Items

• 2022-05-10

  Athens Pride and Queer Collective to host first local Pride Parade

  This is a news story from WUGA by Sofi Grates. According to this article, it says that Pride Month will be back in full swing in Athens after it being canceled due to COVID. It will be hosted by Athens Pride and Queer Collective. The parade that is sent for June 12 will include vendors, music, and a cookout
• 
  2022-05-12

  Baby Formula Shortage

  This is an Instagram post by shanti.mikel. This post is on a conspiracy that the baby formula shortage is being used by Bill Gates to promote artificial breast milk technology. Connected to this theory is Pfizer advising people to not breast feed. I would be curious to know what the vaccine's impact would be on breast feeding in the future, as mRNA vaccines like the one Pfizer has produced are going to be used to treat other diseases. The claim that breast feeding is not recommended with COVID vaccines originated in Britain's medicines regulator, not Pfizer, according to Reuters. In order to give more context to this post, I have posted the story by Reuters as well, for those interested in reading. For me personally, I still don't think all the side-effects from the vaccines will be known for a while, as I have had a hard time getting information on the vaccines that has not come across as highly partisan for one group or the other. The evidence I rely on is mostly anecdotal from people that have received the vaccines, in addition to the reasoning of people that did not get them. For the people in my immediate circle, I have not seen any ill health effects from the vaccines so far, but I am also unsure how effective the vaccines are in the long run if some of those same people still get COVID anyway. It is hard to tell if the vaccine is making the COVID cases more mild, or if the virus has just mutated enough to where it is less deadly. It could be a mixture of both. All of it is hard for me to really be sure about either side because I feel like I am only getting partial truth from both.
• 
  2022-04-25

  A Wild Ride

  In a world wide pandemic, it is important to get first hand accounts and feelings to be able to look into later.
• 2020-04-05

  How I started a business during quarantine in 2020

  During quarantine in the early stages of the Covid-19 Pandemic, I started my own pressure washing business. I realized that everyone would be at home almost all day everyday so I wanted to make a little money by cleaning neighbors' exterior parts of their homes. My parents had all of the supplies already so I just borrowed their pressure washer and garden hoses. I went door-to-door asking people if they wanted any pressure washing down and it turned out that almost everyone on my street and in my neighborhood wanted me to pressure wash their driveways and sidewalks. In 6 weeks, I made over $3,000 and that was a lot of money for me at the time. I learned a lot about business and how to negotiate a deal during this time. Mostly everyone I know was at home watching Netflix or playing board games during quarantine, but I was outside pressure washing for my neighbors.
• 
  2022-04-07

  #ThrowbackThursday

  This is an Instagram post from therealfoodkitchn, which made efforts to deliver food to families and kids in need during the pandemic. Currently, this place is looking on how to better serve families now that things are opening up more.
• 
  2022-02-17

  Elon Musk Compares Justin Trudeau To Hitler In Bizarre Response To Canadian Trucker Protests

  This is a news story from Your Tango by Isaac Serna-Diez. This is about a Twitter rant, where Elon Musk, owner of Tesla, compares Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to Adolf Hitler over the Canadian Trucker Protests. In January, both the United States and Canada imposed vaccine mandates. According to the American Trucking Association, only 50-60% of all truckers are vaccinated. The truckers have created a convoy that blocks traffic across the US-Canada border in response to the mandates. Trudeau's response to this was to invoke the Emergencies Act, which has't been used since 1988. The Emergencies Act allows for freezing of bank accounts and funds in order to take money away from those protesting. These freezes would also impact things like GoFundMe and the ability to raise funds from that site. It also allows for military involvement, but Trudeau says that he has no plans of doing so. Musk's response to what Trudeau imposed economically on protesters prompted him to promote cryptocurrency more.
• 
  2022-03-30

  Trudeau warns of 'difficult time,' food shortages due to Covid-19

  This is a news story from the Business Standard. This is about the after effects of COVID on the Canadian population. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warns that it will be a difficult time with food shortages due to COVID. Some of the blame for the food shortages is also placed on Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Similar tactics of blaming President Vladimir Putin for the rising prices of goods has also been used by President Joe Biden. The global disruption of supply chains results in higher prices of necessities. Earlier in March, the Canadian government announced that the economy fell short of its anticipated growth for that month. In February, inflation in Canada rose by 5.7%, the highest increase since August 1991.
• 
  2020-12-03

  WB Movies Going Straight to Streaming

  Warner Bros. announces its intentions to simultaneously release its films in theaters and on its streaming service, HBO Max. This illustrates the changes in business practices that film studios have had to consider due to the pandemic’s effect on the theater industry and audiences’ willingness to go see movies in theaters at this time. This decision would be a somewhat controversial one as filmmakers gave polarizing reactions to their films being released this way.
• 
  2020-04-20

  Stacking Refrigerators: A Pandemic Work Story

  This image is of me working at a refrigerator plant during the Spring of 2021. Before I started working at my law firm, I bounced around and did odd jobs to make ends meet. I came across this plant job in my hometown because the plant was suffering from severe labor shortages due to COVID-19. The plant was offering higher pay due to labor shortages and was offering to hire in employees faster because of it. We were required to wear mask inside the plant at all times regardless of it being extremely hot and were expected to do overtime and come in on weekends if needed. I did not only want to highlight the work conditions of this job but illuminate businesses began to operate due to the dire conditions of the pandemic. I also wanted to highlight how some people had to continue to work during the pandemic despite setbacks with workers, production numbers, and work conditions. It is important to illuminate stories like these because many essential workers stories are not heard and recognized. Despite unemployment numbers being at all-time high nationally, people are still working. Therefore, it is important to recognize the sacrifices and contributions workers like I had to make in order to continue to support ourselves and our loved ones.
• 2022-03-21

  Logistics in the COVID Era

  Logistics and Transportation have seen dramatic changes since the beginning of the pandemic, and as such, my life has drastically changed as well. When the pandemic started, I worked for a trucking company that had grown into a major corporation. With all of the uncertainty in the world, I decided to bet on myself and leave that job to start my own company. This is how my life has changed since then, and what a typical day in my world looks like now, which is much different than it looked at the beginning of 2020. I wake up at 6 am and grab my laptop, I then log in to my load boards and post the loads I have to work on for the day. 90% of my business is done over email, so I am able to get my work started before I even start to get ready for the day. I then have time to talk with my wife as we get ready, answering emails as we go. When 8 am rolls around, I wake up my two sons, ages 8 and 1. We have family time in the morning, eating breakfast and watching the news before my wife heads off to her Law School. I then take my boys to their respective schools and drop them off for the day. At this point, if I have any errands to run I usually try to knock those out. I then head home and start bidding on new loads for the days to come. And since most of my work is done over email, I am able to knock any household chores out that need to be done for the day. When lunch rolls around I like to meet my wife for a quick bite some days, and other days I eat a simple lunch at home. I am usually able to wrap up most of my business by 3:30 pm and head to pick up my 1-year-old son from his school. When we get back home, we meet my 8-year-old son as he is getting off the school bus around 4:15. We have some father/sons time, and my wife usually arrives back home around 5:30 pm. Once we have dinner, I then get to work on whatever schoolwork or reading I need to do, and then a little more family time before bed. Since the pandemic forced/allowed me to take on this new opportunity, I am able to see my family much more than I did when I was spending 50+ hours per week in an office, with another 5 hours spent commuting. The pandemic has been awful for a lot of reasons, but as a silver lining, I hope that we have learned how to be more efficient with our time and to realize that the bulk of our waking hours do not necessarily need to be spent in an office when we can accomplish the same amount or more remotely, while greatly increasing our mental health.
• 2022-03-20

  A Day in the Life of a Delivery Driver in the South

  I deliver copier toner to various clients across Northwest Arkansas, so I am able to see the various ways COVID-19 has impacted businesses, both large and small. Particularly, I am able to see the various protocols of businesses relating to admission into their facilities. From the time I began delivering in March of 2021 to today, it is interesting to see the adjustments made by the community as cases would fluctuate. It is further interesting to see a southern perspective, as the south has been notorious for having a lackluster approach to the pandemic. I will detail six varying instances of businesses across NWA and how they have changed or not changed from a year ago. 1. Banks were an interesting study. My company supplies three major banks across NWA, and all three had very stringent protocol in March 2021, and as cases have declined, they have removed these protocols entirely. In early 2021, bank lobbies were closed to outside visitors with zero exceptions. In order to make my deliveries, I was required to call the bank and meet a staff member at the front door, and both myself and the staff member were required to wear facemasks and social distance. Now, in 2022, these protocols have vanished entirely. Bank lobbies are now open entirely, and masks and social distancing are a thing of the past. This directly correlates with a dramatic fall in COVID cases and deaths, as well as a rise in vaccinations across Arkansas. 2. Chicken plants and food processing plants are an essential part of the economy of Northwest Arkansas, being the home of Tyson, George's, and Cobb-Vantress foods, as well as many others. The protocol for processing plants were stringent in 2021, and they continue to be so in 2022. It is standard practice to not only wear masks and social distance, but also to take temperatures and answer a health questionnaire by security guards. The only change I have seen is a vaccination requirement. Nobody is allowed on the premises of many of these chicken plants without having had both dosses of the COVID-19 vaccine, and vaccination proof must be available whenever requested. Food safety is essential in preserving the health of workers and the community at large, so it is no surprise that these stricter protocols have remained in place. 3. Schools are similar to banks in that COVID protocols greatly shifted from 2021 to 2022. Many schools in 2021 had masks mandates for both students and staff and encouraged social distancing. Now, in 2022, masks and social distancing are no longer required, and school is entirely like it was pre-pandemic. Student's are free to wear masks if they so choose, but any protocol has vanished. This is particularly prevalent in smaller school districts. Depending on the district, many smaller ones had zero protocols to begin with, so things haven't changed in that sense. 4. Manufacturing plants are common in NWA, and many of them have maintained pandemic protocols in 2022. Temperature checks, masks, and social distancing are the norm. There are even a few plants that require appointments to enter their facilities in order to maintain security and prevent the spread of COVID. This is largely attributed to maintaining the health of the workers and preventing outbreaks in facilities that would limit production capabilities in a time when goods are so scarce. 5. Transportation is another major business in NWA, and interestingly, protocols have been minimal. Many transport companies had no original mask requirement, social distancing requirement, or a temperature check. This attitude has continued in 2022, despite the extensive traveling many truck drivers engage in. There were many concerns in the COVID conscious sectors of the community about the possibility of interstate infection, but no changes to trucking protocol were made. It is further interesting the extensive COVID regulations placed on truckers from other states, compared to states like Arkansas. 6. Hospitals and medical clinics, like many across the nation, have made minimal changes to COVID protocol. Washington Regional Medical Center, Northwest Medical Center, and Mercy Hospital all have bared the brunt of COVID in NWA, and masks, temperature checks, social distancing, and exposure questionnaires are the new norm, and medical administration has been unmoving in their insistence on these protocols. Indeed, medical facilities are the locations in which there is the greatest risk of exposure and many medical clinics are still closed to walk-in visitors. The only change really seen from 2021 to 2022 is the allowance of visitors. Previously, no outside visitors were permitted in the hospitals without special permission. As cases declined and vaccine rates grew, the hospitals lifted this restriction and now visitors are common place. It will be interesting to see when and if some of these protocols will change as the pandemic advances. Indeed, it is also interesting to see how and if protocols become a new essential part to admission to various facilities across NWA beyond the pandemic.
• 2022-03-17

  Working Through The Pandemic

  Going through the Covid-19 pandemic is truly a test of endurance and adaptability. Wearing masks, sanitizing everything, and social distancing with the hopes these efforts help slow or help communities manage the virus was always talked about and put into action in day to day life as the new normal. I wasn’t concerned at all about the virus as I am pretty germophobic normally, always trying to sanitize my hands and surfaces that I want to involve myself with because of past experiences with being sick. When I got sick, I got sick hard, and I wasn’t about to take a chance with Covid either. However, this became an increasingly daunting task after I started working at a small mom and pop health foods store in my small town of Hilo, Hawai’i. Our clientele consists of people who don’t exactly want to cooperate with government mandates or fully believe in pharmaceutical science. Trying to be understanding of people’s beliefs and wants is one thing, but trying to be professional in spite of the outrage toward the mandates and that outrage being directed toward crew for upholding those policies is another. For the past year and a half, I have been stretched pretty thin on towing the line between being understanding and accommodating for customers and crew while also trying to maintain my own personal responsibilities and upholding local government restrictions. It is not easy to constantly hear complaints, belligerency, or contrasting opinions on the subject constantly with the added caveat of the building being an extremely small space. My solace that kept me going is the hope that this will be over at some point and not a new permanent reality. Until recently, we only had a limit of twelve (excluding crew members) allowed within the store at any given time. I was relieved when Gov. David Ige finally announced lifting restrictions and mandates on March 25th, as with high hopes we can all return to some semblance of normalcy before the new normal hit hard. The thing I look forward to the most? People not being upset at the mandatory mask policy, and crew not constantly voicing their opinions about
• 
  2022-03-16

  Navigating through COVID-19: A Personal Vlog of Ashley Hampton

  Spend a day with me as you see me (Ashley Hampton) navigate through a normal day in present COVID-19 in Anderson, South Carolina. I vlog about my workplace, shopping centers, and businesses in Anderson to give perspective of how COVID-19 has changed the way these institutions function on a day-to-day basis. Despite statewide coverage, not much is documented about South Carolina and COVID-19 in this archive, let alone, residential experiences. The objective of this video is added to the South Carolina COVID archive as well as highlight how personal experiences with COVID-19 may vary depending on which region you live in and community.
• 
  2020-04-14

  Reflections of a Grocery Worker

  This photograph is a selfie photo from my time working at my local grocery store in Wakefield, Rhode Island, USA. I don't have many photos from this period that reflect the pandemic and my memories of it, but this photo represents the early days as the USA first began to adopt masking after the CDC realized that non-symptomatic spread was happening. Experiencing the pandemic through the lens of a grocery store was very interesting. It was a unique perspective for understanding different people's anxieties and doubts around the pandemic. It was also a strenuous place to be during the pandemic, having to constantly adapt to supply chain issues, worker shortages, and the mental strain of working in a likely unsafe environment. About a month into the pandemic I was asked to move from my home department of prepared foods, and help the grocery-stocking staff catch up with the unpredictable shipments coming in. Shortly after that, I was moved over to the front of the store to help keep count of the people in the store and encourage customers to use masks/hand sanitizer. I remember being met with a wide variety of gratitude, skepticism, resistance, and more--even including a lecture on covid as a conspiracy! At times, this role brought me anxiety as I saw news stories of door-people and security guards being killed or harmed for asking visiting customers to wear a mask. In a weird way, when I left my job to attend grad school at UMass Boston, I felt a bit of suvivor's guilt. Whenever I come home to Rhode Island, I hear that the folks at my old store continue to struggle even over a year deeper into the pandemic.
• 
  2020-06-10

  Call to Action: A virtual town hall on Black Business and Economic Development Issues in Sacramento, California

  This flier describes a virtual town hall arranged by the Observer Newspapers and the Sacramento African American Coalition on COVID-19 that focused on the issues facing Black businesses due to Covid 19. Speakers included Moderator Larry Lee, President and Publisher of Observer Newspapers; Chelsea Rae Crowder, Vice President at JP Morgan; Khalil Ferguson, Executive Fellow at California Urban Partnership; Sfensa Ari Antch Shepsuaba, Proprietor of Cleo Cartel Inc and Sankofa Workx; Mark Adams, President AHI Construction, Inc.; and Stephanie Bray, President and CEO United Way-CCR.
• 
  2020-03-24

  COVID-19: but make it McDonalds.

  March 2020 When the pandemic began, I was two weeks into my first job at McDonalds. At this point in the pandemic, masks cost $700 for the case we got at work. One day, when I walked into McDonalds, the manager called me back to the office. I thought I was getting fired since we were overstaffed, and I was trained to work at the kiosk in the now-closed lobby. To my surprise, she didn’t fire me. She explained that we have a new part of our uniform: a McMask. If I said I laughed, that would be an understatement. People were wearing them upside down, so they made a sad face. Even the customers laughed at us. I was always the first person to show my McSpirit, but the McMask would not be seen on me outside of a McWork setting. I noticed other changes at work aside from our spectacular new dress code. Since we were drive-thru only, customers started acting crazier than usual. Due to supply chain shortages, our menu was somewhat limited. While some customers took it for what it was (we’re in a pandemic, yanno?), some were not so understanding. I had money, drinks, and some very hurtful words thrown at me. Some may wonder: Did McDonalds take the proper precautions to stop the spread of COVID-19 within the restaurant? The short answer: McNo. During the beginning of my McWorking career, I stayed on the customer service side of things, so I wasn’t in the kitchen. However, the people in the kitchen rarely wore masks, since the lobby wasn’t open, and the customers couldn’t see them. Since we were during peak Shamrock Shake season when the pandemic began, there was rarely time between orders to change gloves or wash hands. In conclusion, McDonalds had quite a few McChanges during the pandemic. Although, none of them sacrificed the Mac’s dirty nature, it was quite the experience to hop into this new way of life with all my filthy McPals by my side.
• 2020-09

  Feeling Exhausted from COVID

  When COVID-19 first came to America I was employed as an assistant manager at a warehouse in northeast Wisconsin. Generally speaking, the city I live in is somewhat conservative and reserved. On a day-to-day basis, it is typically tolerable (despite my liberal and progressive philosophies) and the people are, on average, kind and helpful. However, as COVID infections increased and much of the proposed solutions to help curtail the spread were politicized, it became increasingly exhausting to exist around others with less-than-helpful and uncooperative attitudes. This was mentally draining, to say the least. On top of that, I was starting to work more and more as members of the staff were on a quarantine carousel. In a short amount of time, I began to routinely work 16 hours (or more) a day. Not only was I spent on an emotional and mental level, the nature of the work I was expected to do was leaving me physically beaten. As hard as I tried not to be too upset with those that had to stay home, I couldn't help but feel anger at those that weren't taking the pandemic seriously. I felt I was doing double-duty: I was not only working in place of multiple employees but I was doing my part to help stop the spread of a virus that was causing serious harm. To top it all off, I was feeling guilty for having those feelings while still being employed, having a healthy family (and not suffering any losses), and being able to continue my way of life pretty much unaffected in a major way. This was certainly a time of mixed feelings and emotions. Although this may not be exactly what is meant by 'sensory history', it is hard to pick other sensations of a greater degree I had felt.
• 2020-05

  Silence in the Morning

  At the beginning of the pandemic, I was working at a hotel on a US Military base in Stuttgart Germany where I typically worked the overnight shift. As such, my commute home in the mornings was usually the noisiest part of my day. I would often pass by the local bakery on my way home, one of the busiest places in town in the morning. I would hear the sounds of the shuffling of feet of the people in line, the clink of coins on the counter, the crinkle of paper bags filled with the daily bread the Germans would buy or the pastries they would eat for lunch, and the whine of the coffee machine for their morning coffee. In the background was the constant droning of the morning rush hour traffic. After the lockdown, when the German government shut down businesses, I had to continue working as the military converted the hotel I worked at into a quarantine facility. I continued with my overnight shifts and my commute home in the mornings while everyone else stayed home. What struck me the most about my new commute home was the silence. The utter lack of noise was practically oppressive. I could close my eyes and the only difference with the dead of night was the warmth of the sun beating on my skin. What was once the noisiest part of my day was now the quietest.
• 
  2020-04

  Sounds of a Spring Lockdown

  On March 25, 2020 Governor Polis ordered a state-wide stay at home order for Colorado. By this time, my family was already limiting our time outside the house to work or errands. My daughter, Kat, has severe asthma, so we knew we had to limit our exposure as much as possible. Previous midnight trips to the emergency room were full of her wheezing out tiny gulps of air, the beeps and blips of the machine keeping track of her heart rate, and the guttural growl of the blood pressure cuff as it tightened around her arm. These were the sounds I first heard when the stories of a new, novel virus came out, the sounds that stayed most in my mind the more I heard about rising cases. The first week in April the movie theater where Kat worked closed down. My son, Gabe, left his job a few days later. I cried that day, not from sadness but relief. And not a quick cry, but the loud sobs that make your shoulders shake. The next day was a major shift for us. Instead of leaving the house to work, they came to work for me instead. My cross stitch shop was already a full-time business. Now that many people were staying home, the US saw a return to basics (baking and crafting), and my shop exploded with more orders than I could fathom. There is something that satisfies most of us in having that tactile experience, whether it be the feel of flour (soft and powdery) as you knead your bread or the stabstab of your needle piercing your fabric. Though there was the stress of craft stores closing and supply chain delays, long work hours, and boxes of hoops stacked in the living room, there was mostly the sound of the Beatles and loads of laughter. Kat has a high-pitched giggle (she snorts when she really gets going), Gabe a deep laugh rich in tone. Someone came up with the adage that laughter is the best medicine. I couldn’t say who created the saying, but the sound of laughter in my house during the April 2020 lockdown in Colorado kept myself and my children in positive spirits. In fact, our lives have been forever changed by that April. They are back to their old jobs, but we still keep mostly at home and with each other. We have family game nights and cook together and keep the laughter going strong.
• 
  2022-02-02

  The Luxury of Eating at Restaurants

  My wife and I really like going out to eat at the local restaurants. Of course, when the pandemic first hit the Los Angeles area everything closed due to the stay at home order that was issued in Los Angeles county. Naturally we believed that this would just be a temporary situation and looked forward to the day that the order would be lifted, and we could go back to our regular way of life. I decided to use the time sequestered at home productively and to resume my education and I enrolled in Arizona State University to finish my degree while my wife was able to continue working remotely. Ten months later we were able to begin the long journey that was the return to “normal” as the stay at home order was lifted. Much to our surprise, many of the small restaurants that we like to frequent were now closed, out of business due to their loss of clientele and the fact that many were only staying open on a month to month basis when operating regularly. It is a sad thing that the collateral damage from this Covid virus impacted small businesses all over the world in a manner that would not allow them to continue to stay open. Even now, a year after the end of the stay at home order, mandates and medical rules are still limiting the amount of people that are able to enjoy eating good food at their local eateries and it is affecting those businesses that are struggling to continue to provide services. I recorded the interior of one of our favorite restaurants one morning as my wife and I went out to breakfast, but there were still plenty of empty tables.
• 
  2020-04-01

  Worst April Fool’s Day

  My employer ended every person's contract in a zoom call, somewhere around 100 of us. We were all students. The ending of our contracts meant we all lost our housing since we worked for a university (this was before I was attending ASU). We were given until Sunday to have all of our belongings moved out and our keys returned, or we could pay the multiple thousands of dollars that on-campus housing would cost. Hardly any of us could afford that, some of my friends suddenly had to grapple with the idea that they would be in debt, broke, or homeless in a matter of four days. I was one of the lucky ones as I had a place to go. 1 sleepless night. 4 days. 4 trips back and forth. 11 ½ hours driving in silence. $20 spent on one final dinner with my friends and coworkers. $25 spent on moving supplies. $52 spent on gas. 506 miles. 11 ½ hours driving in silence. I drove in silence, I couldn’t handle trying to listen to anything. I couldn’t allow myself to hear a sad song and get caught up in it, or worse hear something happy and get upset that I wasn’t feeling that way. The sound of my tires on the poorly maintained interstate for what felt like truly endless hours is something I will never forget and is something that will never leave me. Rattling over pot holes, turn signals, avoiding other drivers, sitting in traffic, the sound of my new tires being worn in very quickly. This story is not unique. Countless people lost their jobs, lost their homes, lost their livelihoods during the initial shutdown. I was simply one of so many, but I was privileged enough to have a place to land. The sound of driving, the action of having to move, and the feeling of sadness, frustration, or loss due to a sudden change in life is something that I think is relatable for a lot of people during the pandemic. Audio description: Recording of the sound of my car taking the last exit off the highway into my town
• 
  2022-01-29

  Save our Children Tour?

  The anti-vaxxers are out in full force. Disguising themselves as Patriots dedicated to personal freedoms and, for some reason, the saviors of children? This Save Our Children tour harkens back to Anita Bryant’s homophobic “Save Our Children” movement in the 1970s but it’s unclear if they’re the same thing? No about page on their website. I find this disturbing that not only are people hesitant to get vaccinated, some groups are mobilizing to spread misinformation and disinformation about the vaccines as well. This comes in the tail of Neil Young’s ultimatum he delivered to Spotify about their hosting of Joe Rogan’s podcast. Neil Young and now Joni Mitchell have demanded that Spotify drop their music if they keep hosting Joe Rogan. Spotify’s stocks are way down since they chose Joe Rogan over Neil Young.
• 
  12/09/2020

  Reed Engle Oral History, 2020/12/09

  C19OH
• 
  11/24/2020

  Kirsten Dutzle Oral History, 2020/11/24

  C19OH
• 
  12/13/2020

  Kevin Dombrowski Oral History

  C19OH
• 
  11/24/2020

  Amy Burgoyne Oral History, 2020/11/24

  C19OH
• 
  12/12/2020

  Shawn Berg Oral History, 2020/12/10

  Shawn Berg was born in Milwaukee Wisconsin, and raised in La Crosse Wisconsin. Recently he moved to Altoona Wisconsin to begin his job as a service manager at Texas Roadhouse in Eau Claire. In this interview, Shawn discusses how COVID – 19 has affected his life personally along with how it has effected the local Texas Roadhouse regarding their employees as well as their guests that come in. Not only does he discuss the consequences for the employees, but he also talks about how the guests have reacted to the mask mandate and how the restaurant has handled it all.
• 
  05/18/2020

  Stanton Webster Oral History, 2020/05/18

  An oral history interview with Stanton Webster who discusses his background opening a distillery in Knoxville, Tennessee before the pandemic. He discusses how his business reacted to the COVID-19 Pandemic and his efforts to keep employees paid while finding new revenue streams. In this business-focused interview he also illustrated how a small group of local business banded together to navigate the pandemic and government funding pitfalls. He also discusses family life and changing roles in the home.
• 
  12/01/2020

  Wade Pitrucha Oral History, 2020/12/01

  Wade Pitrucha, Marine Corps veteran and butcher, was raised in Texas and lived in California for several years, and currently works as a butcher and lives in Barron, Wisconsin. In this interview, Wade discusses the political and economic developments he has observed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Wade gives an inside look at the COVID-19 meat shortage, and explains some of the causes, as well as the impacts on farmers and families. Wade also shares some of his personal experiences and frustrations with the local handling of the pandemic, and how he feels the federal government and the Trump administration has contributed to the massive spread of COVID-19 in the United States. In an entertaining and sometimes darkly humorous interview, Wade’s military experience and personal beliefs provide a unique and well-balanced view of the COVID-19 pandemic and modern American society.
• 
  03/19/2021

  Jeff Litsey Oral History, 2021/03/19

  Jeff Litsey is a resident of the Fountain Square Neighborhood in Indianapolis with his wife and two children. Jeff discusses how the pandemic has affected his family life and schedule while also discussing how the neighborhood dynamics have evolved during the pandemic. Jeff talks about the challenges of running a small, locally owned, coffee shop during the pandemic in the Fletcher Place neighborhood of Indianapolis. This includes revenue, business plan evolution, government assistance, adjusting employee’s hours and pay, and helping employees and customers feel safe during the pandemic. He also illustrates how the neighborhood community helped his employees through tips that rolled into a community employee assistance plan. Additionally, Jeff discusses his anxiety that increased during the pandemic from running a business and worrying about how his shop could affect others and himself. This extended to worrying about his family. He discusses how the hobbies of art, hiking, and birdwatching helped him feel better. The interview ends with his hopes for all people to have healthcare and a home.
• 
  05/16/2020

  Kevin Secker Oral History, 2020/05/16

  University of Wisconsin Eu Clair student, Glenn Walborn interviewed Tyson factory security worker Kevin Secker. In this interview Secker discusses how the pandemic has impacted his life. Secker is also a student and discusses how his classes have changed to accommodate online learning. Also discussed is Seckers new job as a plant security guard for Tyson factory in New London, Wisconsin. He discusses the changes that factory workers had to adhere to and their reaction to all those changes. He also discusses his opinions on government response to the pandemic and skepticism he experienced in the factory. He briefly discusses conspiracy theories he has heard and remedies that some factory workers have been sharing. Secker finished off the interview with hopes for the future and lessons he hopes we as a society have learned.
• 
  2020-10-06

  Geels_Bernd_

  C19OH
• 
  2020-08-12

  Lunch Time

  With the closing of schools, many students no longer had access to a warm and healthy lunch provided by the federal government. Kids from lower income families often rely on school to provide them with at least two meals a day, but because of COVID-19 they no longer could eat certain breakfast like oatmeal and lunch such as, carne guisada, that they have been used to consuming. In order to address this problem, schools began setting up times for parents to come and collect food for their kids three times a day. Ultimately, due to lack of personal time, parents were picking up breakfast, lunch and snacks for three days on Friday.
• 
  2020-08-11

  Ipads and Chromebooks: The New Notebooks

  Following the reopening of schools through the virtual world a number of students across the country were faced with a new problem. They lacked the technology needed to attend their online class. Schools who fell under the title 1 classification , which is where children from low-income families make up at least 40 percent of the enrollment, were disproportionately affected by this problem. These families which often consisted of more than one child simply couldn't afford multiple computers. As a result many kids were still unable to attend their classes or do any work at all. This lack of technology was a problem that not only younger kids faced. Students ranging from all ages had to adapt and make due with whatever technology they had or were forced to go out to buy another computer.So in order to help fix the problem for younger students schools began to hand out chromebooks and ipads. By providing them with the technology to access their new classroom setting they could begin attending school again. While there were still other problems such as the lack of internet, handing out chromebooks and ipads definitely had a positive impact by providing a number of students with these new school supplies.
• 
  2020-06

  Shuttered storefront in Chelsea, June 2020

  A shuttered storefront in the predominant art gallery section of Chelsea that has paper signs some which say, "Nowhere to Go", "Nothing to see". During this time, the stores in the Chelsea area were closed - either temporarily or indefinitely. Simultaneously, many were boarded up in fear of looting or protest which added to the eerie apocalyptic atmosphere.
• 
  2020-03-26

  ‘This Is the Biggest Challenge We’ve Faced Since the War’: How the Coronavirus Crisis Is Exposing the Precarious Position of Museums Worldwide

  The article discusses the financial hit to museums caused by the pandemic and fear and anxiety over how long museums can sustain amid a global shutdown. Whereas federal aid has come to the rescue of some museums provided by select countries for example, Germany and Britain; however, the United States does not have the same relief plans in place for cultural institutions. The pandemic has revealed weaknesses in the current museum model in relation to funding and what the article describes as a “winners take all mentality”. These problems have been compounding for decades but is the pandemic the straw that breaks the camel’s back? What might a new museum model look like if the old one is no longer sustainable?
• 
  2021-06-01

  Museum Recovery Expected to Take Years Due to Devastating Financial Losses, New Survey Reveals

  The American Alliance of Museums report highlights financial problems and some of the more negative long-term impacts resulting from COVID-19 such as reduced overall net revenue for the institution, lower employment numbers, and lower average salary for their staff members.
• 
  2020-09-29

  Is This the End of Contemporary Art As We Know It?

  Artist Liam Gillick and a writer for ArtReview, J.J. Charlesworth talk about the changes brought by the pandemic and the many ways that everything will most likely remain the same. Interestingly, they examine the beginning and end of “contemporary art” and the complex web of economic, social, political and cultural factors that are shifting and breaking down in different ways from our current crises. 

In the end, the feeling that art will survive but the idea that this particular period of art and the art world has reached its end is contemplated.
• 
  2020-06-30

  What Might the Artworld’s ‘New Normal’ Look Like?

  The ArtReview article comments on the new normal and the possible dangerous path we are propelling towards as a society with accelerated speed. The article specifically discusses the use and imminent fears on future reliance of technology in the art sector. Looking on the positive side, social justice and pressure from activism groups and the Black Lives Matter movement have spurred the beginning of greater reform within the art world including decolonization efforts in museums, diversity in collections, exhibitions, and staff.
• 
  2021-07-20

  Art Handlers, Contract Workers at Galleries Faced Steepest Losses During Pandemic: Survey

  The ARTnews article uses ADAA (Art Dealers Association of America) data from their official survey to consider the far reaching implications of the pandemic on the art world. Examples of staggering job loss in art handlers and contract workers in particular provide a look into possible changes in the artillery model for the short term while in lockdown. Quantitative data on online art fair participation, and percentages of galleries that received the PPP loan are included as well.
• 
  2020-04-16

  Gagosian Furloughs Part-Time Staff and Interns as Covid-19 Impedes Business

  All galleries felt the immense economic pressure of shuttering their doors. There was uncertainty and furloughs or imminent possibility of losing ones job was a looming presence especially in the spring of 2020. Even international blue-chip galleries like Gagosian were financially struggling. Those that lost their jobs were 

The article discussed job loss - whose jobs - and what this means for the art world in the present and in the future. Other methods of main tenting financially during the pandemic included furloughs and salary cuts where the percentage was determined by how much someone made per year.
• 
  2020-03-20

  Art Basel Hong Kong Moves Its Art Fair Online in the Wake of Coronavirus

  W Magazine’s “Art Basel Hong Kong Moves Its Art Fair Online in the Wake of Coronavirus” discusses the complete digitization of the 2020 Art Basel Hong Kong edition. The feeling of losing the general energy of art events or the excitement of an art fair booth setting more specifically that I and many of my friends and colleagues had when transitioning to remote work was echoed in the article. More interestingly, the article touches on the artistic responses to the pandemic - augmented reality or digital works playing with the new virtual lens that constituted our world during the height of Covid.
• 
  2021-02-09

  Artists Reimagine How Covid-19 Will Shape the Art World

  This Wired piece by Lydia Horne starts off with a really interesting point about the viewer relationship with art as social distancing before Covid and the distance in museums and galleries for the artwork’s protection. It is more than just considerations about virtual auctions and virtual viewing - the way that the art itself translates is something that many artists are struggling with. The article also speaks to the ways that artists are redefining themselves and their work. The changing structures and changing methods reaching an audience or sharing work, some artists are using the pandemic to explore possibilities to reshape the art world. For example, non-profits and community-based models instead of the traditional gallery model.
• 
  2021-10-22

  How the Supply Chain Broke, and Why It Won’t Be Fixed Anytime Soon

  This New York Times article from October 22nd, 2021 - updated October 31st - explains the current status of the global supply chain. Global Correspondent, Peter S. Goodman, writes that Covid exacerbated existing problems in the supply chain. 
 This is relevant to the art industries in ways people often overlook. Coordinating shipments to meet deadlines in international art exhibitions, loaning works or consigning are all things that I used to struggle to plan for in light of covid when there would be unprecedented shipping delays and costs. Additionally, clients always want lower costs for shipping newly acquired works, however, it is now even more difficult to marry sales and client relations with the realities of shipping.
• 
  2020-09-14

  Pfizer and BioNTech announce plan to expand Covid-19 vaccine trial

  Pfizer and BioNTech are moving to enlarge the Phase 3 trial of their Covid-19 vaccine by 50%, which could allow the companies to collect more safety and efficacy data and to increase the diversity of the study’s participants. The companies said in a press release that they would increase the size of the study to 44,000 participants, up from an initial recruitment goal of 30,000 individuals. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will have to approve the change before it goes into effect. “The companies continue to expect that a conclusive readout on efficacy is likely by the end of October,” the press release said. The Pfizer and BioNTech study is likely to be among the first in the U.S. to report efficacy data from a Phase 3 trial. Related: AstraZeneca resumes Covid-19 vaccine trials in the U.K. Expanding the trial will likely make it easier for the company to demonstrate whether the vaccine is effective against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. The companies also said that the change will allow the study to include a more diverse population. The companies said the study will now include adolescents as young as 16, people with stable HIV, and those with hepatitis C or hepatitis B. The companies said that the trial is expected to reach its initial target of 30,000 patients next week. Moderna, which started its trial on the same day as Pfizer, said on Sept. 4 that it is working to increase the diversity of trial participants in its study, “even if those efforts impact the speed of enrollment.” Related: Covid-19 Drugs and Vaccines Tracker The Pfizer/BioNTech study could finish sooner than Moderna’s, even though the two began on the same day, for other reasons, as well. Both vaccines require a second shot; Pfizer’s is given after three weeks, while Moderna’s is given after four. The Pfizer trial also starts to count cases of Covid-19 sooner after participants receive their shots than the Moderna study. But the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine could also prove to be one of the most difficult of the experimental vaccines to distribute, should they prove effective. The vaccine must be kept at a temperature of -70 degrees Celsius. There has been political pressure to move a vaccine quickly, with President Trump saying that one could be available before election day. Last week, several drugmakers, including Pfizer, issued a pledge not to move a vaccine forward sooner than was justified by the results of their clinical trials.
• 
  2021-04-23

  Shipping during COVID-19: Why container freight rates have surged

  UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) included an article on their website which examines the shipping container shortage. More broadly, it comments on the staggering domino effect of the pandemic on industry and consumers and offers future solutions for avoiding current problems. The article concludes with a section that provides insight into how to avoid shipping container shortages in the future.
• 
  2021-01-24

  Pandemic aftershocks overwhelm global supply lines

  The Washington Post article discusses the disruptions in the supply chain and the repercussions such as inflated prices, failure to meet schedules, and effects on different industries. The domino effect was set off by the pandemic but we continue to see the fallout. 

Shipping artwork is a cost that galleries, advisories, collectors, and museums have to factor into their finances. Inflation in the cost of international shipping in particular and unpredictable delays negative effect openings and coordinating with clients and vendors.
• 
  2021-05

  Financial vs. Public Health In Planning for Art Fairs

  When Art Basel, Hong Kong did happen I remember the internal debate within the art advisory where I worked at the time of whether or not clients and members of the team could or would attend. 
 New considerations arose for the businesses and people like me who worked in administration and logistics. There were major complications that none of us had previously faced in planning for art fair events, client dinners and logistics. For example, booking flights was complicated. In the case of Hong Kong, some people had no choice but to reroute in strange places due to restrictions of certain passport holders or location of origin. Another consideration, were the fancy client and networking dinners that are staples of the art fair culture and booked months in advance. Due to closure or half-capacity seating, many of the premier restaurants were no longer feasible to solidify reservations.
• 
  2021-05-21

  “'It’s impossible to compare 2019 and 2021; it’s a completely different world': what has sold at Art Basel in Hong Kong”

  Art Basel, Hong Kong did finally happen in person in May 2021. In the article, Lisa Movius discusses the reception to the hybrid-model art fair, the change in demographic, noteworthy sales, and spotlighted works, artists, and gallery booths.
• 
  2020-07-15

  HIST30060: KEEP YOUR distance!

  HIST30060: This photo of the back of my work uniform shows how workplaces were affected by the restrictions of the pandemic. Hardware stores were able to stay open to trade customers and for "click and collect" purchases during Melbourne's lockdowns, which meant a change to our normal work routines. Staff were charged with the responsibility of making sure customers wore masks, checked in with the QR codes and practiced social distancing throughout the store. These necessary rules were challenging to enforce sometimes and customers could often be disgruntled and unhappy with these changes. This message on the back of the uniform was in keeping with the atmosphere of working during this period and symbolises our adjustment to "covid normal" practices.