditions that would make it worse?", " When was the last that I was exposed to my father in timing when he tested positive for the virus?", "Who else could have gotten sick from my father... my step-mom or worse my 6-year-old sister?". The first thing I did, despite remembering that luckily it had been about two weeks from seeing my father, was get tested. I ended up testing negative, but I was extremely worried for my father and my step-mother who I later learned also contracted it. This was the first time I ever dealt with knowing that someone I knew that was close to me got the Virus. I truly feared for my family member's lives. I remember constantly calling my father to see how he was doing and hearing the struggle with the virus in his voice. Luckily, both my parents would make it through the sickness okay. My sister also was able to be taken care of by my step-aunt which was also a relief. As time passed and as my family tested negative for COVID-19, I would be able to visit them again. But, now I truly understood the severity of the pandemic and that the virus held no bias in who it targeted.
• 
  2021-01-22

  Slipping and Slipping

  School used to be a place where I would find comfort; a place to escape. Ever since the pandemic started, school has been the root of all of my problems. My mental state has hit an all-time low and I often wonder when I will become the cheery and spirited person again. Learning materials used to come easily to me but now I find it so difficult to retain a small amount of information. Now that I am a junior, I've realized that I only got to experience a year and a half of it. I am afraid that by the time the pandemic gets better I'd leave high school with nothing. As a child, I always envisioned my life to pan out to be like those in shows. That is quite a stretch, isn't it? A selfish part of me wants to be able to go live life like past generations have but that doesn't mean I will go out and risk the safety of others as well myself. The world right now is scary... Fate has a mind of its own and as people of this Earth, we will never know what it will throw at us. With that being said I find that the load of work that teachers hand to us derives my motivation. I knew for a fact that this school year would be hard but I never realized how much of a toll it would take on me. Even though this was enough to discourage me, I tried - believe me - to find something that will spark my drive again. I tried to challenge myself and reward myself to fuel my passion for school but it's proving to be impossible as of lately. Will this ever get better? It's been like hell.
• 
  2021-01-02

  2021 Predictions

  I actually agree with most of these predictions. I fear for the economy. I worry about the struggle people will face this year.
• 2021-01-15

  Virtual learning

  Virtual learning for me was a big struggle for me. I would get headaches every day from looking at the screen. One thing that was good about online school is I can just role out of bed in turn on my computer and go to school on Zoom. A lot of people would cheat so they saw a huge upgrade into they're grade. I would always get yelled at for eating and wearing a hat during class. I would have to do my bed so in the background of my camera on zoom it didn't seam like I was having a terrible time though online school. So I would take all the stuff on my floor and put it under my desk so the camera would not see it. People really never got the hang of having to un mute and how to share your screen on zoom for a while. I did not have fun in online school at all but a lot of my friends liked it so they could cheat.
• 2021-01-14

  Virtual Learning

  When I first heard about virtual learning, I thought that it would be great. I would be able to do whatever I wanted during break and in between classes. I could sleep in. The only downside was that I wouldn't see my friends. However, when online school actually started, I quickly discovered that I was seeing my friends more often because school ended earlier. Online school was great. The only obstacle was that sometimes my wifi wouldn't work well. When this happened, I was forced to go down stairs to the dining room, where the router was located. It never affected my grades, and was annoying if anything. Then I learned that we would be going back to school, and I was greatly disappointed. I was even more disappointed when I discovered that school would be completely different. We would have plexiglass in between our desks, and we couldn't even get around the school the usual way. Only certain entrances and exits would be open for use. In years to come, when I'm looking back on my life during COVID, I will have something to be grateful for: Virtual learning.
• 2021-01-07

  Covid-19 Christmas

  On March 13, 2020, America went into lockdown because of the virus of Covid-19. People lost jobs, and people in they're family, things became a lot different. Eight months later, it's Christmas time yet again. This year, it was a lot different for a lot of families, including mine. Lots of people weren't in the Christmas spirit since it was such a rough year, but even more people decided to embrace being at home and go all out with decorations, and anything 'Christmas' they could get their hands on. If I'm being honest here, kids all over the world look forward to gifts under the tree on Christmas morning. This year, since people where unemployed, and struggled to get things for their children. A lot of kids didn't get many or even anything this year. My family was very fortunate this year to even be able to celebrate Christmas since they both lost they're jobs back in March. Every Christmas, we do the same thing, stay at home so this year wasn't much different from the rest. This year really impacted a lot of people, but we all got through!
• 2020-09-29

  My Personal Covid Experience

  9/29: This journal entry was written as a part of the American Studies class at California High School in San Ramon, California. During the pandemic, many people have faced lots of different struggles. These struggles can range from very slight problems to large ones, and thankfully, for my family and I, we are doing pretty well. Personally, I had a few struggles when adapting to the new ways of learning and getting used to not seeing my friends as much. At first, it was fine because I thought of it as an extra-long spring break, but when I realized that we weren’t going back to school in Contra Costa County I was pretty sad. Throughout COVID, I definitely missed my friends and I felt pretty alone. Luckily, my dad was able to keep his job and work from home, so we did not have any financial problems. Covid definitely allowed me to grow closer to my dad and brother because I ended up spending a lot of time with them where I usually wouldn’t see them as much. Socially, I think our county has started to adjust to the new reality and lots of families are starting to get used to it. I think this whole situation has made people realize that they should be grateful for the valuables and people that are in their life. Lots of things (like social gatherings, school, and friends) can be taken away in a second, but family and other really important things will always stay.
• 2020-12-09

  We will rise

  So many African Americans are put down or treated different because the color of our skins. Many enslaved and many killed but yet our population arises. I just wanted to get out that we shouldn't be treated differently. We are still human. We don’t understand why this is so we fight with our voices! This pandemic has helped most of our voices get out there. To let the world hear our pain, our struggle. I thank coivid-19 for that.
• 2020-04

  The Pain of Teaching at Home

  This is story like many others during this time. The work of a parent with kids sent home for e-learning. Though I had a background in education, having an M.A. in Education, this was a task that was a difficult one that my education and years of teaching could not help me. The first task is explaining to younger children why they have to stay home. Especially when we as adults are unable to truly grasp what is going on. The second part is trying to motivate students to learn when the school was not ready for this type of teaching. Though the teachers tried, the manner of teaching was a difficult one that led great stress during this time. To add to it, the consistency and norm for the children was shattered which required me to try to recreate that same standard, yet another difficult task. Added onto that, is a child that struggles with reading, which most of the assignments were backed by, instead of the lecture they were used to. The first step was trying to set the norm for them. Breakfast, work, break, work, lunch, work, done. Though it sounds simple, with two separate students with different educational abilities, and drive for success, keeping one on task while the other was done or finishing faster was a task. Aiding them was truly difficult. Some of the difficulties came from my teaching experience being middle and high school not elementary. The next being understanding some of the finer points of the material being taught, I found myself having to learn the material to then teach the material to my children. To compound it further, there is the social aspect of being stuck at home with out the interaction they needed for their peers. Though I fancy myself a “cool” dad, I will never measure up to my kids’ friends. Attempting to fill this void was significantly more difficult than being their teacher. Though my kids did not have near the growth they would have received academically while being in school, they did not lose intelligence and picked up some knowledge along the way. Though it took tears, patience, drive and resilience, it was a time that we can all reflect on and hope it never happens again, which it did, 5 months later, but everyone was better prepared and the lessons learned from the springs allowed for greater success on the second go. Here is to hoping it doesn’t happen again!!!
• 2020-12-04

  First and Second Year Teaching During A Pandemic

  October 2019 saw me beginning my first full-time teaching job in the county that I grew up in. Six weeks into school, I was thrown into 4 classrooms of 8th graders who had been verbally beaten down by their beginning of the year teacher. He had told them they were stupid, worthless and pieces of trash that would never get anywhere in life. The first few months were rough. I had to work extra hard to gain their trust and show them that I genuinely cared. We hit road bumps (heck mountains) as we adjusted to each other. By Christmas I had made relationships with my kids that made each day much easier. I expected coming back after Christmas break would be easier. The downhill slope to the end of the year, then testing and finally the fun part-field trips and field day and all the end of year joy. Covid-19 had other plans for my first year. I walked out of school on March 13 (Friday the 13th, Full Moon and all that jazz) and told my kiddos and my co-workers I would see them in a few weeks. We were only supposed to be in distance learning for TWO weeks! One co-worker jokingly started singing "School's Out" by Alice Cooper as we walked towards our cars. We told him he was being ridiculous. Little did we know that his prediction would be eerily correct. The final three months of my first year of teaching were filled with Zoom meetings, failing grades, constant parent contacts and doing anything in my power to teach my 8th graders American History, while also making sure they were mentally and physically okay. My kid that lived in the home of an abusive father was now stuck with that 24 hours a day; there was no break for him anymore. We ended the school year with lots of tears. There were no in-person goodbyes. Just sporadic Zoom meetings and a few emails and comments. My first year did not end in any way like I expected it. I headed into summer break thinking that the by fall all would be right with the world again. I would be back in my classroom with my new students. Three classes of 6th graders and one group of 7th graders. We started the year working through the stages of re-opening. We made progress and slowly started getting students back into the classroom. That empty classroom from the beginning of school was starting to feel more like itself again. The laughter and chatter of middle schoolers was back. I was in my happy place. Then once again Covid-19 showed its hand. We were sent back home for just a few weeks. Those few weeks turned a month, then extended past Christmas break and New Years. Once again, my kids are struggling. I'm struggling. There is nothing I wouldn't give to be back in my classroom with 30 6th graders all asking questions at once and calling out and being all around goofy. Hopefully we will get back to that way of life one day. Teachers and students are struggling as we work through this trial together.
• 
  2020-12-01

  Involuntarily Online

  The easiest way to explain the feeling is exhaustion. As somebody who doesn't learn well independently nor online, this year has been hard in so many ways. Entering my third, yes THIRD (fourth if we're going to count spring 2020), fully online semester, I can only express what I feel as exhaustion. Mentally, physically, and emotionally, it feels as though there is not that light at the end of the tunnel everybody is talking about. While I know my troubles are surface level compared to the tragedy faced by many this last year, the turmoil I've experienced as a result is truly starting to hit home. I'm not the best online learner, I never have been, which is why in my time in college I have specifically designed my classes to fit into in person lectures only. My University has begun to transition into on campus classes again, although I am one of the few I know who have yet to have an in person option. While life isn't ever fair, it is difficult to continue to believe in a system that is providing resources and in person education to some, with no clear indicator of why they were chosen, and leaves others to continue to try our best. I love my school, I would not want to be anywhere else hands down, and I do believe that they are doing what is best for not only the student body, but our surround community as well. But gosh, am I exhausted.
• 
  2020-09-28

  Dr. Romo cancels classes due to internet issues

  Dr. Romo sent these two emails to his students after expressing issues with his internet. The first email he had sent was directed towards the wrong class and when we sent the second email he made emphasize on the struggle of using his phone to communicate correctly. This is one professor that was okay with opening up about his struggles with online teaching at the moment they were happening. Professors aren't immune to having technical issues while teaching online so have an open conversation with students about those struggles makes it feel less frustrating.
• 
  2020-11-07

  Virtually Adjusting

  COVID has absolutely been a challenge time for everyone and has required patience, flexibility and resiliency. Personally, I had to make room for multiple adjustments during my transition to Northeastern. First semester I was supposed to study abroad, however, was unable to due to the current circumstances. Now, once in Boston I had to continue my studies via Zoom. While I did experience this briefly last spring, it was to a much smaller extent. Currently, I am learning how to balance this transition to a new city and new life with academics and learning how to fully interact with a class virtually. While difficult, it also has taught me many valuable skills that I otherwise would have disregarded. The biggest struggle for me has been cultivating relationships with teachers and peers without being in the same room or even city as them. Additionally, keeping track of assignments, class times and zoom links has been a difficult process that has sometimes caused me to submit a paper after its due date or miss a lesson entirely. However, office hours have been a incredible way to connect with my professors and clarify any questions or issues I may have. Although my experience with COVID has been anything but easy, I have been able to gain some valuable skills and lessons from this event. I now feel more adequately prepared to potentially face any issues I face both virtually and in-person during my time at Northeastern and beyond. The attached photo is from a trip I took to Seaport with a friend and reminds me that although much of my life takes place online, I am in a new city with new friends and still have tons of things to experience and learn.
• 
  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.
• 
  2020-11-14

  NPR short story November 14, 2020

  I heard this short editorial of sorts during the 5pm hour today with my 4 good daughter on my lap at home. It helped me stop, reflect and take stock of everything.
• 
  2020-11-13

  One of Those Days

  I am actually suffering in this pandemic. Absolutely nothing has meaning anymore.
• 
  2020-09-19

  The TIK TOK Kindergarten Teacher

  Could you imagine teaching a group of kindergarteners online? Well that is exactly what this teacher has done, and with style. In order to keep her young students engaged, she has put her all into the lessons. Her high energy and theatrics are keeping learning fun and organized. It is teachers like her that show people that teachers are putting in their all, even when they can’t physically be with the students. Teachers like this should be praised and celebrated for their hard work and dedication throughout this difficult time.
• 
  2020-11-04

  Providing Low Income Students With Free Internet In Pittsburg

  It is no surprise that low income students are struggling during the period of online or distance learning. In order to aid low income students and families, Pittsburg is offering an estimate of 700-800 families with internet that would have otherwise gone without. The schools in the district it affects feel that it will make a great impact for those who either have no internet or unstable internet services. Families that qualify for this service will pay no fees, and will help the some 20% of families with lack of or poor internet service.
• 
  2020-10-25

  Pockets Full of PPE

  This is a photograph I took when I was clearing out my pockets to wash my uniforms. I work in Law Enforcement, and due to the nature of our work, we are always needing to refresh our PPE and have it ready to go at a moments notice. I hadn't realized how much more often I find myself needing gloves until I noticed the 'Glove Mountain' that has formed on my dryer... Almost all my pockets had gloves or extra mask in them.. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure... #GloveUp #MaskUp
• 
  2020-09-08

  Child Struggles with Distance Learning

  Tell us a story; share your experience. Describe what the object or story you've uploaded says about the pandemic, and/or why what you've submitted is important to you. This story is important to me because while I do not have kids, I believe education is so important, especially the quality of education they are receiving. I have many friends that are teachers who are struggling with distance learning themselves and have also questioned the quality of education that children are receiving now as they believe any one-on-one help they would be able to give in a classroom is unavailable now to students who already struggle with learning in a regular classroom setting. It is difficult enough for adults to be self-motivated with online education and for kids this has been deemed to be extremely difficult.
• 
  2020-07-27

  First day of school during Covid

  My daughter began 1st grade at home through online learning. Her first day was July 27th, and she returned in person on September 8th. Trying to balance everyone working and learning from home was an incredible struggle, and didn't benefit anyone. Mom was working on her dissertation and taking classes, her dad was teaching high school from 8-3 each day, and she had classes with homework throughout the day. For a 6 year old who had no idea how to type, it was very hard to get everything completed. While we are glad that she is back in school, I worry about her safety everyday.
• 2020-10-08

  Adjusting to COVID

  COVID-19 has taken the world by shock and disbelief. It affected everyone from around the globe to your local neighborhood. Fortunately, I never had COVID, but my life was flipped upside down and I’ve never experienced such a life changing event, while sharing the same struggles with people around the world. In a strange sense, we were separate but fighting together and it really gave me hope that we can overcome this pandemic. I work for a coffee shop and I remember after the hectic holidays, I took a vacation out to Las Vegas with my partner in January 2020. I heard about COVID back then on the news but it was relatively new and was mostly located in China. I wasn’t worried about it because I never thought it would end up like it is now. Around the end of January, COVID started to spread at a fast rate and the death tolls we’re climbing like nothing before. There was no vaccine and medical professionals around the world were struggling to combat the virus. At the same time, I fell ill with the flu. I checked myself in at a clinic and the waiting room was packed! Every single patient was sick with flu like symptoms and were waiting for a doctor. That’s when it really hit me. This was more serious than the flu. This was more than something you hear on the news. This was something that is happening now, at home. Thankfully, I just had the flu and recovered over the week. But even in that week, COVID became the center of attention and grew even more. Before I knew it, the governor of Illinois ordered a lock down and everything closed and everyone was quarantined at home unless you were an essential worker. My work closed for 2 and a half months. It felt like a long and slow home vacation. I stayed busy and my dogs really enjoyed my company at home. Overall, it was so shocking. My life was normal, going to work, hanging out with friends and even going on vacation. To now, everything is slowly opening back up. Mostly everyone is wearing masks but I’ve been more mindful because of Corona. I wash my hands every chance I get and I don’t go out, unless it’s for essentials or work. As much as I would like to travel, I know better than to endanger myself and the people around me. Together we can get through this and we’ll be back to normal in no time.
• 
  2020-08-25

  A mother captured an emotional photo of her son crying in virtual class to show difficulties of distance learning during pandemic

  When her son returned to virtual learning last week, Jana Coombs saw him struggling. Her 5-year-old, a kindergartener at a school in Coweta County, Georgia, was so frustrated with the remote back-to-school experience that he put his head down and cried. Jana Coombs story is not unique; it’s the same story experienced by thousands of mothers who now find themselves running back and forth to their children’s computers trying to make sense of remote learning. This article is an accurate glimpse into the home of every mother with a school aged child and how their lives have been affected by Covid.
• 
  2020-08-23

  Having No Mouth

  My story of the Quarantine is that initially I was kind of excited about the prospect of having an excuse to stay indoors. This is due to the fact that I am a homebody and would rather chill with my friends rather than go to parties. However, one thing that I did not think of was that not only would I be staying home most of the time, but a majority of the rest of my family would as well. When I was younger, having everyone home was not a problem, but now we are all grown up, and we all need our space. Due to Quarantine, getting that space that I wanted was rather hard. It felt like I was having a hard time being able to be alone without someone hearing what I was saying. Not only that, but it was also hard because the conflicts in my family came to become more and more prevalent/ This is due to the fact that things like the college process and transitioning from high school to college seemed to have been made a lot harder. Instead of this Summer being relaxing and giving me room to breathe, it was made into one of the hardest times of my life. The short story titled "I Have Mouth, and I Must Scream" by Harlan Ellison captures how I felt during the pandemic. In the story, the characters are trapped underground and are totally helpless to the situation that they find themselves in. In many ways, I felt almost the same way to these characters. I felt like I was trapped in a place that I felt as though I had no control over anything because it was not my domain. Like the narrator of the story, I too felt as though I had no mouth by the end of it all. This is due to the fact that I am not the best at standing up for myself or handling conflicts. Not only that, but I feel like whenever I would try to argue my point, I always felt like nothing would happen. Even if anything did happen that went my way, it always felt like it was not enough to feel like a victory. By the end, it would just reinforce my unwillingness to speak up for myself or to just let things go and allow them to continue. I hope that I will be able to improve things once my time at Suffolk starts and when this Quarantine ends.
• 
  2020-07-10

  Hospitals struggle with PPE shortages amid new COVID-19 surges

  Months into the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals are still struggling to find enough PPE to protect their workers. With supplies still being grossly under-available, some hospitals have had to resort to reusing PPE multiples times in an effort to provide at least some protection for their staff.
• 
  2020-05-18

  Getting Even Closer Through Schoolwork

  This photograph I took is of my three children, on the couch, with the computers they used to finish the school year during the quarantine. I am recently divorced and serve as an active duty service member, 2017 is when we started the separation process. During the process, my ex-wife and I were on good terms and on agreement on everything but one thing, custody. 2017 is also the year I came to Christ and started opening the Bible, learning by reading and listening to His word about the Gospel and what Jesus did for us. This changed my worldview and my entire outlook on life. Towards the end of the year I got orders to go to Parris Island South Carolina to be a Drill Instructor. I was excited and sad at the same time, for I knew there was no way I could continue to take care of the kids while serving this duty. But I knew I could trust God with my kids, even if they weren't in my care and that if I wanted them back that it was just a matter of time (the duty being 3 years long). Fast forward a year and having spent months in the most demanding job I have ever had, I was extremely upset for the living situation my children faced while I strove to lead and mentor future Marines. Conversing with God through prayer I told him how I felt and how I longed to have my children live with me again. Within a week or two, my ex-wife reached out to ask if the kids can fly across the country to live with me! We did the paperwork, and I have had custody since January 2019. During the quarantine, I constantly pondered what the situation would be like for the kids and me if things had not changed for us in 2019. 2019 was the most rewarding and satisfying year thus far for me as a parent. Not only would I not have had that, 2020 probably would have been unbearable for me without the kids. I’d still be a Drill Instructor and my children would be struggling in their studies. Homeschooling the kids opened my eyes to just how much one-on-one time they needed in certain areas. One-on-one time they should have been getting from me as their dad. This quarantine gave me the time I needed to focus even more on the kids and I loved every minute of it, spending literally 24 hours, 7 days a week with them. We struggled at first, this was not the kind of homeschooling I would have preferred to do, but we made it work. I can’t help but feel so blessed and thank God for it. At the same time, my heart goes out to all the families who weren’t/aren’t as lucky. I just happened to be at a point in my life and career, where I could stay home with the kids and not worry about money or losing my job. Our bonds were strengthened and we grew so much closer together, I wish it could continue this way but I look forward to the kids going back to school. I believe that they are ready, if everyone is smart about it then we can make face-to-face classroom instruction a reality. Most schools are not at this point yet and I’m still unsure if it’s going to happen or not as we are weeks away from the first day of school. Whatever the case, I just wanted to tell a bit about my quarantine experience and how my family got to where it was during it.