Items

• 
  2021-02-26

  Black Coalition Against COVID 19's Love Letter to Black America

  This twitter post was featured on the Black Coalition Against COVID 19's twitter page. The video is a "Love Letter" to the United States black community and offers an affirming and reassuring statement of the African American medical and research community's commitment to the health, protection, and quote "survival" of their ethnicity. The video affirms that black medical staff will continue to fight for equality in healthcare while encouraging the black community to continue wearing masks, social distancing, avoiding holiday gatherings, and to participate in COVID-19 vaccine trials. The video is an uplifting example of the Black community's efforts to show their people that they will be heard, valued, protected and will overcome the virus.
• 
  2021-02-14

  Essential vs. Expendable Workers

  When the pandemic broke out, I was caught in the whirlwind of being an essential worker. I was a manager at my local McDonalds, so I've seen just how cruel people can be, and how corporations have continued to neglected their workers. Many people are minimum wage workers, and its frightening to know that such a large population is suffering so much, only to receive little appreciation and change. Through my personal story, I hope to have readers step in the shoes of a minimum wage worker than a pandemic, so when they step out, they'll raise awareness on the issue of lack of support and care for minimum wage workers.
• 
  2021-02-14

  My Story: I Got COVID-19 Because of ICE

  I am sending a diary style writing where I share my experience during the pandemic. I focus on the issue of ICE during the pandemic. Before the lockdowns, my uncle was detained by ICE and was deported during the pandemic. My uncle has been living in the US for 25+ years and Mexico, my uncle's home country, has changed a lot since he last lived there. For that reason, I went to Mexico to take him home. This made me get COVID.
• 2020-03-12

  Life of a College Student During The Covid-19 Pandemic

  My Story begins in Newberry, South Carolina, in March of 2020. During this time, I was a sophomore at Newberry College. Newberry is small town with very little to do. So, three of my friends and I plan to drive to Charleston, South Carolina, for the weekend. Our plans were to hang out at a beach all day then go have dinner with my friend’s parents. Unfortunately, this plan got cut short after receiving an email from the school around 3pm. The email stated that students have to leave campus within 2 days. We were all shocked by this news. Many of the students from the college are from out of state or from another country entirely. I am from Florida originally, so I have to figure out how to get home with all my stuff in two days. Fortunately for me and my friend, who is from the same town, my parents came to pick us up the second day. At this point in the pandemic, our classes either were canceled or finished online. Most teacher would just let the students pass not to put pressure on the students or themselves. During the summer, I was trying to figure out what was going on at my college, what was their plan on keeping students safe? are classes online? Where are we going to get our food if the cafeteria is closed? Ect. The college would provide little to no information on what their plans were and they were going to charge students full price for worse conditions in housing and in class. I eventually transferred to Florida Gulf Coast University; I did this for many it was cheaper, closer to home, had better education and they provided an actually plan for COVID-19. That following December, two of my friends and I contracted Covid-19. I believe we got when we went out to lunch together. Luckily, this was during our winter break, so I was not on campus and did not infect anyone else. The interesting part is how the virus effected all three of us differently, my first friend had no symptoms, the second only lost his smell and taste, and I had the rest. I had an extreme fever, soar throat, one of the worst head aches ever, bad fatigue, and my body was really soar. I quarantined for two weeks and got tested to know I was not contagious anymore. Overall, the Covid-19 virus forced a large number of students to transfer colleges or drop out and move in with their parents. Many schools, foundations, workplaces, and establishments did not have a plan or idea on how to handle the virus. Many people were let go from their jobs and are unemployed and this caused some local businesses to go under too. The most difficult this with the virus was the lack of information about it. Some people had symptoms and others did not. The information we were receiving was different from other sources. We could not trust our own government on what information to keep us safe.
• 
  2020-11-11

  Paid Leave Approval for COVID-19

  My entire family had contracted COVID-19 and in accordance with company policies I was required to apply for mandatory paid leave for a minimum of 2 weeks and a COVID-19 test after that 14 day period. COVID-19 had a large impact on both my job and my family.
• 
  2020-04-20

  During the War... or A Gift of Time

  When the going gets tough, the tough get going... I think I understand the meaning of hunkering down and getting to work now. I have always loved creating and now more than ever am embracing its healing powers. During these last six weeks I feel like we have been dodging bullets. We have become hunter gatherers looking for supplies to combat the germs. We are obsessed with stocking our little fort with enough of everything (art supplies), to survive the war. Through it all, my husband and I have also been obsessed with creating. Me in my home studio, learning how to collage, make books, creating paintings, greeting cards and finding new techniques to immerse (distract) my self. My husband in his shop behind our house making cigar box guitars! I read a quote from J.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, that sums up, like most things, will be our attitudes that will help us accept this interruption of life..... ”I wish it had not happened in my time”. said Frodo. ”So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what we will do with the time that is given to us.” Since the start of the pandemic I have created over 65 paintings. I need to create in order to find sanity and feel productive and not scared and anxious. The photograph is a painting I created using Rohrshadk blots as inspiration.
• 
  2021-02-16

  My Covid-19 Experience

  The emergence of Covid-19 definitely took me by surprise. I remember discussing in one of my classes on the Brooklyn College campus of how potentially serious the virus was in early March of 2020. The majority of the class agreed that the virus was probably not going to get out of hand and it was just being over-covered in the media. Then a couple weeks later, we were stunned of how quick the situation surrounding the virus in the U.S. became which lead to Brooklyn College shutting down the campus and going virtual online. It was an overwhelming and challenging experience adjusting to having five classes from in person to online. What made it more challenging was contracting the virus myself in April where I experienced extreme fatigue, chills and a fever a couple nights, and lost of taste and smell. Through it all, I kept my faith in Jesus and trusted Him to heal me from the sickness and get through the semester. Thankfully, I passed all of my classes at the end of the semester and recovered fully within a couple weeks. My entire family was infected with the virus including my parents but they overcame it as well. Lastly, seeing all of the death totals on the news and staggering scenes such as freezer trucks taking bodies from hospitals to be buried or cremated were both alarming and saddening. What gave me hope was the general high survival rate despite the high number of reported infections and my faith in Christ who warned us in through the Bible (Mathew 24:3-8) that perilous times would come in the last days, including pestilences. As the pandemic continues to evolve, I continue to pray for those who lost loved ones, our country and the world that we would all become stronger, wiser, and closer to Jesus after this unfortunate experience.
• 
  2020-03-20

  Journal of the Plague Year

  The Corona Virus aka COVID-19 has drastically affected my life as well as the entire world. COVID-19 first affected my life during my second semester sophomore year of college. The beginning of sophomore year was when we first started hearing about COVID-19. At that time, it wasn’t really a big deal. It was more like a myth in a sense; it was happening everywhere else but here. And then, March came. More and more reports of COVID-19 in the United States were being presented. It was starting to become a serious threat. The day after Saint Patrick’s Day, I was with some friends and we were all hanging out and getting lunch. During our lunch, we received an email saying that we had to move off campus within the next week due to the threat and seriousness of COVID-19. We were all so shocked and upset that our sophomore year was cut short. In the blink of an eye, we had to pack up our entire college lives and leave to go home. All of the memories we were supposed to make were gone. For me, all of my friends were at school so going home was very hard for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family but, I also want to be able to see my friends. Once I got home, I had to do the rest of school online and had to be quarantined in my house. Online school was such a new and difficult experience. I had never done online school and neither had the professors, so it was a very difficult transition. Something else that was difficult was being trapped in a house from March until May. I am not the type of person to just stay cooped up in a house. I like to be out doing things and socializing with others but, I couldn’t do that. I was confined to my house with only my family. It was hard finding things to keep us all entertained every day while also trying not to kill each other. We tried puzzles, games, family walks and hikes, movie night, and everything in between. These things worked but only for a short period of time. Being quarantined really does affect your mental health. I also had to celebrate my twentieth birthday in quarantine which was not fun at all, but at least I was with my family which made it better. Then came July. July first was when I was moving into my first house in Pittsburgh for college. I thought that it was going to be such a fun and exciting time. But it was difficult with the whole pandemic going on. It was hard to see my friends, go out to eat, and go to the bars. I was still able to have fun, but it was still difficult to adjust to a new lifestyle. Online school full time was also hard, but I got through it and figured out how to do school efficiently. Come end of October, I got COVID-19. I didn’t realize of shitty COVID-19 was and that I could even get it because I was so young. I had all of the symptoms except loss of taste and smell. I was bed ridden for two weeks; it was awful. After that things were as good as they can be during this time. A week before New Year’s Eve, my entire family tested positive for COVID-19 except me since I had already gotten it. They got really sick and I had to take care of them and grocery shop and run errands for them. That was hard for me to watch them all be so sick. But they got better and became healthy. Yes, I haven’t had this extreme story due to COVID-19 but it did affect my life in ways that I didn’t think it could. I had to change my entire way of living because of this virus.
• 
  2020-10-24

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

  This news report highlights how the public can help contribute to the Navajo Nation COVID-19 relief efforts. It includes video interviews with Navajo members struggling to survive without proper resources and offers five Native non-profits that people can donate much needed necessities to. Archiving this piece will allow future researchers to document the Navajo struggles and the relief they received from non-profit donations.
• 
  2021-02-04

  The Emotional Toll of the Loss of Smell

  When weighing the various outcomes of contracting Covid-19, the loss of smell seemed rather low on the list. Smell always ranked rather low in the hierarchy of the five senses. Sense of smell was always the go to answer in the childhood ice breaker “if you had to lose one of your five senses, which would you choose and why?” The lowly sense of smell seemed the least important. And in the Covid-19 experience, this strange symptom seemed to pale in comparison with being put on a ventilator, going in a coma, or losing one’s life. However, this article on the emotional impact of losing one’s sense of smell is a reminder that the aftermath of Covid-19, and the very ability to smell, is more complicated than one could imagine. As numerous survivors attest, the loss of smell is disorienting and depressing. It is not simply the inability to taste food, or coping with ordinary smells that are now offensive. Scents are tied to our memories, and many survivors relate losing their sense of smell to losing their sense of self. As this article explains, many survivors are turning to smell training in hopes of regaining a part of themselves that many of us never gave a second thought to prior to this pandemic.
• 
  2020-05-28

  “Treated like a pariah': 11 COVID-19 survivors reveal what they want people to know

  This article presents the sometimes-unspoken stigma that accompanies having Covid-19. It invited survivors to share what they want people to know, because, according to the article, “for many people living through this, sharing their story is the only way they feel validated as they wait for researchers to wade through the unknowns.” The article expresses feelings of isolation from some who are avoided now that they have had Covid. Others share that there is a sense of blame thrust upon them, by those who feel as though they are at fault for getting sick. Still others disclose the subpar treatment by their health providers. Their lessons include: the disease can turn severe quickly, Covid-19 shouldn’t be about politics, don’t let your guard down, warn your friends and family, it is not just the flu, people need to have empathy, the suffering is real, be your own advocate, precautions aren’t foolproof, researchers and doctors are trying their best, and be grateful. Overall, these stories remind us that even when a person survives, they have healing yet to go.
• 
  2020-07-20

  They Survived: Beating COVID-19 After 70

  When Covid-19 cases began making the news in America, the stories were centered around nursing homes, where the population seemed especially susceptible. Day after day more reports of Covid-19 infecting and killing numerous patients and residents within these facilities painted a dire picture. And it is still dire. However, there are individuals who, despite their advanced age, survived Covid-19. This article from the AARP highlights four individuals in their 70s and 80s who suffered through serious cases involving long hospital stays and ventilators that made it through this virus. An interesting aspect of this article is every person interviewed ends their section by chastising people going out to restaurants, bars, and not wearing masks. Though they survived, they used this platform to try and convey the severity of the situation. As an 80-year-old female survivor from New York stated “This is not the flu. This is something that wants to kill you. It saps your strength and makes you feel like you prefer to die. This disease is such an unknown quantity. I cannot understand why anyone would refuse to wear a mask. It's a pandemic!” Hopefully, people reading survivor stories such as these will make people reflect on the choices, they are making for themselves and their communities.
• 
  2021-01-18

  Stories of Resilience

  As Covid-19 continues to rage and take lives, there are also the lucky ones that survive. This article shares the stories of 14 Covid-19 survivors. Though the people featured come from different age groups, races, socio-economic statuses, and geography, they all share the common experience of coming out on the other side of a lengthy hospital stay. The stories range from an infant who has spent most of his life in the hospital and has survived both a liver transplant and Covid-19, a woman who is now considered a “long hauler” with debilitating symptoms that plague her long after diagnosis, a nurse who caught the virus saying goodbye to own mother who was dying of Covid-19 and regrets nothing, a man who fought two weeks on a ventilator determined to live to see his daughter get married, and a couple who survived together and were able to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary. These stories remind us of the seriousness of Covid-19, as one survivor states "This is not a joke. This is for real. Take it seriously. It can happen to anybody." However, these stories also remind us of the tenacity of the human spirit, the skills of the medical staff, and the hope that is still alive within this pandemic year.
• 2021-01-31

  My Second COVID Christmas

  My wife and I just had our second COVID Christmas, this time with my mom's side of the family. Because very few on that side can work remotely, almost everyone has had and survived COVID due to work exposures over the past six months. Until we're able to secure vaccines, I also expect at least some of us will have to endure a second round of illness. Having Christmas in January was a strange experience, much like Baseball in November from 2001. I'm glad we finally got to assemble for a few days, and I appreciated most everyone's responsibility with their conduct. My sister is a nurse and treats the pandemic with too little respect. Although she's potentially outside her immunization period, she still acts as though she's chock full of antibodies capable of defeating every new identified strain. AND, she waited until we'd all been together for a full day to reveal her boyfriend has had COVID symptoms for a few days but refuses to be tested. Beyond the drama and anxiety that inspired, I'm grateful to have seen my grandmother, and I'll be even more grateful to know that she doesn't develop signs or symptoms of illness in the coming days. The lesson I learned from this family function is that I can't trust those closest to me to candidly assess the risks those pose to the rest of us. They can't differentiate between their right to make their own health choices and my right to do the same. My understanding was that we had all been sufficiently careful for several weeks to ensure no one would bring COVID to the Christmas celebration, and I was wrong. My bad. I promise it won't happen again, and I won't attend another family function without being vaccinated first, at least not with my sister or a clear, deliberate, and sworn confirmation that everyone I see has been sufficiently cautious. This entire pandemic at this point for me is a balance between mental and physical health, and it turns out they can't both win.
• 
  2021-01-07

  An Open Letter from Indigenous Peoples to Indigenous Peoples in Brazil on Surviving COVID-19

  This entry shares an open letter titled "Indigenous Peoples to Indigenous Peoples in Brazil." The letter includes artwork of Indigenous artists, to encourage, uplift, support, educate, and communicate about solidarity and strength of Indigenous communities. The open letter includes historical information, words on Acts of Resistance, and Acts of Healing. The webpage and downloadable letter/PDF are available in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. This is important to capture because it is created by Indigenous Peoples for Indigenous Peoples, shared publicly via the Internet. https://www.culturalsurvival.org/news/una-carta-abierta-de-los-pueblos-indigenas-del-norte-los-pueblos-indigenas-de-brasil-sobre https://www.culturalsurvival.org/news/carta-aberta-dos-povos-indigenas-do-grande-norte-aos-povos-indigenas-no-brasil-sobre-o-covid https://www.culturalsurvival.org/news/carta-aberta-dos-povos-indigenas-do-grande-norte-aos-povos-indigenas-no-brasil-sobre-o-covid
• 
  2020-07-11

  Q Anon Shaman Video

  Back when there was a rumor that COVID-19 couldn't survive in the Arizona heat. This guy is one of the people who got a platform during the Trump COVID era. This is a must-see video for future research into pandemic skeptics.
• 
  2021-01-23

  Friends and Family Dealing with Covid

  Many of my friends contracted the virus and were perfectly fine, no symptoms or even pains. My siblings got it and even I got it. We felt sick for a tiny bit but it eventually wore off. We had to quarantine in our rooms for a week or so but nothing too extreme.
• 2021-01-28

  Amanda's future pandemic nightmare.

  The scene begins on december 31st 2019. Amanda: This year has been a wonderful year and I am ready to greet the next year 2020 with a few new year’s resolutions. My first new years resolution is- Mysterious time traveling Alien: I'm going to stop you right there. Amanda: who are you????!!!! Mysterious time traveling Alien: You aren’t going to get to do any of your new year's resolutions this year. Amanda: Yes I am. Why do you say that? Mysterious time traveling Alien: You’ll see. In fact, you’ll see right now. All of a sudden with a flash of blinding white-green light, Amanda is zapped 3 months into the future. Amanda: what happened? What day is it? She looks at her computer. Oh no! I’m late for a meeting! She then sees another email. It’s my boss. “Here is a zoom link” what is this? I guess I’ll click it. She enters the zoom meeting. Boss: alright. Hello, Amanda! So glad you arrived! So we have a problem. Amanda: No, I have a problem. What’s going on? Why are we on this call? Why am I not at work? Boss: are you serious? You don’t know? Yesterday you knew fine. You were saying you wished this pandemic would be over with. Amanda: But what’s going on? Boss: a virus has traveled around the world and has resulted in us having to stay at home, wear masks when we go outside, and do everything online. That’s why you’re here. Are you ok? Do you have amnesia? Amanda: i have to leave for a few minutes. Boss: the most i can give you is 20. Be sure to mute your mic and stop your video. Amanda: How do I do that? Boss: you do so like usual. Amanda: oh my god. What is going on? When i was making my new year's resolutions 10 minutes ago i had no idea this was what it was going to be like. How am I going to survive? I am never going to survive a day like this. Boss: um, Amanda? You’re not on mute. Amanda: How do i mute myself? Boss: you click on the bottom left hand corner of your screen and you have the option to mute and stop video. Amanda: ok. She does so, with much difficulty. Oh wait, Tiffany's calling. Maybe she can tell me what’s going on here. Tiffany: hey! How are you? What are you going to do today? Amanda: i was thinking about going to the grocery store, filing reports, and visiting you this afternoon. Tiffany: hold on, going to the grocery store? You have to order online. The only way you’re going to visit me is if you wear a mask. And the only thing you’ll get to do at home is the filling out reports thing. Amanda: how long is this going to last? Tiffany: what? Amanda: the whole “pandemic” thing. Tiffany: I think 2 weeks to a month. Amanda: thank god. Tiffany: I know, right? It’s terrible already! All of a sudden, Amanda’s Boss’s voice comes into her computer. Boss: Amanda? Are you ready to make your statement? Amanda: yes boss. Boss: i can’t hear you. You’re still on mute. Just as she finds the unmute and start video buttons, her 5 year-old daughter Vivian calls her saying she has been kicked out of her meeting. Amanda struggles for a few seconds, but then, with another blinding flash of white-green light, she is zapped into december 31st again. Mysterious time traveling Alien: Now do you see why you can’t do any of your new year's resolutions? Amanda: no, Tiffany said that the quarantining will only last 2 weeks to a month. I’ll have plenty of time to finish my new year's resolutions. Mysterious time traveling Alien: It’s going to be much longer than that. Amanda: *faints*
• 2021-01-24

  My Experience with the statistics.

  The only statistic about COVID-19 that I know is that it's survival rate is over 99.9%. I personally feel that I cannot trust this, or any other statistic provided by anyone due to the lies about causes of deaths, cover ups about causes of deaths, and blinds eyes turned by political figures. I believe that at this point nothing about the matter can be trusted do to the political roots that have been planted inside the entire pandemic. I have known people to get COVID-19 and haven't known anyone who has died from it but I still will likely never know the truth about any stat or fact about this virus.
• 
  2021-01-24

  Community Members in AZ Getting the Vaccine

  97-year-old Alexander White, a Holocaust survivor, got a vaccine with a push from Arizona lawmakers.
• 2021-01-24

  Welcome to My Non-Smelly World

  I am currently in the midst of a once in a lifetime experience that I never thought would occur. First, allow me to lay the foundation for this submission. I was born with a condition called Isolated Congenital Anosmia. In laymen's terms, I was born without a sense of smell. This is a rare disorder that affects between 1%-5% of the overall population.* I rarely volunteer that I cannot smell as it involves laborious conversations answering questions as to why and how it could have happened, what foods I can taste, or if I am sad or angry that I have this condition. People are well-meaning, but it gets old repeating this conversation multiple times, so I avoid it like the plague. Wait. Too soon? My preference to keep this close to the vest changed with the arrival of COVID-19. Those who have still not regained their smell after recovering from the virus are now temporarily just like me. It is surreal. Not so secretly, I admit I feel a tiny bit of satisfaction that they are experiencing a glimpse of my day to day life. As a result, I am now feeling the odd desire to tell anyone and everyone about my condition. I feel compelled to share advice and comments with this segment of society while wearing a hat bearing the words, "Welcome to my world!" Also, ideas of creating a Zoom course titled "How to Survive the No-Smell Apocalypse!" frequently come to mind. I can include concepts such as enlisting close friends or neighbors whom you force to smell your house before having people over, obsessively take the garbage out since you do not know if it smells, or the joys of surviving a dutch oven with zero consequence. Also, I will share my list of candle scents that anyone would enjoy smelling in your home. Hint: There is only one, vanilla. Trust me. I have tried them all using my family as guinea pigs. Finally, I feel like the art of 'fake smelling' is underrated and must now be remedied for society to interact with some sense of normalcy during this otherwise chaotic time. I will demonstrate the proper and accepted social reactions when smelling various odors such as used diapers, spoiled foods, lotions, perfumes, or (insert all world smells). The creme de la creme is learning how to emote false elation at the announcement of another semi-annual Bath and Bodyworks candle sale or when Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Lattes come around again. The ability to avoid drawing attention to yourself via 'fake smelling' cannot be underestimated. In conclusion, this pandemic has provided a unique opportunity for others to experience life through my nose. It is not something I would ever wish permanently on others, yet knowing that it is a temporary condition, I have found it to be a bit of respite in a dark year full of so many unknowns. Now can someone confirm whether my Jeep honestly smells like stinky teenage feet or if my husband is messing with me again? *Disclaimer: This measurement may not still be accurate but comes from articles and journals I have read over the years.
• 
  2021-01-24

  Home Food Delivery: What a Treat!

  One of the most basic survival needs is food, so when the pandemic hit many individuals were struggling to meet this need with the changed food landscape. Restaurants were closing, grocery stores had restricted supplies, going grocery shopping could be dangerous in terms of exposure to the virus and exposure to people fighting over items, and many people weren’t in the habit of cooking at home every day. So this most basic of needs underwent significant shifts due to the pandemic. I dislike shopping, cooking, looking up a recipe, cleaning up the kitchen, and even eating. So I tend to eat out quite a bit. I pivoted during the pandemic to getting home food delivery and that change has been one of the few positive effects of the pandemic. It saves me time, reduces stress, and improves my health because of the healthy food choices.
• 
  2021-01-24

  A Story of the Pfizer Vaccine

  97-year-old Alexander White, a Holocaust survivor, got a vaccine with a push from Arizona lawmakers.
• 
  2021-01-24

  "Masks"

  Pandemics play a role in history, as they shaped us. From Bubonic to Covid, this is something that felt startling and unsettling. The lockdown reduced us to our homes' safety, and academia halted; my friends and family caught this rapid disease; unfortunately, one did not survive. At first, all you could do was wait and watch the news, and I even tried to google and journals or documents of those who lived during the plague; Something that sparked in my mind was the memory of Italy's Black Death, how Venetian doctors with large canes to examine and keep distance would go house to house seeing the sick, but knowing half the people would not survive. What became notable in my mind at the fear of illness and responding to safety was our face mask. But the mask is something everyone would see, the mask that would ward of the “miasma.” But we know disease spreads rapidly, you must stay at home do your part. I felt the sense of time begin to dissipate, days and months blur the sensation of cabin fever sets in quick, must distance six feet apart and the feeling of hopelessness and dread set in, unable to see friends, fear of getting infected or others. Still, we must wear our masks to fight this plague. We could help the effort by sewing masks, something so simple as a cloth with a string to protect us from a violent, deadly disease. Something so small and so simple caused such a debate, became some people's fashion staples. For me, I enjoy historical fashion, and I began to wonder how to incorporate each one into every outfit, maybe one for each theme or to tribute to my interest. Being a goth, I sought this to make sure if I'm going to go out, let me be safe, but have some joy in the safety I wear. Maybe in the future, historians would see this object and see the symbolism it held as the protector in such an uncertain time.
• 
  2021-01-22

  More Espresso, Less Depresso

  The item that I have chosen that connects to the pandemic was a Starbucks Coffee. The reason why I decided to choose this item is that there are days that learning over zoom is quite a challenge and that it gives so much pressure on me to be able to adapt to this kind of style of learning. With coffee on my hand, I can focus on class more and it makes me more energetic. When I drink coffee during my zoom classes, I tend to be able to participate more. I love caffeine, it encourages me to also be a positive person during these times because, without any coffee, I wouldn’t be able to learn anything from a monitor screen. Coffee best represents my current experience as a junior in high school because there are days that are sad and depressing, and there are days that are happy and bright. Online learning is a cycle, wake up and learn, after that you rest. I have been doing this since MARCH. Again, this is me with coffee because without any coffee, I am really tired and not energetic. When I have my coffee, I am always feeling refreshed and active! Online learning is something that I am not used to and I fear how with the difficulty of learning online, I am not able to understand the lesson which can lead me to bad grades. Hopefully, I will be able to accomplish my goals by staying determined and dedicated to online learning, resulting in a better grade for my classes, (with coffee of course). One word to describe my 2020 year is a challenge. It’s a challenge because there are things I have been through, like losing my grandpa who sadly passed away due to a heart attack and not being able to visit him because of COVID. COVID was mainly the reason why my 2020 was a challenge because I have to figure out new ways to keep myself happy and motivating. Online classes have made me less motivated because it didn’t feel the same and that everything was quite last minute last year. I wasn’t able to keep up with lessons, which discouraged me to continue and of course my grandpa’s sudden death. As from my experiences, the various holidays looked the same for me this year. Christmas and Thanksgiving were the same because I usually hang out with my family. When I do my online classes, I usually have a workspace. Since I know for a fact I am going to sit in one place for the next 9 hours, I have my coffee next to me to keep me up, I have my water, some chapstick, a big monitor screen, my textbooks, and my journals. I also have an office chair with a pad seat cushion for me to be comfortable! Even though those were the basic items on my quarantine workspace, I like to keep things simplistic. I only have things that are essential for me to use for working online, so I am not bothered by that. The three things that I would include in my quarantine survival kit would be some energy drinks, chapstick, and a pen with a journal. The reason why I chose these items is that for the first two, I cannot do anything without them! It’s great to have a lot of energy to do tasks, and some chapstick to have my lips not chapped. I also wanted to bring a pen and journal to describe my experiences in quarantine. I would also use that journal to write down things that bother me and things that I am appreciative of. Words do mean a lot, so I love to express my feelings in a journal to remind me that overall in time, things can get better.
• 
  2021-01-21

  A Shed of Inspiration

  The object that I have presented is my Akaashi plushie from one of my favorite anime shows called Haikyu. During quarantine, I have retaken an interest back into anime. I used to watch anime when I was in middle school, but my obsession ended because I was prioritizing school more. Until my friend convinced me to watch a show called Haikyu, which was about high school volleyball and made me get hooked back into watching anime again. Although my Akasshi plushie is just a stuffed animal, it has helped me through my journey as a junior in high school because it reminds me to continue working hard. In the show, Haikyu, the team Karasuno's goal is to get to nationals and become the top school in Japan. Although they struggle to achieve their goal to reaching nationals in their first attempt, that does not stop them from continuing. They all persevere through their downfalls and eventually, they finally achieve their dream. This show has given me a shed of inspiration, reminding me to continue working hard because eventually, I too, can achieve my ambitions with the efforts I put in. It also represents the difficulties that our country is currently struggling in right now because the number of COVID cases continues to rise and the vaccine for COVID is still in preparation. However, we continue to persevere trying to find a vaccine to cure this sickness and for our country to finally be at peace once again. To sum up my 2020 experience, I would have to say it was quite a crazy, adventurous, yet boring time. It was crazy because I have never expected I would experience a pandemic in my life time. To think I have read about all sorts of plagues in history class, only to discover I would actually experience it myself and one day, be able to retell my journey through this difficult time to future generations. Despite it being crazy, I thought it was also quite an adventure going through this pandemic. I have taken interests in hobbies that I never thought I would such as baking, painting, and embroidering. I even began taking an interest back into anime, which I never thought I would because I always believed it was silly, only to find out I was completely wrong. These animated shows have helped me become the person I am today and I am really grateful for that. Sure, discovering new hobbies was an adventure, there were some moments during quarantine that were boring. I could not go outside and interact with my friends as much, which made my quarantine experience even more boring. Holidays such as 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years, was quite tragic. Normally I would go on vacation with my family, but because flights were cancelled and going around increased the risk of catching COVID, my family and I stayed home trying to make the most of the holidays. We followed all of the stay at home regulations for the holidays by wearing masks and standing 6 feet apart from our family members just in case they ever caught it. The holidays did not feel as special anymore since we could not interact with people as close, making it seem like it was a normal weekday. My quarantine workspace is my white wooden desk with light blue draws and a light blue chair to match the draws. On my desk, there is a white lamp, an essential oil diffuser, a candle, and a tiny Buddha statue. Around my desk, there are a couple of photos of my family, anime characters as well as BTS members too. Three things that I would include in my quarantine survival kit would be my phone, food, and water. I would bring my phone because it would be my only source of entertainment since I have the ability to communicate with my friends, watch shows, online shop, and listen to music. I would also definitely bring food and water because I need it for survival and I love to binge watch shows while eating some food. I wanted to upload a photo of the anime paintings I have painted during quarantine, but unfortunately I can only upload one photo :(. Instead I will describe it :). My first painting that I have painted was a picture of one of my favorite characters named Killua and he is from the show Hunter x Hunter. I painted a close up photo of him smiling and made my background a little blue color. As for my second painting, I painted Hinata and Kageyama from Haikyu because they are known as the best duos when it comes to their play tactics. I painted Hinata and Kageyama who are both smiling from joy because they were able to get a good shot from one of their plays and I painted the background yellow to symbolize the happiness in the painting.
• 2021-01-21

  My experience with Covid.

  One day I was out for a walk with my dad and when we came home my mom told us that our neighbors, who we had hung out with the week before, tested positive for COVID! This was a bit of a surprise for our family because we had been really careful so that we didn't get our grandparents sick. Our neighbors ended up being perfectly fine, and so did we. We never ended up getting COVID. the week before they had gotten it we had played football with them at the park near our house.
• 2021-01-21

  Some Symtoms

  During this year it has been rough, my grandpa got covid, my friends dad got covid. Most of the things I noticed though was that my grandpa got a fever and wasn't feeling well and then he was better the next day. My friends dad actually had to go to the hospital, he is all good now but still me and my family got really worried. The most of the common symptom of covid though is a fever, I know a few other people who got it and they weren't feeling great (just a little sluggish) and that they had a fever. Everyone who I know got who had symptoms had a fever. It is very weird.
• 2020-12-22

  Symptoms of Covid-19

  My neighbor got Covid last month and he was tired and in bed for a couple of days. Also, he did not feel 100%. When he was not sick anymore he looked great and you could not tell he had Covid. I felt sad when my neighbor got Covid but I was sure he would recover fine. it taught me to be more cautious to not get the virus too.
• 2021-01-21

  The Spread of Corona Virus

  I have a fairly large friend group and around halloween a couple of my friends got corona. So on Halloween there were 3 different parties to split up the friend group, so that it would be safer for corona. At one of the parties there was this girl there and her brother had corona (but she didn't know it at the time). So everyone she was with got it, including her. Then they had to quarantine and stay away from everyone for 3 weeks. I felt really bad for them because it seemed really lonely. I have also gotten tested multiple times and it felt really weird and my nose started running. I am glad that I have these experiences to learn and grow from.
• 2021-01-20

  My Story About My Great Uncle Having COVID-19

  Back in the summer of 2020, my great uncle got COVID-19 and he had to quarantine himself from the outside world for 2 whole weeks. The reason I heard about this was because my mom had told me and it made me feel kind of scared because I was afraid he was going to die. After 2 weeks, he got better and he no longer had COVID-19 which made me feel less nervous. He is my only relative that has had COVID-19 before.
• 2021-01-21T11:58

  Symptoms of COVID

  Many people who have had COVID have suffered from terrible symptoms ranging from fevers to dry coughs to headaches. When I had COVID, I had very mild symptoms, and I feel very lucky for that. The most I suffered from was a light headache and minor loss of smell, and that lasted only a few days in itself. My aunt on the other hand suffered from horrible symptoms. She had a fever 24 hours a day and couldn't even get out of bed; that's how sick she was. She got the worst end of the bargain. My dad, like me, had mild symptoms. Like me, his sense of smell was gone for only a little bit, but he had a horrible dry cough and a scratchy throat. Now, this may be because they are way older than me, but I still feel extremely lucky that my health didn't diminish. A lot of people have had horrible experiences with COVID, resulting in awful, long sickness, or even death, and I think that my experience with COVID was so much better. My heart goes out to those who are still suffering from this plague, and I recognize how fortunate I was to have had such little symptoms.
• 2021-01-20

  system

  so the pandemic was just beginning and me and my dad got really sick. there was only like 40000 people who had it in the us at the time. we got some of the symptoms like a fever and head ache and cough. at the time there was no way to test or find out. so for a week we sat there feeling very sick. then a week past and started to feel better. then all is well
• 2021

  symptoms

  On January 6th, I was planned to go back to school for the first time in forever. I was really excited because I haven't actually been in school since March. However, this was delayed, because both of my parents tested positive for COVID-19. Even though it wasn't dangerous to them, my parents experienced a lot of side effects. My dad was always coughing, sneezing, and had trouble sleeping, and was very fatigued. My mom had the same thing, but worst of all, she lost all of her smell and taste. Even though she doesn't have it anymore, she still cannot taste or smell, and she learned it can last up to three months after you have it! Luckily, not me nor my brother ever got it, but we are still being careful.
• 2021-01-21

  Covid Symptoms

  My friend had gotten cover and became very ill. He said he had high fever and was coughing a lot. He said it was the sickest he has ever been and was even taken to the hospital. Thankfully he ended up being ok.
• 2021-01-21

  Symptoms

  I kept in contact with my old school friends, and we always play video games and draw comics together. On January 5th, they asked, like usual, whether we have time to go to the park together. A girl name Siren said she couldn’t come because she got COVID. She took one week to recover; she told us that she was constantly coughing and uncomfortable to breathe. We just face-timed Siren on Tuesday and glad saw that she’s a lot better.
• 2021-01-21

  Covid-19 Symptoms

  One of my friends I know got covid. He lives and London and got it from his brother. His brother was coming home from university and got it for the 2nd time and brought it home. His brother spread it to his dad and him, but not his mom or older brother. He wasn't sick and was A-Symptomatic. He recovered quickly and still has the antibodies. Another friend of mine got covid, Anna. She was very sick and had a fever, loss of smell and taste, and shortness of breath. She got better after 2-3 weeks, but she still can't smell or taste anything after 6 months.
• 2021-01-10

  COVID-19 Possible Symptoms

  [REDACTED] Covid-19 has been a thing for quite a while now, and the vaccines for he virus had come out. On Thursday, when my _________ teacher, ______________, did his daily COVID-19 test, he came up negative for COVID-19, but on Friday, he came up positive, making anyone who was in his class on Friday need to stay at their homes for a week and a half. On the Zoom Room that he used to come into the class without actually being there, he discussed he had a light fever, and he coughed excessively. It was nothing bad in his case, and he will be able to survive it just fine, despite his age.
• 
  2021-01-21

  My 'Long Covid' Nightmare

  From article: A Times reporter caught the coronavirus during the New York City outbreak last April. But the acute phase of the illness was just the beginning.
• 
  2021-01-21

  How We Lost the Summer

  I used a meme for an item to describe my Quarantine and I thought it was a good example of what quarantine was like for me since I don’t like showing others especially my parents that I’m having a hard time even when I’m really stressed about so many things at once. 2020 in five words is boring because nothing new was going on since we had to quarantine, lonely because I couldn’t hang out with my friends, slow because every day was pretty much the same and it felt like it wasn’t going to end, different as well as frustrating because we had to learn in a new way and it’s not something that I’m really comfortable with especially with our wifi sometimes being really slow so it makes the meeting laggy. The holidays were barely any different from a regular day except for the fact that there was more food and on Christmas, we had gifts to give and receive. My workspace isn’t really much, just a desk with my school books and binders on the side, my computer in the middle, and a snack for the day in front of my black table lamp on the other side with my school supplies in the drawer. Three things I would include in a quarantine survival kit is my phone/book so I have something to entertain myself with, fuzzy blankets since they’re really soft and I like being cocooned in it and lastly is a bunch of boxes filled with snacks since I like to eat when I watch or read something.
• 2020-03-13

  Rules

  The rules have changed since March 2020, we have to wear masks, social distance, and follow the CDC instructions, and these rules have changed the way the world is, but it's not unbearably bad. One thing that has changed is that you don't see people crowded in a small space anymore and places are a little quieter and empty. Another thing is that its harder to enjoy the things we used to do, like eating in certain restaurants, hanging out with friends, etc. These rules may have changed our lives and made them slightly less convenient but we will survive.
• 
  2021-01-18

  In just five weeks, another 100,000 people have died from Covid-19

  From article: "Each day, thousands of Americans have lost a mother, a husband, a last surviving sibling. These are some of the lives who were lost."
• 
  2021-01-17

  My Covid-19 Experience

  The essay I've submitted demonstrates the societal issues that the pandemic has helped to unmask as well as serving as a personal documentation of my own journey.
• 2021-01-17

  Favorite Things

  While being in the pandemic I've had to rely on a few activities to keep myself centered as I've been surviving through COVID. The first thing that's been a lifesaver for me is video games. I've always enjoyed playing video games but during COVID old games that I've played in the past became familiar comforts during this crisis. Plus I was able to use online servers to play video games with friends. The second thing that's been my favorite thing throughout the pandemic is actually Zoom. While I initially hated the program it's been a godsend for me to be able to spend time with friends and safely connect with people. The third thing I've used has been painting. I've found that an artistic activity has been helpful for me to be able to express myself and be creative while staying safe. The fourth thing for me has been my car. Whenever I need a chance to clear my head I always go on a drive and my car has begun to feel like a safe place and sometimes I'll just sit in my car when things become too overwhelming.
• 
  2021-01-13

  The Scent of a Deli

  If you've ever set foot in a deli - a real life, New York style deli or in my case a real life Texas deli, then you know about the powerful and delightful smells that can attack your senses upon entry. In my restaurant, the traditional odors of hot corned beef and pastrami mixed with sauerkraut, bacon and horseradish combine with the popular fragrance of Texas brisket layered in a spicy bar-b-que sauce and the undeniable fragrance of apple and pecan pie. Homemade beef stew, French Onion soup and Texas chili are reducing in the kitchen while the entire restaurant fills with the aroma of good food. There is nothing quite like a deli kitchen prepping, baking, grilling and cooking in the morning. These are the distinctive smells of my life before COVID-19. Shortly after March of last year, the city of San Antonio shut down all dine-in operations throughout the city and instantly took away our morning routines and systems, forcing our restaurant to evolve just to survive. Overnight, we became a grocery store with a curbside service selling raw products like eggs, tomatoes, cold cuts and sliced cheeses. The great morning aromas of the deli were replaced with the stale, cold odors of bleach and sanitizer. Sales dipped by seventy percent and even when dine-in was reopened to fifty percent capacity, we were forced to cut our menu by half. Now, as we keep paying for our holiday gatherings, the business has come back by half but it just doesn't seem the same or at least the smells do not. We are more of a to-go business now with items packaged and tagged in sugar cane boxes and biodegradable containers. The sweet mixture of multiple savory recipes and meats cooking side by side has been replaced by vacuum sealed soups and cold cuts prepared in a sanitized and disinfected central kitchen.
• 2021-01-12

  Corona Virus Theory

  There is many theories about the Corona Virus and there is many different feelings on the subject. I personally believe it is just being used to control us. I believe this because this virus has over a 99% survival rate and all of the people that are dying from it have already compromised immune systems, meaning they were already ill. It seems as though they want everyone to rely on the government for money because they can not work and that means the government has control over them. Another reason I think the virus is not serious is because of the fact it is flu season and nobody has gotten the flu. I think they are just taking illnesses like the flu and saying its corona because they are trying to scare people with exaggerated numbers. I have also not taken any precautions during this virus and have not gotten sick once. I have also noticed that if this virus was as dangerous as the media says they would definitely not let us out of our house, but instead we are allowed to go on tight planes, busses, and more things because apparently hand sanitizer and a mask can save us from a "deadly" virus. I don't think it is as bad as they make it seem and they are just using it as an excuse to control people and people are letting them.
• 2021-01-12

  COVID-19 Initial Thoughts

  In March of 2020 I got my first real glimpse of what practically the entire next year of life was going to be like. China released a virus that would eventually spread across countries. From that first report everything went south. People began to freak out like it was the Black Plague. This fear spread nationwide in the United States influencing unknowing people that this was a virus to be feared. A virus with over 99% survival rate caused a panic that hasn't been seen in centuries. People almost might as well have freaked out about the common cold at the rate it was/is at. All over the media were false news, lies, and deception influencing such thoughts, giving people different beliefs and thoughts on practically everything regarding it. This year was indeed crazy, but not because of a virus and sicknesses. Because of freaked out crazy people thinking this is the end of the world and influencing others that it is as well.
• 2021-01-11

  First thoughts of covid

  When I first heard about the virus I was at school in the hallway going to Spanish. I didn't know much about it, but I remember them saying we might have to be online for a month or two, maybe even going through summer. When I got home that day I watched the news about the virus with my dad and saw details on it I originally thought it was like the flu and I turned out to be right. And when I found out that we would maybe have to wear masks wherever went, I was distraught. But I learned to live with it and shockingly we still have to nearly a year later. I don't know many people who got covid except for my aunt and her sister who had gone on a trip to Europe and got it on a plane. She lost her taste and smell for a few days and she was better in about 2 weeks and she slept in the same bed with her husband and he or her kids didn't get it. So to the average population, I believe that it's not too harmful as long as you are healthy and aren't too old.
• 2021-01-11

  when covid 19 started, Jacob Orozco

  when the Covid 19 virus hit, everyone was concerned. Apparently the virus broke out in China and was released to the whole world. There was even talk about shutting down the schools. We watched the news as the virus was spreading from Europe to America. as things got worse they eventually did shut down everything, schools, restaurants, ect. My family even thought of moving to another state. Then when Covid was in its groove, we realized its not as deadly as they portrayed. we all thought that this would be a killer virus as the news was saying. To some people it was very deadly, to some it is not. it was especially deadly to old people. to kids like us, it was as if we got a cold. eventually the news and CDC came out with their lies and said that the virus had a 99.9% survival rate to people with no underlining health conditions. thats when my family knew that there was no point in having everything shut down for a long time. The moral is that it wasn't as deadly or crazy as they said it is, sure, thousands of people died, but is wasn't really and grater that the deaths from the flu.
• 2020-01-09

  THE19 (Metaphor)

  Imagine a hurricane approaches your beachfront community, a beautiful place of both cottages and mansions on heavenly stretching strands of sand and coconut trees. The storm started far out in the ocean as a tropical storm, an abstraction a week or more away. Then it developed into a category 2 as it approached the continent and crossed Cuba, still days away but becoming a concern. Before long, forecasts by experts confidently showed exactly where landfall would occur, the strength of the winds, the height of the surge, the flooding that would accompany it, the millions it would impact, the estimates of the extent of damage and disruption (and death tolls) predictable. You do the right thing and with your family and neighbors evacuate and move inland and find safe shelter. It’s inconvenient and uncomfortable at times, sharing and aiding your fellow refugees. They don’t have the brand of cereal and chocolate milk your kids like. They run out of Coke. But pitching in until it’s safe to go home seems the best and only course. And soon you’re glad you did because by the time the hurricane makes landfall the news come in that it is a Cat 5, indeed, “the second most intense tropical cyclone on record to strike the United States.” Imagine as you watch the pummeling rain and listen to the ominous wind and wait, you already know this story: “In 1969, Hurricane Camille claimed 259 victims along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Most were guilty of only being on the wrong place at the wrong time, unlike twenty who perished while attending a beachfront “hurricane party” beer bash and barbecue. Despite evacuation warnings delivered by vehement emergency teams [experts], their festivities continued unabated. The partygoers definitely declared that the concrete foundations and the second floor location of their party provided plenty of protection from the impending hurricane. Their confidence proved to be tragically misplaced when a twenty-four-foot wave slammed into the apartment, destroying the building and subjecting the partiers to gale-force winds and violent ocean surges. Most of these hurricane worshippers were killed. A few survivors were swept miles away, ….” (The Darwin Awards, 1999) Imagine you know there are old folks in your very own town who chose to stay. Folks who just couldn’t imagine leaving the idyllic homes in their idyllic locations where they have lived in for decades, and who have weathered previous storms and thinking this one too “isn’t that bad,” or thinking. “Unless it has my name on it, it won’t get me.” You pray for them. But you also know some who stayed defiantly, the young and strong, and the middle-aged but “free” who resented being told by anyone what to do--especially by “experts.” And some of those protestors (an alarming number of whom you know) raised the bar, rebelled blithely, partying practically on the beach, posting selfies and videos on Facebook as the storm intensifies--to prove it was safe. As final proof, a video is posted of an engorging wave, a wave as large as any building you could hide in, a dark seething mountain of water. The video records shrill, exhilarating, victorious whoops of glee of the partiers it approaches. Then nothing. Now imagine, immediately you are asked by experts to stay in your shelter a little while longer, not forever, but much longer than you had ever expected to stay. Why? you ask. We’ve been so good. We did everything we were asked. We deserve to go home. We’ve run out of Lucky Charms and Quick and Coke. Despite your pleas and imploring, the experts are firm. Because, they say, a second hurricane is already coming, practically on top of the first. It’s not a Cat 5, yet, but…. This is unimaginable. This wasn’t forecast before. But, it’s here now, the experts nod somberly. Enough is enough. Enough is enough. Enough is enough, you hear yourself say, but…. Finally, imagine, dozens and dozens of your neighbors, even members of your own family, saying, I can’t take it anymore. This is not my life. I haven’t had a beer or a Buffalo Wings in days. You watch them, so impatient and tired of waiting and angry for the fun they miss. You watch them rush back to the beach. W. K. Sheldrake (Wayne) is the author of Instant Karma: The Heart and Soul of a Ski Bum, #1 on Outside Magazine Online’s list of “6 Adventure Books We’d Read Again and Again,” and Foreword Magazine’s ‘Gold Medal’ Adventure Book of the Year (2007). He is recording his pandemic experience of Pandemic Disability in a memoir The19: Confessions of a Mad (American) COVIDodger. He lives in Southern Colorado with his “high risk” wife where there is plenty of wide open space. They do not currently have a dog.