Items
Tag is exactly
student
-
09/18/2020
Anonymous Oral History, 2020/09/18
This is an interview that I did with a fellow Northeastern student about the pandemic. -
09/19/2020
Tehya Oral History, 2020/09/19
Interview goes over Tehya's personal experiences with the pandemic, from graduating her senior year to starting college as a freshman. -
09/15/2020
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. -
09/19/2020
Chris Kane Oral History, 2020/07/19
In this interview, I (a Northeastern history student) interviewed one of my peers about his experience with covid-19, and asked him his thoughts about the pandemic as a whole and the impacts that it had on him and his family. This interview helps showcase the thoughts of a college freshman during the pandemic and how life has changed for him and others as a result of the virus, which I feel is critical since all factors must be considered when looking at the covid-19 pandemic historically. -
09/18/2020
Pearl Rincon Oral History, 2020/09/18
I sat down for an interview with first-year Northeastern University student Pearl Rincon. We spoke about her her experience with the pandemic, her transition to online learning, and how her life changed during the quarantine. -
2020-09-17
Blessing in Disguise
Everyone knows how hard it can be to look at the good things going on in life, when it feels like you are only surrounded by the bad. And during a pandemic it is even harder find those good things. Along with millions of other people, this is the first thing I have experienced in my lifetime that has actually affected every single human in the entire world. I was supposed to do my junior performance recital in April. I was supposed to go to Italy for classes in May. I was supposed to go to concerts in the summer. Obviously, those losses are not nearly as bad as families that lost their jobs or loved ones, but everyone missed out on something no matter how big. In the beginning it honestly sounded pretty nice. I remember sitting in the living room with my friends looking at how inexpensive flights were and planning out the fun things we were going to do with our free time when schools canceled classes. We definitely did not believe they would be canceled for the rest of the semester and we would be sent home and not allowed to travel. It was really hard to come home and not be around my friends or even allowed to go see people I did not live with. I really did just sit around and sulk for a while. But then I realized how grateful I was to at least have a house to sulk in and have loved ones to sulk with. Being forced to come home from school gave me so much extra time with my family that I never would have gotten if COVID didn’t happen. I got to bake and cook so much with my mom and watch movies with my dad and play games with my brothers. I got to try new things like painting, and I was able to read more, and I definitely got a lot more sleep. I mean don’t get me wrong I would have much rather been traveling or going out with friends and living the life of a college student, but this pandemic really made me realize how blessed I am. Even in the worst of times, there is always something good to focus on if you just try. -
2020-09-17
MW1: Covid University: I: The Chat Box
The pandemic forced us all to take online classes. We all miss the traditional classroom setting. But we all remember how awkward it was to ask questions. One thing about zoom is you can ask a question or make a comment in the chat box. This is a feature I hope get added to the in person class experience. It adds so much to the productivity and the curiosity of student. Being able to just add a question into the chat log, then the teacher peeks at it and answers when they have time or if its immediately relevant. No classroom disruption, no being shy, just unadulterated curiosity. -
2020-05-05
Finally Taking a Step Back
As a college student who treasures every bit of time he can with friends at school, getting sent home two months early sounded like the worst thing in the world. Not only would I not be able to see any of my friends as often due to being far apart, we had a global pandemic preventing us and everyone else from feeling a sense of companionship for the better part of 2020. School work kept me busy for the first couple months and that was very clearly my number one focus until May. Once finals were done though, I had absolutely no plans for the next three months of my life. With work being near impossible to find and no school to worry about, I contemplated what I should do with this newfound free time. The solution was a lot simpler than I thought it was, with three months of time on my hands, why worry about what you can do and instead focus on doing things you enjoy? And that was my mindset throughout the summer, which actually helped pass the time incredibly well. I spent a lot of my time making improvements in my various hobbies and eventually, this mind set landed me two jobs for the summer. I got back into running, started learning how to arrange music, and had a large list of projects around the house that I wanted to do. I had a lot of passion projects that I was working on and by the time I was ready to go back to school, I had accomplished the vast majority of these goals. By having this free flowing mind set and no pressure on me to do things I didn't want to do, it kept me happy throughout my time at home, but at the same time I was feeling productive and like I was doing things that were making me a better version of me. At the beginning of the year, I told myself that 2020 was going to be my year and initially, the pandemic scared me away from accomplishing many of the goals I wanted to accomplish. What I found instead is that with the right mindset, your goals are still achievable and while the circumstances may not be ideal, I’m still doing everything I set out to do. -
2020-04-25
Robotics In Quarentine
I am on a world level competitive robotics team with 6 other students at schools across my city. We compete locally and at the world level in a robotics competition released by VEX every year. With a different set of rules every year it's a big challenge to keep up with it but, we all love it. This is one if not the most important thing to me in my life. I put a lot of time, effort and money into it as it is my passion. Last season (April 2019- April 2020), I put around 2,000 hours into the robot. I absolutely love it and I would attach a video of my robot but the file is too big which is why I picked the youtube reveal for the game. It introduces the game and generally summarizes the rules. This season, what I have done during our “summer break” most people would play video games or watch Youtube but I build, program and work on the engineering notebook. It has helped keep me relatively sane and helped me pass the time and keep me from being extremely bored. What I have submitted is the reveal for the game this year. It shows how the game is played what it’s called and everything else about it. -
2020-09-09
Not Enough Time in the Day
I am currently under the impression that there is not enough time in the day...or the week for that matter. School is in full swing both for me as a teacher and a student. After working a 9 hour day in my classroom teaching students online I come home and set up the wild setup pictured above. My large desktop computer is used primarily for grad school; to watch lectures, write papers, and send personal emails. The laptop on the left is my school computer and used to do tasks for my job such as lesson planning, distributing assignments, or as is the case tonight field the emails from the district and parents as the decision was just made to move into a hybrid in 10 days. The iPad on the right is my catch all notepad. I've started using Microsoft OneNote as a digital planner, note catcher, and meal planner. I thought that after this spring I would be so sick of technology that I would feel compelled to move to paper. However, as time has gone on I realized that this isn't coming to an end. This could very well be our new normal and it's time to embrace the change rather than dwelling in the sadness of what used to be. As I write this I am also running through an email I am going to send to my team of teachers tomorrow. A less appropriate thing to include in a school email is the line that continues to flow through my brain, "it's time to do the damn thing." We. Can. Do. This. This is not the time to feel sorry for teachers everywhere or to wallow in our never ending to do lists. Instead it's the time to prepare to SHOW UP for our students who haven't been in a classroom for 6 months. The kids don't care about content. They care about contact. We'll show up. We'll be there. We'll do the damn thing. -
2020-09-01
Greetings From...San Francisco
A wonderful group of students from my first year of teaching (2011-12) has stayed in touch since they graduated in 2015. They have an annual tradition of coming back to the Bay Area at least once per year and spending the day in San Francisco. They take a photograph in front of the Golden Gate Bridge - even if it is completely covered in fog - to mark their time together. The COVID-19 pandemic made their tradition impossible this year. They still decided to mark the year by creating this "Greeting from...San Francisco" postcard style photoshopped image. It is such a sign of the times! I am grateful that the group is finding a way to stay connected during the COVID-19 pandemic. -
2020-09-02
Board Meeting & Thank You Cards
2 nights. 8 hours. 2 school board meetings. Wow. Nampa School district decided early in August to push their start date back to 8/24/2020 to allow for extra planning time and to start the year entirely online. Included with this decision was the responsibility for the board to reevaluate this every two weeks. Well, this week we hit that mark. There have been many rumblings regarding what was to come in the decision. The biggest community push seems to come from parents who want their students involved in athletics. As of last Friday, 8/28/2020, one of our local hospitals was reporting 17/18 bed occupancy in their ICU unit due to Covid. The situation in Idaho is not stellar. Tongiht, at our board meeting, 2 trustees fought and fought for schools to reopen and athletics to continue. However, our superintendent held strong. She continually cited information from the health experts in our area. She noted the tremendous work our teachers are doing. At one point, early in the meeting she said, "teachers are working twice.....three times as hard as usual. They are working harder than they have ever worked before and we need to acknowledge that." - Dr. Paula Kellerer, Nampa School District. WOW. I am submitting this item to the archive to write Dr. Kellerer's name down in history. She is a champion for teachers, all students, and the well-being of our community. In a time where the teaching profession is under attack and districts are fielding those hateful Facebook comments...Dr. Kellerer stands strong. She advocates. She's thoughtful. She listens. I recognize how tremendously fortunate I am to work in a school district with such tremendous leadership. So, tonight, I wrote thank you cards. I know I could easily email Dr. Kellerer and other trustees but there's something about a thank you card that has extra 'umph'. Dr. Kellerer, we see you - we appreciate you - and we thank you for being an advocate for education for all. -
2020-08-15
Notre Dame campus testing meme
Notre Dame proudly declared months ago, that opening up campus was the right thing to do and "worth the risk." When campus opened, one of my previous advisors posted this meme inferring that the university is not widely testing, so COVID-19 cases are low. This was, of course, before there was a widespread outbreak and the U decided to force all students to stay in their dorms and learn virtually. -
2050-02-07
potato 19
my teacher wanted me too -
2020-06-14
A Distanced Graduation
The image above shows the window of the Peaks Island Library, where the town celebrated their graduating seniors with a “Congrats class of 2020” sign. Surrounding the banner are the names of the high schools the students attended. Since the shutdown began just months before my class was set to graduate people all over the state have been putting up signs and decorations to give us a celebration. We had virtual commencement speeches, videos, lawn signs, balloons, and free pizzas that in a way made the year more special than a normal walk across the stage. -
2020-08-23
Alex Hinely Internship Portfolio
As a second-year graduate student in the History MA program at Arizona State University, I found myself enrolling in the HST 580: Professional Experience course after viewing an online announcement outlining the unique experience of a remote internship. With prior experience as a digital archivist with the National Archives and Records Administration, the Smithsonian Institute, and the California Digital Newspaper Collection, in addition to years spent as an undergraduate research assistant at the UCLA Center for Korean Studies digitizing reels of microfilm, I initially believed this internship to be hours of busywork without much substance. I was quickly proven wrong, however. Unlike the previous archives mentioned, A Journal of the Plague Year is a living and breathing archive, recording stories as they occur. This constant fluctuation resulting from live submissions created a dynamic, and sometimes turbulent, workspace that required interns to possess flexibility, problem-solving, and innovation skills. Far from my initial understanding of the internship, the archive provided curatorial interns with a wide-ranging set of skills applicable in any professional environment. Using Omeka-S, Otter.ai, and Slack, interns learned to enhance accessibility to historical documents by curating and transcribing crowdsourced items into a searchable resource. Curatorial interns carefully handled thousands of photographs, articles, and recordings, while assisting with branding, legal compliance, and writing for diverse platforms. Through archival collaborations with international universities and institutions, interns were able to advance their communication skills to convey necessary, time-sensitive, and fluctuating information concerning the live curation of items. This interactive and innovative internship challenged my understanding of public history and pushed me to appreciate the archival process in a new light. As calls for submissions urged individuals to share their everyday experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic, I recognized the importance of documenting daily happenings and confronting historical silences. As a result, A Journal of the Plague Year reignited my determination to support rural K-12 students and ensure that their stories are documented alongside their urban and suburban counterparts. While I have no immediate plans to become a public historian, I have learned an innumerable amount of skills that will surely advance my career in the educational sector. -
2020-07-18
A Socially Distant Graduation
As I sat in my cap and gown, I thought back to my last actual school day. I had spent the day stressing about a statistics test, instead of enjoying time with my friends or thanking my teachers. When the announcement came that we would not return to school, I wished I could redo that day. Yet, I quickly realized that that day, like so many that followed, was a reminder not to take anything for granted and remember what is important. So as I sat with my classmates, I was not sad about the celebrations or goodbyes I missed; I was simply grateful. -
2020-08-17
Keena Portfolio
I joined the Journal of the Plague Year Covid-19 archive before the internship experience began. I contacted Dr. Tebeau and asked how I could contribute to the archive to develop a K-12 teaching experience. I quite literally hit the ground running. I had imagined slowly starting the work; however, I quickly realized it was like drinking from a firehose, and I loved it. Before this experience, I hadn't had much interaction with rapid response archives. They were a new concept to me, and the internship is where I learned what they were and how they functioned. As a student sitting in a history class, I think it's easy to see history as systematic and well planned because, by the time we are reviewing it, there has been some organization. Being part of the rapid response archive shows the exceptional amount of work it takes to archive history. While there is never a good time for a global pandemic to strike, this pandemic started during a beautiful place in my graduate studies. I had taken two of my core courses and a methods class. So, I felt prepared when discussing silences in the archive, biases, and other responsibilities held by the archive. This internship was a great way to use what I had learned over the last nine months and apply it rather than waiting until I had graduated to apply these skills. This application of expertise is something that doesn't usually occur during courses of study. I have also found that the internship has helped me shape my virtual class schedule as we head into the fall. While my district presented me with a virtual bell schedule to follow, it seemed like a lot to wrap my mind around, but I applied Dr. Kole's model for the internship to my class, sent it off to my instructional coach, and she loves it! While it's not directly related to the archive, the online pedagogy has been helpful. My favorite thing about working with the archive was curating. I just loved seeing all of the items come through and reading the stories attached to them. Beyond that, I feel like I have a great base of people I can now lean on through the rest of my time at ASU. I now have teacher friends in California with whom I am now sharing distance learning ideas. I hope these are the things that stand out when people think back to the Covid-19 pandemic. While it seems to be tearing through our country and pulling us apart, there's been a lot of good to come. I'm eternally grateful to have been presented with this opportunity, and I cannot wait to see how large this archive grows. -
2020-08-13
Distance Learning Parent Conferences
Unable to resume in-person instruction, for the time being, the first day of school for students at Princeton Joint Unified School District in Princeton, California looked quite different this year. Instead of having students on campus, parents were asked to attend a scheduled conference to pick up supplies, technology, and information. The white papers hanging around the perimeter of the gym list every student in attendance, and the items placed below each sign were left for students to use at home. Parents attending the meetings felt overwhelmed and frustrated by the inability to return in-person but recognized that the local school district did not make this decision. Over the summer months, distance learning strategies were completely overhauled to improve on the lackluster results of last spring. Teachers at Princeton Joint Unified School District will be offering live instruction throughout the day using several new platforms. Parent conferences will continue into next week before daily live instruction begins on August 20, 2020. -
2020-08-12
A Successful School Reopening?
It seems that schools across the country are busy developing colorful graphics regarding school reopening plans. Green often means students and teachers are safe to return to school, a yellow column suggests that masks should be worn and a hybrid model should be put in place, red means schools need to close to mitigate the spread. But have they developed a nice colorful chart the impact of schools reopening? How many cases among students is enough to close the schools? How many cases will it take for the public to accept that schools maybe shouldn't be opened at full capacity right now. Will we know if our reopening plans are successful? A school district in Georgia was open 1 day before sending home multiple letters about students who had tested positive. This article talks about the divide that occurs in a community when deciding whether or not to open the schools. I think it is easy for people to hear 'kids are less likely to get COVID" and just assume that it's safe to reopen schools. Students in grades 6-12 are more likely to contract COVID than kids in grades K-5 and that's because they're older. Students in grades 6-12 are also in contact with far more students each day (7 classes a day, 20 kids/class). It seems outrageous to expect schools to open at full capacity and without issue. -
2020-07-30
Nampa Starting School Year Online
The Nampa School district which is Idaho's 3rd largest school district overall but largest school district that is 1:1 with student devices made the decision to start the year online. The decision was made after a special session with the Board of Trustees. Earlier meetings suggested that the school district would start in person with a hybrid model of instruction. However, after hearing the pleas of local health officials the district opted to start online. As a Nampa teacher I was able to breathe a sigh of relief. I am a healthy 25 year old teacher and I believe that if I picked up COVID-19 I would recover. My biggest concern is for my colleagues. The career teachers who have been teaching for the last 25-30 years. Many are in an age category that puts them at risk and others have underlying health conditions that also put them at high risk. I am so relieved that out Board of Trustees listened to our local health officials. -
08/04/2020
Lee Foster Oral History, 2020/08/04
Oral History in which Lee Foster discusses how one teaches shop (Industrial Arts) through online learning, what it is like teaching your students at the same time as your own children, and having a spouse working in a hospital during the pandemic. He also discusses the changes, or lack thereof, in family dynamics during a pandemic all with his easy-going positivity and sense of gratitude for his situation. -
2020-03-17
The Blessings of Covid-19
I submitted how the Corona Pandemic has helped change my life for the better. -
2020-08-10
The New Normal
I uploaded pictures as to how the COVI19 has impacted my everyday life. The first picture shows me working out of my room because we are all working from home now and this is the quietest place in my home. I basically do everything from my room now, sleep, work and eat, it really doesn’t feel like my sanctuary anymore. The second picture is with me and my children around the kitchen table. I feel like I am losing my sanity because I now play many different roles such as: teacher, employee, student and mother. It is hard for me to hold everything together nowadays but there is no other option. This is the new normal and we are trying to get better acquainted to it. I included a picture of my children waving to their great grandmother from our truck. In the beginning of COVID19 my children were not able to see their great grandmother because no one knew who may have the virus. We had to quarantine ourselves for about a month before my children were able to see their great grandmother. Me and my children are more appreciative of my grandmother now. We really did not pay attention to how much she meant to us until we weren't able to see her whenever we wanted to. The COVID19 pandemic has taught me to appreciate the things that I hold close to me like my family, friends, health and my job. I am very fortunate that no one near me has been infected with the virus and we are all healthy. I am very fortunate that I am able to work from home, still have my job and a roof over my head. My family is getting used to the new normal and everyday it does get easier. I just hope I still have my hair and my sanity by the end of this pandemic. -
2020-08-09
COVID Share Your Story #REL101 Business Law Major's Point of view
Over this pandemic, as a Business Law student, I completely submerged myself in the "politcal" news of the nation. This not only drained me but proves as a point of countless arguments in a sea of confusion. I felt hopeless and the leaders of the nation proved of no condolence and empathy to the needs of the public. In this time, I was able to completely transition all my schooling and work endeavors online. Being secluded allowed. me to look around me and see the people getting affected by the circumstances that have been built up. Seeing my local community members separated from their families, having close relatives affected by the virus, being in constant fear of whether or not an encounter could possibly have affected my well, has been constant worries and fears of us all. Despite being able to look at the blessings currently in our realm, it is hard not to focus on the lives that have been cost and the well-being that is bring compromised due to the lack of efficient safety precautions being made by government officials in regards to schooling and education. Being able to come back to my family to isolate was a privilege a lot of people didn't have the ability to receive. Moving back from my apartment gave me a feeling of being back in high school but my mindset was still on growth. Making the most of my time was the only viable option I could take without allowing the worries of the nation sink onto my shoulders. After tallying the 6th month of being in lockdown, I only can empathize with those who have children and at risk family members who need to find solutions for schooling and healthcare needs. As a Business Law student, I can only educate myself and those around me, with what is going on around in our political climate, as to comprehend what action must be taken in order to provide significant change. If I could think of what will happen in the next say 4 months, I would not have an answer for you. Taking every day as it comes is the main piece of advice I can leave with. If you approach a problem with confidence in your own ability, all you need is a clear mind and the right tools to tactically approach a means for solution. -
2020-07-26
Pandemic Pods? The Return of Schooling in America
This pandemic has opened the eyes of millions of Americans, including mine, when it came to questioning the necessity of a traditional schooling system. The bridge between political parties reflects various differing opinions on what parents feel the best way to re-enroll back their kids into school. The article I found interested me as it mentioned that families are looking into the idea of creating small groups with local children called “pods” which would help [pay for private tutors or teachers. However this method may require paying thousands of dollars in order to fund tutors to teach these localized groups of students. It is still unsafe in many institutions which thousands of children pass by one another on a daily basis which could lead to mass spread of the virus if even a couple of students have contracted the virus. This article reflects the outcome of an already declining school system affected with a worldwide pandemic. This article gives us a way of looking at how people are affected by and making alternatives to a failing and problematic system of education due to current health safety requirements. This post makes me question whether to innovate or destroy the system? Everything seems to be fluid and unpredictable due to the varying status of the nation day to day. Makes me question, who is responsible for the safety of students and children to be upheld? How does one monitor the level of safety and how will well being be ensured? -
April 14, 2020
COVID Share Your Story #RITtigers #23, Graphic Design Major's Point of view
Online learning is difficult especially in my designing classes so I have to basically learn on my own. The good thing is I adjusted but I do my work on my own time. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Save up your money and use online resources. -
March 31, 2020
COVID Share Your Story #RITtigers #22, Advertising and Public Relations Major's Point of view
COVID-19 has turned my life upside. My co-op was terminated without more than saying it was for the best due to the pandemic. From that I had nothing to do to keep myself busy. Luckily I had RIT, when I was trying to figure out how to proceed with making sure I would still be getting credit for my co-op: my co-op advisor, academic advisor, and Student Advisory Board Advisor gave me links, tips and suggestions to fill my day. RIT has been helping me through the pandemic every day constantly sending resources and activities to do. Not much of good has come out of the experience except nowing that the RIT community is supporting every student in any capacity they can. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Be ready for challenges and approach them creatively. Adapt to the situations at hand. -
March 31, 2020
COVID Share Your Story #RITtigers #21, Accounting Major's Point of view
It has been very difficult. I just finished moving into a new housing assignment after dealing with a demon roommate, then less than a week later RIT made us all leave. Two times in a week I had to move all my things by myself. My family lives in Los Angeles and all my friends were home so I had no one to help me. I've been fighting with both the California and New York DMVs to get my car registered for the last year, so my car is unregistered and I couldn't go anywhere. Luckily my aunt rented me a car so I could drive to St. Louis to stay with my grandfather. My mom didn't want me to drive to LA by myself, even though I've driven from LA to Rochester twice, but with my mom. My cat Poppy and I drove the 12 hours from Rochester to St. Louis in two days. I don't really like St. Louis or LA, I'd so much rather just be in Rochester, mostly because I've never been able to get a job there and I have a job on campus. In terms of classes being all online, I think it will be helpful for me. None of my professors are doing synchronized zoom meetings so I don't have to get up for class anymore. This is good because I didn't go to class all the time anyway. I can do the coursework more on my own terms now. I'm retaking a class I failed last semester and I think I'll pass this time not only because the class is exactly the same, but because the tests are open book and aren't under a time limit because they're online. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Be ready for challenges and approach them creatively. Adapt to the situations at hand. -
March 30, 2020
COVID Share Your Story #RITtigers #20, Biomedical Engineering Major's Point of view
Well not having graduation, not being able to finish out college with the clubs and friends from the past 5 years. I've adjusted by getting closer to my best friends I made here. The good things have been I've gotten a lot of time to reflect on what I want out of my life. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Be happy. Do things that make you happy. Take time and cherish the friends around you as much as you can. -
March 28, 2020
COVID Share Your Story #RITtigers #19, Finance Major's Point of view
I am working a lot more from home and stopped talking to others face to face. I am also not going anywhere unless it is urgent. I am adjusting by adjusting my workplace, buying food from other places and talking to my peers online or through social media. The good things about this experience is that housing is partially refunded and that I got an extra week to prepare myself for this. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? -
March 27, 2020
COVID Share Your Story #RITtigers #18, Physics and Psychology Major's Point of view
The REU programs are likely going to be cancelled, which is very upsetting. My volunteer trip to Puerto Rico was cancelled, a journalism conference we were supposed to go to in Long Island was cancelled, and I'm out of a job for the most part. I'm concerned about the future, but if there's one positive thing that has come of COVID-19, it's spending more time with my emotional support rabbit, Rocket. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? If the question is asking: "What would you tell your past self regarding this semester if you could?", then I would say: You'll get to bring Rocket to class one day soon :) -
March 27, 2020
COVID Share Your Story #RITtigers #17, Individualized Study (Educational Entertainment and Entrepreneurship) Major's Point of view
I serendipitously switched to a personalized, all-online Bachelor's of Art and Science degree within RIT's School of Individualized Study directly prior to the North American outbreak of COVID-19, so I actually had the entirety of the semester to prepare for a remote workspace environment. I have spent the majority of my semester planning and operating the business, marketing, and development processes of my educational entertainment enterprise, Hypostatic Studios, as part of my Senior Capstone Project. Along the way I have experienced multiple obfuscations to my original production plan, as I have had to cancel travel arrangements to gaming conventions, lost a financially supportive game development instruction position with iD Tech's Spring Break Camps, and have had my project denied for face-to-face Customer Discovery interviews by RIT's Human Subjects Research Office (HSRO), completely eliminating any direct interpersonal interactions from the crucial startup phase of my business. The experience of dealing with COVID-19 actually benefits the foundational online solidarity of my company, which I would eventually prefer to remote via remote operations for in the future of our studio's development. Overall the COVID-19 outbreak has proven a source of anxiety and increasingly complex rearrangements of social and corporate operation, however our company is still strong and we are adapting to the paradigm shifts with continued perseverance. In the coming months we will be presenting our primary project "A Perfect Year" to several investors, including the New York Business Plan Competition, while attempting to network with the scientific researchers who discovered Water Memory and Extraction Zone Water, two concepts integral to our didactic efforts, with whom we were fortunate enough to make a connection with during the singular week of instruction work I was able to complete before the quarantine. So it has been an exciting and unnerving time, but Hypostatic Studios will continue to march forward towards the wanton delights of the unknown, and shall return victorious to share all the many fruits of our didactic digital labors! www.hypostaticstudios.com If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Don't worry about unexpected disruptions to your personal plan - they are obstacles in a game, the demons which must be dealt with as in any RPG, and provide opportunities for redemption and an ultimate award of glory! - "Think Outside The Self" -
March 26, 2020
COVID Share Your Story #RITtigers #16, Computational Mathematics Major's Point of view
I was set to graduate this Spring, and I'm obviously quite sad there's not going to be a commencement for it. My college commencement is something I've looked forward to not just since the beginning of this semester or even the beginning of my time at RIT, but it goes way back to when I was very little and learned that college was a thing and that many professions required a college education. I could've done the math then and figured out that I was on track to be at a commencement of my own in May of 2020, and to have come all this way and not be able to live that ceremony is just gutting. Getting used to remote classes has been a challenge. I've never taken a credited college class remotely before and it requires more self-organisation than with in-person classes. If I can think of anything good that has, or at least will, come out of this experience, it's the fact that - while this is one of the most challenging times the world has ever faced - we all will come out of it stronger than ever, and so anytime we face other challenges after this, we'll feel more up to the task because we overcame this. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? I would tell myself to savour the experiences I have with my friends and take pictures of them because with what we're dealing with now, I've been deprived of these opportunities for the final weeks of my time in college. -
March 26, 2020
COVID Share Your Story #RITtigers #15, Visual Media Major's Point of view
Yes, I had to change my capstone project as it involved a lot in-person interactions and sharing it during Imagine RIT. I had to adjust and make it a virtual delivery, which is a challenge, but I am grateful for my capstone class to work on this together. One really good thing that is coming out of this COVID=19 experience is that I've been doing 'through the window' shoots around my neighborhood to document what we all are going through. I practice strictly social distancing, and I hope to continue as long as it is safe to do so. I've seen beautiful positivity sharing around in my neighborhood because of this project. You can see on my Instagram @ameliakhamilton for the photos I've done. https://www.instagram.com/ameliakhamilton/ If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Cherish every moment. Grab every opportunity. Appreciate what you have! -
March 26, 2020
COVID Share Your Story #RITtigers #14, Physics Major's Point of view
Once we were directed to leave RIT, I was overwhelmed. Things felt so uncertain and hopeless, I was seriously considering dropping out. But after the outpouring of support from all corners of RIT, and especially the academic provost's decision to offer pass/fail options, I truly felt that things would be okay. The situation is manageable and RIT is here for us. There is so much love within our community, and I'm trying to help spread it wherever and whenever possible. Even though we're physically distant, I feel closer than ever to my family and friends. Everyone is checking in on one another and actively trying to make the day brighter. For instance, I've reconnected with many friends from high school in the form of meme-sharing and messages of support. I've even become closer to my younger sister by recording music together. We have seen examples of the world as a beautiful, interconnected community. Let's keep it going. Spread the love <3 If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Keep your room clean, keep your chin up, keep your friends close, it's all going to be okay. -
March 26, 2020
COVID Share Your Story #RITtigers #13, Industrial Engineering BS & Sustainable Engineering ME Major's Point of view
As a result of COVID-19, there are two main pieces of my time in college that have been affected: my graduation ceremony and RIT's Relay For Life event. The lack of a graduation ceremony, as a first generation college student as well, has left my family and I a bit disappointed. We're trying to stay positive though, and are glad it's allowing me more time home with my Dad before I go off into the working world full-time. Relay For Life was the other large part of my life that has now changed. I'm one of the two event chairs in charge of organizing and planning the event, and after putting in a semester and a half of work spread among 28 people, we had to cancel the in-person event. However, considering that we still want to help the American Cancer Society as much as possible, our team is still working to plan a VIRTUAL event instead for April 20th-April 24th! This will be an opportunity for us to help test a relatively new event delivery method for the ACS, and it will provide guidance and knowledge that they can use in the future to better host virtual events in far more locales! If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Appreciate every moment that you're on campus, walking, talking, and hanging out with friends and peers. Make those memories last and stay positive, don't dwell on issues out of your control. -
March 26, 2020
COVID Share Your Story #RITtigers #12, Criminal Justice Major's Point of view
With everything being cancelled and moved online. My capstone has been effected the most. My in person interviews were cancelled so I had to restructure my project and change some papers. I'm adjusting well to online methods because I've taken 10-15 online classed throughout my college career. The good things that have come out of this experience would be how understanding, supportive and accommodating my professors are. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Get ahead early and push through until the end. You're so close. -
March 26, 2020
COVID Share Your Story #RITtigers #11, Bachelors of arts and science Major's Point of view
It made all my classes go online which is both a blessing and a vice. I am an introvert so I love this method. But I'm also a procrastinator, so I dislike this method. It's also a vice because I dont have internet at my place of residence. I need to go to my pastors house to use the internet. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Don't get too comfortable and prepare for some major life changes. -
March 26, 2020
COVID Share Your Story #RITtigers #10, Mechanical Engineering Technology Major's Point of view
Well outside of the obvious classes going to online, I have had to give extra attention to my classes regarding assignments and due dates, it isn't the teacher's job anymore to hand out stuff. I have had to learn on my own, I can't go to the lectures to learn, I have to read the textbook, or attend Zoom meetings which only some of my teachers have. I sort of have this feeling of "you're on your own now" and it's completely up to me to succeed. It does feel quite lonely even though I am with my family because all of my friends are away back home and the only interaction with them is through social media and such. What really upsets me is that I had a job on campus and I liked going to work and making money. Now, I don't have any income and when I am not doing schoolwork I am doing generally unproductive stuff like watching TV or playing video games. The adjustment is a weird one, I feel like I am getting used to it but I am still wary that this new system will come up and screw me out of nowhere. I guess some good things to come out of this was that I am finally getting proper use out of my laptop, I finally cleaned my room and I have interacted with my family more. I do enjoy the home cooked meals. I also am really excited for when this is all over and I can have fun with my friends again. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Enjoy your time while you have it. Spend as much time with friends as you can, and make more friends. No one saw this coming and the lack of social interaction has really taken a toll on me. -
March 26, 2020
COVID Share Your Story #RITtigers #9, Mechanical Engineering Major's Point of view
Most significantly, I was torn from a place where I finally fit in with my blacksmithing and welding and general maker mindset, and went back to a place where everyone plays basketball and farms, and can’t talk about anything else. I finally fit in somewhere, and it got cut short. I learned to find myself, and now I know that my not fitting in was by no means my fault. I know to stay connected with those who care about me, not necessarily those physically nearby. I know to balance my time better next year. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Take time away from club work, no matter how much they need you, and spend time with your friends. Balance your time. -
March 25, 2020
COVID Share Your Story #RITtigers #8, Hospitality and Tourism Management Major's Point of view
Firstly, this weird situation caused sadness. Sadness that my last dance performance was canceled, my last volleyball nationals was canceled, and of course commencement. This was supposed to be a year of celebration. Now, I am finding ways to be thankful for all of the memories I’ve created. While the grief still lingers and will for a while, I am learning how strong I can be. I’ve been doing DIY projects, going on walks, and trying to look towards the future. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Take in every moment and don’t wish your senior year away. The complaints about schedules and school work are not worth it. -
March 25, 2020
COVID Share Your Story #RITtigers #7, Civil Engineering Technology & Modern Applied Spanish Language Major's Point of view
This semester was one of the best experiences that I have had so far at RIT because I had the opportunity to study abroad through an exchange program at Universidad Pontificia Comillas in Madrid, Spain. On the night of March 11th, I went out with a few friends that I met in Madrid. It was just like any other night, but at 2am local time, president Trump announced that he would be suspending all travel from the EU in two days time. While US citizens would still be able to return, I knew that my study abroad experience had come to an end within a matter of minutes. Hours later at 9am, I was on a plane headed to my home in New Jersey. This was a very difficult change to accept, but I know that it was necessary. Originally, I was devastated, but having been home for two weeks, I have spent more time with my family in these past few days than I have in years. Although we have lived together at times during my collegiate career, it was quarantine that brought us together to spend quality time. I am also able to finish my coursework online at my school in Spain, and they have been super accommodating for this adjustment period. While I obviously wish that this novel coronavirus had not spread throughout the globe and feel terrible for all of those touched by the pandemic, it has made me realize that it is important to try to find the positives in any situation, regardless of how bad it may seem at first. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? I would tell myself to truly cherish each and every second that you have to study abroad because even my originally planned four months trip to Spain seemed too short as it is, but the relationships that are made there are like no other. -
March 25, 2020
COVID Share Your Story #RITtigers #6, Business Management Major's Point of view
Because I am a freshman it has not impacted it too much. I was in the 2017 California Thomas Fires and it was a similar experience in terms of education. However, my friend and I are setting up a website (www.communitybonds.us) where brick and mortar businesses who need cash now can sell "bonds". A "bond" is essentially a discounted gift card. Example: You can buy a $100 "bond" to your favorite restaurant for $75 now. The restaurant gets the cash they need now, and you can redeem your bond for its full value in services when they reopen. If we can even make one business owner sleep jut a bit better at night we've done our job. We aren't taking a fee or a cut we just want to help. We hope to be launching in a couple of days but our landing page is up right now. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Be prepared. -
March 25, 2020
COVID Share Your Story #RITtigers #5, Engineering Major's Point of view
I've been forced into reduced hours for my co-op My father and uncle have lost their jobs. The loss of income and support comes at a critical time as I'm worried how my family will weather this storm. I am moving back into my parents house to help so we can pool our resources. Nevertheless I remain positive and thankful for my blessings. I have more time now, and I am healthy. My family is lucky as we've not been directly touched by the virus. While I know this storm is far from over there is a clearing on the other side, we only have to look for it. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Hold onto the memory of grandma and the serenity prayer. Their going to help you through the coming months. (Also the winning lotto numbers are....;)) -
March 25, 2020
COVID Share Your Story #RITtigers #4, Mechanical Engineer Major's Point of view
Due to COVID-19 it has been a crazy few weeks. I was in Florida on the women's crew training trip. When we first got the news the year would not be continuing as planned. At first I was heart broken I had made some of the most amazing friends and the thought of being away from them for longer than just the summer was heart breaking. I was scared that we would loose contact. However the exact opposite has happened, we now video chat on the weekly and call each other we need help or just a pick me up. Al though it is not the same as eating dinner every night together or spending each weekend hanging out we have still found ways to connect. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? I would tell myself to pack lighter. I didn't use a lot of stuff I packed and it was a pain when trying to move back home. -
March 25, 2020
COVID Share Your Story #RITtigers #3, Electrical Engineering Major's Point of view
Honestly it has been roughly mentally. Throughout my college years I have been dealing with identity crisis and deep rooted trauma from past experience that I have been ignoring until recently. I hated my major and other things were not going my way. This semester felt like the first semester where I was beginning to open to people and started to seriously seek help and face my problems. I started pursing the major that I wanted to and even applied to grad school for it and got accepted for it. I even met new friends who I didn’t need to pretend to act a certain way to be accepted. It is unfortunate that the current events happened as I felt that I wasn’t able to really build up those friendships as much as I could. I had to change my therapist sessions to online rather than in person and with the virus, I had to avoid people not only because I don’t want to spread the disease but also I have breathing issues that makes the disease even deadlier. It has been isolating and depressing. However, I am looking at the situation as a way to really focus on myself. I used people to distract myself from my problems so now I have to face them. I know I will become a stronger and happier person as I slowly face all my issues and I know I have people that care about me that I call on if I need help. Also I get to focus on my guitar and music hobbies more so that is also another plus. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? “You know that decision that you were second guessing yourself that night, just go for it because you don’t if you will have chance again later in the semester” -
March 25, 2020
COVID Share Your Story #RITtigers #2, Film and animation Major's Point of view
I am a film and animation major, that said most of my classes are practicality based. Mostly studio time and experience based, it is a huge adjustment for someone who struggles to pay attention to switch to online classes. I don’t have a room at my house so my classes are taken in the dinning room and I sleep in the couch, there are so many distractions and it’s absolutely terrible to try and pay attention. so far not a lot of good has come from this besides the idea that the professors and Dean, have made it 100% obvious that they are trying and that they care. They have made it possible for us to (maybe) do our studio labs next semester, if we do wish to. For the most part we are all on board for such as well, these studio based courses are things we look forward too and this was all just poor timing for everyone. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? I would tell myself at the start of the semester not to get my hopes up too high for these studio times, that way I wouldn’t have felt so awful when it was suppose to be cancelled, I also would have told myself to put more faith in the professors who care about us, and know that they had our best interests at heart. They really did fight for us in the CAD meeting and our faculty should know how much the students of SOFA are thankful for that. -
March 25, 2020
COVID Share Your Story #RITtigers #1, Film Production Major's Point of view
I am jobless, and RIT is doing little to help. Many of my peers are in a similar situation where RIT is not paying them for shifts they were scheduled for (me that’s hockey games) but either got cancelled or suspended because of Cuomo’s order. I am unable to make rent for next month without this pay, and I am incredibly stressed and frustrated. I am disappointed in my college for their decisions on student employment and payroll, and how my requests have been denied without proper explanation. Pay your student workers for the shifts they were scheduled for. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Save, save, save. -
07/25/2020
Olivia Pecora Oral History, 2020/07/25
Olivia Pecora was born in Santa Monica, California, and moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, when she was eight. She graduated from Rowland Hall in Salt Lake City in 2014. After high school she attended Villanova University in Pennsylvania. While at Villanova, Olivia was active in her sorority, spent a semester studying abroad, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology in 2018. Upon graduation, Olivia became a member of Teach For America, where she began working towards her teaching license. This journey placed her in Nampa, Idaho, and she became a teacher at Lone Star Middle School in 2018. She is a special education teacher with a focus on English Language Arts. In her job, she co-teaches classes, holds a resource class that is specific to her special education population, and manages the individual education plans (IEPs) of roughly 25 students. In her free time, Olivia loves to enjoy the outdoors, spend time with her friends and family, and explore the Boise, Idaho area. Throughout this interview, Olivia examines the impact of COVID-19 on the school system, her own life, and how she believes things will change going forward.