Items

• 
  04/11/2020

  Talitha Brandel-Black Oral History, 2020/04/11

• 
  12/07/2021

  Wyatt Goetz and Sloana Goetz Oral History, 2021/12/07

• 2020-03-06

  The Two Week Break

  My Junior year at Midwood High School took an expected turn as a national emergency was declared on March 13, 2020. I remember watching the news with my mother, excited to see I would have two weeks off from school. My mother and I would both be home as all non-essential businesses moved to remote or closed down indefinitely. I immediately messaged my friends about the two week break, planning to play video games all day long. We spent those two weeks staying up late as if it was an extended spring break. Little did I know that those two weeks would turn into months of isolation, living in fear of going into the outside world. I feared for my father as he was a registered nurse at Woodhull Hospital. Not only did he have to go outside everyday for work, but he would be face to face with patients, many sick and dying from this new virus that took the world by surprise. There was no vaccine for almost an entire year, so all he could rely on were masks, gloves, face shields and hair nets. My father and many other medical workers were needed overtime to deal with the immense amount of patients coming in everyday. As he came home from work my mother would bring his clothes and leave them by our front door. I worried for him at work as I feared he could get this virus that we were still learning about. Thankfully he never got sick with Covid-19 during the early pandemic, and with the new vaccines in development many of our fears were put to rest. After almost two months of not having any classes we were introduced to remote learning through zoom and google classroom. It was a very new experience for my fellow classmates and I, but it was nice not having to leave your bed to go to class for a while. However that relief of not waking up early to go to class turned into yearning to go to school and seeing my friends. Waking up every morning to see a screen filled with blank profile pictures with names made me feel very lonesome. I would never imagine missing going to school, but it was something that I had taken for granted. In my senior year of high school there was the option for hybrid learning which I was very excited about, but I'd later find out that there would only be rows of desks set up in my school gyms we used for physical education. It wouldn't be the everyday schedule of switching classes and seeing my friends in the hallways and library. I ended up doing another year of remote learning which was very draining but I managed to do well in all my classes with nothing else to do. Unfortunately I did not have a prom or senior trip, but I was very lucky to have an in person graduation and see all of the people I once saw everyday again. This story of the pandemic is very significant to me as it taught me to never take things for granted as everything can change in a moments notice. The things I'd known as my everyday routine of school and hanging out became a distant memory for a long time until numbers and fears of the virus fell. Being able to go to campus now and have a regular life again is something I will now cherish forever. It is still somewhat hard to socialize again after being isolated for so long, but I have made some friends along the way and I look forward to all the memories that await me in the future.
• 
  2022-01-13

  A Day of Travelling

  I created this handwritten story that I wrote in the airport and never thought that I would share it with someone
• 
  04/14/2021

  Liana Smith Oral History, 2021/04/14

• 
  05/09/2021

  Josh Miller Oral History, 2021/05/07

  Josh Miller is from Eau Claire, Wisconsin and he is a police officer. We discuss how Covid 19 has impacted his work, family, and community and how he feels about the pandemic.
• 
  2021-12-03

  Kaitlin Teniente Oral History, 2021/12/03

  An interview with the Director of Esports at St. Mary's University, Kaitlin Teniente, discussing how the pandemic affected interacting with the students through esports and other casual videogame events.
• 
  2020-07-25

  A Different Online Meeting

  Athletics has always been a big part of bringing together a school's community. It's an important aspect for not just the athletes but also the supporters. The complete cancellation of sporting events can be a jarring disruption to a school's morale and spirit. The rising of popularity of esports and competitive videogames though has been helpful in keeping people connected. Though physical, in person sports have been cancelled, classmates can still keep in touch with each other through their school's team by playing and watching the school's online games. The St. Mary's esports team has provided a way for people for people with similar interests to meet without actually ever seeing each other in person. A placement on the team isn't even necessary. Videogames have been an important outlet for me in the pandemic to keep me mentally happy. The closure of many places and the inability to see certain people in real life has made me rely on them instead.
• 
  2021-04-22

  Passing the Time

  Staying inside all day has given me the want to greatly improve my entertainment center. This includes getting a nicer TV that was on sale and dusting off old video game consoles from long ago.
• 
  2021-02-03

  They Make This All Worth It

  It is weird to teach high school online. I usually get to know my kids by wandering around the room and making small talk. By inviting them to go running with me during 6th period (the athletic period). By running into them walking to Starbucks before an after-school review session. By leaving my room open at lunch as an alternative cafeteria. These things are not an option this year. When you teach, the jokes you make, are the kids laughing? The topics you’re really excited about sharing - are the kids excited? Are they REALLY listening when they nod at you, or are they texting their best friends out of the view of the camera, or playing a video game on a separate device? The silence is the weirdest part. Do the kids pick up on the little one liner remarks I drop in? Honestly, I get SO EXCITED when the Zoom chat lights up. It is truly my favorite part of any period because it’s like being back in class, having a real conversation, instead of me calling on students to answer and visiting them in break out rooms. They don’t like to unmute themselves to comment. Even in break out rooms they are still a bit anxious when I appear. They’re always willing to share when I call on them, so I know they’re learning the content. But I do sit up at night while I grade and wonder if the kids are actually enjoying class. I love teaching so much, and I love my kids so much, it hurts to think that this year’s kids just aren’t getting the same experience. And I am 100% in favor of staying on Distance Learning until our case rates decline, so I don’t have an agenda to re-open here. And this is why these letters I received in November are so meaningful to me. Our school ASB put out a “thank a teacher” post on Instagram, telling kids they should email a teacher and thank them. Honestly, our school has very little school spirit - ASB activities and assemblies are attended by very few students. Therefore, I didn’t think much of their social media challenge to “thank your teachers.” But then, I checked my inbox. And I became teary eyed. Honestly, I expected letters from the seniors. I was very, very close to last year’s kids. We had a great year before quarantine, and then when quarantine hit, it was like I had 180 best friends who would DM me at all hours because they were lonely, mad, sad, scared, and frustrated. And I didn’t mind because I love my kids. It’s not like I had anything else to do at 2 am the world had turned upside down. But this year’s kids have never met me in person. We don’t have the same relationship as I had with last year’s kids. So, I was so, so surprised by the number of current students, some of whose emails I have submitted (with all identifying information and names redacted) who wrote to thank me. I was hesitant to submit this at first, because I’ve never been one for public bragging, which is sort of what sharing thank you letters seems like to me. I know there are teachers who post every message a kid sends them, but I am not that person. A thank you from a kid is personal, and is something you keep but do not need to share. However, these emails are a really important part of my pandemic experience. They demonstrate to me that I have not totally failed this year. These kids who have never met me face to face, sharing such kind words, and excitement for learning history is probably the biggest personal win of this entire pandemic year. These kids will never know how much these words meant to me, and how much they motivate me to give 100%, even when we are all just within our tiny Zoom boxes. I hope with all that is within me that I can get vaccinated in time to be able to teach them in person before this year ends. They have shown over and over again this year how amazing they are, and I want to be able to be able to tell them that and thank them for that in person before the end of their junior year.
• 
  2021-01-25

  Modded Plants VS Zombies Videogame

  During the boring consequences of the COVID VIRUS (having to be shut in and take classes online) I would play video games (as I would expect is customary during these times). This particular video game is "Plants VS Zombies", for specifically it is "Plants VS Zombies Plus" a modded Chinese version of the former. The mod makes the video game unfairly difficult. This particular level is impossible. Plants which you can plant fall down in random intervals from the rain and you place them where you see fit. The issue is that this level is four times longer than in the regular version. The zombies in this version are much more difficult- such as the door screen zombie, who is now immune to fume-shrooms bypassing his door. Throughout the level, graves appear, making where you can place plants limited. Sometimes these graves destroy the plants themselves. The level is impossible. I have tried repeatedly but the artificial difficulty is just to much. Still fun though. (If this really is to be seen in future generations I would humbly ask that one read my book Malcorpus. At this moment it is at the works.)
• 2021-01-17

  Favorite Things

  While being in the pandemic I've had to rely on a few activities to keep myself centered as I've been surviving through COVID. The first thing that's been a lifesaver for me is video games. I've always enjoyed playing video games but during COVID old games that I've played in the past became familiar comforts during this crisis. Plus I was able to use online servers to play video games with friends. The second thing that's been my favorite thing throughout the pandemic is actually Zoom. While I initially hated the program it's been a godsend for me to be able to spend time with friends and safely connect with people. The third thing I've used has been painting. I've found that an artistic activity has been helpful for me to be able to express myself and be creative while staying safe. The fourth thing for me has been my car. Whenever I need a chance to clear my head I always go on a drive and my car has begun to feel like a safe place and sometimes I'll just sit in my car when things become too overwhelming.
• 
  2021-01-12

  My favorite things

  This document contains several of my favorite things that have helped me get through the pandemic, such as video games, music, my banjo, cooking and my dog Dobbs! I submitted this from the ASU HST 580 internship course.
• 2020-11-26

  My 2020 Thanksgiving

  This year has been really crazy and hectic for everyone. With Covid-19 going on, the holidays sadly have to be downscaled. So this year I had Thanksgiving with just my household. For dinner we had chicken instead of turkey because of late planning hoping for a change to be with our entire family. I spent most of Thanksgiving alone in my room just playing video games by myself because I was sad that my younger cousins and the rest of family. Overall we still had a great Thanksgiving and had a delicious feast.
• 2020-08-27

  Covid-19 gaming

  During Covid-19 quarantine, all highly populated public places were closed. (theaters, arcades, etc.) We were all confined to stuff to do in our houses and one thing that was done a lot was playing video games. I played a lot of video games, specifically COD Modern Warfare, which was of the biggest games during quarantine. This is important to me because it was something that kept me same during the pandemic.
• 
  0020-06-11

  savage story

  uh for a while when the pandamic hit i had no life and won a championship on nba 2k20
• 
  2020-04-11

  Business Closure – Pennsylvania Gamestops

  GameStops across the state of Pennsylvania had their business license revoked by Governor Tom Wolf after the corporation did not abide by state closure orders.
• 
  2020-04-04

  Life through my Quarantine

  This object says that I don't go out as much as I used to, because the object symbolizes a video game.
• 
  05/19/2020

  Jeffery Scanlon Oral History, 2020/05/19

  Jeffery Scanlon edits and directs local news channel 18 WQOW in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. He thinks that some people in the US may have a lack of seriousness towards the pandemic. He elaborates on this by explaining how he sees people not social distancing and not wearing a mask. He then explains how Covid has affected his job working for a news channel as it’s all that they cover. He then expresses challenges of the pandemic, one being how his parents not being able to see his daughter as often, as they have underlying health conditions. He then describes how he plays video games to pass time as you are not able to go out and do things. He then brings up a frustration of people posting conspiracy information about the pandemic on social media and spreading misinformation. His job is his main source of news. Jeffery believes that his local government handled initial outbreak well, but may be opening up prematurely and specified “no comment” on how the federal government handled the situation. He then ends with that mask wear in public should not be a political statement, instead people should be wearing them to protect their health and the health of the people around them.
• 
  05/11/2020

  Nate Hayner Oral History, 2020/05/11

  The interviewee, Nate Hayner, describes his experience moving from his apartment in New York City to his parent’s house in Wisconsin. Initially, Nate believed covid was going to be like SARS and other virus outbreaks and only affect countries overseas, then he saw firsthand how bad it got New York City and moved out. He tells of how him and his parents took it seriously as he quarantined for two weeks in their basement. Next, Nate says that his biggest concern is that the pandemic appears to be driving a wedge in society. He elaborates on this by telling how he got tired of watching the news as it was so absurd and frustrating the inaccurate things they would report. Additionally, he expressed his concern on how people were believing in conspiracy theories and not following safety recommendations from local governments and spreading inaccurate information on social media. Then Nate describes how Covid made it hard to stay in contact with casual friends but easier to contact good friends via technology. He also explained how isolation being hard for extroverts and people who are not able to work and do not have a emergency fund to fall back on. Nate ends the interview by stating how the government should have taken planning for events like this more seriously and that in the future we need to be more prepared, the government should stockpile PPE and medicine and people should have a food stockpile and emergency fund as he feels we will probably see another pandemic in our lifetime.
• 
  05/05/2020

  James Ziehr Oral History, 2020/05/05

  This is part of a undergrad/ grad project at UW - Eau Claire for a public history course, taught by Dr. Cheryl Frei.
• 
  2020-06-06

  I Broke up with My Boyfriend because, Quarantine, and Got a New Family

  I broke up with my boyfriend because quarantine forced us to spend much more time together and the problems we'd been able to sweep under the rug became too apparent to us. It was time to make the break which would have been devastating normally but since I was able to move in with old friends and turn a negative into a positive. This wouldn't have happened without the Coronavirus.
• 2020-06-01

  A privileged withe boy in a privilegedsocietys take on quarantine

  For complete context, I am a white 8th grader at an exceptional private school who lives in the bay area and is very privileged. Today I will be talking about hat quarantine has been like for me. At the start, I was happy at thought of maybe a few weeks off school because of some flu but then it became serious and school was canceled for the entire year. as the days went on I started a routine. online school from 9 to 2 (with lunch in between of course) then exercise outside for an hour (pretty much just walked my dog most of the time), then play video games for most of the remaining day. video games were the only way I made contact for most of the quarantine with my friends. my favorite games to play during quarantine was 2k and COD but mostly COD. Anyways that has been my life for the last few months and it has not been half bad. Besides the fact I couldn't go out or see any of my friend's quarantine was kinda nice. But after a while, people started getting tired of quarantine and started to see their friends again. It started with most girls who were craving social interaction and then eventually after a few weeks spread to the boys. another thing about quarantine was I was on my phone a lot. I averaged around 7 hours a day of screen time which included binging of Netflix shows, viewing of plenty TikTok, and sending lots of snaps. Some shows I have watched over qaurantine are tiger king, money hiest, community, all american, space force, etc.. also, another thing if this matters to you are my political beliefs. I am liberal and I think trump is an awful president and person (excuse my language). Anyways quarantine hasn't been too exciting and it has been kinda boring. also, the protest in the name of George Floyd and I do not support the violent protests but I truly believe In the cause that they are supporting and I think we shouldn't have to live in a racist world. If I am being honest I would actually like to go to a protest but my parent probably won't let me because its "dangerous" or something along those lines. Anyway, that has been my take on my quarantine and I hope whoever you are that is reading this that you are living in a better world with a better government right now. Thanks for your time. -please excuse my awful grammar
• 2020-06-01

  Pandemic

  Staying at home locked up is very odd. It takes a toll on your mental health because you are not able to see your friends or anyone outside your immediate family. It is hard to connect with others and you will see the other side of most people's personalities. Letting yourself be who you are is very important. Taking time to do what you love (if possible) is a great way to let out steam. Workouts and staying fit as well as movies and video games are good ways to spend time. The pandemic of 2020 will always be remembered, likely not fondly.
• 
  2020-05-31

  Gamers and the Coronavirus

  For many Americans in the middle of this pandemic, not being able to go outside understandably sucks. Personally, I also wish that I could go back outside and talk with friends after being inside for so long. But, I have a friend to stick with me in the middle of this disaster of a year- called video games. They're a life-saver, and have saved me from many hours of boredom, and even allow me to be with friends in a way I can't in real life.
• 
  2020-05-23

  A story about Bioshock written during the quarantine for a high school class

  Bioshock story
• 2020-04-20

  Tokyo Gov Koike - Mitsu des EDM Remix

  In April 2020, as the Japanese national government dragged its feet on declaring a state of emergency or taking other strong actions, Gov. Koike Yuriko of Tokyo began holding daily TV appearances in which he encouraged the people of Tokyo to take responsible steps, including closing shops, working from home, allowing your employees to work from home, wearing masks, etc, as well as to avoid "the three Mitsu," meaning places which are crowded, closed-in, and involve close interaction. A video game was then released in which you play as Gov. Koike, going around Tokyo and telling people "Mitsu desu!" ("You're too close!", or more literally, "this is crowding!"). This video remixes her statements into an amusing EDM soundtrack.
• 
  04/01/2020

  A couple who had to cancel their anniversary plans spend it recreating wedding photos in Animal Crossing instead

  A user shared a screenshot of a wedding photo they recreated in Animal Crossing on the reddit.com/r/AnimalCrossing subreddit. The virus canceled a lot of plans for people and people are finding new and innovative ways to still have a celebration of the event in the safety of their own homes. Video games have been a good resource for socializing safely for those able to access them.
• 
  2020-05-21

  Reflections in the game Animal Crossing about how they didn't think the virus would still be a problem 2 months down the line.

  This is a screenshot of a Reddit.com/r/AnimalCrossing. In the game, players can send letters to their future selves. This person sent themselves a letter for 2 months after the beginning of quarantine, thinking it would be over by now. I think it really highlights how we weren't prepared for the virus, nor did a majority of people anticipate being under lockdown for this long.
• 
  04/06/2020

  Living Through COVID-19

  *Creator: Suad Nur, Dougherty Family College, HIST 115
• 
  2020-05-08

  UCI Pride in the Virtual Islands of Animal Crossing

  "I thought it would be funny to have my animal villagers in a lecture hall and to create scene that was relatable. I decided to share this photo with other students and maybe encourage others to make other funny UCI-related scenes and memes within the game." - Joshua Montefalcon, 2020 *UCI Almunmus Joshua Montefalcon, '18
• 2020-05-04

  The Effects of COVID-19 on the Fighting Game Community

  Fighting games are an odd case when considering video games as a whole. Most of the gaming community has matured alongside the internet and as such resides within it, bringing together people from all across the globe and creating friendships that would never be possible otherwise. This pandemic is the perfect time for these games to help bring people together, allowing people to escape from the chaos of the world and find companionship online in anything from a team based shooter that allows one to spend time with their friends like Valorant to an entire social platform with digital bars, movie theaters, and conventions like VRChat. Fighting games, however, were born in an era of arcades, and their very nature brought people together, first as competitors and then as friends. In-person competition and open tournaments that give anyone a chance to win are a vital part of what the fighting game community, or FGC, is. Three years ago was my first real introduction to the FGC in the form of my high school’s gaming club. There we played a variety of games, the main one being Super Smash Bros. Two years ago I was running the club, organizing tournaments and large events, and occasionally going to local tournaments with cash prizes. This past year, I began attending Arizona State University and was going to the college’s large biweekly tournament as often as I could. The reason for me going to and organizing these sorts of events is not because I can win them; I am by no means great at fighting games. What matters most to me is the community they offer. I have made friends through these games, and while I do simply enjoy playing them, meeting new people through them is equally as important to me. Three months ago, soon before the pandemic became widespread and the world locked down, I began becoming more involved than ever in the FGC. I went to multiple state-wide tournaments and started becoming good friends with the other people that attended. However, life got busy and right before the pandemic I stopped going, figuring there was no reason to worry about it since I could always just go another time. COVID-19 has now removed that option, so I ended up missing out on one of the last chances I had to spend time with these friends before I was cut off from them. Now people are forced to play these games online, which not only means that a huge amount of the community aspect is lacking, but also that players are forced to deal with online systems that were designed as a secondary option to local play. The largest fighting game tournament in the world, the Super Bowl of the FGC, is being forced to move online, and not one of the games it planned on running has a good online system. I worry the effect this will have on the scene, as it will not only be a terrible experience for those participating, but will show off these games at their worst and may very well harm the reputation of the FGC. The poor state of these games’ online systems and lack of community has also made many lose their passion for the games they care so much about. Personally, my excitement about getting into the community more has been massively stunted, and I have been spending far less time practicing the games than I would like despite an abundance of time. While the pandemic has been harmful to the community as a whole, if that was the only issue then everything could likely bounce back to normal after the virus has been stopped. However, the largest dangers to the FGC are financial ones. These events already run with very slim profit margins, and so this pandemic has harmed the tournament organizers that had scheduled an event during the crisis the most. Venue and hotel expenses had already been paid, and so organizers were forced to either try to run events that they knew would potentially infect people or take huge financial hits. In the words of Alexander Jebaily, “If I cancel by my own choice, instant bankruptcy.” In my own area, the company that does the most to host events and support others, SAK Gaming, was forced to abandon the venue they had been using for years, a place that was dear to the hearts of much of the community, with some seeing it as their second home. I had never gotten around to going to a tournament there, and now I’ll never be able to have that experience in a place that was so special to many. I don’t know what’s next for the FGC. While some events will certainly be able to spring back, others are most likely canceled forever. I can certainly hope that everything will return to normal, but just as with every other aspect of society, some things will likely be changed forever.
• 
  2020-04-20

  The Struggles of the Dining Room Table

  A college student's experience with taking online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 
  2020-04-16

  100 gecs Announce Minecraft Festival With Charli XCX, Kero Kero Bonito, A.G. Cook, & More - Benefit for Feeding America

  100 gecs are announcing a Minecraft music festival, because of course they are. The extremely online weirdo-pop duo of Dylan Brady and Laura Les played their first-ever show on Minecraft early last year, and now that all live music is cancelled and people like American Football are headlining virtual concerts in Minecraft, 100 gecs have decided to host a video game fest of their own. Their music festival, Square Garden, is a benefit to raise money for Feeding America. 100 gecs and Charli XCX are co-headlining, and the lineup also includes other collaborators and kindred spirits like Kero Kero Bonito, A.G. Cook, GFOTY, Cashmere Cat, Benny Blanco, Danny L Harle, Dorian Electra, Alice Longyu Gao, Count Baldor, Umru, Tommy Cash, 99Jakes, Alice Gas, Gupi, Fraxiom, and Parry Gripp.
• 
  2020-04-03

  New York Times contradicting themselves

  New York Times contradicting themselves