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2020-08-05
This person cautions reporters about stories covering the death of an incarcerated person due to Covid. She expresses he worry that it puts emphasis on the one bad thing they did in their life and doesn't cover any of the things they've done since.
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2020-03-04
I work at one of the local Starbucks in my city. It was around late February when I saw a notice at my store that told us due to the recent occurence of the disease that was being spread around China named COVID-19, we would not be allowing customers to use their own personal cups to prevent the spread of germs. At first, I was surprised that Starbucks made this decision since this has never happened before, but I figured they did it to be safe and also be respectful to the current situation that was occuring in another country but gaining news coverage in the United States. I wasn't quite aware about what COVID was, but rumors spread that a quarantine would occur and I remember being a little worried, but I told myself it was unlikely to happen. Later that week, it was announced by Starbucks via email that all employees would be given the option to take a paid leave of abscence if they were concerned about the spread of COVID. Almost every Starbucks in our city closed due to a lack of employees who were willing to work. My store was one of the only ones and I was one out of eight people who decided to stay and work. During this time, we began to wear masks while we worked, we had new, shorter store hours, and we had new cleaning tasks. Honestly, this time was very stressful at work. We all basically worked open to close which was from six in the morning until twelve in the afternoon. This may not seem like a lot, but we were severly understaffed and worked nonstop besides our few breaks. Customers were also either very upset with the situation or very understanding. We dealt with a lot of confrontations about our lobby doors being locked to having to wear masks. This went on for a total of forty-five days, in which, I continued to go to school online full-time. After that time period, more stores opened back up and the rest of our store's partners returned, but things didn't and still have not gone back to normal. Every day it seems that there is a new standard being added to our daily routines, such as the addition of a guard in between two baristas working on the espresso bars. Our lobby is still not open to customers, which causes a lot of unhappiness among our customers. Every day, however, we try to help our local neighbors and customers by giving them a sense of normalcy and a cup of coffee.
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2020-08-06
This article discusses the findings of a report recently published in the Journal of American Medical Association explaining that asymptomatic carriers of Covid-19 carry as much virus in their nose and mouth as those with symptoms for about the same length of time. While previously the knowledge on asymptomatic spread was more anecdotal this study offers more direct evidence.
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2020-08-05
A 74 year old man who was incarcerated in a medical facility was transferred to San Quentin in an effort to keep him away from Covid, but the botched transfer resulted in the opposite. He contracted Covid and was sent to a local hospital. While there the medical staff facilitated Zoom calls and the like with his family. After being transferred to the ICU the medical staff said because he was incarcerated they could not facilitate contact with his family. His daughter explains more.
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2020-08-05
Written by Adnan Khan, a formerly incarcerated person and criminal justice reform advocate, this article explains the death of his friend from Covid and how it was preventable.
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April 14, 2020
Online learning is difficult especially in my designing classes so I have to basically learn on my own. The good thing is I adjusted but I do my work on my own time. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Save up your money and use online resources.
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March 31, 2020
COVID-19 has turned my life upside. My co-op was terminated without more than saying it was for the best due to the pandemic. From that I had nothing to do to keep myself busy. Luckily I had RIT, when I was trying to figure out how to proceed with making sure I would still be getting credit for my co-op: my co-op advisor, academic advisor, and Student Advisory Board Advisor gave me links, tips and suggestions to fill my day. RIT has been helping me through the pandemic every day constantly sending resources and activities to do. Not much of good has come out of the experience except nowing that the RIT community is supporting every student in any capacity they can. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Be ready for challenges and approach them creatively. Adapt to the situations at hand.
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March 31, 2020
It has been very difficult. I just finished moving into a new housing assignment after dealing with a demon roommate, then less than a week later RIT made us all leave. Two times in a week I had to move all my things by myself. My family lives in Los Angeles and all my friends were home so I had no one to help me. I've been fighting with both the California and New York DMVs to get my car registered for the last year, so my car is unregistered and I couldn't go anywhere. Luckily my aunt rented me a car so I could drive to St. Louis to stay with my grandfather. My mom didn't want me to drive to LA by myself, even though I've driven from LA to Rochester twice, but with my mom. My cat Poppy and I drove the 12 hours from Rochester to St. Louis in two days. I don't really like St. Louis or LA, I'd so much rather just be in Rochester, mostly because I've never been able to get a job there and I have a job on campus. In terms of classes being all online, I think it will be helpful for me. None of my professors are doing synchronized zoom meetings so I don't have to get up for class anymore. This is good because I didn't go to class all the time anyway. I can do the coursework more on my own terms now. I'm retaking a class I failed last semester and I think I'll pass this time not only because the class is exactly the same, but because the tests are open book and aren't under a time limit because they're online. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Be ready for challenges and approach them creatively. Adapt to the situations at hand.
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March 30, 2020
Well not having graduation, not being able to finish out college with the clubs and friends from the past 5 years. I've adjusted by getting closer to my best friends I made here. The good things have been I've gotten a lot of time to reflect on what I want out of my life. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Be happy. Do things that make you happy. Take time and cherish the friends around you as much as you can.
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March 28, 2020
I am working a lot more from home and stopped talking to others face to face. I am also not going anywhere unless it is urgent. I am adjusting by adjusting my workplace, buying food from other places and talking to my peers online or through social media. The good things about this experience is that housing is partially refunded and that I got an extra week to prepare myself for this. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say?
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March 27, 2020
The REU programs are likely going to be cancelled, which is very upsetting. My volunteer trip to Puerto Rico was cancelled, a journalism conference we were supposed to go to in Long Island was cancelled, and I'm out of a job for the most part. I'm concerned about the future, but if there's one positive thing that has come of COVID-19, it's spending more time with my emotional support rabbit, Rocket. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? If the question is asking: "What would you tell your past self regarding this semester if you could?", then I would say: You'll get to bring Rocket to class one day soon :)
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March 27, 2020
I serendipitously switched to a personalized, all-online Bachelor's of Art and Science degree within RIT's School of Individualized Study directly prior to the North American outbreak of COVID-19, so I actually had the entirety of the semester to prepare for a remote workspace environment. I have spent the majority of my semester planning and operating the business, marketing, and development processes of my educational entertainment enterprise, Hypostatic Studios, as part of my Senior Capstone Project. Along the way I have experienced multiple obfuscations to my original production plan, as I have had to cancel travel arrangements to gaming conventions, lost a financially supportive game development instruction position with iD Tech's Spring Break Camps, and have had my project denied for face-to-face Customer Discovery interviews by RIT's Human Subjects Research Office (HSRO), completely eliminating any direct interpersonal interactions from the crucial startup phase of my business. The experience of dealing with COVID-19 actually benefits the foundational online solidarity of my company, which I would eventually prefer to remote via remote operations for in the future of our studio's development. Overall the COVID-19 outbreak has proven a source of anxiety and increasingly complex rearrangements of social and corporate operation, however our company is still strong and we are adapting to the paradigm shifts with continued perseverance. In the coming months we will be presenting our primary project "A Perfect Year" to several investors, including the New York Business Plan Competition, while attempting to network with the scientific researchers who discovered Water Memory and Extraction Zone Water, two concepts integral to our didactic efforts, with whom we were fortunate enough to make a connection with during the singular week of instruction work I was able to complete before the quarantine. So it has been an exciting and unnerving time, but Hypostatic Studios will continue to march forward towards the wanton delights of the unknown, and shall return victorious to share all the many fruits of our didactic digital labors! www.hypostaticstudios.com If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Don't worry about unexpected disruptions to your personal plan - they are obstacles in a game, the demons which must be dealt with as in any RPG, and provide opportunities for redemption and an ultimate award of glory! - "Think Outside The Self"
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March 26, 2020
I was set to graduate this Spring, and I'm obviously quite sad there's not going to be a commencement for it. My college commencement is something I've looked forward to not just since the beginning of this semester or even the beginning of my time at RIT, but it goes way back to when I was very little and learned that college was a thing and that many professions required a college education. I could've done the math then and figured out that I was on track to be at a commencement of my own in May of 2020, and to have come all this way and not be able to live that ceremony is just gutting. Getting used to remote classes has been a challenge. I've never taken a credited college class remotely before and it requires more self-organisation than with in-person classes. If I can think of anything good that has, or at least will, come out of this experience, it's the fact that - while this is one of the most challenging times the world has ever faced - we all will come out of it stronger than ever, and so anytime we face other challenges after this, we'll feel more up to the task because we overcame this. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? I would tell myself to savour the experiences I have with my friends and take pictures of them because with what we're dealing with now, I've been deprived of these opportunities for the final weeks of my time in college.
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March 26, 2020
Yes, I had to change my capstone project as it involved a lot in-person interactions and sharing it during Imagine RIT. I had to adjust and make it a virtual delivery, which is a challenge, but I am grateful for my capstone class to work on this together. One really good thing that is coming out of this COVID=19 experience is that I've been doing 'through the window' shoots around my neighborhood to document what we all are going through. I practice strictly social distancing, and I hope to continue as long as it is safe to do so. I've seen beautiful positivity sharing around in my neighborhood because of this project. You can see on my Instagram @ameliakhamilton for the photos I've done. https://www.instagram.com/ameliakhamilton/ If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Cherish every moment. Grab every opportunity. Appreciate what you have!
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March 26, 2020
Once we were directed to leave RIT, I was overwhelmed. Things felt so uncertain and hopeless, I was seriously considering dropping out. But after the outpouring of support from all corners of RIT, and especially the academic provost's decision to offer pass/fail options, I truly felt that things would be okay. The situation is manageable and RIT is here for us. There is so much love within our community, and I'm trying to help spread it wherever and whenever possible. Even though we're physically distant, I feel closer than ever to my family and friends. Everyone is checking in on one another and actively trying to make the day brighter. For instance, I've reconnected with many friends from high school in the form of meme-sharing and messages of support. I've even become closer to my younger sister by recording music together. We have seen examples of the world as a beautiful, interconnected community. Let's keep it going. Spread the love <3 If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Keep your room clean, keep your chin up, keep your friends close, it's all going to be okay.
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March 26, 2020
As a result of COVID-19, there are two main pieces of my time in college that have been affected: my graduation ceremony and RIT's Relay For Life event. The lack of a graduation ceremony, as a first generation college student as well, has left my family and I a bit disappointed. We're trying to stay positive though, and are glad it's allowing me more time home with my Dad before I go off into the working world full-time. Relay For Life was the other large part of my life that has now changed. I'm one of the two event chairs in charge of organizing and planning the event, and after putting in a semester and a half of work spread among 28 people, we had to cancel the in-person event. However, considering that we still want to help the American Cancer Society as much as possible, our team is still working to plan a VIRTUAL event instead for April 20th-April 24th! This will be an opportunity for us to help test a relatively new event delivery method for the ACS, and it will provide guidance and knowledge that they can use in the future to better host virtual events in far more locales! If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Appreciate every moment that you're on campus, walking, talking, and hanging out with friends and peers. Make those memories last and stay positive, don't dwell on issues out of your control.
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March 26, 2020
With everything being cancelled and moved online. My capstone has been effected the most. My in person interviews were cancelled so I had to restructure my project and change some papers. I'm adjusting well to online methods because I've taken 10-15 online classed throughout my college career. The good things that have come out of this experience would be how understanding, supportive and accommodating my professors are. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Get ahead early and push through until the end. You're so close.
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March 26, 2020
It made all my classes go online which is both a blessing and a vice. I am an introvert so I love this method. But I'm also a procrastinator, so I dislike this method. It's also a vice because I dont have internet at my place of residence. I need to go to my pastors house to use the internet. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Don't get too comfortable and prepare for some major life changes.
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March 26, 2020
Well outside of the obvious classes going to online, I have had to give extra attention to my classes regarding assignments and due dates, it isn't the teacher's job anymore to hand out stuff. I have had to learn on my own, I can't go to the lectures to learn, I have to read the textbook, or attend Zoom meetings which only some of my teachers have. I sort of have this feeling of "you're on your own now" and it's completely up to me to succeed. It does feel quite lonely even though I am with my family because all of my friends are away back home and the only interaction with them is through social media and such. What really upsets me is that I had a job on campus and I liked going to work and making money. Now, I don't have any income and when I am not doing schoolwork I am doing generally unproductive stuff like watching TV or playing video games. The adjustment is a weird one, I feel like I am getting used to it but I am still wary that this new system will come up and screw me out of nowhere. I guess some good things to come out of this was that I am finally getting proper use out of my laptop, I finally cleaned my room and I have interacted with my family more. I do enjoy the home cooked meals. I also am really excited for when this is all over and I can have fun with my friends again. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Enjoy your time while you have it. Spend as much time with friends as you can, and make more friends. No one saw this coming and the lack of social interaction has really taken a toll on me.
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March 26, 2020
Most significantly, I was torn from a place where I finally fit in with my blacksmithing and welding and general maker mindset, and went back to a place where everyone plays basketball and farms, and can’t talk about anything else. I finally fit in somewhere, and it got cut short. I learned to find myself, and now I know that my not fitting in was by no means my fault. I know to stay connected with those who care about me, not necessarily those physically nearby. I know to balance my time better next year. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Take time away from club work, no matter how much they need you, and spend time with your friends. Balance your time.
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March 25, 2020
Firstly, this weird situation caused sadness. Sadness that my last dance performance was canceled, my last volleyball nationals was canceled, and of course commencement. This was supposed to be a year of celebration. Now, I am finding ways to be thankful for all of the memories I’ve created. While the grief still lingers and will for a while, I am learning how strong I can be. I’ve been doing DIY projects, going on walks, and trying to look towards the future. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Take in every moment and don’t wish your senior year away. The complaints about schedules and school work are not worth it.
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March 25, 2020
This semester was one of the best experiences that I have had so far at RIT because I had the opportunity to study abroad through an exchange program at Universidad Pontificia Comillas in Madrid, Spain. On the night of March 11th, I went out with a few friends that I met in Madrid. It was just like any other night, but at 2am local time, president Trump announced that he would be suspending all travel from the EU in two days time. While US citizens would still be able to return, I knew that my study abroad experience had come to an end within a matter of minutes. Hours later at 9am, I was on a plane headed to my home in New Jersey. This was a very difficult change to accept, but I know that it was necessary. Originally, I was devastated, but having been home for two weeks, I have spent more time with my family in these past few days than I have in years. Although we have lived together at times during my collegiate career, it was quarantine that brought us together to spend quality time. I am also able to finish my coursework online at my school in Spain, and they have been super accommodating for this adjustment period. While I obviously wish that this novel coronavirus had not spread throughout the globe and feel terrible for all of those touched by the pandemic, it has made me realize that it is important to try to find the positives in any situation, regardless of how bad it may seem at first. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? I would tell myself to truly cherish each and every second that you have to study abroad because even my originally planned four months trip to Spain seemed too short as it is, but the relationships that are made there are like no other.
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March 25, 2020
Because I am a freshman it has not impacted it too much. I was in the 2017 California Thomas Fires and it was a similar experience in terms of education. However, my friend and I are setting up a website (www.communitybonds.us) where brick and mortar businesses who need cash now can sell "bonds". A "bond" is essentially a discounted gift card. Example: You can buy a $100 "bond" to your favorite restaurant for $75 now. The restaurant gets the cash they need now, and you can redeem your bond for its full value in services when they reopen. If we can even make one business owner sleep jut a bit better at night we've done our job. We aren't taking a fee or a cut we just want to help. We hope to be launching in a couple of days but our landing page is up right now. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Be prepared.
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March 25, 2020
I've been forced into reduced hours for my co-op My father and uncle have lost their jobs. The loss of income and support comes at a critical time as I'm worried how my family will weather this storm. I am moving back into my parents house to help so we can pool our resources. Nevertheless I remain positive and thankful for my blessings. I have more time now, and I am healthy. My family is lucky as we've not been directly touched by the virus. While I know this storm is far from over there is a clearing on the other side, we only have to look for it. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Hold onto the memory of grandma and the serenity prayer. Their going to help you through the coming months. (Also the winning lotto numbers are....;))
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March 25, 2020
Due to COVID-19 it has been a crazy few weeks. I was in Florida on the women's crew training trip. When we first got the news the year would not be continuing as planned. At first I was heart broken I had made some of the most amazing friends and the thought of being away from them for longer than just the summer was heart breaking. I was scared that we would loose contact. However the exact opposite has happened, we now video chat on the weekly and call each other we need help or just a pick me up. Al though it is not the same as eating dinner every night together or spending each weekend hanging out we have still found ways to connect. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? I would tell myself to pack lighter. I didn't use a lot of stuff I packed and it was a pain when trying to move back home.
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March 25, 2020
Honestly it has been roughly mentally. Throughout my college years I have been dealing with identity crisis and deep rooted trauma from past experience that I have been ignoring until recently. I hated my major and other things were not going my way. This semester felt like the first semester where I was beginning to open to people and started to seriously seek help and face my problems. I started pursing the major that I wanted to and even applied to grad school for it and got accepted for it. I even met new friends who I didn’t need to pretend to act a certain way to be accepted. It is unfortunate that the current events happened as I felt that I wasn’t able to really build up those friendships as much as I could. I had to change my therapist sessions to online rather than in person and with the virus, I had to avoid people not only because I don’t want to spread the disease but also I have breathing issues that makes the disease even deadlier. It has been isolating and depressing. However, I am looking at the situation as a way to really focus on myself. I used people to distract myself from my problems so now I have to face them. I know I will become a stronger and happier person as I slowly face all my issues and I know I have people that care about me that I call on if I need help. Also I get to focus on my guitar and music hobbies more so that is also another plus. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? “You know that decision that you were second guessing yourself that night, just go for it because you don’t if you will have chance again later in the semester”
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March 25, 2020
I am a film and animation major, that said most of my classes are practicality based. Mostly studio time and experience based, it is a huge adjustment for someone who struggles to pay attention to switch to online classes. I don’t have a room at my house so my classes are taken in the dinning room and I sleep in the couch, there are so many distractions and it’s absolutely terrible to try and pay attention. so far not a lot of good has come from this besides the idea that the professors and Dean, have made it 100% obvious that they are trying and that they care. They have made it possible for us to (maybe) do our studio labs next semester, if we do wish to. For the most part we are all on board for such as well, these studio based courses are things we look forward too and this was all just poor timing for everyone. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? I would tell myself at the start of the semester not to get my hopes up too high for these studio times, that way I wouldn’t have felt so awful when it was suppose to be cancelled, I also would have told myself to put more faith in the professors who care about us, and know that they had our best interests at heart. They really did fight for us in the CAD meeting and our faculty should know how much the students of SOFA are thankful for that.
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March 25, 2020
I am jobless, and RIT is doing little to help. Many of my peers are in a similar situation where RIT is not paying them for shifts they were scheduled for (me that’s hockey games) but either got cancelled or suspended because of Cuomo’s order. I am unable to make rent for next month without this pay, and I am incredibly stressed and frustrated. I am disappointed in my college for their decisions on student employment and payroll, and how my requests have been denied without proper explanation. Pay your student workers for the shifts they were scheduled for. If I could give a message to myself at the start of this semester, what would I say? Save, save, save.
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2020-08-06
This is the image of a Tweet from a physician expressing her sorrow over the death of an incarcerated person and her belief that incarcerated persons with Covid deserve the same care as anyone else.
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2020-08-06
This is a Twitter thread about a judge with Covid and several people commenting about the judicial processes in their area.
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2020-08-06
"A drowning prevention expert says the COVID-19 pandemic and Ottawa's record-hot July have both contributed to shifts in where people are getting into trouble on the water — and it might be time to change safety messaging.
There has been a string of recent drownings in Ottawa, and officials say the vast majority of them are occurring in open water, not at backyard swimming pools or supervised beaches."
"'That's why we're seeing a lot of river drownings. [It's] because of it being so hot, and accessibility to the pools is restricted,' said Wagg, noting municipal pools can only operate at about one-sixth capacity because of COVID-19 restrictions."
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2020-08-05
This person Tweeted that they feel the prison population is the lowest it has been since the 1990s because of people dying while incarcerated from Covid-19.
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2020-08-04
This article includes a video interactive timeline that shows how they believe covid was introduced to San Quentin Prison in California as well as coverage of the pandemic in several other California state prisons.
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April 14, 2020
Bon Jovi dropped in a Florida kindergarten Zoom class.
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April 14, 2020
ESU’s gym is going to be set up as a temporary location for patients by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA)
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April 9, 2020
Uptown music collective continues their lesson online for their students
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April 9, 2020
Dr. Matthew Berger offers some tips and check on how to handle isolation concerns
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April 13, 2020
Fire departments are now having trouble holding fundraiser events for equipment and fire engines and training sessions have moved to online.
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2020-04-02
This image shows the measures that individuals are taking in order to avoid transmission of COVID-19. These individuals are seen standing at least a meter apart during a break in the government issued COVID-19 curfew while waiting in line for supplies, food, etc.
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2022-04-13
Wegmans’ grocery store has pieces of tape on the ground to help enforce the social distancing rules. They also have signs on the ground to explain the meaning of the tape.
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2020-08-01
This article from Prison Legal News gives an exhaustive overview of the situation faced by the carceral system and all the people it touches. The author, Christopher Zoukis, explains the state of the virus, news coverage, community response, covid in prisons, Federal Bureau of Prisons, state prisons, discrepancies in date, states responses, lack of testing, medical care, and PPE, the personal impact, and human rights.
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2020-07
These images show the Tweets of an incarcerated person sharing their experience during the Covid Pandemic using a contraband cell phone. This week he talks about the guards delivering food to their cells and leaving it on the floor, the inmates response, their lack of access to showering, the lack of compassion, encouraging people to vote and hold politicians accountable, medical emergencies, death, and the general feeling of anger.
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2020-07-30
As COVID-19 threatens the safety of inmates and staff in the Arizona Department of Corrections, families with incarcerated loved ones are pushing for the state to release some non-violent offenders early.
So far, they have not swayed officials... but in November, voters will have a chnace to decide whether certain non-violent offenders should be able to earn time off their sentences.
This story discusses the challenges of political activism amidst a pandemic.
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2020-08-06
I've loved drawing all my life but I've never felt like I had the time to practice or the skill. I started journaling and this is one of the drawings I did. I feel proud of it...
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07/29/2020
An interview with Gwendolyn "Gwen" Way regarding her experience living in a retirement home during the pandemic. Gwen discusses the changes made by the residence where she lives to prevent an introduction or spread of the virus, as outbreaks in Long Term Care facilities have been common in Canada, and how it has effected her life within the home and her relationship with the world outside it. She compares and contrasts this lockdown and pandemic with the 19 months she spend in a sanatorium being treated for tuberculosis (TB) many years ago. The fear of the unknown and desperation at the lack of a firm end date are ideas which Gwen returns to repeatedly.
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07/27/2020
Jason Zackowski describes what science education has been like during a global pandemic both in schools and on the internet. He discusses the transition to online learning in schools as he is head of the science department and a teacher at a high school in Red Deer, Alberta. He also shares his concerns for the planned return to school. Jason runs a science podcast as well as a popular twitter account for his dog "Bunsen Berner" which he uses to share scientific facts, research, and methods in a fun way. As such he discusses the "blowback" by members of the public on social media to scientists when it shares information regarding the virus and pandemic.
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07/26/2020
Alexandra "Alex" Phan shares her experience of the pandemic. Alex is a Master's student at the University of Ottawa studying Virology and working in a lab which focuses on emerging viruses- most recently SARS-COV-2 (Covid-19). She describes her activities during the pandemic and the sense that she and other researchers are somewhat removed from the collective trauma the rest of the world is experiencing, as their routines have not changed drastically. She also discusses the changes in student life and what it is like moving out of your parents house/living on your own for the first time in the midst of a tiered lock-down.
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07/25/2020
Olivia Pecora was born in Santa Monica, California, and moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, when she was eight. She graduated from Rowland Hall in Salt Lake City in 2014. After high school she attended Villanova University in Pennsylvania. While at Villanova, Olivia was active in her sorority, spent a semester studying abroad, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology in 2018. Upon graduation, Olivia became a member of Teach For America, where she began working towards her teaching license. This journey placed her in Nampa, Idaho, and she became a teacher at Lone Star Middle School in 2018. She is a special education teacher with a focus on English Language Arts. In her job, she co-teaches classes, holds a resource class that is specific to her special education population, and manages the individual education plans (IEPs) of roughly 25 students. In her free time, Olivia loves to enjoy the outdoors, spend time with her friends and family, and explore the Boise, Idaho area. Throughout this interview, Olivia examines the impact of COVID-19 on the school system, her own life, and how she believes things will change going forward.
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March 24, 2020
Because of my situation and the new amount of stress and separation from people my medicine isn’t necessarily working now so stuff like memory loss and loss of focus has increased for me. My new hobby is staring off into space.
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April 16, 2020
I had a package forwarded from the RIT campus post office and with the postal delays it’s taking even longer to get to me. I honestly don’t even know what the package is for anymore because things that I ordered back in December still haven’t shipped yet.
