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2020-12-30
Travelling in December 2020 and January 2021
I remember first hearing about COVID-19 in January of 2020. There were concerning reports that Chinese authorities were wielding apartment doors shut to contain the virus, which was certainly a bad sign, and I was fairly certain that if those measures were being taken, the disease was a big deal. I followed the developments fairly closely from my parents' home in Oklahoma. In late March, around the time of my 21st birthday, I was working as a substitute teacher at the high school I graduated from. I was able to work one singular day before the virus shut down the school district. The next few months were full of changes. Uniformed National Guard personnel staffed vaccination centers, groceries were delivered directly to houses, and entire industries went work-from-home. By the time December rolled around, the initial panic had mostly died down, and many travel restrictions were lifted. I needed a break. I decided to catch a ride with a buddy of mine from Indiana who just so happened to have family here in Tulsa. I bought a plane ticket to facilitate my return trip. We have some mutual friends in Zionsville, a little suburb of Indianapolis, and we collectively decided that we wanted to have a New Years party. Here in suburban Oklahoma, many of the mask mandates had been dropped by this point, but it was still prudent to carry a mask in the somewhat rare event that a business owner preferred patrons cover their faces. It was much the same in Zionsville, but businesses in Indianapolis proper, in my experience, were much more strict. I understood that COVID-19 was a serious health risk, and that it was smart to wear a mask, but it was somewhat confusing to go from a place that seemed so carefree - and admittedly irresponsible - to a place that was still mandating face coverings. The party with my friends went well and many margaritas were consumed. It was a much-needed break. The locations with the strongest COVID restrictions were perhaps the airports. It made sense to me, since airline travel likely contributed a great deal to the initial spread of the disease. Regardless of reasonability, masks were worn the entire duration of the flight. The entire cabin smelled of sanitation wipes, and the airport felt somewhat emptier than I was used to. This was Indianapolis' airport. I had a layover in Dallas and that Airport felt much more lively, in that sort of carefree way I was accustomed to back in Oklahoma. Masks were still required on the plane itself. I landed back home late in the evening without too much excitement. It was nice to take my mask off when I got into my mom's car. Overall, the trip made me realize that different states and regions were treating the ongoing pandemic very differently. While New Years was a welcome break from the monotony of the initial quarantine year, the trip did raise questions about my state government's commitment to public health and safety. -
2020-05-07
Screen Grab English 7800 Spring 2020
This screenshot shows three students and their instructor in a moment of silliness on Zoom, where we attempted and mostly succeeded at engaging in rigorous academic work while keeping one another sane and grounded. -
2020-09-11
Lonely Rest
To me, I have yet seen any changes in my life due to the pandemic. Before I have always been home and the only place I would leave my house for was school. The only thing that has change is waking up early and trying to get to school on time. Since the pandemic has closed school, I just needed to wake up and join the zoom call with one click of the button. When I do go outside, I have to wear a mask and sometimes I do forget but It hasn't bothered me since the places I go are near by and it didn't take much to go back to my house. This picture is important to me as is really describes how my experience of the pandemic has been. Lazy and tired are two words that describes how I been feeling throughout this pandemic. -
2021-01-20
COVID-19 Rules and Proceedures
We all celebrated when school closed. We were so excited for our 2 week "break", yet little did we know that 300 days later we would still not return to school and virtual learning was the new normal. That Friday, it was Friday the 13th of March 2020, I got to sleep over at my friend's house. Me, Scarlett, Ella, and Ava had our last sleepover. The four of us haven't had a sleepover since then. Then on Saturday morning my parents brought me home and told me the news. We were going to quarantine to avoid getting Covid-19. "What?" I asked, not understanding why. Then we went into quarantine for months. Each Saturday my family had house deep-cleaning day, where we would do the work normally done by my cleaning company. We would go on long family walks with my blue-nosed Pitbull Rowdy-Girl. We would wear masks that my mom and I made during the earliest days of quarantine when it was too difficult to find masks. Although I understood why it was important to wear a masks and practice proper social distancing, the disability to see my friends made me so sad. Having no face to face social interaction outside of my family and dog was impossible to me, I wish life was the same as before COVID-19. -
2021-01-15
Learning Virtually
Have you ever done online learning? Well there is good and bad things about it. During when COVID first hit we were transitioned to online learning, it was a little hectic at first trying to figure everything out, but it wasn't the same. As of now we have done about 9 months of online learning. Some bad things are not being able to communicate with teachers or friends, turning in assignments, and even the learning itself. The first semester I was at a public school and we couldn't do much of online learning so we had very few assignments. Then in the fall of 2020, I moved to a private school where it was much better, but there was still some flaws. Some good things about online learning are if you finish class early you can take breaks, I don't have a problem with this but a lot of people do, you don't have to wake up as early when you are virtual, and finally you can get started on chores around the house if you have free time or relax. Overall, I thought it would be worse, but it wasn't too bad. -
2020-01-14
Leaning Online
Social distancing has brought many changes to my life but none as great as school online. At first, when we went online for school we didn't think that it wouldn't last very long and we hadn't planned that far ahead. At first, learning online was great we could get up five minutes before class started, so we got to sleep longer, also if we finished all our assignments for a class we could leave early. Also during break, we were at home so we could do what we wanted during that time. However, after a while it began to get old, not seeing friends being at home the entire time, and just a day after day of the same thing, it began to get old. Although online learning had both its benefits and negatives it was necessary to slow the spread of covid and minimize the risk. -
2020-12-15
Life through Photographs during COVID19
Coronavirus hit me as a senior in high school. It began as an exciting two-week spring break and then continued to alter my life and everyone else's with no end in sight. I acknowledge that I was lucky in the ways coronavirus affected me as I did not lose my job, any loved ones, and was lucky enough to stay healthy along with my family. However, coronavirus and its related restrictions did hit me in ways I never would have imagined. It started with the loss of graduation, the loss of closure at the end of my senior year, worsening mental health, and questioning everything that was to come of my future. I had a plan: a plan to graduate along with 400 other students, a plan to travel in the summer, and a plan to go to college. These plans that seemed so certain were all uprooted instantly. Instead, graduating high school seemed like a formality, not a celebration, college at UW seemed so uncertain and financially difficult that I questioned attending, and traveling became a walk to the park. In the first few months I found myself sinking into a depression, my body and brain shutting down. I felt lost. As time passed, I began to find purpose and to find enjoyment in little things I never would have months prior. In the first few months, I found myself trapped in my house with little interaction, falling into a rut of depression and anxiety. I slowly began to find enjoyment in small things that got me out of my head. About a month into isolation I found myself scrolling through years of photos and videos reminiscing on my pre-covid, pre-mask, and pre-isolation self. I instantly began to print these old pictures creating photo journals and I made several slideshows of photos I had taken or found throughout my life. I created a video of my senior year of highschool full of photos and videos portraying the amazing times I was able to be a part of. I watched myself grow in these photos along with some of my closest friends and family. At first, these old photos made me sad, made me feel so alone, and then the photos made me appreciate everything I have been a part of. Looking back on the past, I realized how much I took these moments for granted. The small things such as going to restaurants, attending school in person, playing sports, etc. While looking back at the many adventures, I appreciated every photograph, every laugh, every cry. I realized how important the small things were. This is when I discovered my love for photographs, collaging, and slideshows. Creating these photo journals and slideshows gave me a reason to get out of bed and made me feel like I had a life in a time like it felt like I was completely lost. I had a five-month summer ahead of me, the longest break from school I have had since I was five years old. These photographs allowed me to spend time and energy on something that distracted me from reality. Slowly, the reminiscing and creation of these collages of my pre-covid life led to a sense of longing, a longing to be rid of this pandemic. I then found a job and instead of dreading a shift, I looked forward to it as it gave me a sense of purpose. I would document my coworkers who soon became some of my closest friends. I took photos of us at the break, spilling mop water on the floor, and going on drives to buy us all coffee. I then used the photographs to document the time I was in instead of the time I had once lived in. As restrictions started to lift I began to see my friends again but not in the same way. We would sit in our cars in parking lots, at parks six feet apart, or wearing masks on each other's front yards. I photographed all of this. I made videos of us blasting music as we sat in our cars not being able to hug or embrace each other. I wonder how these photos will age. These moments I have captured are of unimaginable times. I will view these in years looking back as the best and worst times of my life. Slowly I was able to create my social bubble of work, family, and a few friends. ll of these people became my support system, my family. Through these last few months, I and those around me have gone through more than I have experienced with anyone else. This includes loss of employment, loss of income, loss of family members, and loss of mental health. I started to create collages and photo journals to give to those around me. When sharing these pictures with those around me it brought smiles to our faces as we reminisced about our memories together or laughed at the altered world we live in today. I found that when I got to my darkest points I found solace in my photos and the sharing of these photos. Later in quarantine during July a few of my friends and I decided we were going to explore Oregon in every aspect we could. We hiked beautiful mountains, swam in the lakes, went to the beach, and watercolored in parks. I documented all of this along the way. Now instead of looking back on what I missed pre-COVID, I look at what I found during COVID. I found my family, my escape, myself. I found that I have captured more memories during these last nine months than at any other time. I have done more for myself and with those around me than I ever have. These photos and videos have been my way of illustrating the positive effects of this pandemic in my life. A couple of years ago I may have looked at these photos and videos and thought why masks? Why social distance? Why so much time spent with my family inside? Now, they bring a smile to my face. Yes, COVID19 has taken many things but it has given me many things as well. And one day I hope to show what it gave me through my photos. -
2020-12-12
Before Covid-19
In January of 2020, life was normal. No masks, no constant hand sanitizer and no social distancing. Everyone had regular schedules. Mine consisted of school, soccer and seeing friends on the weekends. It was not until I was on a family vacation that I found out about the virus. It didn't really sink in until the day our school announced a two week quarantine. I expected it to be a short two week break and then life would go back to our normal routines. As quarantine kept getting extended, I knew that Covid was not going anywhere for a while. -
2020-11-28
Covid Thanksgiving
My thanksgivings was not exactly normal however it was a holiday and a change from the normal grind of school so that was a good thing. At least I got a chance to take a small break before going back. However, with covid raging everywhere we weren’t able to have our grandparents or family over like we normally do. Instead, we decided to have Thanksgiving with a family that we are close friends with and had been exposed to. However, even that was a bit weird no handshakes, no high fives nothing that brought people too close to one antother. Besides that our thanksgiving was relatively normal except for the fact that we had planned to be outside in a well ventalted as recommended, but that changed as it was too windy to eat outside. All in all, it was a pretty weird thanksgiving, but it could have been a lot different. -
2020-11-05
A Thriving Glass Factory, Melbourne
The glass factory is in the middle of Spotswood, a suburb close to central Melbourne. The factory produces glass containers for many products including baby food, vegemite, beer, wine, jam, and kombucha. They have been very busy this year, thanks to panic buying. One staff member stated that production had been high since March 2020, just like it was in Christmas 2019, the peak season for glass production. Glass bottles are made around Australia as they are quite difficult to transport, so they cannot be outsourced to overseas manufacturers. This facility has around 100 staff. In these images you can see some staff having a break out the front of the business. They are wearing masks in accordance with Victorian (state) laws. In the other image you can also see that the workplace is taking temperature checks to reduce the risk of virus transmission. 37°49'49.5"S 144°53'30.5"E HIST30060 -
2020-09-03
The Mental Load Of Motherhood Has Never Been Heavier
I know I’m not the only mom hurting right now. Many moms across the world in this period of uncertainty are hurting. We’re hammered with issues. Not being able to leave our homes the way we want to. Not being able to see our friends. The fear of sending our kids to school. Deciding if we should take a vacation to bring some normalcy back into our children’s lives. To improve our mental health. Financial stress. Stress about when this pandemic will end. Taking care of our children 24/7 without a break for the last five months. Caring for kids and working at the same time. Supervising our kids’ virtual lessons. Increasing anxiety and depression. The list goes on. This pandemic has brought so many moms to their knees. I see you hurting, exhausted, anxious moms. I see you running on empty. I see the toll that it has taken on our children and on our families. I want to offer some advice that I know I would appreciate getting. Next time you see a mother and want to offer support in a way that won’t kick her while she’s already down, rather than tell her to find a silver lining in this chaos that we are living in, simply respond with “I am here for you. We will get through this together. I know it’s hard.” -
2020-05-18
The Impact of Virtual Story Time During Coronavirus Stay-at-Home Orders
The Impact of Virtual Story Time During Coronavirus Stay-at-Home Orders COVID-19 has put the world on pause in many ways, including forcing people to remain in their houses for months on end. While staying inside and away from others is for the safety of oneself as well as their communities, it’s easy to feel the urge to leave. In order to stay inside and keep everyone safe, then, it’s crucial that we all find ways to fill our time. For students, this means trying to navigate online classes and keep up with friends that they otherwise would have been seeing everyday. For some adults, this means trying to balance a job that is now entirely online with taking care of the family. For many, it means desperately filling out unemployment forms and waiting in line for hours on end to be given the food they need to feed their kids. This time at home is different for everyone and by no means easy for anyone, but one of the most commonly talked about groups right now is families with young kids. Not only do the parents not have to manage their kids all day long – feeding them, helping them with online classes even as early as preschool, and keeping them entertained – while also trying to handle their own jobs, but many of the kids don’t even understand what’s going on. As young kids, they want to be able to go to school and play with their friends, but they’re now restricted to their houses like everyone else. In order to help parents and entertain the kids, then, many teachers and celebrities are recording videos of themselves reading in order to create a virtual story time. While some of the videos are meant to teach the kids about why they have to stay home and what’s happening in the world, most are meant to simply entertain the kids and give their parents a little break. As insignificant as it may seem for a teacher, librarian, or celebrity to record themself reading a book, hundreds, if not thousands, of people have started doing it and it serves as the perfect time of relief for both young kids and their parents. Gretchen Grewe, Fordham University, SOCI 2800 -
2020-04-18
Northwood Halifax Halifax PPE for Care Aides on April 18th, 2020
I took this photo on April 18th on break to show my friends the PPE I had received to wear at work that day. This is my first shift on a care floor. Prior to this, I had worked for 2 weeks screeninng people for COVID-19 symptoms. Many of my friends and family were scared that there was not enough PPE for long term care workers. I am wearing a hair cap, protective goggles, a surgical face mask, a disposable gown, blue plastic shoe protectors (not pictured), and have just taken of my gloves so that I can use my phone. I was working on a floor with a lot of COVID patients that day. I chaged my gloves between people and had a plastic faceshield to wear if patients were coughing. -
2020-03-23
New Orleans' Commander's Palace is "Taking a Pause"
Commander's Palace is "Taking a Pause" from the business for two weeks to protect workers and customers. The Facebook post reads exactly, "Taking A Pause Today the team came to the painful decision to take a two week pause. We will cease our to go operation, for now. We will still sell the Turtle Soup at Rouses and are preparing to sell it online at Goldbelly.com. This is a pause to give our team time to take a breath. The health of our team and the community comes first. We will reassess daily."