Items

• 
  12/14/2021

  Anonymous Oral History, 2021/12/14

  Anonymous is a person who, in his senior year of university, was hit by covid. Anonymous goes into detail on what went wrong with the pandemic, how new sources are at the biggest fault, and how it affected his personal life when looking for a job, and interacting with family and friends who both do, and do not want to be vaccinated, and self-isolating with many precautions despite Wisconsin having very few mandates.
• 
  2020

  From Upward Momentum to a Downhill Plummet

  Before the pandemic, things were going really well for me. I was in the second semester of my Masters program at Columbia University, putting together an exhibition that was to be displayed at the American Museum of Natural History, and had just started an internship at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Pandemic started, and I flew home to Louisiana to quarantine with my family. In June, I realized I had two months to secure a job to stay in my apartment in Jersey City. After vacationing in Gatlinburg, I returned to spend my 24th birthday in the big apple. Unfortunately, I was unable to secure a job, forcing the breaking of my lease. I returned home October 1st.
• 
  2022-04-27

  Poverty and the Pandemic

  My story touches on the importance of who holds the power over your life. Ultimately it is written to give an account to future generations so we never go back there again.
• 2020-03-13

  Pandemic's Struggles and Benefits

  I was a college senior at Boston College from 2019-2020. I remember having a job opportunity lined up, an apartment lined up, and the rest of my school year lined up as well. Upon return from spring break, we were all told to go home and that we had 3 days to gather our things and say goodbye... Upon losing my job, my friends, and my school, I did not know what to do, especially with a deadly virus in the air. Out of this journey, though, I applied to grad school and ended up achieving my dreams of getting a Master's in History. So, the pandemic had its struggles but it also had its benefits and I am a prime example.
• 
  2022-04-19

  GB Oral History, 2022/04/19

  The interviewee discusses vaccine hesitancy and life during the pandemic without having received the vaccine.
• 
  2020-04-01

  Worst April Fool’s Day

  My employer ended every person's contract in a zoom call, somewhere around 100 of us. We were all students. The ending of our contracts meant we all lost our housing since we worked for a university (this was before I was attending ASU). We were given until Sunday to have all of our belongings moved out and our keys returned, or we could pay the multiple thousands of dollars that on-campus housing would cost. Hardly any of us could afford that, some of my friends suddenly had to grapple with the idea that they would be in debt, broke, or homeless in a matter of four days. I was one of the lucky ones as I had a place to go. 1 sleepless night. 4 days. 4 trips back and forth. 11 ½ hours driving in silence. $20 spent on one final dinner with my friends and coworkers. $25 spent on moving supplies. $52 spent on gas. 506 miles. 11 ½ hours driving in silence. I drove in silence, I couldn’t handle trying to listen to anything. I couldn’t allow myself to hear a sad song and get caught up in it, or worse hear something happy and get upset that I wasn’t feeling that way. The sound of my tires on the poorly maintained interstate for what felt like truly endless hours is something I will never forget and is something that will never leave me. Rattling over pot holes, turn signals, avoiding other drivers, sitting in traffic, the sound of my new tires being worn in very quickly. This story is not unique. Countless people lost their jobs, lost their homes, lost their livelihoods during the initial shutdown. I was simply one of so many, but I was privileged enough to have a place to land. The sound of driving, the action of having to move, and the feeling of sadness, frustration, or loss due to a sudden change in life is something that I think is relatable for a lot of people during the pandemic. Audio description: Recording of the sound of my car taking the last exit off the highway into my town
• 
  05/07/2021

  Holly Tremble Oral History, 2021/05/07

  Holly Tremble lives in Hudson, Wisconsin a suburb of the Twin Cities and is currently unemployed but also is a care worker once a week at a nursing home in Northfield, Minnesota so that she can see her father during this pandemic. In this interview, Holly discusses how COVID-19 has affected her life, her employment status, and family and community life. She shares what it has been like to go through this pandemic as well as the different approaches to the pandemic that she experienced being on the border of Minnesota and Wisconsin and the difference in policies in the area.
• 
  03/30/2021

  Landon Bridges Oral History, 2021/03/30

  An oral history between three students from Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis concerning the Covid 19 pandemic
• 
  11/24/2020

  Amy Burgoyne Oral History, 2020/11/24

  C19OH
• 
  2020-05-27

  Rosalind Leon Oral History, 2020/05/27

• 
  04/29/2020

  Daniel Blatter Oral History, 2020/04/28

  C19OH
• 
  2020-03-22

  Job Security as an Essential Worker Pride-A Meme

  When the pandemic first took place, I was working as an Executive Assistant at a Domestic Violence Agency. Our agency was initially sent home, which prompted a mad dash to learn how to hold Zoom meetings, how to securely set up working from home, getting laptops and printers to workers, and all of the other craziness associated with a rush to work from home. The first day we were sent home, I spent the day learning Zoom, checking emails and answers phone calls and texts. That was a Friday. On the following Monday, I was back in the office. No one else was there, so I could do a lot work without interruption. It was determined that our work as a domestic violence agency was essential. At the time, that was a major relief for this single mom of three girls. I remember feeling panicked about the possibility of needing to go on government aid or unemployment. So, it was a total relief to me to find out we were essential. I worked hard during that time to. It took more effort and energy to help others work from home. I was glad that I could work from my work office, but it still required a lot of extra work. After things settled a bit, I would hear about how much more people on unemployment received. It was frustrating to hear about honestly. But, at the time, this meme was exactly how I felt. I felt a lot of pride to be considered essential even if it meant more work (for less pay).
• 
  2021-05-30

  Remembering Society's Humanity

  This is a story about being a pregnant person during the pandemic
• 
  2021-01-01

  A Brief Timeline

  This brief timeline describes my experience during this pandemic. I decided to share my perspective because I am sure most people can relate.
• 
  2020-04-24

  My story is about the pandemic crisis when it started in 2020 I based it particularly on my area where I live.

  The pandemic crisis about COVID-19 and how it affected everyone.
• 
  2020-08-01

  THE PANDEMIC

  The Pandemic change my life for better.
• 2020-03

  Unimaginable Grief

  [March 2020] A month in time no one would ever want to go back to. My friend and I were enjoying our day and suddenly got news that campus will be closed until further notice. It was a scary and confusing moment; before you knew it everyone was talking about the virus. We definitely underestimated the virus and saw it spread in the blink of an eye. Slowly but surely we all began to realize how serious this was and prayed day and night for it to end. Cities went on lockdown, thousands became unemployed, and families grieved the loss of loved ones suddenly taken by this evil virus. I am so fortunate enough to have my close family and friends here with me today, but that does not mean these last one and a half years did not take a toll on me mentally. We've lost many loving family friends whom we never expected to lose this early. One thing the pandemic, thankfully, taught me is to appreciate those who you love because you do not know when they can be taken away from you. As hard as this experience was, I am grateful for the ups and downs and pray for the beautiful souls lost. Rest In Peace <3
• 
  2021-11-24

  Walking at Bear Hole with Dad

  I took this photograph with my dad when we went for a walk one day at Bear Hole, the reservoir in my town. Since the pandemic started, my dad and I would go for walks with each other, exploring new places and talking about life. My dad had recently gotten laid off, and I had made the decision in early October to study remotely instead of on campus, so we both had some extra time on our hands. We had our set of usual places that we would go to walk, but the pandemic allowed us to venture to some new spots. Even though we knew Bear Hole was so close by, neither one of us had gone to explore it much. We would plan our walks around my class and work schedule, being sure that we made time for each other a few times a week. Although making the decision to study remotely was a difficult decision because I was a senior and would be away from my friends and professors, I got to spend time with my dad in a way that we were never able to before.
• 
  2021-07-26

  HERMIT HERALD, ISSUE 122

  U.N. asked to critique America
• 
  2020

  Memes About Quarantine and Life With Covid

  During quarantine I collected many humorous memes about staying at home and the problems that brought. All sorts of subjects were covered: cooking, getting along with your spouse/roommates, homeschooling the kids, learning to bake bread, being stuck at home, sanitizing, people hoarding toilet paper, boredome, effects of isolation, etc. Here are a few of those memes.
• 
  2020-05-24

  HERMIT HERALD, ISSUE 32

  Global death rate per 100,000
• 
  2021-05-16

  HERMIT HERALD, ISSUE 114

  REP. MINORITY LEADER, NO BALLOT FRAUD
• 
  2021-04-24

  The Devastating Pandemic

  I have been witness to some really traumatic life events. This has made me experience the pain and agony of individuals and their families during this pandemic. This has also made me grateful for keeping me and my family safe.
• 
  2021-03-13

  Friday the 13th...my last day at work

  This is a reflection of the first day that Covid affected me.
• 
  2021-03-23

  #JOTPYLesson from Amy Evenson

  I've learned that small acts of kindness, go a long way. When I lost my job due to the pandemic, as the only income for my family, I was beyond stressed. When my unemployment application stalled because of the huge number of people applying for assistance, I vented on Twitter. My friends picked up the thread, started an Amazon wishlist, and within days strangers were stepping in and sending my family food, cleaning supplies, essentials, and even toys for my dog. People continued to check in for months to make sure we were doing okay. For most people who helped us, it was a $5-10 purchase; for us it was a lifeline that kept us safe, fed, healthy, and supported. It made a terrifying time a bit easier and kept us afloat until I could find another job.
• 
  2020-03-12

  Living with family during the pandemic

  December 2019, I moved to my cousin apartment in the city of New York I had just given birth to my son in September of 2019 and had my daughter who was eleven at the time. I was suppose to stay two weeks upon waiting for an apartment, however it didn't work out the way I had hope and I stayed at my cousin home three months prior to the covid -19 pandemic. My cousin and her mother decided since it's the pandemic and I can't go anywhere dur to the stay at home orders I had no other choice but to stay and pay rent. It wasn't easy because I felt that I wasn't in my own element and I felt like I was a teenager again. My own family talked to me like I was a kid and I was told what to do and what not to do. I had to sleep on my cousin pull out chair for several months during the pandemic. I questioned myself why did I came here. I consistently kept looking for an apartment, which It had turn into a year living with my cousin. Apartment hunting became very frustrating because of the demands which requires getting an apartment and no renters wanted anyone who was receiving unemployment. it's the year 2021 and I still live at my cousin apartment which is frustrating because I need my own. I ask everyone I know to keep an eye and ear open for me to get an apartment. My friend call me one day in March of 2021 and said he found an apartment for me and if I'm still interested? I am currently moving out of my cousin apartment, Thank God.
• 
  2021-03-28

  Motherhood during a pandemic

  I am researching the unintended consequences of the pandemic. One way to find some answers is to learn what real people are going through. It is easy to find people’s thoughts about the pandemic on social media, so I took to my mom groups and found people willing to let me share their thoughts anonymously. In the first screenshot, a mom talks about how she is trying to stay positive through the pandemic. From losing her job temporarily, to missing her work and family, to missing simple everyday things like shopping, this mom is feeling the brunt of lockdown in California. It is easy to pick out the negative consequences of the pandemic, but she looks for positivity anyway. The next mom is worried about how her child is going to come out on top due to homeschooling. She wants advice on how to keep her son motivated and not give up when things get hard. There is no way to tell exactly how this pandemic has affected our kids, only time will tell. But there have definitely been some unintended consequences. This example shows that while we are parents and we love our children, we have no idea what the teachers were doing to help our kids through each class before the pandemic. Perhaps one consequence of the pandemic will be a larger respect for teachers. I plan to further use social media for my research, along with academic studies, and oral interviews.
• 
  2021-03-29

  Lessening the Pandemic’s Burden on LGBTQ Workers and Families

  This article is very interesting as it mentions that LGBTQ+ people are more likely to be at higher risk to have worse COVID-19 than heterosexual counterparts. The COVID-19 Pandemic has shown the cracks that are in the LGBTQ+ community as a whole. These impacts include participating in the workforce less, less economically secure, and homelessness. Eventhough, this group has been discriminated against and continue to be in soma cases they are not alone feeling the brunt of this COVID-19 Pandemic. Other groups include communities of color, low-income households, and people with disabilities. This pandemic has caused people to start to notice these disparities and as someone who is apart of the LGBTQ+ community, there is a higher chance of not receiving a job based on just this fact. I have seen this in action in my own life before and it is not always blatant and more work needs to be done on this front.
• 
  2020-07-22

  The Domino Effect of the California Child Care Crisis

  This highlights how much the pandemic has affected child care workers and programs in California as health concerns continue to rise. It's yet another industry that was impacted greatly as many were out of a job and struggling financially. Not only does it emphasize the economic impacts on an industry, along with the needs for more health safety measures and the need to increase budgets for that, it’s effectively keeping those who need the child care services away.
• 
  2021-02-02

  Southern NM County Mandates COVID-19 Vaccine for First Responders Including Sheriff's Deputies

  This article discusses a recent mandate from the Dona Ana County government, which is seated in Las Cruces, New Mexico, that orders all its first responders to submit to vaccination. To my knowledge, this is the first such mandate in the United States, and it illuminates the relative lack of control first responders have over their lives once they enter their respective profession. The order is likely to be contested, particularly when such requirements have not historically been a condition on employment, The order reads in part, "Being vaccinated is a requirement and a condition of on-going employment with the County due to the significant health and safety risks posed by contracting or spreading COVID-19." The order applies to all paid personnel in the county's law enforcement, fire, detention, and medical professions.
• 
  2020-08-18

  Reparations in America

  "Reparations is very important. Here in America, Black women are saddled with the highest amount of student debt in the country. For Black women in Boston, their median net worth is $8. In Los Angeles, the median value of assets for Black families is $200. In St. Paul, according to ISIAH, Blacks are 120% more unemployed than their white counterparts." - Trahern Crews Protestors gathered at the Minnesota Governor's Residence on August 16th to demand the United States government pay reparations to American Descendants of Slavery for 400 years of slavery, redlining, lynching, mass incarceration, and discrimination in education, housing, and employment. Photos from Reparations Rally In Honor of George Floyd, August 16, 2020
• 
  2020-11-16

  Militarization of Police

  The militarization of America's police first came in reaction to riots occurring in cities during the 1960s. These events were often in reaction to discrimination, poverty, high unemployment, inadequate schools, poor healthcare, limited housing options, and police brutality. In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. The Act created the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration, which made available grants to local governments to develop and purchase military-type resources to suppress riots. The money expedited the development of SWAT and other heavily armored police forces in cities to counteract uprisings.
• 2021-03-10

  Doing my Part

  In March of 2020 I am sure basically everyone's life took a spin and changed in some sort. With much fear around the Covid-19 virus going around and with little to no information and data behind it, many people throughout the world were very fearful of the virus. With basically everything shut down I lost the job that I had since I was 16. Being in college, I needed to make some sort of income. With everyone using delivery services such as FedEx, UPS, and Amazon to get their supplies, I decided that I could do my part in giving a hand to our fellow Americans during the pandemic. In my hometown, Amazon opened up a new distribution center shortly before the pandemic started. With the surge of everyone using amazon to get supplies the demand for jobs at amazon was high. Being a 21-year-old healthy man I decided to do my part and pick up a part-time job while still in school. This was a great experience for me because I was able to see how the operations behind such an impactful business work and do my part to help my fellow Americans get through the pandemic.
• 
  2021-02-28

  Me Versus covid

  This is a short written by myself, it expresses the pain and emotion that emerged since the beginning of COVID-19. Although the poem contains a lot of humorism it captures raw expressions, raw emotions all the same time.
• 
  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.
• 
  2021-02-24

  Same Country Two Seperate Lives

  This tweet is a great example of how different the pandemic was handled in Florida. This was tweeted on May 4th, 2020. It was the first day that Florida opened back up after shutting down for the month of April. This is significant in my experience of the pandemic because I have friends and family down here in Florida with me, where the pandemic isn’t taken as seriously. I also have friends and family up north in Wisconsin where the pandemic is handled completely different. For instance, Wisconsin didn’t open back up until late June. Since I live in Florida where stores and beaches opened up quickly, I was able to spend a lot of time outside swimming and relaxing by the beach before I went back to school in fall. This made the whole “quarantine” less miserable for me whereas I know people up north that struggled immensely as they were stuck in a shut down. The cold, gloomy weather in Wisconsin doesn’t help their case either. Additionally, my mom was able to get a job down here in Florida because she’s a teacher and schools are open and have in person learning. On the contrary, my brother who just graduated college in spring of 2020 and lives in Wisconsin still hasn’t found a job. It is now February 24th, 2021. Many companies have lost revenue by having to shut down for a few months and as a result, they let many employees go and are not looking to hire anyone else. The only potential new opportunity risen from this pandemic is that some jobs are all online now. This allows my brother to apply for jobs outside of Wisconsin if he is desperate enough. Overall, as a college student here in Florida, my life has not changed significantly. I still go to class, I still go to the beaches, and I still go shopping as long as I have my mask.
• 
  2020-02-24

  My Coronavirus Experience

  In the beginning of the pandemic, I immediately realized how a large portion of the public was not focused on the virus itself, but the racial controversy of the virus' origin. This was unnerving to the core, because it is a fact that COVID-19 came from China. While it was unacceptable to accept this as fact, MERS literally stands for Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome. It is clear that there was a pro-CCP agenda being pushed in the background when propagating the "COVID Safety" spiel. As time went on, more and more inconsistencies began popping up. Beauty and barber shops closed, but Nancy Pelosi is more than welcome to get her hair done. Masks become required to enter any building or participate in society at all, but when the new President was sworn in, the spectators were sitting shoulder-to-shoulder and masks were few and far between. What my story says about the pandemic is that while we may have had a real potential global crisis, I believe things were skewed, twisted, and flipped so that it is most convenient for those who hold the power, and not done in the best interest of the American people. An example of this in real life was how the Los Angeles Lakers, Ritz Carlton, and Bank of America (per store) were able to get PPP loans, drain the pool of PPP money, and leave small business owners fighting for crumbs. I have linked a Washington Post article below that expands on the PPP loan problem and how our government failed small business. The pandemic I fear will have long-lasting, Orwellian effects on our society in the sense that those in power will continue to use fear mongering to control the public through COVID. Even though a vast majority of the population has already had it and are building antibodies, Western European-style, 1940s era vaccination cards are beginning to circulate. I fear these cards will be the new "gold star" or "Scarlet Letter'', except those without it would be barred from society, rather than those with it. In my opinion, COVID today is what AIDS was in the eighties. Lots of unanswered questions, lots of fear, and government intervention so that free thinking is minimized. These three, and you have a perfect recipe for controlling the masses. Both diseases were politicized to death, and public opinion of the disease swung back and forth with politicization. If AIDS was blown up to the proportion that COVID was, I couldn't imagine the backlash the political and science communities would get from a certain demographic of people who are very vocal and have a statistically higher likelihood of contracting HIV. I hypothesize that pandemic would turn into pandemonium. With that, my experience during quarantine was as expected. Mental health suffered due to lack of human interaction and ability to go outside, and physical health suffered due to inability to go outside and lack of motivation which was connected to mental health. The main positive thing from the pandemic I can identify is the performance of my stock portfolio. Even though I lost my job due to COVID, I was still able to afford rent, food, and supplies to stay hunkered down in my new $900/month prison for my three month sentence. Another big positive from the quarantine was my savings. The pandemic helped me realize how much unnecessary or emotional spending I do. It helped me point out lots of bad habits I have so I can work on fixing them. Things like spending money when I'm sad, and identifying vices that hold me back in my day-to-day. While the pandemic brought a lot of negatives to me and the world around me, I believe there are some positive things to take away from it. Opening your mind to more than what the government feeds you, appreciating every moment you have, embracing new hobbies, and learning how to maneuver through change. These are all things the pandemic has taught me, but if I had the option, I wouldn't do it again. In terms of being a part of history, simply by living you are a part of history. I was at Sloan-Kettering in NYC with my family getting a life-extending cancer treatment for my father when 9/11 happened. He was one of three patients that day because while in surgery, the first plane hit the towers. The rest of the patients to be seen that day were canceled. I suppose the point I am trying to make is that history is subjective. 9/11 wasn’t 9/11 to me. 9/11 was the day I was blessed with enough time to make some foundational memories of my father before he passed. It can be argued that since I have been invested in GameStop since November, I was a part of history there too. I went to the Game 7 Cardinals vs. Red Sox World Series Game in Fenway Park. The game that broke the Bambino Curse. Again, it could be argued that I was a part of history there too, except my three year old self was asleep for the last two innings. History is subjective, and every day, everyday people like you and I make history. Historians and memoirists will use these events in the future to write articles, make movies and tv shows, write books, and extrapolate many other kinds of art from it. However, most often historical stories are told through a lens of subjectivity, and because of that, eventually all history becomes skewed to the point where it is indistinguishable from fable.
• 
  2020-09-25

  A City Once Busy

  I once used to walk this street on my way to work at a restaurant. I always loved how busy it was, seeing the streets overcrowded with people who had places to be. When I lost my job because of the pandemic in March I had to go home for 7 months. At the beginning I think we all thought that things would have turned around by the time the leaves started to fall. When I came back, I went downtown to visit the restaurant I had once worked at. The restaurant was boarded up still and the streets were mostly empty, and I felt kind of empty too.
• 
  2021-01-29

  Coronaland

  With Carnival parades cancelled, somebody had the bright idea to start the Krewe of House Floats to (a) make up for it and (b) to possibly offer work to unemployed float artisans. The results have gone beyond everyone's wildest imagination with 5,000+ people signing up in New Orleans, surrounding parishes, and around the world. This is a detail of an installation that shows how many people are feeling these days, “Cuckoo from COVID”
• 
  2021-01-29

  Coronaland

  With Carnival parades cancelled, somebody had the bright idea to start the Krewe of House Floats to (a) make up for it and (b) to possibly offer work to unemployed float artisans. The results have gone beyond everyone's wildest imagination with 5,000+ people signing up in New Orleans, surrounding parishes, and around the world. This installation, shows how many people are feeling these days, “Cuckoo from COVID”
• 
  2021-01-29

  Coronaland

  With Carnival parades cancelled, somebody had the bright idea to start the Krewe of House Floats to (a) make up for it and (b) to possibly offer work to unemployed float artisans. The results have gone beyond everyone's wildest imagination with 5,000+ people signing up in New Orleans, surrounding parishes, and around the world. This creation, at 430 Harrison Ave., gives the perspective of the crowd and advises people, “Six Feet when possible Y'All”.
• 
  2021-01-31

  Spotify Called Out My Podcast Addiction

  Throughout the majority of 2020, I had very little social interaction. I wasn’t working a job for the majority of the year, I had moved away from most of my family and friends, and I grew so lonely very quickly. In response to the lack of social interaction, I turned to podcasts for a sense of conversation and connection. While my mental health did suffer and I continued to feel lonely, it gave me an outlet to focus on that was different than what was occurring in the world at the moment. For those who don’t know, Spotify records users' listening history through the end of October and presents it to you at the end of the year in what they called “Spotify Wrapped.” Mine presented this to me, that I had listened to 18,677 minutes, or about 311 hours, of podcasts by the end of October 2020. I am thankful to podcast creators for providing me with constant entertainment when I wanted to think about anything besides the pandemic.
• 0021-01-11

  My Experience

  Coronavirus has been hard for our economy and has affected everyone. This virus has shut down schools, people have lost their jobs and everyone has had to adjust to the new rules. This pandemic has being going on for a whole year and 1,899,285 have died. The epidemic started in Wuhan, China, it started spreading through the world. The disease then spread across several countries and affected a large number of people, it was classified as a pandemic.Jul 1, 2020
• 2021-01-07

  Covid-19 Christmas

  On March 13, 2020, America went into lockdown because of the virus of Covid-19. People lost jobs, and people in they're family, things became a lot different. Eight months later, it's Christmas time yet again. This year, it was a lot different for a lot of families, including mine. Lots of people weren't in the Christmas spirit since it was such a rough year, but even more people decided to embrace being at home and go all out with decorations, and anything 'Christmas' they could get their hands on. If I'm being honest here, kids all over the world look forward to gifts under the tree on Christmas morning. This year, since people where unemployed, and struggled to get things for their children. A lot of kids didn't get many or even anything this year. My family was very fortunate this year to even be able to celebrate Christmas since they both lost they're jobs back in March. Every Christmas, we do the same thing, stay at home so this year wasn't much different from the rest. This year really impacted a lot of people, but we all got through!
• 2020-09-29

  Covid-19 journal entry

  When quarantine first started I was happy we didn't have to go to school and i thought we would only be gone for a couple weeks. Now that it’s been more than 28 weeks I obviously am not happy about it anymore. I can’t hang out with my friends anymore and going to work is kind of scary. I hate that we have to wear a mask because when I smile at people they can’t see that I’m smiling at them and I just creepy. My mom is a hair stylist so she was out of work for quite a while, fortunately now she open back up again. My brother also lost his job because the business he worked for had to shut down. My other brother Chase was a senior when it first happened and he just went off to college a couple weeks ago. Chase actually got COVID-19 and that was pretty scary but he didn’t show any symptoms or get sick at all. This journal entry was written as a part of the American Studies class at California High School in San Ramon, California.
• 
  2020-03-18

  The Families First Coronavirus Response Act Helps Employees Everywhere

  On March 18, 2020, President Trump signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). This act provided additional flexibility for state unemployment insurance agencies and funding to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic. This act requires certain employers to provide their employees with paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons that relate to Covid-19. To receive these unemployment insurance benefits, you need to file a claim with the unemployment insurance program in the state you work. Employees everywhere are put on sick leave everyday due to coronavirus. This act gives them more support and sanity to help them in their day to day lives whether it is to help support family or pay expenses.
• 
  2020-11-17

  As the COVID-19 crisis cuts jobs, Canadians cash in on hobbies with "side hustles"

  As many Canadians leaned into their hobbies as sources of entertainment, some discovered they wanted to make businesses out of these interests. However, other Canadians needed another source of income to supplement their main jobs as COVID-19 added a degree of economic instability during the pandemic. This article serves to illustrate how Canadians formed side businesses out of these hobbies, either due to economic uncertainty, or because they desired to do what they genuinely loved.
• 
  2020-12-07

  The impact COVID 19 has had on workers in the service industry

  The Phenomenon our group is providing insight into is the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on workers in the service industry. We will discuss the number of jobs lost/created and look into the workers’ treatment in the service industry. We are focusing on the personal experiences of some of the members of our group and others who are working during COVID 19. Some of our group members work in the service industry and have to work during this difficult time. The essay will provide first-hand insight and shed light on the issues that essential works are currently facing.
• 
  2020-11-29

  Covid-19 Crises

  I chose the photograph of a closed store sign because during this pandemic a lot was changed due to the given circumstances. At the beginning of Covid, everything was closed that was not essentials, due to that I stayed without a job. I was unemployed and was receiving no alternative sources of income. This was scary to think about as there were bills that had to be payed and working at a new job could have put you at risk of catching this newly formed infection. Going to the stores that were open were also a different and frightening experience, there were so many people not social distancing at the grocery stores and etc who were not even wearing masks or using gloves that it was putting yourself in danger just for going out to buy the basics needed for living. Now a few months later, more places are opening but the question is, is this a good or a bad thing? I am now reemployeed, but I am getting paid the same as I used to even though I am risking my life each and every day coming in contact with hundreds of people a day, cleaning restrooms and making sure im well protected at all times. Still nothing can go back to normal, people cannot just go to the fair or the movies or skating as they could before this part of soon to be history because of its risks. It is important to stay safe and to continue to push through these times so that one does not just become a statistic in a book of the many of millions that have died during theses times due to Covid-19.
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  2020-09-15

  Jewish Melbourne: Jewish Care blog post - 'what can be done if you're unemployed during coronavirus'

  An article by Simon Jedwab, Program Manager - Employment Centre, providing advice and support for people who are unemployed during the pandemic