Items

• 2020-04-23

  Local Bar Experience during COVID

  After lockdown, I decided to pay a visit to my local bar, to finally get out of the house. I was expecting a laid back drink, but once I arrived I realized they were not following any protocols. Nobody was wearing masks and tables weren't spread out. The bar quickly filled up, and people did not take the virus seriously at all. Customers were coughing directly into the air towards other patrons. The owner didn't believe COVID existed. My relaxing drink turned into anxiety about possibly catching the disease and spreading it to my father and brother, who both have heart diseases. I haven't been inside a bar or restaurant since that day.
• 
  2020-07

  Finding Beauty in a COVID World: Dog Lake Hike, Salt Lake City, UT

  In mid-July we decided to travel to Salt Lake City to visit family. Downtown SLC was pretty shut down due to the pandemic so we chose to find some outdoor activities that we could participate in while still remaining safe. These two images are from a beautiful hike we did called “Dog Lake,” a dog friendly hike with a lake (shown in picture 2) for the dogs to go cool off in before heading back down the mountain.
• 
  2020-08-19

  Portfolio of a JOPL Intern, Summer 2020, Lyn Ribisi

  This is my portfolio for my 15 weeks as an intern working with The Journal of the Plague Year. I was anxious to learn the skills involved in gathering, creating, and archiving materials to preserve history in our lifetime. The pandemic of COVID-19 is a once in a century occurrence, and I felt it was very important to preserve our thoughts, emotions, photographs, jokes, and events that are shaping our lives now. Generally, I’ve been fascinated by archives and the potential they hold for telling our stories. I’ve also been frustrated by the lack of accessibility they all present. I’m hoping that the digital archive techniques we have employed will ease that problem. We’ve had the freedom to use tags (or, in archive-speak, folksonomy) to make the content searchable and accessible to all who come after us. In addition to archive work, my branch of historical interest is in the everyday lives of people. This digital repository satisfies both passions. Lastly, working on preserving the events of this pandemic has helped me find my way during this difficult time. I feel that I've been able to contribute--at least a little bit--and thus been able to be causative over some little part of this global nightmare. I am earning my Master’s degree in order to teach at the college where I work now. I’ve been functioning as a TA for the last several years as well as working as a classified staff member. I should graduate in May 2021, and become an adjunct. However, with all learning remote and the campus closed, hiring may be delayed. My mission is to inspire a love of history and the ability to think critically about the past and present. Too often history is still being taught as a memorization exercise of dates, names, and events. I will teach against that model and hopefully inspire a love of the past and its lessons and stories in my students. I want to thank all of our staff at ASU for delivering a professional learning experience—I was very lucky to have had the opportunity to be a part of it.
• 
  2020-08-19

  Clinton P. Roberts Internship Portfolio

  The Journal of the Plague Year will become a lasting memory and not just because it is preserved inside of an archive. One of the most memorable aspects will be the way our internship class grew to become a team. As we all look back to our first weeks, little did we know the scope of pedagogy we would need to experience before arriving upon these final days. Dr. Kole gave us the support we needed, but wasn’t afraid to introduce us to the “rapid” nature of a rapid response archive. The conversations of “wearing hats” became common terminology to describe all of the evolving jobs this internship would entail. Some days we were scholars thinking deeply about the concerns of silences. Other days we felt more like roving reporters gathering stories as they were developing. Our “marketing hats” were often in use as we promoted our Calls for Submissions. Undoubtedly, there were days we were required to stack our hats four high. As fledgling public historians, we accomplished all of these things and we did it together as a team. The word “team” seems the most obvious description, but for our group the most fitting term is “family.” This moment has already come and gone, yet it’s preserved for those that look toward it. I felt the need to devote my individual time to preserving those things that were at propinquity. That being said, the “Rural Voices” collection is something near and dear to me. Near because I live in the community that inspired this collection. Dear because it’s so much more; it’s home. I created it because of this familiarity, a familiarity that was disrupted by COVID-19 and I experienced firsthand. Moving forward, future interns will have the opportunity to continue what I have started. This collection was never meant to have only one voice and is only a reflection of its first voice. Every rural community has a wealth of history occurring and with each passing moment those voices fade. The “Rural Voices” collection was, and should always remain, a direct response to that silence.
• 
  2020-07-25

  Anti-Mask Protests

  After living in Massachusetts throughout the emergence of COVID-19, and watching the state promptly implement and obey lockdown restrictions and mask mandates, traveling to north Idaho in mid-July was a complete culture shock. Less than a week after I arrived back to my hometown of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho to visit my family, Kootenai County finally passed a mask mandate. As a result, a huge portion of the city’s population protested the simple act of wearing a face mask, claiming it was a complete violation of their freedom. The protesters threatened those who did obey the mandate. The difference in reactions by the people in Idaho vs. Massachusetts as a result of something so simple as a mask mandate was shocking to me. It is a completely different world than what I had gotten used to in Massachusetts, and I’ll never forget the hostile feeling that filled the small town of Coeur d’Alene, for the first time that I can ever remember.
• 
  2020-07-22

  Ruth Hunt's Story

  Many family members expressed a great sense of relief knowing that mom passed last year and not in 2020 because it would have been unbearable for me not to be able to visit with my mother during this pandemic. My mom was confined to a nursing/rehab facility for the last nine months of her life and I had to travel back and forth from New Jersey to Virginia to spend 10 days at a time with her. It was the hardest nine months of my life advocating for my mother's life while she was confined. Although she passed the last day of February 2019, I continued running that race to get everything perfectly in place to honor her life. The family was not up to the burial at the time so we planned to have a family reunion this July 2020 and a graveside service to remit mom's ashes in the grave waiting for her next to our father. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic the family has decided to postpone the graveside service until July 2021 in order to celebrate her life. You can listen to an interview with my mother here: https://omny.fm/shows/fuel-for-the-spirit/fuel-for-the-spirit-7-13-19. I am a family researcher, my story is here: https://www.ruthdhunt.com/
• 
  2020-08-10

  The nature got some rest.

  We have all heard the phrase "a pictures tells a thousand words". This is a picture of a park I visit in Jersey City, NJ, USA every day in the evening. When the pandemic began the parks were shut down due to the geographical location of Jersey City, NJ so close to New York City, NY, being the city with the most cases in the US. Slowly but surely NYC started going into the reopening phases. This photograph was taken in phase 2 of reopening. People can be seen coming back out to enjoy the sun. But, the most intriguing part of the picture is how nature has had a chance to recuperate from human impact. I am a 3rd year medical student, was doing clinical rotations, when the COVID-19 pandemic closed down the whole world. I was forced to be confined to my home. I could not just sit by while all healthcare workers were being overworked with little to no sleep at all. 3 weeks into the lockdown I decided to use my acquired knowledge and get a job as a medical assistant/Scribe. I wanted to contribute anything and everything I could to save lives. After saving my first paycheck and receiving my second check, I decided to spend it all $798.00 on buying masks and gloves from wholesalers. Because of shortages of these supplies was so critical to all essential workers. I was able to donate the supplies to hospitals, clinics, religious institutions and homeless people (that are forgotten through these times). When I started going back to the park for my evening runs, I had to take a photograph of how beautiful the nature is and how we take it for granted on a daily basis. I am still working at my job and still donating all my earnings towards supplies that I can buy so we can all stop the spread of the virus, and come back out of our homes to really enjoy the nature that we had taken for granted in the past.
• 2020-08-10

  Essential worker and a baby

  In the beginning of the pandemic I was 7 months pregnant and working in an ICU. As things starting getting worse more changes would come on how we operated day to day. Day to day became hour to hour, things would be changing. New policies, then new policies would change. I was also becoming concerned about how the rest of my pregnancy and delivery would be. When the policy came down that all hospital personnel had to wear a mask at all times I started to have a problem. Due to wearing a mask and being pregnant my gag reflex would be triggered and I would get sick. After trying to work for 3 days my only option was to take early maternity leave. So while I was not at work for most of the worst part of the first wave of the pandemic it was still a little unnerving. I stayed in contact with my coworkers and stayed up to date on my unit and the hospital policies. It was not only going to affect my job but also the rest of my pregnancy and delivery. On my last doctors appointment I was sent to labor and delivery to have my baby. I was nervous because honestly who wants to bring a life into a world of pandemic. I feared for the health of my newborn child. Upon admission you have to be tested for Covid-19, it was very uncomfortable! I was lucky to be able to have my fiancé there with me for the labor and delivery but once he left the hospital he was not able to return but only to pick me up from the door. Granted, this was my 4th child and I knew what to expect, it still was sad that he was not able to spend the entire time with me nor were my other children able to come and visit. At least I was able to have previous experiences of giving birth before the pandemic. After giving birth, we were pretty sheltered. No one visited. We never left the house unless absolutely necessary. My newborn son had only left the house to go to the doctor before this past week. I had to return to work so he is now attending a small daycare along with my 2 year old daughter. Their father and I are both essential workers. Having children during this time makes things so much more complicated. Can't take the kids to the store or to any appointments so trying to organize schedules is very complicated. I miss going out as a family. Before the pandemic my family and I would go every where together. Even if it was just the store. We loved just to spend that time together. Now I feel like we are never all together unless we are sleeping, then we are all home together. I pray for the day that we are all able to go out together, take kids to do activities and just spend time all together outside of the home. This pandemic has made me and I am sure many others realize how truly blessed we were and if at any point in our lives things get back to where they were before the pandemic to not take such things as going out as a family for granted.
• 2020-07-05

  Covid and my First Child

  My daughter was born in July and became ill with fluid in her lungs (not covid) during her first days. She was moved to the NICU for treatment and after my wife was discharge the "Covid Rules" went into effect. These rules only allowed for one parent to visit per day. During this time it was tough being new parents and not being able to be there with each other. As my daughter's health improved nursing became important. With the rules in effect that meant that in order to nurse daily, only my wife would be able to see our daughter. So for the final week I was not able to hold my daughter or see her, except through a webcam link that was provided to us. This was important to me because although her sickness was not Covid related, it still had a profound impact on our life. Ill never get those days back. To be clear we understand the necessity of precautions and having my daughter home now is very special to me, something I won't forget is the feeling of being worried about my daughter and stress of not being able to see her.
• 2020-08-09

  A World With COVID

  This global pandemic is something that no one at my age expected. At my age, all people can think about is starting a career soon or finding that special someone soon. A pandemic as severe as this seemed impossible. At the beginning of this pandemic, my family and I were under extreme caution, never going out unless it was work related and never seeing other people. Eventually, this lifestyle became too much for my parents to handle and they started seeing friends in small groups. I would advise against this as much as possible but they would never listen or care. Eventually, they wanted to plan a trip to Mexico to visit family. Again, I advised against it but they attacked me in numbers, saying that it was family and we needed to make time to see them. After much begging, my family convinced me to go to Mexico with them. I would later find out that this was a terrible mistake. We spent a week in Mexico and then my family started to become extremely sick, all besides me. I started to believe that they were COVID-like symptoms but my family disagreed and ignored me. They started to become so sick that they decided to come back from Mexico earlier than expected and went to the doctors here. The doctor recommended a COVID-19 test and thats when we found out that our entire family tested positive for COIVD-19. The first two weeks after testing positive were extremely tough for the entire family. My older brother and parents nearly never slept, had trouble breathing, and couldn't even hold food in their stomach to eat. Luckily, I was asymptomatic throughout this entire process but taking care of my family was draining and harder than I could ever imagine. I would have to wake up in the middle of the night to help out because my parents to were too weak to get up and do anything themselves. At one point of time, my mother was so weak that I actually had the thoughts that she might not be able to pull through this and she still refused to be sent to the hospital, for reasons I couldn't even understand. It has now almost been an entire month after testing positive for the first time and all of my family has regained their health and are up and walking around the house. We have gone back to test about three times as a family and each time, it comes back positive. Although we're not able to return back to society as normal people, we are all healthy and happy again and I am just praying for the day that we test negative and can go back to our normal pandemic lives.
• 2020-08-09

  I'm sorry my love.

  Dear son, I am so sorry you are having to live through these crazy times. You are only three and don't understand why we can't go see your grandparents and your friends. I know that it sucks that we can't play outside and living in an apartment makes it even worse. It will be over some day soon. I am so proud of you wearing your mask anytime we have to go somewhere. I am so glad you're in such good spirts at all times. When all of this is all over we will go and visit family and friends. We might have lost a year but my love we will go on vacation and see our family and friends. Just a little longer and we won't have to wear our masks. Until then my son keep strong and we will get through this.
• 
  April 9, 2020

  “We’re Being Punished Again”: How People with Intellectual Disabilities are Experiencing the Pandemic

  An article by Jane Coaston describing the impact of COVID-19 on people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, from medical rationing in states such as Kansas, Alabama, and Washington, to the high risk of infection at group home facilities, to the concerns that some people have about accessing information and support during the pandemic. Changes such as being unable to visit family members or go out in the community have been difficult for some, and the article describes how the shift to working from home has been a challenge as ‘A lot of people with intellectual disabilities have never been adequately supported to use technology and to access it.’
• 
  2020-04-02

  Screenshot of Animal Crossing: New Horizons for the Nintendo Switch

  Since my friends and I aren’t able to visit each other in face-to-face, we have been playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons together online. Pictured are our three avatars hanging out in the game, similar to what we would be doing if we weren’t quarantined.
• 
  2020-04-02

  Cultural Insights: Interviews in the Creative Sector #14 … Emily Gartner, ArtThreads Studio

  In response to COVID-19, the Evansville Museum of Arts, History and Science launched the mini-series, "Cultural Insights: Interviews in the Creative Sector," to highlight colleagues and professionals working in the same or similar field of museum professionals.
• 
  2020-07-25

  Deborah Hoile Oral History, 2020/07/25

  This is an interview of Deborah Hoile about her day to day life during the COVID-19 pandemic. Deborah is retired and speaks about spending time taking care of her granddaughter. She offers her thoughts on the effects of the pandemic upon her community of Blanchard and ways that it has responded to COVID-19. Deborah also talks about the ways COVID-19 has affected seeing some of her children and grandchildren, as well as her thoughts about how the community of Blanchard could benefit from its current desire to watch over its more vulnerable population.
• 
  07/17/2020

  Adelaide and Eloise Posner Oral History, 2020/07/17

  This is an interview with two sisters, Adelaide, 13, and Eloise, 10. They discuss their lives since COVID-19 hit as well as humor and its role in facing hard times.
• 
  2020-07-31

  "Temporary Mandatory Mask By-law in effect. Help Stop COVID-19. Wear a Mask."

  A pamphlet given to all residences in Ottawa through the mail explaining that there is now a "Temporary Mandatory Mask By-Law in effect." It then goes on to explain other public health measures to be observed and the reopening of city services. There is also a panel which reads "For more information, please visit ottawa.ca or for service in any language of your choice, please call 3-1-1." translated into Simplified Chinese, Hindi, Farsi, Somali, Turkish, Arabic, Spanish, and Inuktitut. The reverse is the same in French.
• 
  2020-04-17

  Life In Isolation: The Coronavirus... Larry Hanson

  A virtual exhibition by the Evansville Museum of Art, History and Science
• 
  2020-03-30

  John F. Kennedy Library Virtual Tour

  The JFK Library engaged audiences by sharing a virtual tour of the Columbia Point Museum via a Tweet on Twitter. Individuals on Twitter can explore the exterior of the museum, beginning with President Kennedy's yacht, "Victura," sitting on the museum's lawn. Although museum-goers can't visit the museum in the conventional sense, individuals can still see what the museum looks like on its point in Dorchester, MA
• 
  2020-03-13

  My Last Hair Cut

  It has been 19 weeks, 133 days and 3,192 minutes since my last hair appointment. I know this because my last visit to the salon was the day that the county I live in announced shelter-in-place orders. I dropped my kids off at school and had a 9:30 a.m. appointment. I had a feeling it would be my last appointment for a while so I snapped a photo. In denial about what was to come, I confirmed my next appointment and was on my way. By 3 p.m. that day, only essential businesses were allowed to remain open in our county. I am not a vain person. But I definitely miss my hair appointment! Yes, it's because my hair looks awesome afterward. But it's more than that. I miss my stylist. We have known each other for more than a decade. He did my hair for my wedding. I was in the process of setting up a meal train for him as he was supposed to donate a kidney in June (this has been postponed). We are close and I miss him. I'm sad for his loss of business over these past 19 weeks. I am confused why some business have been allowed to re-open, with safety protocols, but his business has not been offered the same opportunity. I am worried about what the upcoming months look like for his business and for him personally. I hope that someday soon they will be allowed to safely resume business. And when they do, I'll be more than ready to see my dear friend.
• 
  07/25/2020

  Cody Brown Oral History, 2020/07/25

  This is an oral history interview I conducted with a law enforcement officer and fellow ASU intern. He is in the History Master's program at ASU with me and it gives the perspective of not only a law officer but also one who lives in a very rural area in the United States during the pandemic.
• 
  2020-07-24

  HERMIT HERALD VOL 1 ISSUE 51

  CV VACCINE, THERAPEUTICS UPDATE
• 
  03/26/2020

  Abner Bonilla Oral History, 2020/03/26

  As part of Everyday Boston's Essential People Project on YouTube, Aunnesha Bhowmick interviews Abner Bonilla, a Roslindale mail carrier. Abner describes what it's like to deliver mail to more than 1,000 people during a pandemic, including his concerns about the lack of social distancing; his worry for his elderly customers; and the outpouring of gratitude he and other mail carriers have gotten.
• 
  05/27/2020

  Anonymous Oral History, 2020/05/27

  Christina Lefebvre interviews an anonymous general internist at Massachusetts General Hospital about their experience with COVID-19 and the global impact of the virus.
• 
  05/15/2020

  Mackenzie Shay Oral History, 2020/05/15

  In this interview, Mackenzie Shay talks about the initial pandemic shut down and how this has impacted her as a student. She describes how Eau Claire’s small shops and businesses were being closed and how the community still tried to keep them alive by ordering online and using curbside pickup. Then Mackenzie talks about her first impressions of the virus, how she knew covid was a big deal because her mom was an English teacher in China at the time and would tell her how the students were staying at home, but she didn’t fully realize it until it came to America. Mackenzie then talks about how she is going to university to be a teacher and this is her last semester but she is unable to do the student teacher portion due to covid restrictions. Then she discusses how covid and the stay at home initiative caused all schooling to be online and that she believes this will cause students to fall behind as she thinks that many are not absorbing the material, this is based on what she sees in her tutoring sessions. She then talks about her challenges with the pandemic, one being money, as her boyfriend had been laid off with his server job and she was not coaching anymore. So to stay in budget they stay at home and don’t do much. Then she discusses how she keeps in touch with family via zoom, snapchat, and other social apps to stay up to date with family business.
• 
  05/08/2020

  Greta Oral History, 2020/05/08

• 
  05/07/2020

  Frank Smoot Oral History, 2020/05/07

• 
  03/30/2020

  Al Bailey Oral History, 2020/03/30

  Al Bailey grew up in the Midwest. He joined the Navy and worked on nuclear submarines for six years, has a degree in nuclear physics, worked in many nuclear power stations, and has been retired several times. He is an avid collector of paper money, enjoys ham radio, and is planning to go to law school this August. He has been married twice and has five children. Al and his wife Sara Bailey are currently living in Florence, Kentucky, with their youngest daughter Melanie. Sara is working in Kentucky at a chemical plant and is currently not required to stay home. Al’s life has been filled with many interesting events and experiences from his time in the military to 9/11 and more. In this interview, he reflects on current events related to COVID-19 and its political implications as well as how he and his family are handling the social distancing and isolation.
• 
  03/28/2020

  David Lee Oral History, 2020/03/28

  David Dale Lee spoke with his daughter Harper Lee on March 28, 2020, regarding the impact of the outbreak of COVID-19 on his professional and personal life. David is a semi-retired professor of history at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky. David primarily discusses the impact of the pandemic on his teaching and research projects, but he also touches on changes to personal life, particularly shopping and connecting with friends via Zoom. David also reflects on other crises that have shaped his life.
• 2020

  From Italy to London to Guatemala

  During the spring of 2020 I was a student in London for a program abroad called the NCH 2020 Global Quest Program, I was part of this program and fell in love with it. Living in London taking the tube every morning as well as participating in different classes was a world class experience for me. Coming from Guatemala having the opportunity of being in London a world class city and learning everything it has was amazing. Over time during the spring break I decided to visit my friends in Florence and Venice Italy as its one fo the places that I have close to my heart. That week in Italy was the same as they had been the moment I lived there a year ago, I would drink coffee in the small bar next to my old apartment and eat my breakfast and in the afternoon I would meet with my friends and have a stroll close to the Arno River as well as walking with my friends near the Piazza san Marco in Venice. The moment I came back from Italy immidialaty i noticed the situation changed where I received an email from the University stating that any student in Italy had to quarantine if they showed symptoms for COVID-19, the first week was perfect for me I had not felt anything the problems occurred when I actually started to feel many symptoms for the virus and was self quarantines in a isolated room for the weekend based on what the NHS had told me. As well luckily only a few days after i felt fine again and the NHS told me that I was able to leave the room with no problem so I did. Two weeks after this incident I was told that I had to leave London sadly the moment president Trump imposed boarder protection from the European Union so that day at 3am I packed and I took a flight to Miami and then to Guatemala. When I landed in Guatemala I was sent home without any problems but still I had to self quarantine at my room for 15 days before I was left out. Currently my country is still closed and I have been in almost 120 days in quarantine by the time of this post. I cant believe that I was still able to go back to Italy and travel to London but this experience has personally changed me in the way I know think of the virus and the way it has affected me in my life.
• 
  05/06/2020

  Philip Larson Oral History, 2020/05/06

  This interview is a part of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire HIST 486 seminar class, and its project The Chippewa Valley Covid-19 Archive. The professor is Dr. Cheryl Jimenez Frei.
• 
  05/05/2020

  James Ziehr Oral History, 2020/05/05

  This is part of a undergrad/ grad project at UW - Eau Claire for a public history course, taught by Dr. Cheryl Frei.
• 
  05/20/2020

  Kelly Cook Oral History, 2020/05/20

  This is an oral history interview regarding COVID-19 and its effects on the interviewee and her family and friends. Interviewee wanted the title to be "Virtual Death."
• 
  2020-06-30

  "We'll be happy to debate the efficacy of masks with you when this is all over" sign

  Sign in a thrift store which is circling the internet, of unknown origin. It reads "If you choose not to wear a mask, we respectfully ask that you postpone your visit. We'll be happy to debate the efficacy of mask with you when this is all over and you come in to sell your dead grandmother's clothes. TL;DR Masks Required
• 
  2020-04-22

  Coronavirus Cake

  We consider our nanny to be part of our family and she was part of our quaran-team. Her April 22 birthday posed a particular challenge for a cake. We would normally visit Ambrosia Bakery, but with more time, we decided to bake it instead. With extra raspberries on hand and some Valentine’s candy about to go out the window, we threw together the SARS-CoV-2 cake to celebrate the unusual times of celebrating in quarantine.
• 
  2020-04-14

  At this point I miss taking BART too

  This TikTok video features a college student highlighting the top San Francisco Bay Area places he wants to visit when quarantine ends. His wishes include Great American in Santa Clara, Pier 39 in San Francisco, Grizzly Peak in Berkeley, the Outlets of SF in Livermore, Ocean Beach in San Francisco, Twin Peaks in San Francisco, Broadway Plaza in Walnut Creek, Mission Peak in Fremont, and the Great Mall in Milpitas. The creator titled his video "At this point I miss taking BART too." BART is the public transit system that connects the Bay Area and is known for being overcrowded and often sketchy. This person must be desperate for a sense of normalcy to miss riding BART.
• 
  2020-06-18

  The Museum of Russian Art Reopening

  Facebook post from the Museum of Russian Art that highlights the institutions plans for reopening, including the social distancing and contact tracing requirements to visit. As reopening continues in some states, museums are having to inform their audiences about their new requirements and policies. Posts like this highlight some of the approaches that museums are utilizing as they seek to welcome back visitors while keeping staff safe.
• 
  2020-05-22

  Social Distancing Circles

  San Francisco parks are the cultural heart of the city. From Golden Gate Park to Dolores Park to Washington Square Park, each park has a unique personality. On a sunny day, which can be rare in this foggy city by the Bay, parks are typically full of locals sharing picnics, music and lawn games. A day at a San Francisco park when the sun is shining reminds many city dwellers of the reason why they continue to live in a city largely covered in fog for most of the year. As California began to lift the shelter-in-place orders at the end of May, San Francisco residents encountered social distancing circles. These circles were painted on the lawn of San Francisco's most popular parks to remind and encourage visitors to keep their distance from others during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both the San Francisco Chronicle and Reuters chose to highlight social distancing circles in San Francisco's famous Dolores Park. I am at once impressed by the measures the city is taking to encourage social distancing and the apparent respect that park patrons have for the social distancing circles. And also shocked at how many San Francisco residents are choosing to visit parks during a pandemic.
• 
  2020-06-24

  The best and worst of Coronavirus (Peru)

  I really love reading Somos, and I love this short historias piece reflecting on the best and worst of coronavirus from 100 Peruvians. It's reassuring to read what is helping people stay positive, and at the same time recognize that we're all struggling with a really difficult moment. There's a parent who laments she can't visit her daughter when she got into Stanford, another parent willing to watch the Wizard of Oz as many times as his daughter asks, and others who took the extra time at home to learn new skills like baking a carrot cake or reflecting on their lives and relationships.
• 
  2020-05-11

  Coping With COVID-19 Crisis: Jule Hall & Lynn Novick On The Devastating Impact On Prison Education Depicted In Docuseries ‘College Behind Bars’

  Once the covid pandemic settled in across the nation it was obvious that schools, preschool through university, had to be shut down. Many schools turned to online instruction and learning but this presented a problem for a large number of students who don't have the hardware or access to an internet connection. One population you wouldn't expect to also struggle with this issue are prisons. Many prisons across the country offer college to inmates. Conducted by professors who visit the prison to provide instruction. As a precaution to lessen the introduction of the virus into the prison many facilities stopped visitors including the college professors. This article discusses how this has impacted the inmates. ASU, HST580
• 
  2020-05-20

  Traditional healers help doctors reach patients in Sierra Leone

  "In a country where most people visit healers, some are stepping in to bridge the trust gap between the old and the new."
• 
  0007-04-04

  Initial closure of all Hospitals and Aged Care Facilities

  The decision to close hospitals to visitors was a step taken to ensure the safety and health of staff, immunodeficient and vulnerable members of our community. Both closures impacted my ability to visit family members and while this was difficult, I understood the importance of introducing these measures given the circumstances of the pandemic. And additionally, appreciated that in response to these changes, the facilities introduced various means of staying connected with loved ones.
• 
  2020-03-23

  Traveling during the pandemic

  Before the lockdown, I planned to travel to visit my family and booked a flight ticket. I didn't know that the flight date was after the lockdown situation. Because I planned everything and bought the ticket already, I decided to stick to the plan and went to the airport. Surprisingly, it was like a ghost town with just a few people. On the plane, there was just 2 more passengers and me who still tried to sit 3 rows away from the other to follow the safety rule. It was quite an adventure!
• 
  2020-05-31

  Self Betterment For Teenagers

  I feel like 2020 has been the year of major downfalls; every month has had some type of huge incident that has shaken up social media and the world. The pandemic has shown the World what human nature is like in desperate times; Riots that force cities that open up their hair salons and beaches because they believe that going outside is more important than being quarantined and protecting our young children and elderly. Although I miss my friends and I miss going out and I miss normal social interaction, I have not yet stooped down to that level. The quarantine and self teaching tactics that my school has imposed on me has led me to procrastinate more on my works. It did not hit me that AP Tests were rapidly approaching until the week of. It did not hit me that finals are slowly approaching as the year comes to a close. I have many friends that have begun to ignore work, now that my school has implemented the ‘pass/fail’ system. No one likes this system, but no one tries to tell the school otherwise. As for me, I have spent my time reveling in self pity and watching anime. However, in watching the various characters and story lines, I have come to the conclusion that I do not want to be someone that wallows in self pity. The characters in the shows, albeit fictional, represent various aspects of my life that I want to better; from being more social to enhancing my skill set, the possibilities are endless as the quarantine goes on. The photo I submitted has impacted me, as it is both promoting the usages of masks and the characters in that particular show always strive to be better than everyone else. There are also many other shows that have pushed me into becoming better. Despite being sheltered from the outside world, I think I can benefit from the quarantine through improving myself and my self-esteem, so that when people see me next time I am a new and improved version of myself. Many other people have that same mindset, doing various things to make themselves look better when the quarantine is over. From dying their hair to various colours, to shaving all of their hair/cutting bangs, and even working out more often in order to come back to society with an amazing body, everyone can agree that they are trying out new things in order to expand their horizons and to cope with not being able to visit their friends as often.
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  05/28/2020

  Kelly McDaniel Oral History, 2020/05/28

  Interview with Kelly McDaniel of Blanchard, Oklahoma by Clinton P. Roberts on 05/27/2020. Kelly speaks about her experience of visiting a rural doctor's office during COVID-19. Kelly comments on the changes of procedures and the anxiety of possibly having COVID-19. Submitted for the #ruralvoices collection. Contributed by Clinton P. Roberts, curatorial intern for Arizona State University, HST 580.
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  05/24/2020

  Lauren Mottles Oral History, 2020/05/21

  This is a recorded conversation with a teaching colleague, Lauren, who works as the Math Department Chair at St. James Academy in San Diego. Since the beginning of the pandemic, and especially in California since the stay at home order on March 17th, teachers have done the incredible in teaching their students at a distance. Lauren shares her experiences at her school, reflections, and thoughts on the current state of education.
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  2020-05-27

  The Beach

  A couple of years ago, I decided to paint a picture of the ocean because of how much I admired its beauty, realizing how lucky I was to be able to visit it in person anytime I liked as it was only a mere twenty minutes away. I would have never thought two years later in 2020 a global pandemic would occur and take away this joy in my life, keeping everyone all cooped up in their homes in hopes of slowing the spread of COVID-19. While it was hard to have to leave school in the middle of junior year, adjust to online AP exams, depart from teachers and friends, stop playing sports, and so much more, I know social distancing is a necessity during this difficult time. I understand this pandemic has changed many of our lives quite negatively as we have to isolate ourselves and sacrifice going out to have fun and socialize; however that does not mean people should flood the beaches or malls out of spite or as part of a protest against the government's orders. Though I wish I could go outside to an amusement park or beach with my family and friends, I know what's more important is respecting all the essential workers by staying home, and I hope more people are able to understand this bigger picture as well.
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  2020-05-01

  Huntington Beach Protests

  My friends and I, went to visit our teacher down near the beach, there we also went to witness stupidity and people who we thought were only seen on the news and on the other side of America. In a safe, masked drive by, we saw maskless protesters flaunting their maga flags and hats, ignoring social guidelines, and protesting about not being able to get their haircuts and go to work. We witness stupidity and ignorance.
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  2020-05-15

  Melisa Perez, Dougherty Family College, HIST 115

  A friend of mine studied a broad here in MN, I had the privilege to get to know her during her senior year as a college student. With the whole pandemic, she wasn’t able to go back to her home country it was unknown when she will be able to return back. A week ago, she found out that today will be her chance to leave. Although we are both happy that she is able to go back home, it was sad to know that we wouldn’t be able to say goodbye to each other due COVID-19. Although it seems like she is just going back to visit her family, it studently hits me that we are actually living in a time like this. I really wish I was able to send her off and give her one last hug since we don’t know when we will see each other again. It’s not a goodbye, it’s a see you soon.
• 2020-05-22

  Root canal during the pandemic

  On April 8, 2020, I had to have a root canal redone. I had been in self-isolation since March 17, and it was unnerving to leave the house to have this procedure done since I have asthma. Catching Covid-19 would not be suitable for me, so having to lay with my mouth wide open for an extended period was not ideal. Unfortunately, the procedure could not wait. When I arrived at the dentist's office, my temperature was checked before I was allowed to exit my car. I wore a cloth mask into the building where I was required to wash my hands before interacting with the staff. Once I was taken to the back, I had to rinse with alcohol-based mouth wash for no less than 30 seconds. During the procedure, the endodontist wore a face shield and mask. Air was circulated over my face and away from both the dental assistant and endodontist towards the open door. The procedure took about an hour since they chose to examine the failing root canal, refill it, and seal the crown all in the same day. Typically this would require two visits, one to check and refill the root canal and one to seal the crown. After the procedure was done, I was allowed to wash my hands before putting my mask back on and then rewash my hands before exiting the office. Once in my car, I used hand sanitizer before driving home. By far, the strangest visit I've had to the dentist, but they made sure to take every precaution they could to keep their patients safe.