-
2019-08-10
I believe that COVID-19 has been extremely impacted by the media - specifically, social media. There have been numerous occasions where I have witnessed people argue, degrade others, and judge others about something that none of us genuinely know much on. The pandemic has been worrisome to me, but society's reaction has worried me more than anything. The media has been informative as far as preventive measures to lower the risk of spreading the virus, but it has also caused unnecessary stress to a lot of people.
-
2020-08-05
During quarantine, it's easy to feel bored and lonely. I took many drives during this time to help ease the pain. I submitted these particular photos because they connect to my experience in quarantine.
-
2020-08-11
St Vincent is the patron saint of St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne. This statue has been popular with visitors and staff, featured in many photos and selfies, located in a plaza area in front of the main inpatient facility which is a centre of gatherings and activity in normal times. A series of masks have been placed on St Vincent's face by staff to reinforce the message of the importance of this measure to limit the spread of the virus. The one pictured was one of many sewn by hospital volunteers in a project to provide masks for vulnerable community members.
-
2020-04-14
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 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
-
2010-08-10
In March, Covid-19 hit the United States like nothing I have ever seen before. Initially, I was overcome with panic as I realized that many were going to die from this virus. I was overwhelmed thinking about how I would explain this to my four children, three of which are school-aged, who would have their lives changed instantly. There was no initial thought about the potential uncertainty of my employment until the schools started to shut down. Then came the restaurants and movie theaters, and being a personal trainer, I knew the gyms were next. I went home on March 17th and never returned to my position at the gym. After the initial sensation of it all started to wear off, my kids were getting antsy in the house, my wife was irritable with all of us at home, and I was uncomfortable with not knowing what the future would bring. Things were rough for a while until I had an epiphany of sorts. I could look at this situation with horror and treat it will disdain, or I could make this a life-changing moment for me and my family. I realized that I was given the most amazing opportunity to be with my family and grow as a husband and father. I took the time to teach my kids new things and to help my wife around the house. These items always seemed daunting after a long day out at work but in these moments, they were blessings. I worked on being more patient with my children which was always hard for me. I also realized that me being home was meaningful to them as well because I work so much, they rarely get quality time with their dad. Once my attitude and outlook changed, my world felt better, and my situation started to get better as well. I grew my at-home fitness business and it is thriving and I was able to get my resume out to many different agencies. I never had time for those types of things before but with the gift of time that the pandemic gave me, I was offered a dream job. As I write this, I am now back at work and I feel lighter. The pandemic is still here, but my vision is clearer than ever. Without this time to reflect and grow, I am not sure when I would have had an opportunity to see the areas in which I needed change. This story may not be like the rest where there is a specific event that has occurred during the pandemic but, for me, it is the most important story because it gave me the gift of growth.
-
2020-10-04
I chose to submit a letter that my fiance and I will be sending out to guests of our October 4th, 2020 wedding. My fiance popped the question two years ago and ever since then we have been planning our dream ceremony. Something about us as people, we LOVE a good party. Nothing sounded sweeter than inviting our friends and family to join us in celebration.
As COVID-19 surfaced in the world, we watched as our dream day slowly seemed less and less likely to happen. Now, I think a lot of people wonder, how can you possibly have a wedding right now? How can you be upset that people are choosing not to come? At this point, for us, it is not about being upset over people choosing to come or not to come, it is about my fiance and I being able to celebrate each other as a queer couple on a day and in a space that has always felt out of reach or off limits altogether.
When we sat down to draft this letter, I was feeling angry. Half of my wedding party has canceled (one of the grooms party canceled just today), our guest list went from 180 to 25-30, dinner has been canceled and we will not be having a traditional reception but an elongated cocktail hour. We sat with the reality. My calm has been found in those that will be joining us. Our nearest and dearest. Overall, our people are the most important and we want them to feel safe while being able to join us in any capacity that they are able to. It has taken some creative thinking but we have managed to plan an intimate ceremony for everyone that will be joining us in person and via live-stream.
What we have come to realize is health and safety of our loved ones is most important to us and giving grace to those around you is really the only way to not loose your sh$! in the world right now. I'm ecstatic to celebrate how we can and ultimately, to create a covenant with the person I love the most. We have a lot of time together, might as well revel in all this sweetness.
-
2020-05-16
I chose to share how my story personally was impacted by covid and how it changed my view on the country handling covid.
-
2020-05-16
March 13th was the day we were sent home from the office. Working remotely was not something I had experienced before. For the first month, I started re arranging my days. Instead of commuting for 4 hours a day I was working out in the mornings and reading more in the evenings. One day I dusted off my old film camera that I hadn't used in over 10 years. I purchased film and I started to take one photo a day. I would try to capture a photo that summed up that particular day. After two months of being on locked down I decided to drive from Orange County, CA to Big Sur. My cousin lives on 8 acres on the back side of Big Sur. I camped out on his property for a month, I ate off the land, cooked outside everyday and didn't get back into my car until the day of my departure. After a month, I decided to leave mid afternoon so I could catch the sunset on my six hour drive back home. I pulled off thirty miles past Post Ranch Inn and waited about eight minutes to click this shot in. The colors in the water, the length of the cliff and the dirt between my Red Wings and the ground made this the best photograph of the last six months. This pandemic has allowed me to slow down. To admire the little things in life and re introduce old hobbies into my life. My camera and I are one again, she comes every where with me. I will blow this photograph up one day, frame it and remind me of the times. It was fitting that I'd started reading On the Road: the Original Scroll by Jack Kerouac before my month long trip. I finished it in Big Sur. There are many great quotes by Jack in that book. However one reigns supreme..."Live, travel, adventure, bless, and don't be sorry."
-
2020-08-10
I'm a barista at Starbucks coffee company. It's been a disturbing and fascinating few months, to say the least, and like most, I've experienced some significant changes to my work and personal life. Most notably, my job is now my bubble. When the quarantine orders went out in Oregon, Starbucks kept going. I had two weeks of mandatory self-isolation after one of my work crew came into possible contact with COVID early in the pandemic. Otherwise, I've been working more than ever before. Interacting with the public makes me constantly on edge. But the coffee industry seems to have been deemed "essential," and my team and I are kept busy supporting the public's caffeine addiction through the global madness that has been 2020. Because of my hundreds of interactions with strangers daily, I've cut off almost all contact with my friends and family outside of work. The risks of my coming into contact with the virus are high, especially when not all of our customers feel inclined to comply with COVID-19 regulations. I'm happy to have my job and not have experienced the economic uncertainty that so many have dealt with in recent months. Despite the loneliness of feeling removed from my family and friends, this pandemic has brought my work team closer together. We have all experienced the pandemic the same way and become a support system for each other for which I feel lucky.
-
2020-08-10
Working During a Pandemic is Fun
In late March both of my part time jobs closed down. I have two contrasting occupations. One is at a Worldwide cooperation. The other is a small, locally owned business. I’ve felt the effects of the pandemic most forcefully while at work. Before the pandemic, I was working 60 hours weeks to support myself and go to school. I did not go anywhere else but work and home. The bars, salons, and other recreational areas shutting down had little to no effect on my day to day life. This is a cross correlation of the similarities and differences of the issues I have run into while working through the pandemic.
At the beginning of the shutdown, my corporate job surprised me with increased wages and benefits to help aid through the initial closings. At my corporate job I was considered an essential employee, but my particular store did not have a drive through. I was able to stay safe at home for four weeks while the company shipped in barriers and masks and other COVID equipment.
My other occupation at the small business, as a swim instructor for children shut down immediately and opted to put their employees on furlough until we were allowed to open back up. Because I already worked one part time job, I did not receive much unemployment benefit. Through no fault of my own, my income was cut in half and my savings are, to this day, empty. Even with the temporary pay raise given to me by the corporate job, rent and my 3,000 dollar tuition made my expenditure even to my income.
When I went back to work at my essential job, which was making coffee, there were a lot of new rules to keep up with and enforce on customers. On my first day back a lady threw a handful of rocks at our window because we did not allow her to sit down at the facility. Many, many more occasions like this happened on a daily basis. People were frustrated with the new rules and unclear on their necessity. Customers were not required to wear a mask in the facility until very recently. This was very frustrating. If only one part of the party is wearing a mask no one is protected. It felt useless to be wearing something that was only designated to make customers feel better without risking their own comfort. The pandemic started affecting Butte county at a dangerous level in May, but people were not required to wear masks in public until four months later. Around mid July is when the Governor issued a State wide mask regulation and we were finally allowed by the company to ask customers to comply.
Even with the statewide mask regulation, and every single business requiring it, customers continue to yell, demean me and blatantly not follow the rule. Every time a customer comes in without a mask I get extremely anxious at how they are going to respond to me politely asking if they have one. My company is even allowing me to give our mask supply to customers without one, for free! Even when offered a free mask, I am turned down and shamed. On this occasion I have to politely reply that I can walk their beverage to them and they can wait outside the store without a mask. If even one person is not wearing a mask, they are spreading their germs and infecting the entire room. If they are contagious or asymptomatic, COVID droplets can live on clothes, and services for up to three hours. It can reach your eyes and infect you that way. If you go to the Doctors office you will see them wearing a mask and face shield for this very reason.
My finance, whom I live with, is immunocompromised. He has had bronchitis twelve times in his 21 year lifetime. This is due to being exposed to mildew and mold in his formative years creating a deadly combination of asthma and a severe dust allergy. If he was to catch COVID-19, he would become fatally ill and possibly die. This thought is on the forefront of my mind everyday at work. I am becoming increasingly frustrated with the lack of knowledge and leadership in the Trump Administration during the Pandemic. It is now 5 months since we first started practicing half hearted health regulations. We are at 1,500 American deaths a day. Our death to population ratio is shameful compared to other countries. We have mass graves being dug on an island in New York for the unnamed victims of COVID-19. This is affecting our prison populations, our urban and rural communities. No one is safe. We have very simple precautions to follow but the constant negation of the validity of these practices from our president has left most of the population under a false sense of security. I have begun to resent customers I once enjoyed chatting with, due to their constant apprehension of wearing a mask.
My other job, as a swim instructor, opened up June 17, about three months after my job as a barista did. This came with the forced opening of the economy. Within the first two weeks of being open, three teachers had to be tested and put into a two week quarantine.However, due to constant sanitation and all employees wearing masks, the spread stopped there. At this job, masks are required or no service is given. All staff and teachers wear masks at all times, and the building and equipment is decontaminated every night. Even with this constant sanitation, you can’t control people’s personal lives. As time goes on people are becoming more restless. When the president claims he does not believe in masks, and holds rally not servicing personal distance or masks, the populace feels safe to socially fraternize. Many of my coworkers are holding small gatherings, drinking with acquaintances and risking contamination through ignorance.
The customers of this job are a lot more understanding. We make it abundantly clear what is required of them and we will not give them service otherwise. These clear boundaries, ultimately, are what ensure proper cooperation. We called every single client personally before we reopened and confirmed the new rules. We sent out emails, we have signs posted and every employee is specially trained on how to facilitate the new rules. I believe these regulations reflect how the populace responds to strong leadership. If we had clear rules from the beginning, with strict boundaries, would this second wave of infection have spread?
-
2020-08-10
2020 started off just like any other year. I was gearing up for my last on campus semester and continuing my job search for when I graduated. This was the year that I told myself that everything was going to fall into place. This was going to be the year that I found an apartment by myself, bought myself a new car, find my career, and get financially stable. Then i started hearing about the Coronavirus across seas, and I did not think much of it. I did not think that it would result in me being unemployed at age 22 and as a recent (almost) college graduate. However, I think the pandemic is almost what I needed, and what a lot of people needed. All throughout college I was working one if not two jobs while going to school full-time. It was stressful and overwhelming most of the time. I had bills to pay and ambitions to fill. In March of 2020, I secured a job within the hospitality industry, thinking this was something I would be truly happy doing. About a week later, I was furloughed from that job and my serving job due to COVID-19. I took this time to focus on my studies and finish up the semester. That first week was rainy so it almost felt right. Then another week passes, and another, and another. Until finally, I started receiving unemployment. I was filled with panic through the media and refused to leave my house in fear that I was going to die if I breathed the same air as another infected person. After that, I drove to my dads house in California in a rental car. I needed to get out of my small apartment and be with family. While I was there, my stepmom gifted me with her old car as she had bought a new one. I was shocked and overwhelmed with happiness. Fast forward a couple months and my lease was ending. I was searching for studio apartments to live in but was worried I was not going to get accepted due to being unemployed. I considered moving back home to Minnesota where my mom resides and where I went to high school. This was something that I did not want to do as I had established my own life, completely independent, out in Arizona. To add another factor was that my boyfriend lives in Arizona and I did not want to move away from him but our relationship was too new to move in together. One night, as I was laying in bed crying due to the overwhelming amount of stress that took over my mind about finding somewhere to live that I could afford and that was safe, I got a text from my stepdad. He asked if I would be interested in them purchasing a condo and I would pay them rent. This was something I was not expecting and was so grateful for, as this meant I did not have to go through the application process myself. I end up finding a place and move in end of July. Three weeks prior to moving in, my boyfriend gets infected with COVID-19. Now, I felt fine. I stayed inside for two weeks waiting for symptoms to show up. 11 days after exposure to the virus, I lost my sense of smell and taste. That was the only symptom I had, but after waiting a week and a half to get my test results, they came back negative. Although I was relieved, I did not, and still do not, believe that those test results were accurate. I slept in the same bed as my boyfriend the night before he came down with COVID-19 symptoms. There was no other explanation for why I lost my sense of smell or taste. During this time period, I put my fate in the hands of God to protect me. I prayed that I would be okay, and although my panic had subsided, I knew that I could trust God. 2020 has been a very rocky road, but I have accomplished so much throughout this year and I am grateful that I was able to experience this. I still hope and pray for the people who are losing their lives and losing loved ones, but it is just a matter of time before this subsides.
-
2020-01-15
The picture I posted is important to me, as even though that my friends and I were not able to meet. Beacuse of the pandemic we all truly appreciated the presence of eachothe rin the group and felt like family to each other.
-
2020-06-15
My story begins in May when this pandemic began. I was still in school at ASU at the time and I was living in Tempe. When school and other events started getting cancelled, that's when I knew that COVID-19 was serious and that things were going to change all over the world. However, I didn't think it would have a long-standing impact on my life. Unfortunately, I realized this would not be the case after my closest uncle passed away in June. He had medical problems and was hospitalized for some weeks, but his illness was not caused by COVID-19.
After learning that he passed away I was sad, but not in total shock. What did shock me however, is that I learned that no one would be able to attend his funeral in Nebraska. This of course is due to the pandemic and people not being allowed to be around each other. Most of my family is much older, to be fair, and it could have put them at risk. I've never been very religious, but I think your burial is a very important part of your life. I expect most people hope that it would be some type of celebration of your life. I'm not sure what my uncle wanted, but no one was allowed to attend his burial. This has impacted me where I feel like I didn't get a chance to fully say goodbye. I know that if it was me, I would have wanted my family and friends to be there.
The image I put for this, is a picture of me and two of my closest friends standing outside of the church where we went to take the time to honor his memory.
-
2020-03-15
I chose my work uniform because I chose to work during the peak of the virus. I got to experience everyone's viewpoint and opinion concerning the virus, and show kindness to everyone who wished to engage with the world during an unprecedented time in modern history. The experience working during the pandemic was completely different from the business and rudeness I experienced serving customers at the height of the holiday season of 2019. People were generally pleasant and seemed to care for the employees working and the other customers in or around the store. This experience made me reevaluate a lot of my priorities in life, such as family and friends, because life is short and while i'm on this earth I should do my very best to love and serve everyone who I come in contact with.
-
2020-05-10
The pandemic has been hard for all of us. Not all of us experience it the same exact way, but we all deal with similar themes such as: loneliness. I'm not the only person who had this experience, but maybe those who haven't tried this yet may take to the idea and have good results themselves. This story is important to me as it represents how humans adapt quickly and readily to the world around them in most cases. It also shows how being a social creature really allows us to ground ourselves to the world, to empathize and understand that which surrounds us: whether it be person or animal. This story really puts in perspective the idea that we may all be home, social distancing, but we are never truly cut off from the world, and people, around us.
-
2020-04-07
During the Covid-19 shutdown in Wisconsin I volunteered with my Air National Guard unit to assist with local polling during the elections. Our unit was deployed to various locations around Wisconsin, we conducted 2 days of training and swore in as public officials. During polling operations, we assisted voters, sanitized voting stations, and ensured that proper social distancing was being adhered to.
During the voting I was able to observe the many ways people handle the epidemic. It was difficult not to express my opinion with the people who believe that Covid-19 is a hoax. Luckily for most of the people who visited the polling station the type of person who disobeyed social distancing was few and far between. Almost all the people did believe that voting should have been postponed and so did I, unfortunately being in the position I held I was unable to voice that opinion.
Once Polling had closed, we turned over all our ballets to a team devoted to counting and relaying the information. We each conducted a Covid-19 test and patiently waited the next day for our results. A negative test allowed us to return to our normal jobs, whereas a positive test resulted in a 2 week stay in a hotel the city uses for temporary shelter for the homeless.
The experience was humbling after seeing how many people Covid-19 has affected and the fear that people have of the disease. I would gladly volunteer again to help my community, and it looks like I will have my opportunity once again with the Democratic National Convention in Wisconsin where we have been asked to help once more.
-
2020-08-10
Forced time off of work led to forced introspection. And the outcome was newfound passion, direction and family.
-
2020-08-10
This year has been a difficult year for myself. I have had to endure many uncertainties in my personal life such as the loss of a very close friend due to suicide and the practice of my religion has been something that has helped me to cope with depression and despair but the practice of religion has been something difficult to do during this time that requires social distancing. I thought I could perhaps contribute my personal feelings and emotions as it relates to the practice of religion in the everyday world of a person during this moment in time.
-
2020-04-03
A whole row of empty shelves at Target in Niskayuna, NY in early April. This shelf is normally fully stocked with toilet paper, flushable wipes, paper towels, and facial tissue.
-
2020-04-19
The U.S. and New York State flags flying at half-mast in at the Empire State Plaza in Downtown Albany, NY in late April, after Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered all flags to be flown at half-mast in honor of all who have died from COVID-19. The New York State Museum is seen straight ahead centered between the two flags.
-
2020-04-03
A scarcely stocked shelf of soap at Target in Niskayuna, NY in early April. The shelf here is normally fully stocked with hand soap. The note explains a purchase limit of 1 soap bottle per guest.
-
2020-04-03
An empty shelf at Target in Niskayuna, NY in early April. The shelf here is normally fully stocked with toilet paper, flushable wipes, and facial tissue. The note explains a purchase limit of 1 product per guest, although there was none to be had in the store.
-
2020-04-03
A few shelves of boxed macaroni and cheese at Target in Niskayuna, NY in early April and a note limiting the amount one dry good per customer. Normally, these shelves are fully stocked.
-
2020-04-19
Taken at Washington Park in Albany, NY in late April. The sign notes that these swings are closed and cannot be used due to COVID-19. All other playgrounds and equipment in the park were closed and had similar signage.
-
2020-04-19
Down an empty State Street in Downtown Albany, NY in late April. This photo was taken standing in the middle of the street, which normally would not be possible as this street is usually busy and packed with cars. The SUNY Central Administration building is seen straight ahead in the distance.
-
2020-04-19
A CDTA bus pulling up to a bus stop on State Street in Downtown Albany, NY in late April. All riders were required to wear masks, and there were barely any riders on the bus. Its electronic sign reads, “STOP THE SPREAD.”
-
2020-08-10
The month of April found me back in my parents home in a suburb of Albany, NY. My university was closed, and I was forced to move out of my on-campus housing a month earlier. All of my classes continues online, and my film photography class was required to move to a digital photography platform as we were not allowed access to our university’s darkroom to develop our film. I found myself wondering how to find subject matter amidst a global pandemic, where at the time grocery stores were just about the only places open, in what I considered to be the most boring small town in America. After weeks of submitting photo after photo of my backyard, house, dogs, and siblings, my professor asked me to try and find a new subject for my photos. I really had no idea what else to photograph, but on a trip to Target for groceries with my mother, I found myself wandering through row after row of bare, colorless shelves. I took a photo of this to send to my father, proving that there was not a roll of toilet paper to be had, but then thought about how interesting it could be to document the rows and rows of desolate shelves, leading me to a new subject for my photography class assignments: emptiness. I moved from documenting empty shelves, to empty parks, to empty streets. Emptiness was a subject I could find nearly everywhere I looked during the coronavirus pandemic. Looking back on these photos a few months later, I am so glad I was able to use an art form I love to document what life was like during this strange and scary time in our world. I hope that years from now, my photos could help someone have some idea of how empty our world truly felt during this time.
-
2020-08-10
No one could have seen Covid-19 coming. Starting off in China, then spreading to other countries, the virus flipped the whole world upside-down. We watched it tear apart every country before us, until it reached the United States and we really began to feel the effects first-hand. Normal life came to a halt. Businesses were forced to close, travel became a risk (if permitted at all), and simple every day tasks became difficult. But the consequences went, and continue to go, much deeper than what we see on the surface. In addition to the tragedy of thousands of lives being lost, many people's livelihood was lost as well. Unable to go to work and unable to provide for themselves and their families, Covid-19 has inflicted many, many hardships upon Americans. Some have lost their jobs, some have lost their businesses, and some have lost their loved ones. In a very short period of time, life completely changed. They say you do not truly appreciate something until it is gone. We do not realize what we have when it is in front of us. This can be taken lightly, in terms of simple things like going in public without a mask. Or, it can be a serious lesson, because you can lose who or what you love in an instant as well. No one could have predicted this, but now we are living it. We should enjoy every moment we have and not take advantage of the time we are given, because you truly never know when it can all change.
-
2020-08-10T13:46:00
When the pandemic became more serious in America in March 2020, I had just started my first class back in college at ASU online. I received my Associates degree 16 years before, and now I wanted to improve my job opportunities by getting a Bachelor's degree. I didn’t know it was the beginning of such a life changing year for me and the world. (To read more, click on PDF)
-
2020-08-10
Being a Single Parent in a Time of COVID-19
My daily family life has changed since the global rise of the coronavirus disease pandemic since parenting is coupled with more responsibilities. Being a single parent to two children has arguably increased exposure to caregiving stress, especially with two teenagers, 16 and 17 years. My younger child has dyslexia learning disorder and has an IEP since kinder garden comprehend without additional help from a special ed teacher the struggle in school became much harder. I focused more of my attention on my younger son being that he was a freshmen level while the older child is attending to his senior year of school. I have been helping them adopt and utilize online schooling programs effectively while attending to my full-time job. Markedly, finding a balance between caregiving, offering them help in school work, and attending to my career has proved challenging during this COVID-19 period. The most robust experience I have so far is to offer them guidance to enable them to comprehend the content accessed from online sources.
I dedicate more time to my younger son since he has a learning disorder, limiting his ability to follow directions given on the online platforms. Besides teaching, teenagers' lives have been affected since they are in the development stage characterized by socializing, finding new friends, and distancing from parents. In the earlier stages of the spread of COVID 19, the teenagers perceived the quarantine measures by the government as weapons to suppress their freedom and had to sneak out sometimes. I have experienced a parenting burden in training them to exercise self-care during these tough times, and they still seem distressed since they can no longer meet their friends. Moreover, online learning and their daily upkeep have incurred additional expenses, which may hamper my ability to meet the schools' future mandates. Markedly, it may become difficult for me to purchase learning resources in the future since there has been a reduction in my earnings and hours.
-
2020-07-05
My daughter was born in July and became ill with fluid in her lungs (not covid) during her first days. She was moved to the NICU for treatment and after my wife was discharge the "Covid Rules" went into effect. These rules only allowed for one parent to visit per day. During this time it was tough being new parents and not being able to be there with each other. As my daughter's health improved nursing became important. With the rules in effect that meant that in order to nurse daily, only my wife would be able to see our daughter. So for the final week I was not able to hold my daughter or see her, except through a webcam link that was provided to us. This was important to me because although her sickness was not Covid related, it still had a profound impact on our life. Ill never get those days back. To be clear we understand the necessity of precautions and having my daughter home now is very special to me, something I won't forget is the feeling of being worried about my daughter and stress of not being able to see her.
-
2020-08-08
During this pandemic, i have dealt with many things. One being the loss of one of my best friends due to the virus. He served with me overseas and saved my life when i was shot and was bleeding out. It took everything in my heart to not fly out to his funeral. Because of the virus, i could not go and spend time with his wife and kids that i have known for years. He is the one that motivated to go back to school at ASU. RIP Ray. I created this image in his memory and combined it with ASU.
-
2020-08-10
Teddy Roosevelt said, "The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future." As the pandemic and panic seemed to spread wildly across the globe, I found myself turning to my relatives for answers and advice. When specifically in their lifetime did they remember a time of uncertainty? What did they do to maintain a sense of direction, clarity to make decisions, a sense of well being and safety when each day's events are unfathomable? My mother responded with stories of her mother. My grandmother has always been the most resourceful person I know. Growing up in the Great Depression planted seeds of ingenuity and self sufficiency in her, which she continued to cultivate along with priceless experience and knowledge. She recalled people taking responsibility for their situations and security, and doing their best to make the most of what they had, which at the time wasn't much at all. I will never understand the scarcity she faced in that era, but I did experience the eerie alarm that washed over my fiancé and I entering a nearly empty produce section of our local grocery store, then another store, then another store. Almost every store in our small town of Lewes, Delaware had been almost completely panic-bought out of produce, meat, cleaning products, and hygiene products. It was at that time we decided to take a life lesson from Grandma, gain some grit, and get our hands dirty.
Early June, we began a basic herb garden to get the hang of being "new parents to green babies" as we expressed it to our friends and family. We soon adopted a couple of tomato plants, bell peppers, red lunchbox sweet peppers, and as of recently, sunflowers. August brought our efforts to fruition when tiny peppers and tomatoes started to develop and today we plucked our first ready to eat hamburger tomato along with a few green bell peppers and scarlet red sweet peppers. Tending our garden has grown more than just invigorating herbs and veggies, but it has cultivated therapeutic peacefulness and tranquility while watering, cleaning, and caring for these little forms of life. We learned first hand the valuable lesson of just how giving and selfless nature is, ex. planting one seed and getting three pieces of fruit in return from that one plant, or planting one bulb which springs forth four blossoms. Giving life and helping maintain that life in something smaller than you grows a beautiful relationship between humanity and nature, a relationship which has become more and more distant.
Growing a garden reconnected us to the knowledge, innovation, and self reliance, of our grandparents. It reconnected us to getting outdoors, getting our hands dirty, and getting into a flow state of mental clarity and caring for another living being apart from human kind. It reconnected us to nature, to the valuable lesson Mother Nature can teach us about selflessly giving and sharing, and a reminder of the respect she so deserves and is so lacking in the current state of the environment. I hope our story of our little backyard garden will encourage you to plant seeds of your own, to look to the priceless knowledge and experience of your relatives for advice in facing an uncertain future, and to share your lessons and stories of how COVID-19 impacted your life as well.
-
2020-03-15
A couple of months leading to the COVID-19 pandemic, my wife and I were paying off all of our consumer debt and saving for a down payment on a house to purchase in late 2020. 2019 was very stressful on us, working all the time, did not take any time off, or any vacations; we did not go out like we used to; we just worked and paid off the debt. We started 2020 debt-free, and we kept on working and saving, in March 2020, I went to Turkey for a week to visit the family that I had not seen in 4 years. Two days before my return to the United States, the president decided to ban travel from all European countries due to COVID-19. I was terrified to be stuck in Turkey away from my wife and kids for months. Thankfully, Turkey was not included, I came back to the US, and life was not as healthy as it was. The following months were some of the toughest we have been through. When the Stay at Home restrictions began in our state, my wife lost her job while I stayed employed as an essential worker. My wife stayed with the kids teaching them as schools were shut down for the rest of the school year. COVID-19 impacted us not just financially, but emotionally as well. I believe we are in a better financial situation, considering what the pandemic has done to so many people worldwide. We are in an unprecedented time, and we are all in this together, and we will get through it sooner or later.
I am looking forward to what the future holds for us.
-
2020-07-20
This is specifically about my experience flying domestically to another state.
-
2020-08-09
During Covid-19 it is very important for us to recycle the mask that we use. There has been a drastic increase of the use of mask since the pandemic, which can cause environment problems if they are not disposed correctly. Buying mask that can be washed and reused would be ideal, but if that is not possible, the least we can do is recycle. Although it may seem like a small task, we can help the world stay clean by recycling your mask after using.
-
2020-07
I thought I would upload these photos to share how I found beauty this summer despite everything happening right now in the US. It serves as a reminder that although things are not normal and probably won't be for a long time, there is such immense beauty that exists in this world. If it weren't for COVID and losing my job I would not have experienced many of these moments that I captured in these pictures. Perhaps the silver lining of COVID is that for a lot of us, it has forced us to literally sit back and reflect and these photos illustrate the "COVID
-friendly" activities I chose to do this summer with all my free time. Some of these photos are some scenic landscapes in NYC, where I live. The rest of these images are from various scenic places throughout the country, mostly in the west, where I began my roadtrip back to NYC a few weeks ago.
-
2020-08-09
This summer I was lucky enough to be able to work. Not only being able to work in a pandemic but with kids nonetheless. While the start of summer camp already changed, we were not able to leave our building for outside activities, and only a certain number of kids were aloud for each grade. We soon would progress to everyone above the age of six wearing a mask. While at first the kids did not understand why now they had to were the mask, by the end of summer they were used to it. This was a huge learning experience for everyone, including parents and employees. The employees are to temp check and hand washing before clocking in and doing tons of cleaning throughout the day. As well as making sure they wash their hands as well at the children. Parents cannot come inside, the kids will get temp checked at the door before entering, as well as them washing their hands upon arrival. While working now is scary because you never know what is going to happen these days if I or a coworker is gonna contract it. Every week it's a am I healthy? Are my family and friends healthy? Is my workplace safe? To be honest, working now does feel safe and weirdly so, with the constant cleaning and mask-wearing, I feel as if we are taking all the precautions necessary. God Willing, we will be able to keep this up. It a strange time we live in at the moment and by working it helps keep my mind off the scary reality we face today.
-
2020-08-10
I have been working during the COVID-19 pandemic at a beverage/fast food restaurant. When all the news about the pandemic first started coming in, a lot of my co-workers just said that it was not a big deal and that it was basically the flu. However, there were also people who felt the complete opposite. I, like most people, try to gauge how I feel about something by listening to how others feel and researching the issue. Since it felt like there was not much true information going around, I felt I had to rely on other people's opinions in the beginning. That was a rollercoaster! I feel like in the beginning, there was no inbetween! People were either incredibly opposed to the fact that this virus is actually killing people, or they were terrified by it. I did not know how to feel. Eventually, I began to realize how serious this situation was. In these past months, I have been through many different mindsets. When I really started to realize how serious this situation was, I decided I would not leave my house. And I didn't. I took a month and a half off of work and stayed inside all day fearing the outside world. Little did I know, this was when there were very few cases in my area. After that, I began working again. My next mindset was that I needed to do all I could to keep myself safe because I needed to work. I began to think, if I get it, I get it. All I can do is try my best to stay clean and safe. But that didn't stay for long because my mindset would change constantly. I am writing this for my english class and I am required to add the hashtag
-
2020-07-09
Throughout the pandemic, I needed assistance. I had to rely on other people for the things that I needed. Through God's grace, savings, and unemployment assistance, I got my new car! I would've never imagines i qould get my car during a global pandemic, but i am so grateful!
-
2020-08-11
In the middle of March, COVID-19 was in full uproar and actions were being taken at the state level in order to combat the crisis. On the individual level, many people around college-age were preaching on a variety of social platforms information about the pandemic and what actions should be taken. Many were preaching that staying at home was the best option, and it didn't matter if you wanted to hang out with others, we all had a job as humans to help each other out by staying home. Nearly every single individual who spoke out on the subject no longer practices what they preach. As the months passed from March, everyone soon forgot about what they said, and with case numbers remaining prevalent, many still went back to their normal way of life. July 4th was the biggest turning point for college aged kids returning back to normal, with it being an opportunity for parties and other social gatherings, soon the normal kick-backs and late-night hangout sessions returned. Since that time just over a month ago, it seems that everyone is hanging out with their friends again, with many social media posts being centered around hanging out with people after so long. The amount of cases has only risen, yet everyone returns to their normal life as if it is safer than March or April. While it may be that everyone has became desensitized to COVID-19, the threat is still out there. Normal K-12 schools have resumed online, and many are soon returning in-person, with colleges following suit at the end of August. The cases will only be increasing and almost no one who virtue-signaled to each other at the beginning of the breakout are maintaining their social-distancing or remaining safe.
-
2020-08-08
If you were to take a stroll down Main St. of Huntington Beach, you might be surprised by what you see.
I work in downtown Huntington Beach. Protests around these three topics has been quite regular. With a vast mixture of people wearing and not wearing facial coverings as mandated by the state. On this particular day there was a "black lives matter" protest, which was accompanied and/or countered by Christian evangelists as well as a single individual protesting for the re-opening of California businesses.
In overhearing a conversation amongst the Christian group, it seems they feel that Covid-19 has been brought on as a punishment to those who have not repented for their sins. Here God is used as an authority figure to insight fear and shame to outgroup members or non-Christians. The pandemic seems to have had an impact on the effect of community in religion in that members that choose to gather in person must view the pandemic in a light that cannot effect them.
-
2020-08-10
All of the small businesses in downtown Fuquay-Varina, a small town south or Raleigh, NC, painted hundreds of hearts on their windows while they were closed during COVID. It brought a sense of togetherness for the entire town while we were all isolated at home.
-
2020-08-08
During this pandemic the state of Hawai'i has suffered a hit to our economy of tourism and many families and business have suffered many losses. Loss of income, jobs with benefits, housing and livelihood have taken a catastrophic drop through out the island chain. The new normal of wearing masks have not just become a requirement amongst the population but many have taken to making masks as both a way to make money and pass the time while on lock down. We have never seen our beaches not filled to capacity with people during the day time no matter what time of the year it is and for the first time we see nature both calm, serene and untouched for the first time in decades. Communities have come together to ensure the rules and policies are followed in certain areas of the islands to keep their families safe from many visiting tourists who have not quarantined during their stay here in Hawai'i. The government has issued a 14 day quarantine to any visitors from outside of the Hawaiian islands to keep the disease under control and from spreading into many of the local communities. The state of Hawai'i's numbers aren't as severe as the mainland United States but continue to grow in numbers. Numbers that continue to keep our famous beaches closed to not just the visitors but for the locals as well, the economy is at the lowest it has ever been and even worst than after 9-11. My job at Starbucks provides a great way to distract people from the chaos going on in their lives and around the world, I've learned that this one on one contact with someone may be the only contact some people ever get in their day to day lives. People look forward to any human interaction these days especially when our lives start off with work and end with home, no in-betweens. What I miss the most is hugging those around you who are closest with you, it's a social norm to hug someone here and is as formal as a handshake when you first meet them. I even find myself being unable to recognize someone with their mask on even if I have known them for years, that saying "I never forget a face" has definitely been put to the test. But what can I say? Until this pandemic is under control and we find a cure this will continue to be the new normal of today.
-
2020-08-09
I found the meme relevant because from march to now, the US still is not the same. We are having to adjust to a new "normal." This initial lock down was only suppose to be for 2 weeks, but it kept getting pushed due to people not following the stay at home order. It is now August, and some individuals still refuse to wear a mask to help protect not only themselves, but others. This year is definitely a year I would not come back to if I ever had the opportunity.
-
2020-08-09
This global pandemic is something that no one at my age expected. At my age, all people can think about is starting a career soon or finding that special someone soon. A pandemic as severe as this seemed impossible. At the beginning of this pandemic, my family and I were under extreme caution, never going out unless it was work related and never seeing other people. Eventually, this lifestyle became too much for my parents to handle and they started seeing friends in small groups. I would advise against this as much as possible but they would never listen or care. Eventually, they wanted to plan a trip to Mexico to visit family. Again, I advised against it but they attacked me in numbers, saying that it was family and we needed to make time to see them. After much begging, my family convinced me to go to Mexico with them. I would later find out that this was a terrible mistake. We spent a week in Mexico and then my family started to become extremely sick, all besides me. I started to believe that they were COVID-like symptoms but my family disagreed and ignored me. They started to become so sick that they decided to come back from Mexico earlier than expected and went to the doctors here. The doctor recommended a COVID-19 test and thats when we found out that our entire family tested positive for COIVD-19. The first two weeks after testing positive were extremely tough for the entire family. My older brother and parents nearly never slept, had trouble breathing, and couldn't even hold food in their stomach to eat. Luckily, I was asymptomatic throughout this entire process but taking care of my family was draining and harder than I could ever imagine. I would have to wake up in the middle of the night to help out because my parents to were too weak to get up and do anything themselves. At one point of time, my mother was so weak that I actually had the thoughts that she might not be able to pull through this and she still refused to be sent to the hospital, for reasons I couldn't even understand. It has now almost been an entire month after testing positive for the first time and all of my family has regained their health and are up and walking around the house. We have gone back to test about three times as a family and each time, it comes back positive. Although we're not able to return back to society as normal people, we are all healthy and happy again and I am just praying for the day that we test negative and can go back to our normal pandemic lives.
-
2020-05-18
This photograph I took is of my three children, on the couch, with the computers they used to finish the school year during the quarantine.
I am recently divorced and serve as an active duty service member, 2017 is when we started the separation process. During the process, my ex-wife and I were on good terms and on agreement on everything but one thing, custody. 2017 is also the year I came to Christ and started opening the Bible, learning by reading and listening to His word about the Gospel and what Jesus did for us. This changed my worldview and my entire outlook on life. Towards the end of the year I got orders to go to Parris Island South Carolina to be a Drill Instructor. I was excited and sad at the same time, for I knew there was no way I could continue to take care of the kids while serving this duty. But I knew I could trust God with my kids, even if they weren't in my care and that if I wanted them back that it was just a matter of time (the duty being 3 years long). Fast forward a year and having spent months in the most demanding job I have ever had, I was extremely upset for the living situation my children faced while I strove to lead and mentor future Marines. Conversing with God through prayer I told him how I felt and how I longed to have my children live with me again. Within a week or two, my ex-wife reached out to ask if the kids can fly across the country to live with me! We did the paperwork, and I have had custody since January 2019.
During the quarantine, I constantly pondered what the situation would be like for the kids and me if things had not changed for us in 2019. 2019 was the most rewarding and satisfying year thus far for me as a parent. Not only would I not have had that, 2020 probably would have been unbearable for me without the kids. I’d still be a Drill Instructor and my children would be struggling in their studies. Homeschooling the kids opened my eyes to just how much one-on-one time they needed in certain areas. One-on-one time they should have been getting from me as their dad. This quarantine gave me the time I needed to focus even more on the kids and I loved every minute of it, spending literally 24 hours, 7 days a week with them. We struggled at first, this was not the kind of homeschooling I would have preferred to do, but we made it work. I can’t help but feel so blessed and thank God for it.
At the same time, my heart goes out to all the families who weren’t/aren’t as lucky. I just happened to be at a point in my life and career, where I could stay home with the kids and not worry about money or losing my job. Our bonds were strengthened and we grew so much closer together, I wish it could continue this way but I look forward to the kids going back to school. I believe that they are ready, if everyone is smart about it then we can make face-to-face classroom instruction a reality. Most schools are not at this point yet and I’m still unsure if it’s going to happen or not as we are weeks away from the first day of school. Whatever the case, I just wanted to tell a bit about my quarantine experience and how my family got to where it was during it.
-
2020-08-09
Over this pandemic, as a Business Law student, I completely submerged myself in the "politcal" news of the nation. This not only drained me but proves as a point of countless arguments in a sea of confusion. I felt hopeless and the leaders of the nation proved of no condolence and empathy to the needs of the public. In this time, I was able to completely transition all my schooling and work endeavors online. Being secluded allowed. me to look around me and see the people getting affected by the circumstances that have been built up. Seeing my local community members separated from their families, having close relatives affected by the virus, being in constant fear of whether or not an encounter could possibly have affected my well, has been constant worries and fears of us all. Despite being able to look at the blessings currently in our realm, it is hard not to focus on the lives that have been cost and the well-being that is bring compromised due to the lack of efficient safety precautions being made by government officials in regards to schooling and education.
Being able to come back to my family to isolate was a privilege a lot of people didn't have the ability to receive. Moving back from my apartment gave me a feeling of being back in high school but my mindset was still on growth. Making the most of my time was the only viable option I could take without allowing the worries of the nation sink onto my shoulders. After tallying the 6th month of being in lockdown, I only can empathize with those who have children and at risk family members who need to find solutions for schooling and healthcare needs. As a Business Law student, I can only educate myself and those around me, with what is going on around in our political climate, as to comprehend what action must be taken in order to provide significant change.
If I could think of what will happen in the next say 4 months, I would not have an answer for you. Taking every day as it comes is the main piece of advice I can leave with. If you approach a problem with confidence in your own ability, all you need is a clear mind and the right tools to tactically approach a means for solution.
-
2020-07-26
This pandemic has opened the eyes of millions of Americans, including mine, when it came to questioning the necessity of a traditional schooling system. The bridge between political parties reflects various differing opinions on what parents feel the best way to re-enroll back their kids into school. The article I found interested me as it mentioned that families are looking into the idea of creating small groups with local children called “pods” which would help [pay for private tutors or teachers. However this method may require paying thousands of dollars in order to fund tutors to teach these localized groups of students. It is still unsafe in many institutions which thousands of children pass by one another on a daily basis which could lead to mass spread of the virus if even a couple of students have contracted the virus. This article reflects the outcome of an already declining school system affected with a worldwide pandemic. This article gives us a way of looking at how people are affected by and making alternatives to a failing and problematic system of education due to current health safety requirements. This post makes me question whether to innovate or destroy the system? Everything seems to be fluid and unpredictable due to the varying status of the nation day to day. Makes me question, who is responsible for the safety of students and children to be upheld? How does one monitor the level of safety and how will well being be ensured?
