Items
Creator is exactly
SELF
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2020-06-01
A privilaged white latina women.
In the beginning of the pandemic, I was frightened like many others. My parents are older than most of my friends, both around their late fifties' early sixties. In the area I was living, Ohio, I began seeing many lawn signs of Covid 19 not being real. Like anyone who believes in science I became extremely frustrated. People coughing in line behind me at the grocery store when I was with my dad and talking loudly about how masks were “stupid”. I began feeling personally targeted because of wearing homemade masks from the beginning. I feared how many people I would have to come in contact with at work and how I might affect my parents' health just by living under the same roof. As Covid came into fruition I was a part of one of the lucky companies that gave the option to stay home from work and be paid a minimum. I was grateful. I began seeing a decline in mental health on social media. People could not take being home without their friends or their families were toxic. That’s understandable and I do not chastise anyone for feeling that way. My frustration stayed as I acclimatized myself to be home for months. I started paying close attention to news about organizations like churches, friend groups etc. gather even though we were in the height of Covid. I thought to myself “Can't it just...wait? Let us be safe first and gather later.” I feel it is unfair for me to make such a statement because I don’t know these strangers' lives at home, but it was hard to not take it personally when I had to shower anytime I went out for groceries or a mandatory meeting at work. Not to mention the constant dousing of sanitizer that my family and others who were fearful of Covid had to do to feel safe. All this was happening in America in my middle-class neighborhood and social media started showing the disparities between classes. I was lucky that my whole family could afford to stay home but there were many...many families that had to keep working even though they could die. Just to keep a roof over their heads. This especially affected people of color and minorities in our country. There was and still is social unrest. Finally, the disparities that had always been there had been forced to be paid attention to. There was no relief for the frustrations we were experiencing and bottling during this time. About midway through covid I found out my uncle in Colombia died because he had to continue driving a Taxi for work and no vaccinations had been issued. It just felt like there was nothing I could do but panic and wait. Then, one of the most egregious acts of police brutality had occurred. George Floyd had been murdered by a police officer who pinned him down with his knee as he said “I can't breathe” until he no longer could. America turned upside down. We saw videos of buildings being destroyed, fires, mass protests, shootings, the worst you could imagen. As a collective we had reached our boiling point and the last straw was this murder. My family was against my brother and I protesting because Covid still being at its height. I have protested at the Womens March in D.C and several pro-choice marches in Ohio but the Black Lives Matter movement was something I needed to educate myself on and stand up for. It was a calling for someone in my position of privilege to show up in numbers for people of color that deserve rights just as the rest of us. I often reflect on how my life could have been so different. My father is Colombian, and my mother is Polish. I look white and have always been raised in a middle-class neighborhood. I have not had to face the same injustices as my father, my family and minority groups in America just based off the color of my skin. Police brutality has always been in existence but when we were all home during Covid with modern day technology and video evidence, we felt that video to the core. We felt the pure rage and frustrations as a society of how we were not being cared for in the way we thought we would have been during this pandemic. I have never witnessed in my lifetime such united support for one another. Such a strong fight against people in power who are coming after the people we call friends, workers, lovers, and family no matter the color of their skin. In such destruction, pain and chaos I had never felt such beauty in our society. I will never forget the feeling of unity around me I had felt as hundreds of people laid down on the hard pavement during the Black lives Matter protest yelling “I cant breathe.” Finally, we could help the unheard be heard and take a deep breath together. -
2022-04-28
Growing up with COVID-19
I wouldn’t consider my experience during the COVID-19 pandemic unique. What my experience was was life-changing. I was a graduate of the class of 2020 which was the first graduating class during the pandemic. What was unique about my situation was that I graduated in December 2019 a semester earlier than I was supposed to. I got a last day of high school, I’ve got a last football game, I got my last class. I think this is different because many people in my graduating class didn’t get these things they left for spring break in March and came back to their freshman year of college. I’m definitely grateful for the decision that I made to graduate early. Even though I didn’t understand the decision that I was making at the time I got to live more lasts than most people my age. Going into freshman year of college was difficult without walking across the graduation stage. We are taught that that is the moment where you become an adult and a member of society. It’s the closing of a chapter when you walk across that stage. With all that closing of the chapter I felt like I was just rolling through the motions coming to college. Even though it was just rolling through the motions they were the best motions of my life. Freshman year I rushed my sorority on zoom. This was the first time A zoom rush has ever been conducted and there were definitely some learning curves associated. I did end up finding my place within that process but I couldn’t be more grateful that it didn’t work out for me. I went through freshman year with the best friends I’ve ever made in my life and I would’ve met them without my decision to come to ASU. Coming to ASU almost feels like a fluke, I wouldn’t have committed to come here if Covid hadn’t happened. It was the only school that I had a chance to tour therefore the only one that I had enough knowledge about to make the decision to attend. This was the best thing that came out of corona. -
2022-04-29
Social Drought
Social Drought is a text story about how the pandemic erased all hopes of maintaining an active social life and how I had to find ways to fulfill my need for social interaction. -
2022-04-29
Dementia and Covid
Over the last two years, being away from people, and having to social distance, I have still taken care of my grandfather. He has Dementia. Now that things are starting to get a little better, and a lot of people have been vaccinated, I have been able to have him come stay the night at my house every Friday. The first couple of times he was confused, but now he seems to instinctively know the routine of it all. He likes getting to spend time with my stepdad and my girlfriend, and walk outside to see the horses. Covid has taken a lot, besides the countless lives. It rapidly increased my grandpa’s progression in memory loss. Most days he can’t quite remember my name or my mom's name. But at least he is happy, he laughs and smiles, and knows that he loves and trusts us. Him not being able to have as much social interaction as he used to has drastically changed his cognitive abilities. Today is a Friday. He was pretty quiet on the drive from his house to mine. I got him an ice cream cone. No matter where he is cognitively that man will always, always want an ice cream cone. Vanilla to be specific. We used to get ice cream cones from McDonald's when I was little when he would pick me up to spend the night at his house. I wonder how many ice cream cones we have left. I hate that his memory has been cut short and stripped from him. He had been slowly declining for the last few years before Covid, but once we hit the lockdowns, it was all over. He was good at hiding it for the first 6 months or so, but in the last year and a half it has been very clear. I miss who he was, I know we all do. -
2022-04-29
The Pandemic in the Military
When I found out about the start of lock downs and the fact that a pandemic was even happening, I was at the end of a training rotation at Fort Irwin, CA. My colleagues and I were extremely concerned about the welfare of our families as we had all been screened for symptoms, but there was talk of us not being able to return home until the DOD had figured out exactly how they were going to respond to the “sudden” emergency. I only put sudden in quotes because the government had plenty of warning that this was coming but decided that it wasn’t worth acting on until it had already started happening. Once home, the adjustment to a new way of life was akin to being dropped in a foreign country that speaks a language you don’t understand and has none of the customs you are familiar with. While families, dependents, and civilians had had warning, albeit minimal, that lock downs were going to be a thing and that masks were now mandatory regardless of where you were going, those who had been away without any media or contact back home, were suddenly thrust into the lifestyle of April, 2020. From that time to now, not only has vaccination and the reality of the virus become a contentious topic among coworkers, friends, and family, but what side of the issue you place yourself on has led to some of the worst division the nation has seen since the 1960s. Families have been ripped apart and friendships destroyed because the views expressed and sides taken on pandemic related issues, including the 2020 election, have adopted the same level of identity in our lives as our ethnic, racial, or religious backgrounds. Those who would have found common ground in shared religious belief, or shared culture now create new divides on the basis of believing that the vaccine works or not or believing that those who participated in the Jan 6, 2021 Capitol incident were justified or not. -
2022-04-29
College & Religion ft. COVID-19
When I was in the second semester of my freshman year at ASU studying Computer Science, we had started hearing word of a virus slowly spreading around the world. Halfway through that semester, it had reached a point where my universities had shut down in-person sessions and ASU had announced initially a 2-week online period, which then quickly ended up being the rest of the semester. For someone who was extremely to get the full college experience, it was very disheartening to have to cut out a decent chunk of our college life. However, with time and acceptance of the current world situation, I was able to quickly adapt and thrive with the new fully-online learning environment. Although, amidst being able to adapt to the new university online life, it was a very different story when it came to my religion. As Muslims, we are very accustomed to being a close-knit community. It is an obligation to attend a group prayer on Friday afternoons on a weekly basis. This is something I have been attending ever since my parents had taught me this at a young age. However, with the way the virus was spreading and considering how crowded mosques tend to get at Friday prayers, they were forced to close down. This had a major affect on many Muslims as it is a big part of our daily routine. On top of that, when the month of Ramadan had come around, mosques could not stay open for the late-night prayers that everyone was so accustomed to attending on a daily basis. With a little more time and a lot of prayers, this year mosques has opened at full capacity for weekly Friday prayers and nightly prayers at the mosque for the month of Ramadan. From a religious perspective, COVID-19 had taught a lot of us to develop more patience than we were initially used to and have faith in our religion that at the end of the day, whatever happens in this world always has an underlying reason. -
2022-04-29
My COVID-19 Story: Peace, division, and the paradoxical balance of the two.
The COVID-19 pandemic is largely associated with grief, pain, brokenness, division, and death. While that is true, it can also be associated with peace, quietness, solitude, growth, love, and birth. In my story, I try to strike the balance and prove that it is a paradoxical balance that can be weighed evenly. -
2022-04-29
Life in The Pandemic
The story I have uploaded goes over my own personal feelings with the pandemic. It is important to me because although being in a pandemic is negative, I feel that I have really grown and been shaped into the person I am today because of it. -
2022-04-29
How Covid- 19 has impacted my life
On the 11th of March 2020, COVID 19 was declared a global pandemic. With such an explosive magnitude and wide reach, the world braced for its impact. Lockdowns were set in place in every country, travel was shut down, and grocery stores were often out of many essential items. Many have lost their jobs or sources of income, Many of us have battled this virus and lost loved ones to it. For better or worse COVID 19 has changed us permanently. The impact of COVID-19 is observed in every sector around the world. It has affected education systems worldwide. After attending classes in person for the majority of my life the transition to being a full-time student online was not a simple adjustment. I encountered feelings of anxiety about my classes and was overwhelmed by having to move back home from the dorms. Thankfully the support from my family was encouraging. Being an online student has taught me more about time management than anything else and procrastination became a close friend. Missing out on class activities and gathering on campus have been discouraging. I felt as though I was missing out on the college experience and felt left out. It's important to remember while I am feeling these emotions so there are many more. Being able to connect with other people and share our experiences have opened up doors to new friendships. I would be lying if I said I did not have trouble going to sleep at night during these difficult times. Especially when I would constantly hear the news about how the elderly are more vulnerable to exposure to the virus. The thought of losing a family member is terrifying. Before the pandemic, I would often visit my family who lives in Mexico once a year during the summer, but traveling was no longer an option, the risk was too high. As times have passed I am more comfortable traveling and being able to see loved ones. Similar to schools, churches also went online. Before COVID I was really involved with the staff team at my local church. I constantly helped with volunteer activities, I helped in the kid's ministry, and I also helped with the church's coffee bar. With the transition online I lost the sense of community and fellowship. Many of the kids graduated out of the program online and it was difficult not to be able to celebrate in person. With every transition, I learned that adapting is the best form of survival, I cannot predict the future and I don't know what this year will unfold, but I will do my best to express gratitude for my health, and for my family’s health. -
2020
COVID and My Christianity
This story is how I view the American church's response to the pandemic, both at a local and national level, and how it affected my faith. -
2020-04-26
A World Apart
Nearly a decade ago, I immigrated to South Africa. At the time of the start of the pandemic, my partner and I had been struggling with our visa papers and it had been 7 years of fighting with Home Affairs. March 2020 saw the closure of Home Affairs, a national state of emergency with nearly a year of stay-at-home orders from the government, curfew, and limited access to the public sphere, and for the first time, a reprieve from the nightmares of the immigration process. Just like that, in a single memo to the public, Home Affairs resolved all of its bureaucracy, in favour of public safety, and my partner and I were able to stay in the same place together for over 18 months. The longest we'd been able to stay together since immigrating. In a situation that saw so much upheaval, pain, uncertainty, and widespread panic, I found precious moments of peace and safety. I felt lucky and guilty all at once. Living in a rural forest community in the mountains, with my nearest neighbour over a mile away, stay-at-home orders had little impact on my daily life and I was able to relish time at home with the people who mean the most to me. All the while, stories of social and political dissent and unrest played a continual reminder that not all was right with the world, that my experience was unique and world's apart from the collective pandemic experience. I was made painfully aware that this global phenomenon, one that connected people so thoroughly and completely, was a deeply and fundamentally separate experience for myself. I have a privileged, unique, and unusual story of joy and peace experiencing the pandemic. As an American in another country, I was able to see first hand what a nation with limited resources could do when it decided to put public health and safety above all else. The pandemic provided me with my very first experience of feeling wholly communally supported, safe, and protected. This is a story I want to share because so many people were deeply traumatised by their government's response to covid and the subsequent fallout of the lack of support, and for them to know that it was no failing on their part for feeling like they were put through a meat grinder. Every single person on this planet deserved to experience the ease and simple joy that I was granted, and in a world with such immense wealth, there is honestly no excuse for why my experience was so unique. -
2020-05-30
The Two Sides of COVID
COVID has a double-edged coin valuation for me. 2020 was one of the best years of my life. While that was true for me, the exact opposite was true for so many others around the world. The photograph that is contributed to this archive is one of me and my fiancé, who got engaged in March of 2020, with our two pets and our brand-new vehicle getting ready to drive cross country in May of 2020. I had been let go from my job due to the pandemic, but my fiancé received a promotion, but that promotion required us to move across the country from Los Angeles to Camden, Arkansas. We had been talking about getting out of LA for years and this seemed like a calling from a higher power that it was the right time. This picture symbolizes the pandemic from my personal perspective because this move was the easier move I’ve ever done because everyone was at home, rather than at the hotels, restaurants, and rest stops that we needed to travel to in order to reach our new home. However, it also gave us a unique perspective to see the country without all of the people in it. When we were driving across Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas it was shocking how little traffic there was and how there seemed to be no one around. When we took a flight to check out prospective homes, there was no one on it! It was very strange to experience the isolation of COVID-19 right at the beginning because when we moved to a new town, no restaurants or events were taking place to try and meet people. It became one of the loneliest years of my life. When 2021 came around, things got back to normal in Arkansas and life seemed to begin again. I look back at this photo and remember the excitement of something new, but also the loneliness and isolation it brought. -
2022-04-29
A Return to Truth #REL101
This is a short story detailing my struggles with the Christian church as I returned to the faith during the pandemic. -
2022-04-28
COVID in my Life
I was a senior in high school when the pandemic hit. I remember right after spring break we got notice that school was over for the year. I remember that I had just gotten into my dream University and was not sure what the first year was going to look like for me at the time. Later in August, I was on my way to my new school, classes were a hybrid mix and I was able to stay in a dorm. II remember just how proud I was to be able to experience college even though it looked much different. But that meat that I would see my mom and dog a lot less. My mom is considered high risk so I didn't want to visit too often and risk her getting sick. I remember thinking that I missed them both so much and I had a big fear of losing my dog because he was getting older and I was unable to bring him with me to college. But I had a plan I was going to have my mom and dog move to my new city so we can all be close again. It was now my sophomore year of college and it was the first semester, the classes were amazing much better than the year before and I was actually for the first time getting to experience college and being in-person full time. By the second semester however I had much harder classes that I did not enjoy very much but I, of course, did my best with them. A couple of weeks later on January 19th, 2022 I got word that my childhood dog whom I have had since I was in Elementary school was not doing good and he needed to be put down. I took the first bus out and was there about three hours later. Seeing him was so hard, I remembered how he was so much smaller when I got him and now he was old and had many lumps on his body. His face still looked like a puppy because you couldn't see his white hair because he is a white dog. That was one of the hardest days of my life. I think of, Tyson every day but I know he is in a better place now not suffering, and is incredibly happy. I know we will see one another again one day. After Tyson's death I found out I had COVID and had also given it to my mom and she ended up in the hospital for a week which was incredibly hard on her. I had gotten behind in school and fell into a deep depression. It seemed like everything fell apart in my life during that time and to be honest I’ve never fully recovered from it. I know I will one day I just need to take it one day at a time. Thanks for reading. -
2022-01-10
life at NAU during 2022
in this journal I have mentioned many times how COVID really never effected me or the work that I had to do. -
2022-04-29
An ~Interesting~ Time to Say the Least
After living through it for the past two years, there is SO much to say about the COVID-19 pandemic, and I don’t even know where to begin. I guess the main takeaway is that it really forced everyone’s true colors to show. At the beginning in March of 2020, everyone was so uncertain of what was to come, and that alone made it so scary, that most people had no choice but to make light of the situation. I remember not only the grocery store shelves being empty because of everyone over-stocking their pantries and shortages in general, but also the hobby sections of Walmart and Target being empty, which was truly a really beautiful thing to witness. People were taking the time in quarantine to learn more about themselves whether that meant learning new skills or trying out new hobbies and spending time with their families doing puzzles and playing games as well. For me personally, I taught myself how to sew, which is depicted in the attached photo, as I needed to make face masks for my boyfriend and me (out of an old t-shirt) so we could safely go to the grocery store, before masks were widely available. I also learned how to bake really delicious treats, got back into reading, and even painted a few pictures here and there. Aside from these positives, it also brought out a lot of negatives as well including built up anxiety and anger that came out in the form of a new equal rights movement: Black Lives Matter after George Floyd's murder. It was scary at the time because protests and riots got very violent, but any movement for equal rights is a good movement, so it was a positive in the long run. I would say COVID-19 also played a role in the insurrection at the capitol on January 6th of 2021, and more division between political parties regarding vaccines and mandates. One could go on for hours listing all the positive and negative aspects that came about from the pandemic, but it's most important to recognize how resilient we as humans are. I'm proud of how far we've come. -
2020-07-17
Going away to Paradise
Going away to Paradise during the Pandemic was the most beautiful moment for me and my family. Connecting with nature and seeing the big blue sea of the Caribbean and its beautiful white sand beach. After all the hectic moments of surviving COVID and saying thanks to mother nature for its amazing glory. Thank you, God, and thank you to the great family that I have. #REL10 -
2022-04-28
My Covid-19 Story
reflection paper on how covid impacted life, religion, gender, power through my eyes and point of view. -
2020-03-01
Covid-19 Life
When covid first began, it did not have a huge impact on my life and the lives closest to me. The two week quarantine was more of a vacation rather than a punishment to me and my friends. However, as the months went by and I was the only one that had to go back to work due to being an "essential worker" while my friends did not was a blow to me personally. I continued to work 40 hour weeks and lost thousands of dollars monthly due to the low pay and being in a sales job. My friends were in the restaurant business so they continued to get unemployment and made more than me. This was a very annoying to me. I would never hold that against them since I would have done the same thing if given the opportunity. As time went on, it became a different type of annoyance from dealing with people who refused to wear a mask and gave constant issues to me and my coworkers. Our company had rules and while I had to wear the mask 8 hours a day, the customers did a fraction of that and still would constantly complain. I understand they can be annoying but it did not affect their breathing like they claimed. I had a couple compare themselves to Rosa Parks by "refusing to wear a mask to make a change" which got under my skin. The way the American government went about preventing covid was done in a terrible manner and I am extremely glad we are past the true heart of the pandemic. -
2020-03-06
Senior to Sophomore
It was the Friday before Spring Break. Senior year, everyone is joyful with big plans to get out of the harsh Arizona sun. Rumors of a flu-like virus spreading in China were heard but never hit mainstream media which meant, not our problem. I was helping out at our school's Volleyball tournament that day, listening to the new Lil Uzi album that was hyped for so many years, life simply could not get any better. I had secured a good scholarship for college and was nearing the end of my last semester of highschool without a doubt in my mind, but it all changed so quickly. No one knew that would be the last time I saw my graduating class, that I would never have a traditional graduation, that our final plans for the last day of school were all worthless. I still remember the day as if it never ended, the day when everything in my life went upside down and the world was sent into a mass state of panic and depression. Seeing friends was near impossible as everyone was scared of what may happen outside. So many people that I graduated with and interacted with every single day, gone, never to be seen or heard from again. Though Arizona did at first avoid most lockdowns and mask mandates, luckily many people still took the necessary precautions. The first lockdown was possibly the most eventful and enjoyable as everyone was in the same idle and confused state with nothing to do and no aim as for where to go. The rise of a new app called TikTok took the world by storm and provided entertainment for everyone. It was a new place for everyone to connect and share ideas and surely enough, society was instantly hooked. It was the beginning of the new online semester of schooling alongside the second wave of lockdown here that truly began the depressive wave on all students. Many students, as well as I, still to this today are struggling to stay focused in online schooling and this meant very poorly educated and depressed students for over a year. No amount of aid from teachers or staff could cure this lack of socialization and the sole ability to make friends and connections that is required in schools. All of a sudden, fast forward from the middle of my senior year of high school to Sophomore year at university, life has done a full 360 and social interaction is a foreign language. Masks are required so no one knows who is who and friend groups are only for those that pertained throughout the pandemic. -
2022-04-28
COVID-19, Religion, and Public Life Reflection #REL101
To shine a light on the tension between Science and Religion -
2021-04-28
I thought COVID mandates were over
Living in Arizona life has been “normal” for months. I got rid of all the masks in my house, I stopped obsessively sanitizing my hands (I still use it from time to time) and life has kind of just continued. We’ve found this new normal that most are good with, I randomly see people wearing masks but they are definitely not the majority. I thought COVID mandates were a thing of the past, until I went to California. I grew up in the LA area and had seen how different the two states are when I moved. Nothing has made that difference more notable than COVID though. It’s a different world here in California. The first day here I had to buy masks for my family and I. My daughters thankfully reverted to “COVID mode” quite quickly. I see how life has continued in Arizona and wonder how and when California will make that transition. -
2022-04-28
A New Normal
It's been over two years since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and I’m beginning to doubt that life will ever go back to what we once knew. Even with restrictions lightened, things are far from “normal”. A lot has changed in my life during this time and the pandemic has come with many struggles. One of the biggest of these for me has been raising young children in our new modern world. My kids are at a curious age where they’d like to explore their world and see new things, an age where social interaction is especially crucial. When COVID first struck I had a young son so I found myself with the concern of not only my health but his as well. In June of 2021 I had my second child, and while I am so grateful for this new addition to our family, having a baby mid-pandemic is tough. I experienced the same obvious concerns for my child's health once again. No parent wants to imagine their child with any illness. I remember feeling so paranoid that they would end up getting sick, or that myself or my fiance would catch it and eventually pass it along to them. It took two years for us all to catch it, but we did, and it sucked. In the beginning it was scary, most people had no idea what we were dealing with. The idea of a life threatening virus was horrifying and caused mass confusion. I found myself with a mask on my face and a bottle of hand sanitizer as well as some Lysol wipes in my pocket at all times. I was afraid to take my son in public because I didn’t want him to be exposed. With time, the paranoia has died down while remaining vigilant to combat germs but still I wonder if this is the new “normal”. -
2020-03-26
ITALY Covid-19 Lockdown
In the summer of 2019, I officially went to Italy to live with my significant other. The transition to a new country was difficult, but I eventually made it. Throughout my adventure, I've met some wonderful individuals and seen incredible sights that I never imagined I'd see. The year 2019 was full of happiness, adventures, and meeting the most incredible friends whom I will remember for the rest of my life. My best friends from the United States came to visit me at the beginning of 2020, and we had no idea that as soon as they left, the entire country would be put under lockdown. Everyone has been talking about the COVID-19 and how it is affecting Asia as the beginning of March 2020 approaches. There was a word going around that we had a couple of cases in town, and those cases grew and swelled. Individuals did not possess masks, so everyone used whatever they had to cover their mouth and nose. The government announced a lockdown out of nowhere, masks were required to be worn inside the building, and people did not own masks. The government then declared a total lockdown, with people only allowed to leave their houses for essentials like the hospital, grocery store, or job. Except for grocery stores, nothing was open; whenever we leave our homes, we must fill out a paper stating where we are going and why, as carabinieri (police) are stationed throughout the city to stop those who leave their homes. Being stranded at home has its ups and downs, and it was critical to maintaining our emotional and physical health during this trying time. The lockdown lasted nearly two months, during which time Italy was placed under complete lockdown and declared a red zone. Everyone was suffering as a result of not being able to travel anywhere, much alone take a walk outside. It was a difficult situation, especially because we were in a foreign country and our families in the United States were concerned. When I went to the grocery store and stepped outside one time, it felt as if no one else existed; the roads were deserted, the air was still, and I felt as if I was the only one in the town. -
2022-04-29
Life during a pandemic
During the pandemic, I was away from home. Stuck in another country with no family or friends. Living life during a pandemic far away from my loved ones made me value every aspect of my life, the way I saw life and change the way I used to think. -
2020-04-06
2020 is One for the Books
This collage represents the main events going on in our lives during the Covid-19 pandemic. Like one of my pictures says "2020 A Year Like No Other." I wanted to represent the election of Trump vs. Biden because it will more than likely go down as one of the largest and craziest elections in history. It divided the country like no other and is still an ongoing battle of Republicans vs. Democrats. I wanted to show the black square and the protests for George Floyd along with The Black Lives Matter movement. I added the air pollution of Los Angeles before the pandemic vs during. With everyone staying inside and not driving around, air quality improved tremendously. We gave the Earth a minute to breathe and heal. A quick photo to shoutout the flight attendants who have had to deal with some craziness on board for the last couple years. It has not been easy, and everyone needed a vacation after 2020. The media has been a huge factor and enemy for this pandemic. I wanted to show an illustration towards facts and fake news. A huge debate on that especially with my final photo of the protests on the vaccine mandates. The world is divided more than ever and hopefully one day we can reunite we can reunite and look back on this pandemic and remember to love each other and this planet. There were many lives lost to Covid, to suicide, and addiction. Rest in peace to everyone who didn't make it and my prayers with the families who lost someone. -
2022-04-27
Vaccine checks at mall entrance
Before entering the mall, all shoppers must show a security guard their ID and a vaccine card. This photo shows the people coming in and getting checked at the Mall de Porongoche. -
2022-04-27
Evitar tocar pasamanos
A photo of a sign telling shoppers not to touch the handrail of the escalator and to maintain social distancing on the escalator. -
2022-04-27
Street tacos
At this taco stand across the street from the Porongoche mall, there are signs saying that masks and social distancing are required. When you're handed your change it is sprayed with disinfectant and the bag that holds your food is also sprayed. Arequipa, Peru. -
2022-04-27
1.5m spacing at bus/taxi stop
Marking on the ground indicating that people should keep 1.5m between themselves at a bus/taxi stop outside the Mall Porongoche -
2022-04-27
Minorities & Covid-19
This text is about the BLM movement & how I believe Covid-19 aided the movement. -
2020-12-10
First Cloth Mask Selfie
The pandemic was a difficult period for everyone, but aside from that, there was a time when crafting multiple kinds of masks was trendy. At one time, my neighbors had a table composed entirely of handcrafted masks. Then you'd go on social media to find out that those weren't protective, but protective or not, everyone wore at least one cloth mask. The one I'm wearing is from Target and was one of my favorites to wear. Along with that, this was my first selfie from the pandemic with a mask stored on my phone, which isn't unusual today, but if I saw someone wearing a mask before the pandemic, I'd be baffled. -
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. -
2020-03-16
March 16th, 2020
On the morning of March 16th, myself along with millions of other people around the world woke up to go to school and work like any other day. There had been talks in the news recently of some new disease in Asia, but us Americans weren't too worried. As the day progressed, whispers and talks around campus began to swirl, with the rumor that we would be getting a free week off of school to see what affects COVID-19 will have as a few cases began to spurt up around the country. Me and my friends were just excited to be getting a 2 week spring break, but what we didn't know was that this would be the last time at school for awhile, and this would change our lives forever. After that first week had passed, it was announced we would not be returning to campus in person for the remainder of the school year. Fear of the unknown began to sink in. What had life become? How will I live my every day life now? Will I survive? People always learn about history in the classroom and on the internet, and now I was living through a part of history that will be talked about and remembered forever. -
2021-08-21
State Champions
Before the shut down my junior year of high school, our soccer team had won the state championship. This memory is one of the best experiences of my entire life, but was drowned out by the pandemic. When we returned to school the following August, we were granted our state championship rings--- with a twist. Everyone was in masks, and due to social distancing each player only got to bring 2 family members. It has been a long school tradition that when a team is honored, the entire school and whole families of the players are in attendance. But because of social distancing, this was no longer a possibility. My four little brothers were unable to come, and they were my biggest supporters, My friends and teachers had to watch from the class room via live stream, and although they still got to "see", it simply wasn't the same. This was one of the most important things to me this far into my life, and for the ones I loved and cared for most not to be there for me hurt a lot. -
2020-03-16
March 16th, 2020
On March 16th, 2020, I along with millions of other people around the world woke up to go to school and work as if it was any other day. There had been talks on the news of some new disease in Asia, and we all thought this would be over in the next two weeks. This would be the last time I went to school in person for a very long time. At the end of the school day, we were told that we would have a week off of school in efforts to analyze and evaluate what COVID-19 was and how deadly it could be. Myself along with my fellow classmates were only thinking about the fact that we were getting an extended spring break. It never crossed our minds that this would consume our lives for the next two years and drastically change human history. Looking back on it now, it amazes me how one minor inconvenience like can put an immediate halt to every day life, and how I was living through what would now be talked about for many many years to come. -
2022-04-26
Most magical place on earth becomes a lot less magical
This is a photo of me at Downtown Disney in February of 2021. At this point the pandemic had been going on for almost a year. I had been going to Disneyland once a year for several years up until the pandemic. This photo is from when the Disney parks were not yet open, but we could go to Downtown Disney and basically only go to stores and eat food. Luckily we were able to eat food at a table, but before we went it was only take-out. We went for an afternoon and evening to walk around the shops and listen to the Disney music playing on the speakers - and as you can see, I wore my Mickey ears to get in the spirit of Disney - but it obviously was just not the same. I went home and told all my friends and family that it’s just not worth it until the parks are actually open. This seems like probably a minor inconvenience to some, and it’s definitely a first-world problem, but it did really affect me. This was an experience that I always looked forward to each year and saved up for and took time off work for. This is just one aspect of life that changed because of Covid-19. I think many people experienced different things like this. One might say that I was religiously making sure I would go to Disneyland for years in a row, to the point where I was not stopped by a pandemic. I think many people had to make sacrifices for the things they are passionate about during the pandemic, more than we probably realize. -
2022-04-26
#REL101 COVID-19's Misery
Wow, it’s crazy to think that COVID-19 has affected our entire world for a whole 2 years now. I remember when the pandemic had first started, and I was so lost and so confused as I had no idea what our world would come to. I remember being at work, I was working at a coffee shop at the time and my boss asking me if we should shut down or not. That day I came home from work with blistering hands from washing my hand so much because of the paranoia I was experiencing. The paranoia was not because of me or my feelings but it was because of the people that surrounded me and the way they had reacted to this illness that had spread so quickly across the globe. Life during the pandemic has been tough I lost my grandpa to COVID-19 in August of 2020, and it was one of the hardest and saddest time of my life. It was a huge shock and none of my family was expecting this at all, but it impacted us so heavily. Looking into power and how that has affected our world, I think immensely. With people in power not following rules and mask regulations because of the power trip they may have. It wasn’t fair to the rest of the world who didn’t have as much power to have to wear a mask when they were choosing not to. When it comes to religion, gatherings were impacted heavily, churches shut down and, on some occasions, churches decided to go online with their services. I don’t think it was fair for churches to have to shut down, but coffee shops could stay open, church and having that sense of belonging and purpose was stripped and taken away from so many people and so quickly. This was a crazy time and a time of so many unknowns and it sucks because we are still not done with this yet, there is still so much growth and rebuilding that needs to happen before we can fully be 100% okay again. Overall, COVID-19 has taught me a lot about our nation and how quickly things can get out of hand. -
2022-01-10
Journal from an NAU student
My journal is a week by week deptiction of my everyday life going to college during an pandemic -
2022-04-26
The world seen inside out
During the pandemic, I felt isolated from everyone. I didn't know how much of that impact that could have brought me. There are things that helped me from that loneliness which is a contributing factor to many people I know. That factor, being Tiktok. The whole world has a sense of unity when posting on social media, but like the picture I added, it is like being inspected under a lense. Many people have received fame and glory from the app. They have a sense of belonging and that gives them power to wield us into thinking the same way they do. I don’t think they are even aware of the power they hold over a crowd. This is similar to Tumblr and the way it led a whole group of people to dislike each other. TikTok has brought interesting ways of bringing people together. It taught a plethora of people about different religions and culture. This is by introducing us with different foods, clothing and traditions. In the beginning people were mad, of course deeming it as ‘cultural appropriation’. Now that changed, and people are shifting to calling it ‘cultural appreciation’. I think if you are not insulting a whole religion or don’t intend to and you like something it’s fine to use, wear or eat. I’m Mexican and Catholic and if someone were to ask me questions of both I would be happy to answer them questions and I wouldn’t care if they ate the food I ate, if anything it’s a good thing. I realized how much people take a lot of things to heart, and I do it too. I’m still learning how to not let the little things get to me. However with religion/culture I don’t think anyone is out to get each other. If anything it makes me happy to see people being curious and exploring new ways of living. -
2021
Covid-19 During College
My freshman year of college was 2020. Almost all of my classes for the year were online only or online for most of the semester. This made attending classes very strange. It was not easy to ask questions online during the lecture and after class we were not always able to ask questions online. Most professors struggled just to figure out the technology to teach so it was harder for students to learn also. -
2022-04-26
An Unaffected Life
I submitted my story above and I think its important to see, that yes, there were many lives affected in dramatic ways with the loss of loved ones. but some peoples lives were unaffected. -
2020-03-15
The eruption of senior year
This is important to me because weight lifting is important when it comes to playing baseball. Even know Covid-19 had hit us and closed down the gym, my friend and I were determined to stay as strong as possible so when we got back to playing we weren't behind anybody. With that being said, we made a squat rack out of wood and used it multiple times a week. We also made a deadlift platform that took us about a week to make and used that a bunch as well. -
2022-04-25
Mask trash Arequipa
Mask trash by parque 15 de enero in Arequipa, Peru. -
2022-04-25
A Wild Ride
In a world wide pandemic, it is important to get first hand accounts and feelings to be able to look into later. -
2022-04-23
#rel101 covid reflection story
this is a short reflection about the changes that happened during the covid-19 pandemic and the divide that occurred amongst American people -
20201-07-30
Moving While Having Covid19
Me and my girlfriend caught covid at the same time and were struggling to move our furniture into our storage unit. This was a challenging task because we were so fatigued and weaken from the virus. -
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. -
2020-04-20
Lima airport
Before boarding the plane from Dallas, TX to Lima, Peru we had to demonstrate that we had two masks. On arriving in Peru, we were advised that we'd have to wear two masks. When we got to Peru, a lot of people were double-masked, but no one seemed to be checking or enforcing the rule. The airport in Lima is full of social distancing and hygiene measures such as markers on the floor while waiting to pass through security, signs reminding people to wear masks and wash their hands, and plastic sneeze guards in-between seats outside airport gates. Even when connecting to the WIFI at the airport, you'll see an image of a llama wearing a face mask. -
2022-04-20
Oklahoma Outbreak: an okie boys experience with COVID-19
Looking back at the beginning of the pandemic seems surreal. I remember hearing in December 2019 or January 2020 about some sickness in China. However, I had lived through the Ebola scare and multiple different flu outbreaks and my life had not changed day to day. People would get scared and then it would pass after a couple months with little effect. This would turn out to be different and unlike anything seen in the developed 21st century world. I left my school for Spring Break and though I would return to my final days at Mustang HS and the fun events that came with graduating. My family and some friends traveled a few hours from our house to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge and stayed nearby in Medicine Park, Oklahoma. It was a sleepy turn of the century resort town that had seen better days when the rich and powerful of Oklahoma had made it a vacation spot. Although not as popular as it once was, it is being rediscovered by local people for its natural beauty and relatively cheap costs. It seemed like a normal vacation, and we did not see very many people as it wasn’t yet summer and there are not that many locals. We hiked trails at the wildlife refuge and went into town for food and trinkets. It was a nice quiet start to the week. Then all of the sudden everything began to change. We watched the news and saw on social media that the virus that was a world away had now made its way to America. We still were not very worried because we were pretty isolated, and either were hiking outside on trails with little activity or tucked away in our cabin playing games and hanging out. Then cases started to explode, the economy started collapsing, people were getting sick everywhere and no one knew what to do. We went into a restaurant in town and did not know how to act; we were all rubbing germ-x all over ourselves and keeping our distance as best we could. At this point we still figured it would all blow over after a few weeks. As our spring break drew to a close, our school let out a statement that we were not going back the next week. This was exciting news and I figured it was all just a precaution and I would be back in class the week after with all of this just a big laugh and some extra time off. Boy was I wrong. On the drive home my dad, who is a semi-prepper, was coming up with all sorts of scenarios and making plans for if the world collapsed but it honestly still felt like we were only entertaining ourselves. As we rolled back into my town, it looked like a beehive had exploded. People were driving crazy, every gas pump was full, and the Walmart was almost wiped out. That is when it started to sink in that things might be worse than I first thought. Then the first deaths started getting reported and it really seemed serious. I never went back to a high school classroom. My whole life changed from that point on. My first 2 years of college seemed almost fake and as of right now I have had COVID 3 times; the original, delta, and omicron. My family has also had it multiple times. We were some of the lucky ones to make it through with no lingering problems and for my older family members, with their lives. It is now April 2022 and things have finally started to go back to somewhat normal, but another wave could happen at any time. Corona Virus has changed our world and is going to be with us forever.