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2021-12-20
And a Happy New Year
My boyfriend and I had visited his parents over our Christmas Holiday from college. They had just recently gotten back from Hawaii, so they had travelled through several airports to get to and from Baton Rouge. Despite my boyfriend and I being vaccinated and wearing masks around his family, we came to find out that his mother had COVID (she is a staunch anti-vaxxer). Not one week after our visit, my boyfriend and I both tested positive. We spent Christmas and New Years holed up in our tiny apartment, feeling guilty that we had been to our respective works and to visit my relatives without knowing we were positive. His mother is still suffering from COVID complications, nearly eight months after originally having it. I'll never understand why people assume that public health and health education are a hoax. It could have saved everyone a lot of time and effort and suffering if the truth about vaccinations wasn't barraged by misinformation and public hysteria. -
2020-03-13
Life Changer
This story is about how Covid-19 changed my life and many others in a very dramatic way. It was March 13th, 2020 and I was in Garden Valley visiting my grandma. We had already heard news of a "deadly wide spreading virus" infecting and killing many, but we didn't think much of it. My mom got a call from the Elk Grove Unified School District stating that all students in the district will not have to attend school the following days. Well those days became weeks, which became months, which then followed up to be almost 2 years of online school. I had no idea what it was like doing online school and neither did a lot of students at the time. We had no idea what life was going to be like for the next 2 years. Quarantine, wearing masks 24/7, keeping distance from our loved ones. People were dropping like flies from this virus, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, and more. The virus mainly affected the elderly and young children, but also people who already suffered from major health conditions. School became a big struggle for me because I wasn't able to learn in person so the work always confused me and my grades stayed low throughout every semester. I was doing somewhat well in my photography class but keeping on track was still a struggle for me. -
2020-04-03
My Neighbors and I
My neighbors and I have known each other for multiple years, and are good friends. They came from India as immigrants back in 2000 and started a family, eventually moving in right next to us about two years before the pandemic. Once COVID hit, our usual Saturday night bonfires together came to a halt as we wanted to be safe and not spread the potential infection. Instead, they bought an entire fire pit off Amazon, and through the trees each Saturday night we continued our Saturday night bonfires together, just not next to each other. This was honestly a beautiful experience because no matter what we found a way to continue to connect with each other in a safe and timely manner! We still keep in contact to this day and reminisce on our old memories as neighbors. -
2021-01-01
How was life like before covid 19 impact happened
before the pandemic happened I didn't have to worry about getting sick with my weak immune system but when covid happened I had to take extra precautions on what I do so I wouldn't catch covid -
2020-03-15
COVID-19 Impact
COVID-19 took so much from me. It took people, friendships, experiences, and so much more. I have pictured a high school diploma. This represents the years I lost in high school but still pushed through and finished. I’ve lacked education from being online. I lost opportunities and experiences. I lost friends. And had scares of losing my father. Covid took so much from me and many others. -
2022-03-20
Covid 19 as a senior
When Covid first started, I never imagined it becoming, as serious or being as long as it was. I was a senior in high school, and on March 13, 2020 I never thought that would be my last day of high school. All I wanted was to participate in all the fun activities, but that never happened as life never really went back to normal. -
2020-01-28
Predicting the Future
I remember very specifically sitting in my Econ class my senior year of high school; we had to watch a CNN 10 video every week and explain how the things in the video could affect the economy. I remember looking my Econ teacher in her eyes and telling her that I thought the Coronavirus was going to be very serious and deadly. She told me that a few dead in China and a few cases in other countries doesn't mean that it will be a big problem. My whole class laughed at me because I was worried that the Coronavirus was going to come to the U.S. and kill a lot of people. That was January 28th, 2020. Cut to March 13th, 2020 Corona was in the U.S. and was spreading very rapidly. March 13th, 2020 was the last day of my senior year without me knowing it. We were told that we were getting an extended spring break and would be out of school for 2 weeks then we would be back. That did not happen. I never stepped foot into my high school again. We started Zoom classes on March 31st, 2020, and I never saw my high school teachers in person again. I didn't get a senior prom, proper graduation, or a school picture to show my future kids. Covid-19 ruined my senior year and would go on to ruin my first year of college, forcing me to drop out for the safety of my family and friends. -
2020-05-04
An Empty Street of Times Square
This photo was taken in Times Square during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic. As someone who lives near the always bustling square, it broke my heart to see it so depressing and empty. This pandemic has prompted the question of whether city life will be able to survive Covid-19. Seeing the city so lifeless made me realize how reliant on tourism New York City is. All of the iconic activities that New York is known for, going to restaurants, museums, broadway shows, all had been canceled. However, despite the difficulties, the city maintained a positive attitude, with motivational messages to frontline workers and medical professionals displayed throughout Times Square. -
2020-03-17
Senior Year of High School
Back in March of 2020 when Covid first hit, I will never forget when my school was on an extended 2 week spring break because of Covid scares. At the time, I was a senior and we were getting ready for all of the end of the year fun things going on. Unfortunately, that got cut short. During this 2 week time off- it continued to get extended and eventually we got officially put online until the rest of the year. It was very sad for us seniors as we had no idea that day back in March would be our last day of high school. I cried as well did many of my friends as we did not get a proper end or proper goodbyes to our high school experience. Never did I think walking into school would I not be able to have a real graduation because of a virus. Graduation ceremony was online as they put photos of each graduate. It was all very depressing and a sad way to end the year. No one saw this coming and I as well all high school or college seniors around the world will never forget it. I cannot wait till tell my children about this in hope everything is back to normal in the way future and that they can properly graduate. -
2020
Going Out of Business
This was one of my favorite places to go in college, and they were unfortunately unable to make it through the closures. It was especially upsetting because they were always busy every night and the continued restrictions in California were too much for them to afford to hold out until people could return. -
2021-08-06
Times of Covid-19
When Covid first started and we got the news we had to leave school for 3 weeks at first it was exciting because we just thought that we were getting extra fun weeks of spring break. After the three weeks, we didn't get to come back to school and it was rough because none of us knew what we were doing, we kinda had to learn by ourselves. All of my grades and begun to drop and it was not a fun time I would have rather been at school than that. Now a year later I have had and still have to retake classes to earn my credits and it really honestly sucks. Other than that literally right before school started we had taken a trip to Tennessee so that my younger sister and I could meet our older sisters and because of Covid we didn't get to go down there again until August of 2019 which was a whole year later. -
2021-04-09
money
During the pandemic many business had to close down because people were not allowed to go to social gatherings like restaurants. -
2021-03-29
Nancy Martinez Oral History, 2021/03/29
This oral history is with 35 year old Nancy Martinez, who identifies as female and Mexican. She tested positive for COVID-19 in January 2021 and shared the physical and emotional impact of having COVID-19. -
2021-03-23
Where Are All the Kids?
Our school has never looked better - festive flags waving, campus clean and painted, welcoming balloon arches. We were ready to re-open. But then, no one came. The message we teachers had been whispering amongst ourselves for weeks, that kids and their families do not want to come back yet, had come to fruition. Out of my 172 students, only 31 will step foot on campus, the rest will continue to logon from home. That number, 31, is expected to continue to drop as more students revert to only Distance Learning. Knowing how few students were on campus, I was surprised to see our school social media posted first day pictures. I know it was supposed to be celebratory, but I couldn’t stop laughing at the insanity of a balloon arch welcoming no one. How could our social media exclaim that we were “so happy to see students roam the halls again” and then post pictures of a completely empty school? It looks like Chernobyl. At some point, I decided to take the images, a video of an empty classroom my friend took, and my attendance roster with almost all kids marked as “Distance Learning” and put them together in a video to try and capture the mixed emotions. I alternatively feel like crying and laughing when I watch it. I really think it captures the reopening, albeit in a slightly subversive way. Of course, I really hope my admin never sees it, because I’m guessing they will not see the tongue and cheek, ironic humor in this. -
2021-02-25
Finding a friend
When I found out I had COVID it put me in a dark place since I couldn't hang out with my friends and I couldn't see my parents for 16 days. So I realized that when I was here I would try to find a forever friend and I ended up adopting my cat named Millie. From a bad thing and a bad place came a good thing with a new and lifetime friend. -
2021-01-20T12:22:00
Too close to home
I was in class on a Wednesday and my phone kept going off like crazy.it was being so distracting so I just decided to check why it was going off and then turn it off for good. I picked up my phone and there were thousands of text messages saying "you need to get tested", "go get a test". At this point I was completely confused, so I asked them what was going on and they said that one of my friends had tested positive for Covid and that I need to get tested because I'm hanged out with them on that Monday. Once I read this I completely froze, I didn't know how to handle this information. I was scared for my life, and for hers, I wasn't sure if she'd be okay. If I was going to be okay. I wasn't paying attention to class at all and everything my teacher was saying was going completely over my head. School got out and all I could think about was how am I going to tell my parents that I came home possibly with Covid. The thought of just having to tell them the news and how they could possibly react to it scared the life out of me. I didn't think that I could tell them because I was afraid they would be too disappointed in me and to scared. I finally got the courage to tell my mom and she surprisingly took the news well. My parents weren't happy but they definitely weren't angry so that's good. They told me that I had to wash everything that I have touched in the past 2 days. I was so glad to tell my parents because holding that secret in was tearing me apart inside. I checked in with me friend everyday to make sure she was ok. It's scary to see it on the news and to hear it on the radio but once it hits too close to home, it can really change your entire life. -
2021-01-22
How I (Barely) Get/Got Through Quarantine
I was expecting junior year to be absolutely terrible since I was in eighth grade. I did nit think it would be spent in quarantine; making it almost twenty times worse. In my opinion, emailing questions and online tutoring cannot compete against in-person education. However, I do not want to risk others lives for selfish reasons. It is quite frustrating, seeing that our 45th president was incompetent. People seem to be more and more selfish everyday; valuing their comfort and fun over others’ lives. I hope we can go back to school before senior year starts. It is would be quite depressing to have freshman year be your only full year of high school. It is also quite depressing to have (almost since not quite) spent two birthdays in quarantine. In a little over a year, I will be a legal adult and will have spent my last teen years in quarantine. I am bitter. However, there were some happy times spent in quarantine. I was able to form a (better) relationship with my family. I was able to bake and exercise more and my mental health became *slightly* more stable. BTS are my favorite artists. I could write whole essays on why. However, if this ever gets onto an AP test in the future, I don’t want to be that person that makes you want to cry. I would know. Simply put, BTS has touched and saved millions of lives all over the world. They have broken millions of language barriers and stereotypes. They challenged the concept of masculinity and have stayed humble throughout. Coming from lowly beginnings, they have evolved and become brilliant people, artists, and role models. They are special to many. They also receive a lot of hate; this is not new. All of it stems from jealousy, racism, and xenophobia. How have BTS affected me? They helped me choose to live. They helped me realize that I was the one that had to save myself. You will hear many stories about them. They helped me love myself. In an era of unrealistic beauty standards pushed upon us through social media, it is almost impossible and kills. They released a single “Dynamite” and an album “BE” with an title track “Life Goes On” in quarantine. In “Dynamite”, their first all English song, they cheered us up and made us smile. They also proved that they were capable of getting Western radio plays and big awards (Grammy nominated); the Western media and industry was just too xenophobic to acknowledge their towering success over a good number of Western artists. In BE, the composed and wrote songs relating to us about how it felt like being in quarantine and encouraging us to keep going. Their title track speaks of the world seeming like it was passing us by as our life feels like it came to a standstill. You should give it a listen. To wrap it all up, I got through quarantine thanks to BTS. It’s like a butterfly reaction. Loving myself leads to confidence which leads to better mental health which leads to more happiness. Of course we still have sad and bad days but much less. -
2020-06-26
Oh the places we will not go for now.
This image describes how quarantine was in a nutshell because nobody could go outside or visit any other countries, I submitted this so kids could have a little laugh while learning about this horrible tragity. -
2020-12-16
Covid-19
My story is that we had to change our whole lives because of this. With online school, no toilet paper, masks, social distance, and so many more protocols. This year has been the craziest year in a while and I'm only thirteen. We had to quarantine ourselves away from others for so long that when I finally started seeing my friends again it was like I hadn't seen them in like 8 months. Through all these months the only people I was able to be around was my family. Don't even get me started on not being able to see my grandparents. Because they were at higher risk in never saw them like once for so long and I would normally talk with them all the time but I couldn't. -
1999-05-11
Aesop Carl
This picture was one of the drawings I made during the pandemic. People grow and change from disasters, and so does the boy in the picture. He was an innocent child until his only family member-- his father was killed in front of him. -
2020-12-16
Finding out our Season was Cancelled
All of these photos were taken after our last game of the trip along with the last of our season. We found out our season was cancelled the day before and our coaches planned all of this in a day. Also two of our coaches who stayed in Boston flew all the way down to Florida to watch our last day of games and experience it all with us. It was crazy and overwhelming. The game before the last one got cut short because the other team’s coach got a call from their school saying they need to come back immediately because of Covid. This is when we knew it was real and it was over for real. It was a lot of sadness and the seniors did not want to go out like that. Every single senior athlete went through this same thing at every college and high school, all around the country. These photos give the viewer a personal aspect of Suffolk softball and how we dealt with it along with some words that our coach wrote in one of the Instagam posts. It allows historians to look back at how the pandemic affected athletes and maybe compare Suffolk softball to other schools and look at the timeline of before, finding out, and during the pandemic. These images are important to this archive because it is directly related with what is going on today and if people wanted to learn about this then there should be some sort of information on it because there are very little personal stories about athletics. -
2020-05-18T16:30
Ghost town in Fisherman's Wharf
When I was walking through Fishermen's Wharf, the location of tourists was completely dead to the point that it looked like an apocalypse, no boats were sailing through the ocean, no store's were open, not even a place to grab a cup of water; the area looked dead. The reason this photo/story is important to me is because in the beginning of Covid-19 it has shown how obedient people are when there is a deadly disease spreading throughout states. -
2020-11-13
One of Those Days
I am actually suffering in this pandemic. Absolutely nothing has meaning anymore. -
2020-08-15
Jess with Covid
It shows that COVID is real and that it is serious. My roommate was infected with the virus and she got really sick. In the picture she was on the bathroom floor and this is because she was very nauseous and if she wasn't in the bathroom, the whole apartment would've been a mess. We checked up on her constantly to ensure she was okay and we would cook for her. She had to quarantine in her room for 2 weeks since she moved in before us so we didn't have to quarantine as long as her but it was still not a fun time. She is seen smiling in the picture but that is just because we tried to lift up her spirits so she wasn't miserable the entire illness. -
2020-03-12
Microphone Touching
The NBA was considering a stoppage of games due to the outbreaks of COVID-19. During one of the press conferences a player named Rudy Gobert decided to touch all the microphones in the press room after speaking with reporters, within days the world learned that he had contracted Covid-19 and the sports world began shutting down all sports, including NCAA tournament and all sports around the world. Gobert was one of the first celebrities to contract COVID-19. -
2020-09-21
Loss in a COVID World
I believe this is a point of interest to talk about, since it’s likely that many will wonder, out of innocent curiosity, what it’s like to lose someone in a time of crisis. I should describe it as transcendental. May your soul be touched. My beloved mother didn’t die from COVID-19. She had been unknowingly battling cancer for several years, and had it diagnosed at its most lethal stage. I still shake my hands at the doctors who had ignored her concerns for all this time, because maybe she would still have been here if it weren’t for them. But how would that affect me? Would things remain the same at home? I have to say, I shudder at this thought, too. Colon cancer, which metastasized in the liver. She passed from liver failure in the later part of this year, 2020. I, the foolish child, was so preoccupied that I couldn’t understand why my uncle woke me at 4 am in the morning that day. With a classic sleepy rub of the eye, I told him, “I have a math test today.” And if it hadn’t been for the pain in his eyes, I wouldn’t have gotten up at all. There she was, lying eerily still in her bed, but she was also gone. As the people around me sobbed and turned away, all I could do was stand and stare. It felt like something was out of place. I felt out of place. If you could try to imagine it, remain perfectly still as you are and think of yourself exiting your body. Look around you without looking. That’s how it felt, everything slightly blurry by the darkness, lightness in my feet as if I were floating, a static, metal taste in my mouth, the sounds of sobbing flooding my ears, I couldn't handle it. I started to cry, and buried myself in the crook of my brother’s chest for support. To be in the unknown, and lose what you have, is the most frightening experience I wish for nobody else to have gone through. The pain is truly insufferable… but the healing process counts for so much of who I define myself as now, that I couldn’t imagine the year going any other way. The funeral was held the following sunday. It too was such a different experience. We took many long, empty roads to reach the cemetery. Seeing few cars on the road is commonplace for such a road, but to see none at all was creepy. I relinquished my thoughts to sleep. Upon our arrival, I put my mask on and stood before 50 some odd people who had come to see my mother off. That’s right, I thought comfortably, Mom was very well loved. The notion was reassuring. We exchanged hugs and hellos and sorrys, all the usual pleasantries you would expect at an event not so pleasant, and made our way to the casket for the gathering to take place. I’ll leave the eulogy I wrote here, in case you were curious and thought, I wonder what this stranger said at their mother’s funeral, because this is expected when you are here to read about losing a loved one. Finally, when all was said and done, condolences were given again. This time, though, I hardly recognized anyone. It must’ve been the masks that obstructed our faces, because I saw the attendees, and they saw me, but it was still so unfamiliar. The later part of that day I spent confused. I suppose that’s how we start when we learn to adjust, which I did. Presently I am still healing, but it’s not so bittersweet when I think of her, moreso sweet than bitter. The metal taste in my mouth begins to wear off, and I am feeling free. I hope she also feels free. And I hope this provided the insight you were looking for when you came across this page. We all love and lose in the end. Focus your energy towards healing, and you will learn to grow with the changes. -
2020-03-18
Farewell to Edinburgh
I was on exchange in Edinburgh in the first half of 2020, and was forced to return home to Melbourne 3 months early. This was an incredibly sad and confusing time, where so many of my plans and dreams for the rest of exchange were scuppered. Things moved at a breakneck pace. My first exchange friend decided to leave Edinburgh on the 12th March, and by the 18th March I was flying home to Melbourne, having made dozens of rushed goodbyes in the previous few days. This object is a farewell post I made on Instagram, with 10 photos with my friends in Edinburgh. It sums up the mixed emotions I felt in those days - sadness, fondness, nostalgia, gratitude. -
2020-03-13
Plans Drastically Changed
I was on exchange in Edinburgh in the first half of 2020, and due to return to Melbourne at the end of June. As borders began to close and Australian government travel advice changed, it became apparent that I'd have to return home some months early. This text exchange with my mother is the first time I flagged my intention to leave early, and captures the rapid pace at which events and plans were changing. HIST30060 -
2020-03-13
The First Bomb Dropped
I was on exchange in Edinburgh in the first half of 2020, and was forced to return home early because of COVID-19. These messages show 3 of my friends announcing in a Facebook group chat that they were heading home to Austria, which came as a huge surprise to the rest of us in the group. This was a sad, confusing, disorienting moment, which these messages demonstrate. HIST30060 -
2020-10-20T20:17
The effect of a Pandemic
The photo I chose for this assignment is a picture of an empty hockey arena. Covid-19 really effected not only my decision to play hockey this year but the hockey season in general. Due to underlying conditions, in June I decided it was a smart decision to not continue playing junior hockey this year. The decision to not play junior hockey this year, has led me to start my academic career at UNLV. Not only did Covid-19 effect my decision to continue to play hockey, it also effected all junior hockey season around the world, most leagues are not starting their season until January and some aren’t even playing at all. -
2020-07-15
COVID: An Online Story
We live in a new world. This is a world inundated by social media and technology, a world by which our connections are bound by a glowing screen that exonerates us from our day-to-day trappings. In this online world I had friends of eight years who I had met through the massively multiplayer online game World of Warcraft, but that was not all we bonded on. As we grew up together we expounded on things both small and large, interests in girls or drama at our High Schools, political arenas we had no conceptualization of, and even philosophical or religious debates that dragged on endlessly and only served to fuel our unending thirst for knowledge. This bond transcended geographic location, each of us where from different parts of the continental US. I learned new things about local American cultures that shocked my Angeleno conscious. But when the pandemic hit, we found a distance between us that was measured by complicated school schedules, budding responsibilities, and a sheer desire to perfect areas of our life that we felt were lacking. The typical adage amongst contemporaries in this pandemic is that gamers were particularly blessed for being natural introverts willing to spend inordinate amount of time alone and being comfortable with it, but for us there was a newfound stress and distance that came with obligations from work and school, and our kids, that transformed our bond into a gaping chasm. Connections that were solid as ever became distant and longing, as the pandemic plunged us into a world that was uncertain, filled with stress, and plagued by civil unrest, we ourselves became a microcosm of society at large, divided. Political discussions became long-drawn out political arguments, viewpoints regarding the validity of COVID became crass and filled with cynicism or a countered desire to explain the seriousness of its impact. This all fell to the wayside when my friend, an integral part of our four, became sick, and was intubated in July. He was a smoker, young, about 22, but he was gone for many weeks. Nobody heard a word from him. He was on death's door. And for whatever reason, perhaps it was my naivete, COVID was the last thing that came to my mind as for reasons to why he wasn't "logging on" anymore. The reality of it was much more severe than I had thought. He lost 25 lbs, and he was already a skinny enough guy. Luckily he survived, but the effects from COVID, the doctor's say, may be permanent. It's simply unknown. He couldn't smell, and it still took tremendous effort to walk, formerly a disbeliever in COVID, he now swears its validity as a precautionary tale to all of our friend group who now know never to take this beyond the seriousness it deserves. -
2020-10-12
A few bad apples
It seems these days it’s become impossible for people to gather for whatever reason without vandalism and looting following suit. It’s sad to see stories like this because last nights win by the Lakers was such a positive event for the city and now it’s been overshadowed by stories like this. Looting and vandalism aside I wonder how many COVID cases this gathering will cause. It’s hard not to wonder what Kobe would have to say about this. -
2020-03-24T10:48
Cherry Blossoms without a Festival
This is a photograph of the Washington Monument when the cherry blossom festival usually takes place. It was taken when my family and I drove out to see the cherry blossoms, but when we arrived in DC, the roads were blockaded so that no one would be gathering around the cherry blossoms in large groups. If you zoom in closely, you can see cherry blossoms in the background, and that there are no people and hardly any cars. This photo of the monument taken when the Cherry Blossom Festival was supposed to happen is a testament to one the sweeping effects of the pandemic; the shutting down of events that used to happen every single year before. The photo itself is important to me because every year I go and see the cherry blossoms with my family and walk around the tidal basin. Looking at this photo I will always remember how empty DC was and how sad the sight of the solitary Cherry Blossoms was without people walking around to celebrate their bloom. -
2020-08-22
Social Distance
2. A simple sticker has now become such an important concept in my current life. At first, I remember seeing them and thinking that this measure was a little extreme and really not needed. Now, my whole mindset has changed. At stores, I am now that person that dislikes if you’re too close to me. It makes me feel like I’m covered with germs if we have to squeeze by each other in an aisle. If I’m paying for something and you’ve already started unloading your items in your cart to pay and moving near me, it makes me feel very disrespected. Something so small such as personal space is now a thing that I think about every day. While at times it helps me to feel safe, it also impacts my personal life too. Things like random hugs, hanging out with friends, playing soccer, or just being able to touch another human being. Socially distancing represented by this small sticker has taken over how I live my life. -
2020-08-24
A Pandemic that got Old Quick
In my opinion, teens and students around the United States were excited to take a one-two week break from school, and experience what it's like learning at home. Many memes and jokes were posted, and at the beginning, they were interpreted as funny. However, as the situation got worse and when we went into full quarantine, the constant jokes and excitement of having a longer spring break started to not be funny anymore. What we thought was ok to laugh about soon became upsetting, especially for people like the class of 2020 who was missing out on Senior year activities and proms, and when people around the world were dying. -
2020-08-24
Life in Covid
At the age of 18, never did I expect that the end of my senior year of high school would be plagued by a global pandemic that has tested this world's ability to adapt and innovate on the go. On March 12th, 2020, was the last day of high school for me at Westwood High School in Westwood, MA. My fellow students were aware that Covid-19 had begun to take its toll on America. We heard rumors that the school administration was planning on taking a one week breaks to assess the situation at hand. I remember some students being excited that they would have a one week "vacation" and others being more aware that this one week break was really just a way for the school to say that school would be conducted remotely for the rest of the year. As I returned home that Thursday, I received an email from the school announcing that there would at least be a two week hiatus to deeply clean the school and plan for the future. At that moment, I knew my school year, spring sports season, final prom, and my summer were seriously altered. It is what it is. I am not a selfish person, so yes I was upset, but I knew these changers were for the better. -
2020-08-17
Missed Opportunties
2020 was supposed to be a year of exciting events for my family. My brother and I did not get to experience what formal graduation would feel like. A milestone in our lives will forever be missed. My sweet and loving grandfather said to me “I am trying to stay alive to watch you walk across that stage”, did not get to witness his youngest son’s kids graduate high school. On top of that, my parents were broken because they did not get to see their only son and daughter walk the stage. When I say COVID-19 has really impacted my family emotionally, it really did. An opportunity to say to my family that I am so thankful for them for being super supportive and being able to hear them cheer for me as I walk the stage will forever be missed. I remember the moment I received the email that I had gotten accepted into Suffolk. I had just got out of work and in the car on the way home I showed my dad the email and he was jumping with excitement. Due to the pandemic, my parents and I were not given the opportunity to attend a face to face orientation for Suffolk and not having the opportunity to tour Suffolk to be able to get to know my way around the school was really misfortunate. Hopefully, as time goes on and when there is no more COVID-19, we will get a chance to get to know home for the next 4 years. -
2020-08-10
Children in a pandemic
Children and the pandemic. My four year old daughter does not understand what a pandemic is. She repeats that she cannot go outside or to school or to the park because of "the coronavirus". Her and her siblings, along with children all over the world, have been greatly impacted by this pandemic with no understanding of the ramifications of it's spread. Children have been sent home, isolated, many removed from space places like schools or after care programs. They have lost friendships and socialization. They have lost structure. Some have lost family members. Parents out of work have cost their family food or housing. Adults struggling to cope with their own depression and anxiety has increased children's as well. For me personally all seven of my children have been affected. My son was forced to move home from college and fell into a deep depression. My oldest daughter never walked across a graduation stage or finished her senior year. My fifteen year old with autism lost support services from school. My thirteen year old lost sports and his friendships. My ten year old with epilepsy had medical testing pushed back and then had hospitalizations with only one parent allowed, even had to be taken by paramedics alone to the hospital once. My seven year old with ADHD lost all class structure and intervention programs to help him and his anxiety and panic attacks have grown more severe. And my four year old, pictured above, lost her classroom and her joy from attending preschool daily. The new round of "return to school" virtually is brought with more anxiety and worry that the kids are not alright. The picture above showcases the innocence of a child wanting to explore the world, trapped inside and the slight sadness that this may be for the long haul. -
2020-04-14
Children in a pandemic
Children and the pandemic. My four year old daughter does not understand what a pandemic is. She repeats that she cannot go outside or to school or to the park because of "the coronavirus". Her and her siblings, along with children all over the world, have been greatly impacted by this pandemic with no understanding of the ramifications of it's spread. Children have been sent home, isolated, many removed from space places like schools or after care programs. They have lost friendships and socialization. They have lost structure. Some have lost family members. Parents out of work have cost their family food or housing. Adults struggling to cope with their own depression and anxiety has increased children's as well. For me personally all seven of my children have been affected. My son was forced to move home from college and fell into a deep depression. My oldest daughter never walked across a graduation stage or finished her senior year. My fifteen year old with autism lost support services from school. My thirteen year old lost sports and his friendships. My ten year old with epilepsy had medical testing pushed back and then had hospitalizations with only one parent allowed, even had to be taken by paramedics alone to the hospital once. My seven year old with ADHD lost all class structure and intervention programs to help him and his anxiety and panic attacks have grown more severe. And my four year old, pictured above, lost her classroom and her joy from attending preschool daily. The new round of "return to school" virtually is brought with more anxiety and worry that the kids are not alright. The picture above showcases the innocence of a child wanting to explore the world, trapped inside and the slight sadness that this may be for the long haul. #REL101 -
2020-04-30
Children in a pandemic
Children and the pandemic. My four year old daughter does not understand what a pandemic is. She repeats that she cannot go outside or to school or to the park because of "the coronavirus". Her and her siblings, along with children all over the world, have been greatly impacted by this pandemic with no understanding of the ramifications of it's spread. Children have been sent home, isolated, many removed from space places like schools or after care programs. They have lost friendships and socialization. They have lost structure. Some have lost family members. Parents out of work have cost their family food or housing. Adults struggling to cope with their own depression and anxiety has increased children's as well. For me personally all seven of my children have been affected. My son was forced to move home from college and fell into a deep depression. My oldest daughter never walked across a graduation stage or finished her senior year. My fifteen year old with autism lost support services from school. My thirteen year old lost sports and his friendships. My ten year old with epilepsy had medical testing pushed back and then had hospitalizations with only one parent allowed, even had to be taken by paramedics alone to the hospital once. My seven year old with ADHD lost all class structure and intervention programs to help him and his anxiety and panic attacks have grown more severe. And my four year old, pictured above, lost her classroom and her joy from attending preschool daily. The new round of "return to school" virtually is brought with more anxiety and worry that the kids are not alright. The picture above showcases the innocence of a child wanting to explore the world, trapped inside and the slight sadness that this may be for the long haul. #REL101 -
2020-05-07
JBL
One day I was sitting in Central Park. I was saying goodbye to my friends who were leaving for college. We were also there to celebrate my friends birthday. I remember the bittersweet vibe like it was yesterday. My friend gave me her phone and told me to queue song I thought fit the situation. There were so many to choose from. With the power of music, it was able to lift people up and remember the times we all had together. -
2020-07-11T02:53
Isn’t it strange?
Through this pandemic, we were tested as a society on how strong our morals, values, and beliefs are. We were exposed to how fragile our ideals are and how far we truely are from a perfect world.