Items

• 2020

  Working at a Restaurant, Winter 2020

  In the wintertime, I work at a restaurant inside a ski resort. This past winter, NYS had just opened up restaurants with very tight restrictions: no more than 4 to a table, close at 10 pm, must order food with alcohol.... and so on. Anyway, as the restaurant floor manager, it was my responsibility to police all these restrictions. Some people were very kind and understanding about the whole situation. They would split up their party of 5 in two groups; one of three and the other of two, and thank us for our willingness to work during this time. Others, however, were not thrilled about the restrictions and argued with us, as if it was our idea to put in place all the restrictions. We had so many people complain about the rules as if we could actually do something about it. Many left or demanded free drinks because of their inconveniences. It was very stressful to deal with this! Be kind to your servers!!
• 
  2021-06-06

  Pandemic Thanksgiving

  Our first pandemic thanksgiving
• 
  2021-05-06

  APUSH - Online Learning Edition

  The first time I saw over 75% of my 171 APUSH students in person was the morning of the test. One girl brought me a bouquet and said “I wanted to give you this today because it will probably be the only time I see you.” What a strange, strange year. The kids I teach are my life, I usually can tell you at least 10 specific weird things about each of them. I’m embarrassed to say I can’t this year - how do you REALLY get to know a kid over Zoom? Still, I am touched by the level of connection we were able to make. And I was amazed that out of 171 kids, 170 came before the test to say hi and pick up their goodie bag. After the test, they rushed back to see me and tell me how they felt. For that moment, it was like any other year. I truly feel I gave them the very best of me, I never “phoned it in” and even this week, in our last five days of school, we’re doing modern topics until the end. But I will always feel guilty. Because despite giving my best, I know it doesn’t live up to a normal in person year. Still, their happy faces and kind words show that despite my own internal disappointment, the kids are alright and it wasn’t a total loss for them. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to the fall, having my tables back and full classes five days a week. Yet, these kids who I shared a Zoom screen with for 180 days will always hold a special place in my heart. I may not know them at the level I usually do, but their perseverance and diligence in ever changing circumstances will also motivate me to continue to give the best of me.
• 
  2021-03-16

  Safety at Teriyaki Ha Ha

  At Teriayaki Ha Ha on Route 1, just across from Nease High School, staff erected a wooden frame with plastic sheeting hung from it to create a protective barrier. When you walk in the front door, your order is waiting on the table. Cash is put into an envelope or credit card taken in advance on the phone. Everything is no contact. Next door is a Papa Johns where staff had masks pulled down around their necks and I observed several people walk in without masks, revealing how widely safety protocol differs from one business to the next.
• 2021-03-30

  Weekend

  March 30, 2021 Over the weekend, I went to my house in St. Francisville with my dad and sister. We made a last minute decision to go on Friday evening instead of on Saturday morning, which turned out to be a great decision because we woke up early on Saturday morning around 5:30 in the morning to go turkey hunting. Within about 30 minutes, I had shot my first turkey. My dad was so happy for me because I had been trying to kill my first turkey for so long, as it is just about the only animal we have on our property that I had not shot yet. After shooting it, we brought it to our cousin for him to breast it and take off the tail feathers. After that, my dad took me to Burger King, which is one of my favorite fast food places. I got my usual order, but just like it almost always is, the ice cream machine was broken, so I could not get a milkshake. Then we went to our house and at night we watched Alabama play our Sweet 16 game against UCLA. the game was very close all the way through, but with four seconds left, UCLA scored to put them up by three, and we inbounded it and our point guard Jahvon Quinerly sprinted up the court and passed the ball to our center Alex Reese who was standing almost on the mid-court logo, and he drained a deep three as time expired to tie the game and send it to overtime. Sadly Alabama followed up that great shot, probably one of the best shots in bama history, with one of our worst performances ever in overtime, as UCLA pulled away to win the game, and I was very frustrated because of how poorly we played in overtime.
• 2020-12-01

  My Day

  December 1, 2020 Over Thanksgiving break, I went to Saint Francisville and went hunting and had fun with my cousins. On the day before Thanksgiving, I shot my third deer and it was a doe that weighed 122 pounds and I was very excited. On Thanksgiving, we went to my grandmother’s house in Saint Francisville, which is about 10 minutes from our property. I ate turkey and ham and rice and gravy for lunch, and then I went and played with my little cousins. Later, we had a very good ice cream pie and then went home that night. On Saturday, we watched the Iron Bowl and watched Alabama beat Auburn 42-13, but it should’ve been 49-6. Then right after that we switched over to the Egg Bowl and watched Ole Miss beat Mississippi State. Yesterday we had basketball practice, and when I got home, my basketball shoes finally came in. They’re blue Kyrie low 3s. After school, I got a ride home with a friend because my sister had already left. I went to my friend’s house and just stayed there for a little while and more of my friends came there too. We played Madden and I beat my friend 35-8, and it was only the third quarter when he quit. At about 5:30, we walked to Circle K for snacks and it was so cold outside. I got a Rice Krispy Treat, Funyuns, and a drink, and then I went home and laid in bed and ate my snacks and had dinner and went to bed.
• 
  2021-05-18

  Changes during the pandemic

  I chose this photo because of the differences between a before and after the pandemic. I took the first photo from Google, from an article titled "What Keeps People Coming Back to a Restaurant?" (Carol Lin Vieira) because I do not have an old one where access to eat was allowed, since for me it was common. The second photo was taken at my current job, it is located at 2065 Jerome Ave, Bronx, NY 10453. Before the pandemic started, we could go out and share with our families and friends, we could order food and eat in the restaurant, hang out, have fun and laugh, no need to be making reservations all the time. The pandemic changed our lives in a whole new way. Before we could be in groups and go to the park without the need to worry about whether other people could infect us. We had so much more fun because we didn't have to worry about whether restaurants would be open or not, whether we could go out and eat quietly away from home. During the pandemic, we can no longer do these kinds of things because we are separated. This is something sad, not being able to see your friends or family for fear of infecting us or infecting the people we love. Not being able to shake hands, give hugs, kisses on the face or share our food with other people. It makes me nostalgic to see how in my work the tables are empty and it is forbidden to eat, to remember how the restaurant was full with many people who laughed and told how their day, shared stories or dated someone. It is hard to listen to the sad voices of the customers when they ask when they can go eat. As I mentioned earlier, COVID-19 left many losses and many broken hearts along the way, it is a disease in which it showed us the value that each person has. Sometimes as teenagers we do not realize what we have, I chose this photo as an example of how little we valued the little things before and now we really need it. A single walk without a mask, sitting in large groups with your family in a restaurant, being next to someone who has already died due to this disease, among many other details. I think everything happens for a reason and from something so negative we learned something positive, we learned to appreciate the little things in life, to be more united with the family and to love more every day.
• 
  2021-04-28

  Allison Oskar Oral History 2021/04/28

  This oral history focused on how smaller communities tackled the COVID-19 pandemic. The interview discusses how hospitals tackled the pandemic, and it goes into depth about what it was like to work for a hospital during this time. Also discussed were the ways in which the pandemic affected mental health and how it proved to be beneficial in some ways. There was a large focus on the ways in which COVID-19 affected the 'work life' balance of the interviewee.
• 
  2020

  Covid jokes about bars during the time of COVID-19

  This is a set of jokes about bars during COVID which were closed for several months. There are many old jokes that start out "Three (different sorts of) people walk into a bar..." Here is a Corona version. Another one shows how people in an apartment building gather on the rooftop parking lot for cocktail hour, and the other two are jokes about when bars finally reopen.
• 
  2021-04-09

  money

  During the pandemic many business had to close down because people were not allowed to go to social gatherings like restaurants.
• 
  2021-05-09

  Boston Lockdown

  The JFK Library and Museum closed during the shutdown and I lost the best job I ever had. I graduated Boston University without a ceremony. I spent my first year in grad school on zoom. I ended up living with my 2 adult siblings and my parents who were either working virtually or not at all. I decided that I would take the time at home to learn things that I had always intended to, mostly because I didn't want to lose my mind. I baked bread, lots of bread: challah, bagels, cinnamon rolls, babka and more. I knit a complicated sweater. I sewed masks for my friends and I played games with my family. I research and organized 7 generations of my family's pictures, documents, videos and newspaper clippings. I started growing vegetables and flowers and I watched hundreds of English Premier Soccer games. The most fun I had was hanging out with my dog. For Halloween I made he and I costumes from the movie Rear Window. I feel like I did my best to survive the Plague, I am proud of all I was able to accomplish and I have more good memories than I thought was possible. I appreciate the normal things I took for granted pre-pandemic and I look forward to the end.
• 
  2020

  Humorous memes about 2020

  These memes humorously sum up the way 2020 went for us. We were stuck at home. Many of us baked bread and didn't get dressed for days. Our poiticians told us one thing one day and then contradicted it the next.
• 
  2021-04-05

  Two Shots of Guilt

  Being an older adult, I qualified for vaccines before those who work. I am overwhlemed with gratitude and guilt that I am safe from COVID and others are not.
• 
  2021-05-04

  Hugs, Laughter and Love

  Hugs, Laughter and Love I see my cousin running with me in the fields i don’t feel ashamed of what i am doing and neither are they The sounds of our feet crushing the grass with a smile just because we are finally together I taste the great food melting in my mouth Happiness, Joy and fun Joy, Joy, Joy
• 
  2021-05-04

  Dreams Six Room Poem

  This is from an assignment in Paula Flynn's 5th grade class at Franklin Elementary School, in Santa Monica, CA. Hugs, relief, and happiness. Sunlight shining through trees at all angles. Laughter and chatter, both mushed together to create a beautiful moment. The wonderful aroma of food, once more able to be shared. Hope, joy, and love. Was the coronavirus caused for a reason?
• 
  2020-03-06

  Food and House Supply Shortage

  When the pandemic first started people were out of control buying food and house supplies. There was a shortage on meat and the price rose up to an unreasonable price. Not only that the people were buying all the toilet paper. Like whom would have thought we will run out of toilet paper.
• 
  2021-04-26

  P-EBT returns for Tempe Public Schools

  One unexpected surprise during the pandemic was that everyone enrolled at my daughter's school received the pandemic-electronic benefit transfer. Essentially, because kids were at home learning online, they did not receive breakfast or lunch at school. There were pickup options, but we didn't really use that service. So, instead, the state mailed us a card that can be used to buy groceries. It was really unexpected, and we just found out that we get another allowance this week. It's a really nice boost to the grocery budget and it recognizes the importance of nutritious, consistent meals for kids.
• 
  2021-02-03

  Tin Whiskers Brew Offered Frontline Workers Discount on Beer

  To thank those risking their health for the benefit of others, Tin Whiskers Brewing Co. in Saint Paul, Minnesota showed their appreciation by offering a discount on take-out beer to frontline workers. They included health care workers, educators, first responders, service industry workers, postal workers, and public transit workers in their list, and were open to suggestions to add to that list. While a discount on beer doesn't make up for all the work these individuals do, it is a nice gesture to show appreciation during this challenging time. Given that those working in this brewery are also service industry workers, they recognize the risks and difficulties that frontline workers have been experiencing, and wanted to make it clear how much these people do for society. Instagram caption: @tinwhiskersbrew We want to extend a HUGE thank you to all of the frontline workers out there who have helped us all get through the past 11+ months. Starting immediately, all frontline workers get $2 off crowlers when you swing by our crowler shop. Just let us know you qualify when you're checking out (in-store only), and we'll activate your discount. What constitutes a frontline worker? --Health Care Workers --Educators --First Responders --Grocery/Retail/Pharmacy/Liquor Store Employees --Bar/Brewery/Restaurant Service Industry --Postal Service/Delivery --Public Transit Workers If we missed a field, let us know! We definitely want to thank you too.
• 
  2021

  Food Industry Post-Pandemic

  Given the changes the food industry had to go through to adapt to the pandemic, it is unlikely all of those changes will go away as vaccination rates continue to rise and positive COVID-19 cases go down. With an increase in consumers enjoying fresh food and home cooked meals, there is a possibility this decrease in eating out will continue even as restrictions are lifted. This could be due to new social norms, saving money, or even newly developed preferences. Only time will tell if these patterns are predicting the future, or if they will change once more as public spaces become safe again.
• 
  2021-04-22

  Life During COVID-19

  What has life been like for me during COVID-19? Well this photo pretty much sums it all. For this past year, I have spent the majority of my time on my computer which mainly consisted of it being completing work for my classes and watching TV shows during my spare time. The gyms were closed. I couldn’t eat at the restaurant my family and I go to every Thursday anymore. And seeing other family and friends became very limited as well, so I was alone by myself most of the time. The beginning of this pandemic was very difficult for me as my lifestyle changed drastically. I am a little bit of a procrastinator and when you have a nice comfy bed next to you 24/7, it makes it really hard to do things. But I understood that life goes on, so it is up to me to keep on moving forward. And that is exactly what I did. During this pandemic, I felt I was really able to focus and improve myself. I have become a more productive person and it has really helped me in finishing my classwork and doing other daily tasks. It has relieved some of that unnecessary stress that was on me that I had put on myself before this pandemic. At home, I didn’t have any weights to work out, so I decided to work on my flexibility/mobility. With the gyms beginning to open back up and going there just recently, I noticed the benefits of it in both my weight lifting and martial arts. In addition, I was able to gain new hobbies and one of them is cooking. Life during this pandemic has greatly helped me improve myself on many aspects. Life is unpredictable at times, so sometimes you just have to make the best out of it.
• 
  2020-06-15

  A Tiresome Year

  During this first year of Covid-19 has taken place, I can sum it up in a single word "wearisome". When this pandemic started in the year 2020, the southern part of Texas seemed to be unyielding in the hustle and bustle of everyday life down here. The attitude and lack of being a courteous person continued until about the middle of July. This was the starting point of the pandemic begging to affect people enough to begin to take notice of this "uncertain time" as if a miracle the everyday average Joe wasn't hassling me for being wearing a mask. This tale of endless misery starts at the beginning of Covid-19 and stretches until the middle of June 2020. Some background information about the antagonist of this tale is a religious youth group of about twenty would come to every Thursday and order an obnoxious amount of items all very rudely. This instance in particular struck a chord with me. This one religious group of younger children (probably about eleven to fourteen) and an older gentleman named Moshi. This group I loathed, just for the sole reason that these children would run about with no mask and caring not for social distancing, and this gentleman was pushing these children to not follow CDC protocol. Well about after a good eight months these children and a new gentleman came in all wearing masks and seemingly decent and well-mannered. This new individual had replaced Moshi and lectured this devil-children about the importance of wearing a mask and being just at least a decent human. This religious youth group had come in and sat on our patio every Thursday and seemingly never once did these children follow protocol until Joel the new instructor stressed the importance of being not a walking health hazard. I and all of my co-workers appreciate that man greatly.
• 
  2020-08-08

  Positivity Throughout a Pandemic

  I submitted a story of my life during the pandemic and the positives that I have decided to focus on when looking back on this past year.
• 2020-06-29

  The Unpredictable Horrors of Pandemic

  The unpredictable horrors of pandemic “Corona Virus” the most lethal being on the earth that swept a mass population since its spread in December 2019. The Corona Virus had already started its attack and only a few cases had been reported in Wuhan, China until 2020, where it spread like a wildfire taking down millions of people. I belong to Nepal which is a neighboring country to China, so it surely was at higher risk which led to a countrywide lockdown in March 2020. It was then, people started to realize the seriousness of the situation. I would like to share my part of the pandemic experience in the first person “We” because I believe in this time I was with my family and we went through this experience- some bitter and some sweet but we were always together as a single unit. When the lockdown was imposed in Nepal, people were not aware of why it was being done. Why a mere viral disease was threatening nations? People took it as an excuse to vacation from work and school. We were told to stay inside the house, wear a mask and avoid gatherings by the national authorities. We could only go out for buying essentials (food, medicine) in the evening between 6-7 PM. Other times we were enjoying with our family because it is very rare to have this much free time in this busy life. We would cook new dishes, we also started gardening, growing vegetables in our backyard, and sometimes there was even “Movie Time” with the family. So, for the first few weeks, this lockdown was a perfect family time. Then the economy slowly started to tremble. People were left jobless, savings started to dry out. We were getting conscious and calculative on the grocery shopping. We own a garment factory (textiles and embroidery) so with no shops open during the time, we were also struggling with the money. My sister was currently stuck in Bangladesh because she had gone there for her educational studies and was stuck since both the countries were on lockdown. She finally arrived back home in June 2020 in an evacuation flight. She was then on self-isolation for 14 days. In these days of self-isolation, she showed no signs of COVID. Finally, on her last day of isolation, she went for a test and the horrors began. The reports came POSITIVE. This came as a shock to all of us because she had followed all the health protocols both in Bangladesh, during the flight, and after arriving in Nepal. We all were in disbelief and were taken aback. Unfortunately, the same day when the reports came out, there a news report regarding the lab where the reports were tested had cross-contamination, leading to inaccurate results in the hospital that day (the same day as my sister was tested). All of the samples were tested positive. Health authorities had to investigate that matter. But since she had no symptoms whatsoever, we wanted to re-check. Before we could even go to the other hospital, the members from the localities hurdled outside our house. They had been informed that an infected person was there in the area. My mom and dad went out to calm the crowd, trying to convince us that the results were doubtful and we were going for a re-check. The crowd was more like an angry mob and was dismissing all our claims, maybe also because this was the first case in our locality. They didn’t want to hear what we had to say. They forcefully started sealing the gates and the areas of our house, ordering all our neighbors to stay away from the area. They were told not to cross the gate and come in contact with us. Since the coronavirus is truly a big deal, though we had some doubts, we accepted that all our family members should go into isolation. But this was easier said than done. For those 14 days, we had no one around us to help. We couldn’t go out to get groceries or even other essentials. Our neighbors were threatened by the local authorities to not help us. They couldn’t send us the groceries or anything else. We were cast away from the whole society around that time. Luckily, we had an aunt living nearby. She used to leave us grocery items in our backdoors before the sunrise…. before anyone could even see. And we would run outside abiding by proper protocols, get those items and be back inside, panting, hoping no one saw us. At that time we had no money, limited food supply, and many mouths to feed. It was like we were living in an apocalyptic world. Baseless rumors had started to spread around the society stating we were seen partying and having gatherings a few days back. People would ring us up just to blame us as if we were the rotten ones. The most heartbreaking incident was when we were called by the local authority asking us to not come out on the balcony because according to them, somehow, we were exposing the virus in our area. Those 2 weeks became hell for our family. Finally, on the 14th day, all the members of our family members took a PCR test, and luckily, we were all tested negative. So in simple terms, we had recovered BUT society still didn’t accept us. Whenever we used to go to the shop, we were stared at and could hear whispers behind our back. People used to stay away from us and we were regarded (sort of) untouchables even after we had medical reports to prove them otherwise. Then a month later, even my maternal grandmother was infected with the virus. We could not go visit her as the hospital didn’t permit and she was under strict surveillance. She soon developed pneumonia as a complication of the COVID attack. Almost half of her lungs had been severely damaged and on 29th November 2020 she passed away. This pandemic left a great impact on us. We suffered great loss both emotionally and financially. From sneaking in groceries like smugglers to bidding goodbye to someone who loved us the most, it will always be an inerasable memory for us. Even as I write my experience, my words are not enough to emphasize the pain this pandemic has caused. But all I can say is we fought this as a FAMILY. One for All and All for One.
• 2021-04-21T18

  Dinner and Hearts

  As of yesterday, my two weeks was up and I am now "fully vaccinated" per the CDC guidelines. My wife got there Friday, and my mother has been fully vaccinated since February. Per the CDC, since we are all fully vaccinated, we can visit each other and not have to wear masks. We had Mom over for dinner for the first time since before the pandemic. After dinner we played a few rounds of hearts. I had to reacquaint myself with something that used to be "normal" before COVID-19. I was a bit rusty at playing cards, but I soon got back into it. It does not seem like that big a deal, but it was good for Mom to get out of her house for a while. It was good for all of us, and I am looking forward to more such evenings.
• 
  2021-04-20

  Normal Life thru pandemic state

  The object of my writing was to inform others my life was fairly regular throughout this lovely pandemic. It is important to me because I must stay focused on the importance of even though there are crazy things in life that happen, the silver lining, is always to focus on the positive.
• 
  2021-03-19

  #JOTPYPhoto from wanderlust_wilsons

  So much bread during quarantine times #jotpyphoto 🍞🍞🍞
• 
  2021-04-12

  Vancouver Island's Food Service Industry

  In this podcast, Philip Wolf discusses how COVID-19 has impacted the food service industry with restaurant owners Oura and Kymon Giakoumakis. Their restaurant resides at a golf course, so during the winter they saw a drop in patronage and are hoping to start patio service soon so business can pick up again. They did adapt to take-out service and a "parking lot patio" in order to provide service in safe ways, but they still struggled with the requirements and monetary challenges that the pandemic has caused. In this podcast they also discuss other local restaurants, layoffs, and closures, giving a clear view of how Vancouver Island, and specifically the district of Saanich, has adapted during this time.
• 2021-04-18

  Gardening: Feeding the Planet and Ourselves

  Gardening is something I learned I loved in the spring of 2019, and I noticed many differences during the pandemic. The garden centers were always busy, much busier than the year before. And often, they would be sold out of things such as vegetables. The article I have shared here I found while researching food insecurity. I have long thought that growing your own food is something that should be more widespread, especially among places of poverty. Of course, this article does not mention the fact that people living in extreme poverty barely have enough water to survive, let alone grow crops with. Regardless, this article makes good points about our soil, our diets, and the future of our planet and species. I think one good consequence of the pandemic is more people will turn to gardening, which opens up many more aspects of life.
• 2021-04-18

  Feeding America in a Pandemic

  Feeding America released briefs in March of 2020, one for food insecurity locally and one nationally due to the pandemic. I have attached the national brief. This is relevant to my research on the consequences of the pandemic. The briefing looks back to 2019 and 2020 and compares notes on food insecurities. Feeding America reviews this and discusses the future of food insecurities. It also talks about how race effects food insecurity, which is something that needs to be talked about.
• 
  2020-07

  The Calgary Stampede challenge coin, 2020

  This is a small story from my dad, a CBSA officer in Calgary Alberta. He collects and commissions challenge coins for his workplace, which has quickly become his main hobby over the pandemic, trading these coins with officers across Canada and America. The PDF document is his own description of what this coin is, what it represents and why it is so important to understanding how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the city of Calgary, cancelling for the first time in it's history, the 'greatest outdoor show on Earth,' the Calgary Stampede. This event is intrinsic to Calgary's identity, a show which celebrates the ranching and agricultural roots of this city and ultimately this province. The Calgary stampede boasts chuckwagon races, agricultural expos, overpriced yet famous mini-doughnuts and provincial art exhibits and much, much more - it's one of the few times a year where it's socially acceptable to dress up like a cowboy or cowgirl.
• 
  2021-03-09

  #JOTPYSilver from Mark and Michelle Wilson

  wanderlust_wilsons #jotpysilver fun budget has been $$$. Saved so much money this year, looking forward to taking more trips in the last half of 2021. Also, love supporting and discovering local business with takeout/curbside pickup
• 
  2021-03-22

  #JOTPYLesson from Michelle Wilson

  I have learned to breathe and meditate more. It’s okay to slow down! I’ve learned it’s okay to gain a few pounds (pandemic baking) I’ve learned to love myself more! 💛 #JOTPYlesson
• 
  2021-04-03

  JOTPYFuture submission from Tri Le

  #JOTPYFuture For the future I hope to go out and go to my favorite restaurants without the worry of catching COVID-19.
• 
  2021-04-15

  Going Wild

  I know the vaccine isn’t a golden ticket. I know you can still contract COVID. I know we don’t really know yet if a vaccinated person can spread it (which is why my kids are still on Distance Learning). And I know there are at least 30 countries where not one person has been vaccinated. I do know all of this. However, somewhere in my subconscious I am relaxing. I have not had a boba from 85 Degrees in 13 months and though my husband did bring home a Starbucks for me recently, that was pretty much it for the past year. Today, I somehow ended up with both. During our lunch walk, my bestie asked if I wanted to walk to Starbucks. We haven’t done that in over a year and I have to be honest, it felt amazing. Even though while we walked there, we said snarky stuff like “remember how we’re in a worldwide pandemic?” it still felt sort of normal. Then, my husband decided to pick up bread on the way home from 85 Degree and brought me a grapefruit tea with lychee jelly. My tastebuds are so happy and I’m barely asking myself if the person who made the drink has COVID. So I must be relaxing. Then again, I sprayed my boba cup with Lysol before touching it and dumped my Starbucks into a mug and reheated it before I drank it, soooo maybe not.
• 
  2021-04-12

  Being Asian During Covid

  This piece describes the minor hardships I have experienced during Covid as a young man who happens to be Asian.
• 
  2020-07-25

  Even Bigfoot wears a mask

  Even the Bigfoot inside Saturday's discount store/gas station in Leadville, Colorado wears a mask. I took this photo while getting gas and snacks over the summer. It made me smile after a hard week- if Bigfoot can do it, so can I.
• 
  2021-04-08

  How does the pandemic affect children?

  This article speaks about obesity in children during the pandemic. With lots of parents work being closed as well as schools, parents struggle to provide healthy options to children and are stuck with buying cheaper option that is mostly filled with preservatives and high calories that is causing obesity rates to increase. Effects of diet during youth effects eating habits that a child developss as it grows. As weight plays a role mentally and physically in a person's health, the pandemic affects children in such away.
• 
  2021-02-22

  #JOTPYSilver from Tina

  #JOTPYLesson I learned that quarantine is a great time to pick up a hobby. I didn’t start drinking coffee everyday until quarantine. Now every morning I have a cup of coffee to look forward to. I try to think of a new recipe every morning. I can’t believe this all started because of the dalgona whipped coffee trend on TikTok! And shoutout to my friends for gifting me a lovely Keurig!!☕️🍵
• 
  2021-03-31

  How does the pandemic affect children?

  This link talks about the effects the pandemic has on children's nutritional health and physical activity. With parents already being stressed about managing through the pandemic, the quality of care for children had gone down. According to this site "Families report that during COVID-19 mitigation, time spent in physical activity and sports has decreased while sleep time and screen time have increased." It is understandable that this is an issue as children are limited from going outside as families fear for their health along with the lack of social life has caused children to sleep and use electronics more as a sense of coping from boredom. Not only is this affecting children now but will affect the future of these children as these will become habits, and habits are something that is hard to grow out of when they are developed since childhood.
• 2021-03-29

  Being More Social In The LGBTQ+ Community

  After getting my last dose of the vaccine my husband and I have been able to be more social with others in the LGBTQ+ Community and Allies who have had their vaccine. For the first time in a year we actually had a date night eating ramen and other yummy food then we were able to meet up with friends who have been vaccinated for drinks. This finally helps me to possibly see a light at the end of the tunnel.
• 
  2021-01-19

  How does the pandemic affect children?

  This link provided explains how the pandemic is affecting the development of children.
• 2021-03-21

  A Year Into COVID-19's Impact on California's Education

  A comprehensive timeline of all the major events that occurred related to California's education; K-12 to college-level. It starts on March 4, 2020 with the latest entry at March 11, 2021.
• 2021-03-19

  I hope...

  I hope that a post-covid world means to be walking down Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland, with the smell of vanilla wafting through the air with a churro in my hand. I hope that a post-covid world means I can go back to my favorite land, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and have a vibrantly colored, fruity drink at the Cantina. I hope that a post-covid world means that I can stay at my favorite hotel, The Grand Californian, and can collect all the pressed pennies and pins I can imagine. But most of all, I hope that a post-covid world means Disneyland opens soon so thousands of cast members can get back to work.
• 
  2020-04-15

  That fleeting moment of Solidarity

  In those first few weeks of lockdown I just remember a feeling of solidarity with my neighbors. We were all separate, all isolated, but all working toward the same goal. Throughout our neighborhood people had written with chalk on the sidewalk, we took walks every day and saw painted rocks, teddy bears sitting in windows, art and signs of hope and comfort. For a homeschool art lesson I had my sons do chalk splatter painting on our driveway and then taught them about Jackson Pollock. I wrote lyrics to Bob Marley songs and drew pictures of rainbows on the sidewalk. We baked bread, cinnamon rolls, all things warm and cozy. Our family was together in a special way, we appreciated the time together. We went on hikes and fished in the backyard pond and although there were zoom appointments and conference calls, life was moving at a slower more relaxing pace. We were hopeful and confident that by doing the right thing we were saving lives.
• 
  2021-03-18

  Frontline farmers now eligible for COVID-19 vaccine

  Agricultural workers in Virginia are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Although farm production hasn't dropped significantly due to COVID-19, many farmers are apart of high-risk categories. Giving farmers access to the vaccine is believed to ensure that the food supply is maintained.
• 
  2020-08-03

  Food Service Workers Rally For Justice

  "Businesses always like to emphasize the family aspect of working in their space. However, they fail to recognize we can choose who we want to dedicate our time and energy to. Because even family can be toxic and unsuitable for our livelihoods. To be transformative in this industry, it shouldn't be 'here is 50% off your meal 'or 'pizza for working with us for 10 hours today'. Instead they should talk about how we can be a community. Cause in a community, we protect, we listen, engage, act justly, we care, and we work to be better." Brenda Montes, Waitress, Rival House Sporting Parlour⁣ ⁣ ⁣ Restaurant Opportunities Center of Minnesota is demanding these collective protections for restaurant workers:⁣ ⁣ Worker health and safety to come before profitability and customer expectations⁣ Livable and equitable wages for all staff across the industry: no more wage theft⁣ Cultural & structural change in the industry that fosters equity, inclusion, dignity for all workers⁣ ⁣ Visit @rocmn612 for more information or to get involved.⁣ ⁣ ⁣ Photos from Food Service Workers Rally For Justice, July 28, 2020
• 2020-08-21

  Living in Wrigleyville during a pandemic

  Wrigleyville home of the Chicago Cubs is known to be a neighborhood of Chicago that revolves around the Cubs. During a non pandemic year when there is a game at Wrigley Field there is people all around Wrigleyville. The neighborhood is bustling with Cubs fans everywhere. The restaurants are filled and the bars too. The cubs apparel shops are getting business and people are just happy. Now during the pandemic the neighborhood has a feeling of emptiness. No fans have been allowed in the stadium in over a year and a lot of the restaurants, bars, and apparel shops have been closed or temporarily closed until the pandemic is over. Things just aren't the same living in Wrigleyville during the pandemic.
• 
  2020-12-19

  Minnesota Election Day

  I had the privilege of documenting what I saw in Minnesota for @aclumn on Election Day. Going into the day I was prepared to see voter intimidation and long lines of frustrated voters, instead was met with celebratory and upbeat voters hosting cookouts and energized to cast their ballot.
• 
  2021-02-28

  Transphobia

  From Drew Arrieta: Dolores "Lola" Gonzalez was an employee at a South Minneapolis Cub Foods for seventeen years. After asking management at the location to act on ongoing transphobic and discriminatory harassment received from co-workers and customers, she was dismissed from her position on February 17th. Yesterday, community members and customers rallied to show support for her and condemn Cub Foods for upholding transphobia.
• 
  03/11/2021

  Oral History with "Chef" Tom Dickinson

  • “Chef” Tom Dickinson • Dana Lee Bell • 03/11/2021 • Fairfield, California • Dana Lee Bell Abstract: “Chef” Tom Dickinson is the Culinary Instructor for Fairfield High School in Northern California. A native of Oregon, Tom shares his journey in overcoming his personal challenges as a student with Autism who was often dismissed by his educators, to becoming a beloved teacher himself. He is currently organizing the development of a comprehensive culinary program that teaches students essential life and job skills. Tom reflects of the effects Covid-19 has had on his life, community, and students. He reflects on the challenges of online learning and shares the creative ways he has tried to connect with students using technology during the pandemic. 0:00:02.6 Dana Bell: This is Dana Bell, and today I'm speaking with Chef Tom Dickinson. Today is March 11th, 2021. This interview is taking place at Fairfield High School in Fairfield, California. Could you please tell me your name? 0:00:17.4 Tom Dickinson: Tom Dickinson. 0:00:18.8 DB: And do you consent to being recorded today? 0:00:21.5 TD: Absolutely. 0:00:22.8 DB: Thank you. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? 0:00:25.6 TD: Yes, I'm originally from Oregon. I grew up in the town of Tillamook, it's known for the cheese factory, I went to high school there. I lived there from since I was five years old to the year 2000, I moved over to the Willamette Valley, my parents moved over there so I relocated and I worked over there. I went to the college over there and graduated with an Associate Applied Science in Culinary Arts from Linn Benton Community College, and moved to California in 2007, and I've been here ever since, and I worked ten years for Paradise Valley Estates, and I eventually went and got my teaching credential. I'd been volunteering here with the special ed kids here at Fairfield High, and Armijo High as well, Dr. Cushman liked what he saw. He asked me, "Can I hire you to be our Culinary instructor?" "Absolutely," and I went to get my credential. And I've been here ever since, and I love it. 0:01:29.1 DB: Awesome. Can you tell me a little bit about your hobbies and things that you like to do? 0:01:35.6 TD: I like to create content online. I've been getting to do a lot of videos, I have a YouTube channel. I like to collect knives, like kitchen knives, Japanese-style knives, I love to do that. I love to write. I love to go to movies, I haven't been able to do that since COVID, but avid movie lover, love to spend time with my wife and the usual stuff. 0:01:57.5 DB: Awesome. So that leads me to the next question. Can you tell me a little bit about your family? 0:02:04.8 TD: Yes, my dad is a retired mechanic. He lives in Lebanon, he and my mom do, and my dad actually has spent his retirement, he re-builds custom engines for Studebakers, he has a business, he does that. My mom helps him with that business, they live there. I have an older sister, she also lives in Lebanon, Oregon, she helps take care of my parents. And my parents actually adopted my three younger brothers and my younger sister. So I've lived with a lot of kids in our family. I have 10 nephews, I have one... Three nieces and one grand-niece, my nephew Tyler, who's also a chef, has a 14-month-old daughter and she is a precious little gem. 0:03:05.0 DB: Can you tell me a little bit about how COVID-19 has affected you and your family? 0:03:11.5 TD: It's caused us to have a very... Difference of opinion. My sister and I are very, very adamant about wear your mask, get vaccined. My father actually won't get the vaccine, he's kinda set his ways, I respect that, my mom will. The whole COVID situation has caused a lot of arguments, has caused some division, which it always does. Not all of us agree on the way the COVID has happened, and it's something that we just kinda sweep under the rug and we don't discuss the politics behind COVID-19. 0:04:01.6 DB: How has COVID-19 outbreak affected your community? It could be school, clubs, church, jobs, etcetera, can you speak about how COVID-19 has affected any of the communities you're involved in? 0:04:16.5 TD: I haven't been to an in-person church service in a year. I went to one, and that was when we were almost in the red tier, then we went back to purple, so I went to one in a year. Although we've been having it online. I have watched friends of mine in the hospitality industry lose their businesses, it's heartbreaking when I hear that people might... We're one, big happy family in the hospitality industry, when I hear about people that I know and businesses that I know of having to shut the door because of COVID-19, it just breaks my heart. It's sad. I have classmates from culinary school, who've had to shut down their businesses because of COVID-19... Of course, we're doing distance learning here at the school, we haven't been able to talk to students, we haven't had students here. 0:05:09.6 TD: We were supposed to do an event December, we couldn't do it because of COVID. I don't know when we're gonna be able to do another event because of COVID-19, because even though we're advancing in tiers, it's still lingering and there's still new variants and we don't know what's gonna happen. We could be in the red tier today and back in the purple here in two months, I don't know. But it's definitely affect everybody, it's affected my industry. A lot of times I feel like I'm teaching a dead professional, and I'm trying to just keep strong and keep doing it, so when the hospitality industry does get back on its feet, I'll be able to send people out there who can work for these businesses, who know what they're doing. 0:05:51.8 DB: Right. You already mentioned this, how people around you are responding to the pandemic... 0:05:57.0 TD: Yeah. 0:05:57.5 DB: Is there anything you wanted to add about that? You talked about your family and their response. 0:06:04.1 TD: I know people who still believe COVID-19 is a hoax. I've had COVID-19. When I got my vaccination, I had all the symptoms of COVID-19. The very next day. My uncle was in the hospital for 31 days because of COVID-19. Now a lot of people in my family don't like my uncle, they don't talk to him. I haven't seen him since I was 11 years old. I called him up because I heard that he was in the hospital, he almost died. Makes you think about stuff, but there's still people who don't wanna wear masks, there's still people, I know personally, who think it's a hoax, they're not gonna get their vaccine, they don't wanna wear masks, and it's like... I told them, "I'd rather stay six feet apart than be six feet under." 0:06:57.0 DB: So have you seen people around you change their opinions day-to-day and their activities or relationships in response to the pandemic? 0:07:09.1 TD: I have. My mom has definitely changed her response about it. My sister has been, I think been in quarantine twice because of COVID-19, she tested negative, thankfully, but she's had to be in quarantine because of it, and she has changed her opinion on it, and she takes it more seriously, and she... She even told my dad, she said, "I'm gonna go get the vaccine, does that bother you?" He's like, "Oh no, go ahead." So my mom is actually gonna go get vaccinated, which just... That's a thank you moment right there that she wants to be safe, so yeah... But I still know people who think it's a hoax, who think it's not supposed to happen. The biggest thing that people have thought about it, they told me that 'cause I'm a teacher, I'm lazy, that I don't wanna go to work. I just wanna sit around at home and teach in my jammies. I'm here every day, I'm in my kitchen every day. I'm working twice as... We're all working twice as hard as we were before trying to get this done, there's nothing lazy about it. Our first priority is to keep our kids safe, and if keeping them safe means not having them here, then that's it. 0:08:27.9 DB: Self-isolation, flattening the curve have been two key ideas that have emerged during the pandemic, so how have you and your family, friends, community responded to this request to self-isolate and flatten the curve? 0:08:43.4 TD: I self-isolate anyway, I enjoy my quiet time by myself, I wasn't affected that much, I enjoyed my peace and quiet. I work in a very... A profession where I'm surrounded by people and I'm at meetings every single day and I see everybody. Self-isolation is a treasure to me, even before the pandemic, so it didn't take a lot to adjust, but sometimes it does... Not being able to go on a date with my wife to the movies, that part sucks, staying at home and we're each on our phones watching Netflix, that part kinda sucks, but we like to go on dates, we like to go see movies when they come out, it's just one of our things we love to do, and we haven't been able to do it, but that's the only downfall. But that's it. 0:09:38.1 DB: So can you explain a little bit about what your job is? What do you do here? 0:09:41.9 TD: I am the culinary arts instructor, I'm the Executive Chef and the culinary arts instructor for the Fairfield High School and the Fairfield Student Adult School Culinary Arts programs. We have two programs here in our district. We have one for the adult school, we have one here for Fairfield High. Here at Fairfield High I teach Culinary I and Culinary II. For the Adult School I teach... I've taught Culinary I and Culinary II, Culinary Fundamentals and International Cuisine. And most of the time I teach here in the morning, and then I have students come in at night, and I have night classes here to just... Because we wanted to provide... The original principal of the adult school James Woods, we talked about workforce development and creating a workforce place, work training for people who need it, and that's mostly what we're doing. That's what we're doing with the high school kids because I'm a firm believer not everybody's gonna go to college, not everybody wants to, and that's fine. So that's what we're doing here. We're providing this skilled trade, just like auto shop is, just like sports medicine is, just like digital video production is. And we're very proud of that. 0:11:00.5 DB: So when a student leaves your classroom, they could potentially find a job in the culinary arts? 0:11:07.6 TD: Yes, they could. Every hour they spend in my class is job training. I have connections with people for wanting jobs, we have industry partners for the Culinary Arts Program. Our industry partners are Paradise Valley Estates here in town, Bernal Cutlery is our industry partner. Also one of our industry partners is Christian Culinary Academy, in Cannon Beach, Oregon. I'm actually gonna be sending a student up there for their conference, he's actually gonna be interviewing to actually apply to go to the school there. So it's really a great opportunity for them, and it's a small school, and they do a lot of really cool stuff, and Chef Ira has been a good friend of mine for about 11 years, he and his wife run the school, and just really, really... It's a really great place. Very small, with a very intense program, so anything that I can do to get these guys ready for a program like that, I definitely will do. 0:12:07.2 DB: What made you decide to do this for a living? 0:12:10.4 TD: To be a chef? 0:12:11.3 DB: Yeah, and to work as a teacher. 0:12:14.1 TD: Well, to be a chef... I've always liked to cook. I've been cooking since I was seven years old. And one of the thing that happened is, it was 2002, I went to my dad's college graduation, he was 59 years old, he was just getting another job so he could train and work until he could retire, and so his social security kicked in, he already had his retirement from him working 28-29 years with the City of Tillamook, and I was sitting out in the audience and I watched my dad walk across the podium with his cap and gown on, and he went and got his degree. And that school is a one-year certificate refrigeration, heating, ventilation, air conditioning. And... 0:13:10.1 TD: When we were at the graduation reception, he had all of his kids around, he said, "If I can do this at 59, what's stopping you guys? What's your excuse?" He challenged every single one of his kids to go to school, to go to college, graduate. I took him up on his challenge, and 2002, I started my first class at Lindback Community College. In 2002, I was sitting in the audience watching him walk across the stage to get his diploma, 2005, he was sitting in the audience watching me walk across the stage to get mine, which was great. And it was probably the roughest, most intense, hardest thing I've ever accomplished in my life. And then I worked in the industry after that. At one time I had a side hustle, doing some private catering. When I came down here, I just decided I'd seen what was going on and I'd seen how people who are disabled were being treated as far as life skills. It's like something needs to be done about that. 0:14:31.4 TD: So I actually emailed... I messaged the school district on their Facebook page, I wasn't employed, and they didn't know who I was. And I messaged them and I said [0:14:46.5] ____ "Hey, I'd love to volunteer and come into your school and work with your special ed kids and teach them how to cook, host cooking classes." I called Rodriguez, they said no. So then, "Okay, I won't hear anything." Then I got a call from Anna Vieira at Armijo High School, said, "So Tom, saw your message on Facebook. We'd love to have you as a guest." I said, "Really?" She's like, "Yeah, that'd be great." So I volunteered with the schools for about four years, and then finally what happened is, is eventually Fairfield High got a hold of me and they wanted me to come over here and work with them, and I volunteered, and I worked with the special ed kids and the principals would come in and they'd see what we were doing, they'd see all this stuff that we were cooking, and they got to know me pretty well, they got to know what I was doing, and I totally had their support. 0:15:47.2 TD: And then there came a time there was a situation where I was talking with Doctor Cushman, I told him how I would do something and then he said, "Can I hire you?" And I was like, "Yeah, absolutely." He said, "You'd leave your job in the private sector to come work with me as a... Work over here as a teacher?" Said, "Absolutely, let's do it. Let's get it done." Because I had seen firsthand how my profession was changing. I had seen how people were taking shortcuts, they were using ready-made stuff, stuff that was already done, trying to make it easier, they weren't taking that pride and that quality and preparing really good food. And I wanted to change that. I wanted to make a positive difference in my profession, and I wanted to train some kids and train them old school, like we... "Chef, I need beef broth. There's the bones, there's the vegetables, go make some. It's gonna take you about eight hours, but get it done." "We don't have any mayonnaise or ranch dressing chef." "There's the herbs, there's the vinegar, there's the hot sauce, there's the Mayo, there's the milk, go make some." 0:17:00.1 TD: One of the rules I have in our program is we don't buy mayonnaise, we don't buy salad addressing, we make it ourselves, that's the standard that we have, that's the old school techniques and fundamentals that I want these kids to know. It's not all about heating the microwave on high for five minutes. Chef Mike doesn't work here, he doesn't like his button pushed. Everyone knows what I mean. 0:17:23.0 DB: Can you tell me a little bit? Can you speak on why the disabled community is so important to you? 0:17:33.0 TD: Because I'm one of them. When I was 11 years old, I was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, high functioning autism. I have dealt with this, I've had meltdowns, I have dealt with this my entire life. I've been bullied by teachers because of it. I had a teacher who got so tired of having to deal with me, she took me down to the school health room, threw me inside there, which was the equivalent of a jail cell, and she shut the door and left me down there all day long because she didn't wanna deal with me. She thought it would teach me a lesson. I still have never forgotten that day to this day. And one of the things that I have always made sure, and I have a lot of kids who are functional academics and vocational academics in my class. And they ask me, "Chef, do you mind having all these kids in your class?" I say, "No, I do not." I said, "Nobody gets singled out in my class and nobody gets turned away." I have a zero-exclusion policy in the Culinary Arts Program. If anybody wants a shot, they can get one. They're not all gonna get the same work obviously, but they are all gonna get the same opportunity. 0:19:15.0 DB: What concerns do you have about the effects of COVID-19 on your employment and on the economy, broadly speaking? 0:19:26.7 TD: My biggest concern is the hospitality industry. That, all the Mom and Pop places are gonna die off, 'cause they don't have the resources to stay afloat. And my biggest fear about employment was, I'm one of those classes that's considered non-essential, along with a lot of the other elective teachers, and they could have very easily, because of COVID, say, "Well, we have to make budget cuts, 'cause things aren't happening, we're having to cut your program." that's the biggest fear I always have. 0:20:04.2 DB: Is it still a fear of yours, right now? 0:20:06.6 TD: They just spent two and a half million dollars to build me a new facility, I'm not really afraid about it anymore. 0:20:13.2 DB: I wanted to ask you about that. Can you tell me a little bit more about... So you take this program, you're starting it, you're building this program, and now there are big things happening for your program. Can you tell me a little bit about that? 0:20:29.6 DB: When I came in in 2017, the biggest thing [0:20:34.2] ____ is that we needed to rebuild this program. The teacher who was teaching culinary previously, she's still here, she teaches Home Economics now, she taught culinary like she teach Home-Ec class. She's never worked in the restaurant industry, so you know what, I don't hold that against her at all, she tried her best. She's never worked the line, she's never been in a situation, on the line, where you got 50 diners coming into your dining room, they're all sitting down at the same time, they're all ordering at the same time, and there's only two line cooks on the line. I have. I've been with it, I've conquered it, I know what to look for. It's been about rebuilding. A lot of the times, people look at the culinary class as their easy A, where people go to pad their GPAs because they just sit around, they don't have to do anything, they get to eat, and they're just gonna get an easy grade. 0:21:34.3 TD: I'm still trying to cancel the culture of that and changing it around. My guys know that my class is work now, that this is not a cooking class, this is a job training course. If you wanna learn how to cook at home, take Foods and Home Economics. You wanna learn that a cook on the professional level, 'cause that's my style, come to my class. Like today, I just talked to a teacher, she asked me, "How are you gonna get chilli, fajitas and fried bread all done at the same time in only one class period? I said, "Because that's what we do in a pro kitchen. We don't stop moving, and it's fun to try to see how many things can we get done at the same time. That's what we do." When I work with my kids, I do like two or three dishes at the same time, 'cause that's how you work on the line. My style of cooking is professional level, it is not learning to cook at home, actually when a kid tell me, "Well, this is how I do it at home." I hate hearing that. I tell them, "Good then do it at home. Here, you're gonna do it my way 'cause you do it the chef's way," and that's what we do. 0:22:43.7 DB: So next year, what are some things that they're talking about... There are things that you've been preparing for all year for next year, what are some... 0:22:51.7 TD: We are getting a two and a half million-dollar restaurant installed into our school. 0:22:55.7 DB: A restaurant in this school? 0:22:57.7 TD: Yes. 0:22:58.2 DB: Can teachers go and eat there? 0:23:00.7 TD: Teachers can go and eat there, it will be open to staff. The name of the restaurant was originally gonna be The Falcon's Nest Cafe, but because we have a six-burner flat top, because we have a humongous grill now, because we have a full-sized commercial pizza oven for our line, this restaurant is called The Falcon Grill. 0:23:20.0 DB: Okay. 0:23:21.3 TD: And it is a restaurant that's going to be open to staff at first, because of COVID, we're gonna have to go back and start from the beginning and train the kids up, get them ready to work the line, and the way it's gonna be structured is, the Culinary one students are gonna be doing more of the entry level stuff, they're gonna be the prep cooks, they're gonna be the baker assistants, they're gonna work in the dish room, they're gonna wait tables at the restaurant, they're gonna do a rotation on wait staff. Culinary two is gonna take the supervisor roles, they're gonna work the line, for all the wait staff that are Culinary one that in the dining room, we're gonna have a dining room manager who's a Culinary two student. For all the guys on the dish crew, washing dishes, we're gonna have a Culinary 2 student as a dish room foreman. 0:24:06.9 TD: We're gonna have a pantry chef, we're gonna have a saucier, we're gonna have a grill chef, we're gonna have somebody on pizza station, we're gonna a Culinary 2 student on butcher station, they're gonna do all the butchering, they're gonna cook all the food in the smoker, they're gonna take care of all that stuff. We're gonna have a pastry chef who is gonna do all the bread products for the restaurant, and this restaurant, all the sandwich buns, all the bread for the sandwiches, all the cakes, all the rolls, everything is gonna be done from scratch, in-house, because that is the standard we wanna hold to. 0:24:42.4 DB: So let me ask you this, why do kids need to learn to cook? Why is this important? 0:24:50.2 TD: Life skills. You can't live on Top Ramen the rest of your life, you can't live on ramen noodles, you can't live on processed food... It leads the diabetes, hypertension, obesity. The biggest problem, I deal with diabetes every day, I'm type two diabetic, I don't want kids deal with that. Chefs have terrible diets, we cook all this great food in a restaurant, we go home, we'll eat ramen noodles and a frozen pizza. Girls are like, "Oh yeah, I'm gonna marry a chef, they're gonna cook me great gourmet meals at home." and I just laugh. It's like, "No, they're not." They working 12 hours in a hot, airless kitchen and... But it's life skills. 0:25:32.5 TD: Even if they decide not to do this as a career, it's job skills that's showing up on time, working your job, looking at your best and making sure you have a clean uniform on, making sure you're putting your best product out, always. It's the one thing I've been doing during COVID, trying with the kids working online, I told them, "The restaurants here are putting out perfection, so people will come back, even though they're doing a take-out delivery and still wanna buy their food from this, they can survive." I told them, "You guys have to put your best product out, no matter what the situation." So some people think I'm a little harsh, some will think, "Oh, you're not accepting my work late?" No. You put your best product out you put it up on time, no matter what, always. So that's the thing. 0:26:21.4 DB: That makes sense. So I wanted to ask you, how have you adjusted your entire classroom during the pandemic, 'cause you're cooking, right? 0:26:32.0 TD: Mm-hmm. 0:26:32.6 DB: And you're trying to teach these kids to cook, but they're at home or on distance learning, so... How are you adjusting to that? 0:26:39.3 TD: I don't know how I did it, but... [laughter] I can thank Food Network for that, I really can, and I'm not a big fan of Food Network, I like a couple of their shows, but... 0:26:52.7 DB: Can you describe your set up for me? 0:26:54.9 TD: Well, I have... When Covid first hit, I got a couple of tripods, I had my district iPad, my laptop and my iPhone, and I used those to adjust them around my stove to show the kids what I was cooking, and I brought that same set up here, but I kind of expanded on it a little bit at a time. So I started out with a couple of cameras, then I bought another laptop, I got it on another tablet, I got it on sale, I got a couple of clamps on discount and Amazon, I kinda mounted them up, I mounted them up on the rails. Got a couple of these things where I could mount up some lights, and just all of a sudden it just kind of blew out of proportion, I ended up having two tablets, one iPad, my iPhone, and my laptop, and I had them all set up, and I learned, "Hey, as long as you have different devices, you can put all these devices on your same Google Meets chat at the same time." So that's what I do. 0:28:00.0 TD: I have a camera over the stove, I have a monitor facing me where I can see if the kids need to ask me a question, I turn the captions on on that monitor, I have my iPad facing me, so they're facing right down, I have a tablet close up to my cutting board, I call it my plating camera, where the kids can see me plate up the food, they can see me doing the precision knife cut, so they know how to do it. And one of the things I do, I give them cooking labs to do at home, and they have to send me a video showing me how they're doing stuff. One of the things I also do, is say, "Hey guys, I'll give you guys a list if you wanna cook along with me on cook days on camera, show everybody... 'cause I invite all the teachers to come and join class, I'll count it as your lab grade." 0:28:46.9 TD: So I've seen them cook on camera, they're watching me cook on camera, and sometimes it's fun and trying to keep it positive positive, but it feels like I'm doing a cooking show every week. So that's kind of the attitude I have, that's kind of the fun we have, but one thing I do is I also have cook day assignments, they're these big forms, they have to pay attention because I had a lot of assignments not getting turned in, so I have these assignment forms, they even have to list the knives I use. I call all the answers out saying they have to pay attention and type everything for what I'm doing. Someone's like, "Well can't we just send this as a video?" I said, "There is no video. Pay attention. See what I'm doing?" "Well, what if I get hungry?" "Wait." [laughter] 0:29:38.0 TD: So, I showed him the video and actually, we do the video, I do the whole cook day and we get everything done and they have to pay attention and they have to fill it out, and if I done early, we've done early, we go for questions and see what... Just see how they did, and then they turn in their assignment, I give them about a week to get it done, and some of them get it done, and some of them don't. 0:30:03.8 DB: Can you tell me what you cooked today? 0:30:06.1 TD: We cooked this week, the kids, we've been talking about regional American cuisine, and we're talking about the cuisine of Tex Mex cuisine and American Southwest cuisine, so very Mexican, Spanish, Indigenous influences in the food, so we did Texas-style chili, we did fajitas... We did a native frybread, and we just try to do that to like two or three dishes, and last week we did Pacific Northwest, we did Smoke Roasted Salmon, we did Tempura Sushi, and we just had [0:30:41.8] ____ that we did a Blackberry Gastrique with the salmon, just that [0:30:46.1] ____ vinegar reduction with blackberries and sugar and ginger and garlic and reduced it down and put it on top of the salmon, it was delicious. Really, really good. So we tried to do some dishes from each region, just so the kids know that these are the flavors that are indigenous to these regions of the country. 0:31:07.2 DB: What is your favorite part about distance learning? 0:31:11.4 TD: Getting to get on camera and do the cook days with the kids, I have fun. Some people don't like the fact that I have so much fun doing it, but I do. It's fun. I mean, this year I got a Teacher of the Year nomination for it. I didn't even know I got a Teacher of the Year nomination, I saw they were doing nominees, I was like, "Yeah, I won't get one." Then Mr. Mac was like, "Yeah, Chef, I like your Teacher of the Year nomination." I was like, "What?" Like yeah, so I looked on there, I was like, "Oh, okay, cool. Doing something right. Great. Good." That's been my favorite part, just getting to do the cook days, cooking every week. My favorite part is it's actually helped me sharpen my skills in the kitchen, which is awesome. 0:32:02.6 DB: So, can you tell me what your least favorite part is about distance learning? 0:32:13.9 TD: The lack of kids turning in work... Every teacher is dealing with that right now. I went on, I was doing grading last night, I have 79 kids in my program who are failing. 53% of my students aren't passing my program. 0:32:36.2 DB: What percentage of those students would you say... You can't even get a hold of, like have they been coming to class? 0:32:44.4 TD: I have kids who've never shown up all year. They have never showed up all year. It's kind of the culture of elective courses that people think that the courses in my class are optional, they're not. People need elective courses to graduate. The biggest thing... People come to my class, I think it's a skate course. And then they come to me, like, "Chef, how can I raise my grade?" 0:33:08.4 TD: And I was like, "You should have done the work. I can't help you. You made a choice." Now that choice has a consequence. If I make bad choices, my choices have consequences. I've made plenty of bad choices in my life, and I've suffered the consequences for it, and I've learned from it. I had one kid who got on me because I wouldn't fix his grades so he could play baseball, it's like, "You should have done the work, if you're that dedicated to baseball, you should have known, you need to do the work in order to play." I came out as kinda mean, but do the work. 0:33:49.2 DB: We're coming back to in-person learning after spring break, right. So how do you feel about that? 0:33:56.3 TD: I think it's great. I just hope they take it slow. I know that we're gonna be doing virtual in the morning, we're gonna be doing asynchronous with the kids coming back in the afternoon, they're coming to get help, I don't know what the guidelines are gonna be, for me having kids in the kitchen and cooking food because of the CDC. I heard they would, probably won't be able to come, but the kids will be able to come back into the classroom and get help with their assignments, which is great. I'm happy to do that. It would be great to see them back, but I just hope you take it slow, and we don't end up running before we walk. 0:34:33.4 DB: So has this experience transformed how you think about friends, family and community, and in what ways? 0:34:45.8 TD: It's... I think the most heartbreaking thing is the way people have looked at teachers, we've been kind of villainized, were the enemy. Back in March, they were so thankful for us to be here and to do what we did, and now because COVID got real and we're trying to be safe in our work environment, we're trying to keep the kids safe, and it's like... And especially one video I heard online that somebody said that 10% of teachers dying, so the kids can be back in school was an acceptable loss, and it just showed me how society is looking at what we do, not everybody in society, but a lot of people. It was heartbreaking, and a lot of teachers are quitting over it and they're going into new professions. Personally, in my own opinion, their opinions of what I do is a case of mind over matter, I don't mind 'cause their opinions don't matter. It's not gonna stop me from doing what I came here to do, and that is, do you change my profession and equip these guys who wanna go into this industry with the right fundamentals and skills, it's not gonna stop me from doing that. 0:36:20.3 DB: So I wanna ask you, can you imagine how your life will be in a year? 0:36:27.2 TD: No, I can't. I'm just trying to imagine how life is gonna be tomorrow. [chuckle] 0:36:36.9 DB: So what do you hope life will be like next year? 0:36:39.8 TD: I'm hoping that things will be better, we get some kids in here, that it's somewhat back to normal. I don't think it's gonna be all the way back to normal. I think there's still gonna be... Like I said the whole COVID thing is very fluid. They're trying to get people vaccinated, but every time you try to get somebody vaccinated there's a brand new case. Trying to get on top of it because we did get behind on it. I don't know, I don't know how life's gonna be in a year. I hope it's better. I know that I'm gonna be in a brand new building, playing in a brand new restaurant and getting to serve some great food to some great people who deserve it. 0:37:25.0 DB: So is there anything that we haven't talked about today that you feel like is important to share? 0:37:43.0 TD: Just that what we do isn't easy, it's been hard this year and harder than it's ever been before, it takes a lot of toll, it takes a lot of stress, it takes a toll on people's mental and physical health, but that just don't give up, do what you gotta do but make sure you take care of you so you can take care of everybody else that's it. 0:38:12.9 DB: Thank you so much I think this is gonna be a really important addition to the archives and so I just appreciate you sharing today. 0:38:22.7 TD: Cool.