1
10
21
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Dublin Core
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Title
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First Days of the Pandemic Oral Histories
Subject
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Oral history accounts of the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
Description
An account of the resource
Oral history accounts of the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Fall 2020 Archiving COVID-19 class, students and instructors
Language
A language of the resource
English
Text
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<div>“The First Days” of a Nurse</div>
<div></div>
<div><span class="gmail-Apple-tab-span"> </span><em>I interviewed my mother who is a registered nurse at a hospital and a surgery center in New Jersey. Many of the questions I had asked her related to her experiences as a professional nurse, working in a hospital during a crisis. </em><br /><br /></div>
<div><em>She discusses the stresses and emotions involved, as well as the difficulty of the world changing around her. Interestingly, she also includes comparisons of the life of healthcare under COVID-19 as well as HIV (which struck when she first became a nurse). Overall, she explained the stress of a changing world, trauma of loss, and the resilience and professionalism of our healthcare workers. </em><br /><br /></div>
<div><span class="gmail-Apple-tab-span"> </span>In the early days of the virus, she recalls the fear of COVID-19, and how it came from its mysterious nature (i.e the “unknown”). She talked about the numerous changes that she and her hospital had faced from the rise of the virus. From things as simple as “not carrying a pocketbook to work anymore,” to things of great magnitude like not allowing critically sick patients to see their families. She brought up how wearing masks and gowns were always common, as people who are sick or contagious are common in her operating room. However, the swift and sudden strike of COVID-19 made it extremely stressful on keeping everything together during the first days. <br /><br /></div>
<div><span class="gmail-Apple-tab-span"> </span>She also includes her ideas on how the healthcare world functioned well as a community in the face of such danger. It was remarkable to hear how things such as studies and methods were constantly being shared among each other for the sake of handling the virus better. It truly showed the care, resilience and duty that each healthcare worker holds to such a great degree.<br /><br /></div>
<div><span class="gmail-Apple-tab-span"> </span>Mrs. Tedesco also compares the “first days” of COVID-19, to the “first days” of HIV. She discusses the commonalities and differences between the two viruses and how a seasoned and novice nurse reacts to such instances. She discusses how the themes of making the patient feel safe and appreciated were just as important and common back then. She also points out the seriousness of HIV, but admits that COVID-19 was increasingly difficult due to it’s “crash-course” nature, and how everything needed to be learned immediately for the sake of many sick people.</div>
<div><span class="gmail-Apple-tab-span"> <br /></span>Mrs. Tedesco also refrains from discussing the impact of COVID-19 on herself, specifically. She refrained from admitting what scared her, or what made her uncomfortable. She constantly put her own concerns aside and put all her sympathies towards the people she was tasked with taking care of. Her concerns or the safety and treatment of her patients came before all else. Aidina Wise discusses the use of “war metaphors” and COVID-19. She dislikes the comparison, as war implies the “all bets are off” mentality, while healthcare should involve less ruthlessness of an approach. I find myself disagreeing with her, as this approach is very clear. People like my mother stop at nothing to ensure the proper care for the patients. “All bets were off” in this sense, as all was to be done to take care of sick people. She and her colleagues used this ruthlessness to not give it an inch, no matter the person or situation.<br /><br />It was reassuring to know the care and determination of our healthcare employees. It is understandable that what they go through can never be grasped by the majority of people, including myself. However, it is appreciated nonetheless. Hopefully, future historians will firsthand hear the bravery of these remarkable people. </div>
Dublin Core
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Title
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A nurse's perspective on COVID-19
Subject
The topic of the resource
The perspective of a nurse during the first days of a declared pandemic (March 10-March 12).
Description
An account of the resource
The perspective of a nurse during the first days of a declared pandemic (March 10-March 12).
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Alexander Tedesco
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
March 10th through March 12th, 2020.
Language
A language of the resource
English
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
First Days of the Pandemic Oral Histories
Subject
The topic of the resource
Oral history accounts of the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
Description
An account of the resource
Oral history accounts of the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Fall 2020 Archiving COVID-19 class, students and instructors
Language
A language of the resource
English
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Text
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<em>On October 4, 2020, I interviewed Paula A., my grandmother, about her experiences during the first days of the pandemic, specifically around March 11, 2020, when the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a pandemic. Paula is a New Jersey resident in her late 70’s. While she was watching the news frequently in early March and following what was happening with the virus, particularly in New York, she assumed that the virus would be kept under control in America. She had believed that we had the best doctors and the most up to date medicine, and therefore was not very concerned with the idea of the virus becoming widespread as it did in other countries. This mentality quickly changed as schools, like Rutgers University, announced that they were going online, as well as churches shutting down.</em><br /><br /> Paula mentioned that the closing of universities and specifically churches, which in her whole lifetime had never been closed, forced her to recognize that Covid-19 was going to be a very serious issue with large impacts. While in the beginning of March she was not worried, anxious, or scared about the coronavirus, by mid-March she was very concerned. Her concern, just like the spread of the virus, progressed very rapidly. She noted that while the public was being told not to worry about things like having to wear a mask at the very beginning of the pandemic, she thought it would a good idea to have some for her and her family. She had heard on tv that there was a shortage of masks for healthcare workers. She was a seamstress and had materials, so she donated them in mid-late March to an organization that made masks for healthcare workers. However, while donating she recognized that it would be a safe, smart decision to have masks, even if homemade. Thus, she started sewing masks for herself and her family. Little did we know that masks would be required in essentially all spaces and environments for months to come.<br /><br /> As soon as Paula became aware of the severity of the pandemic, she became very frustrated and angered by President Trump downplaying it. She continued to watch the news every day, and made distinctions between federal and state responses to the pandemic. She remembered frequently listening to reports early on from the Governors of New Jersey and New York, Governor Murphy and Governor Cuomo, because they followed scientific guidelines put out by the CDC. In comparison, she only watched President Trump on the news when Dr. Fauci was present and would be speaking, because the president totally disregarded those scientific guidelines. Paula understood that this pandemic had a certain sense of urgency, because this virus can affect all groups of people. She recalled the announcements of the covid-19 pandemic and the AIDS/HIV epidemic of the 1980’s. While she felt sympathy for those impacted by the AIDS/HIV epidemic, she considered the covid-19 pandemic more worrisome at first thought because it has the potential to affect every human being, rather than a targeted population. It is this great sense of urgency that angered and frustrated her when she found out that President Trump downplayed the pandemic, and that there continue to be people who refuse to wear masks out in public. She considers these people and President Trump selfish, ignorant of reality, and as having a total disregard for others. <br /><br /> In the months since these first days of the pandemic Paula’s concern has grown, but not necessarily for herself. Paula was even hospitalized in early June, during the pandemic, and was still not as concerned for herself as she was for others like essential and healthcare workers! She had thought that she had coronavirus during this time, as she could not breathe, had pneumonia (a common occurrence for people who contract the virus) and had to be put on oxygen and moved to the ICU unit in the hospital. Despite this, and the fact that she is part of the age group that is more susceptible to the virus, she tested negative several times for the virus and was out of the hospital within a week, which her doctors said was a miracle. While this may seem like it could cause worry and fear for someone, Paula recalls feeling that she was receiving the best care at the hospital and was more worried for those who have to go out and come into contact with others frequently, as this would leave a person more exposed to the virus. <br /><br /> On a personal level, Paula considers herself very fortunate, especially being that she still is able to spend time with her family. She believes the reason she might be less concerned for herself than others is because her family is very cautious, follows social distancing guidelines, wears masks as much as possible, and those in her household are more cautious than she is. On a broader level, she is concerned about the lasting effects of the virus and the future of the country, in terms of the president, our economy, people’s jobs, and the psychological impact of young people in school. She believes it will take years for life to get back to some semblance of normal, but what that normal will be is unknown to both her and others.
Dublin Core
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Title
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A Fast Progression to Being Concerned: Oral History Account
Interview with Paula A.
Subject
The topic of the resource
An account about my grandmother, Paula A's, first days of the pandemic.
Description
An account of the resource
The interview was conducted over the phone with my grandmother, Paula A, in early October 2020.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Nicole Arena
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Paula A.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Nicole Arena
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
Interview- early October 2020
Rights
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Paula A. gives permission to be interviewed, and for that information to be used on this Omeka website.
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Oral History Interview Narrative
CDC
Essential Workers
First Days
Healthcare Workers
homemade
hospital
Mask
New Jersey
New York City
Rutgers
school
Trump
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
First Days of the Pandemic Oral Histories
Subject
The topic of the resource
Oral history accounts of the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
Description
An account of the resource
Oral history accounts of the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Fall 2020 Archiving COVID-19 class, students and instructors
Language
A language of the resource
English
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Text
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Small Business: Downtown Jersey City Italian Restaurant
On, Wednesday, September 23rd, I met with Elena Cartagena, owner of an Italian restaurant located in downtown Jersey City. We met for lunch at another local restaurant, DOMODOMO. Sushi is her favorite, and I decide it’s worth checking out based on her review. I’ve known Elena since the fourth grade. Life has taken many twists and turns since then. Although we’ve compared notes throughout the pandemic, I’ve asked her to share her experience as a restaurant owner during the first days of the pandemic.
To start, her primary concern is exposing her mother, a senior citizen, with whom she shares a multi-family home. She explains that they each have a floor. But, on top of age considerations, her mother was healing from a recent surgery in the early days of the pandemic.
The week of Sunday, March 8th is a rough one. Although she recently bought a liquor license, she can’t use it. “I found out from my lawyer that my neighbor, the Jehovah Witness temple, still hadn’t signed off.” She can’t serve alcohol until they respond. According to Elena, New Jersey requires establishments to seek out permission to serve alcohol from their immediate non-competitor neighbors. The restaurant has been a BYOB (“bring your own booze”) spot since it opened for dine-in service in Fall 2015. Despite encroachment of two well-funded Italian restaurants with bar service, traffic was steady. The fresh pasta counter and dinner service sustained the business. But serving alcohol would position the restaurant to attract more customers and better profit margins. So, when a liquor license became available for purchase last winter, she and her sister collaborated to purchase it – the equivalent of a house mortgage. But, by Friday, March 13th, the impending nationwide shutdown had significant consequences. “Means, we never got a chance to even make money with it AND we don’t know if or when we will. It’s a big investment and we don’t know what’s going to happen next.”
The official declaration of the Covid-19 pandemic is a hard pivot point for all public-facing enterprises. According to Wired contributor, Joe Ray, by late March even wealthy restaurateurs worried about shuttered doors:
Across the country, restaurant sales took a nosedive. Shifts were shortened, and then cut. And then the layoffs and closings began, each day bringing a new disaster. Tom Douglas, one of Seattle's best-known chefs, temporarily shut 12 of his 13 restaurants in the city and laid off almost all his staff. New York restaurateur Danny Meyer laid off 80 percent of his workers at his Union Square Hospitality Group in New York. After a March 17 White House meeting with representatives of national chains like Domino's and McDonald's, which largely ignored independent restaurant owners, Momofuku chef David Chang tweeted "We are so fucked." [1]
Restaurants scrambled to adapt to legal restrictions while patrons disappeared. No diners, no income. Initially, patrons were reluctant to venture out for pick-up or to trust delivery. Remember, at this point, people are circulating videos about washing hands and disinfecting groceries. Although she had previous contracts with UberEats and DoorDash, these online apps ate up significant profits. For this reason, this restaurant, like so many others, depended on dine-in service. For example, on our ride-along tour of downtown restaurants, Elena points out an expensive steakhouse with a large dining room: “Their whole setup is designed to attract people to sit down, inside! There is no outdoor patio – they can’t even improvise one [the sidewalk is too narrow]. Plus, their clientele is not paying those prices to sit on a parklet.” Likewise, Elena uses the steakhouse to illustrate the main reason why she thinks her restaurant has survived: adaptability.
Still, adaptability is expensive. She tells me that Sunday, March 15th was the last day for dine-in service. That was the last day for all but one of her staff – the chef! Although Elena cut down overhead costs, her confidence in the future was shaken by the massive layoff. Similarly, two Washington, D.C. restaurateurs described their experience firing staff this way: "Trying to explain to your staff that they have to be laid off is like something that you feel in your heart,” Vázquez-Ger said. Limardo, meanwhile, called it “probably the worst day of my life." [2] Of those first few days, Elena was also afraid of concentrated exposure as she managed the shift to order pick-ups by customers and delivery drivers (UberEats / DoorDash). I mention to Elena reports [3] of diners not tipping, being rude, or leaving nasty reviews – all behaviors noted for their lack of grace, patience, and empathy during a pandemic. She responds by adding, “Yea, I’m sure the isolation doesn’t help. People forget they’re dealing with real humans – not autobots.” [4]
[1] Joe Ray, “While Many Restaurants Struggle, Here’s How One Is Thriving,” Wired, March 24, 2020, accessed September 30, 2020, https://www.wired.com/story/restaurants-struggling-pandemic-eric-rivera-addo/
[2] Anneke Ball and Amelia Kosciulek, “40% of restaurants have closed because of the coronavirus – but one DC hotspot managed to turn a profit and rehire its staff,” Business Insider, April 24, 2020, accessed September 30, 2020, https://www.businessinsider.com/washington-dc-restaurant-seven-reasons-delivery-takeout-2020-4
[3] Jessica Cater, “Working in restaurants after lockdown is a living hell,” Wired: UK, September 6, 2020, accessed September 30, 2020, https://www.wired.co.uk/article/restaurants-eat-out-scheme-coronavirus
[4] Autobots makes reference to the animated cartoon series turned live-action blockbuster movie, Transformers. Further, autobots are robots from another planet. They represent the “good guys” that come to Earth to save the humans from the aggressive takeover by the bad robots, Decepticons.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Small Business: Downtown Jersey City Italian Restaurant
Subject
The topic of the resource
Business
Description
An account of the resource
Operating a small business, a restaurant, during a pandemic
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
A. Paprika
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
Wednesday, September 23, 2020
economy
food
New Jersey
Oral History
restaurant
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
First Days of the Pandemic Oral Histories
Subject
The topic of the resource
Oral history accounts of the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
Description
An account of the resource
Oral history accounts of the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Fall 2020 Archiving COVID-19 class, students and instructors
Language
A language of the resource
English
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Text
Any textual data included in the document
<p>3 October 2020 – Looking Back on the Oncoming Storm</p>
<p><em>Wanda Koger is a 62 year old resident of Piscataway, New Jersey. She lives with her husband, her younger son, and two of her nephews. On October 3<sup>rd</sup>, 2020, she was interviewed by her younger son, Donald Koger to document her memories of the days surrounding the March 11, 2020 declaration by the World Health Organization that COVID-19 had become a pandemic. She remembers thinking that things would only get worse as time went on.</em></p>
<p>From the early days of the COVID-19 Pandemic of 2020, Wanda Koger experienced anxieties regarding the safety and security of her loved ones. Even Before the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 health crises a pandemic, she worried that the virus would spread far and wide, and the world would struggle to face the health and economic effects of the damage it would inflict on an unprepared world.</p>
<p>She recalls doubting the information that was released by the Chinese government, such as that children were essentially immune and how contagious the virus was believed to be. Wanda remembers, “Maybe they weren’t just saying certain things so that people wouldn’t panic. They really had the brains to know that China was lying to them and things were way worse than what they said they were.”<a href="#_ftn1"><span>[1]</span></a></p>
<p>Her biggest concern was the safety of her family. She remembers hanging a sign asking that people not ring the doorbell and instead call her on the phone. While she says having her son and husband working from home changed the dynamic of the household, the time at home also provided for communal meals, which had often been skipped due to the hectic schedule of everyone in the household. In early March onward, she says that she was not able to see her grandchildren in person. Instead, while picking up or leaving groceries from her older son’s porch, she could wave at them through the windows.</p>
<p>While the household was mostly secured early on, uncertainty involved the school that her older nephew, who had previously lived with her, was attending. The school he was attending did not decide to close until March 16<sup>th</sup>, and it was an abrupt change where she had to drive several hours to pick him up. </p>
<p>Once the household was established, it was a matter of trying to keep pace with a changing landscape of obtaining household items and groceries. She tried to limit her trips to the grocery store and used online shopping along with sharing shopping responsibilities with her older son’s household, which them involved exchanging groceries and supplies by leaving them outside each other’s houses without coming in direct contact.</p>
<p>The strangest element of the early days of the pandemic was the shortage of toilet paper. Having lived through natural disasters such as the floods from Hurricane Floyd, Hurricane Sandy, etc., she had expected that the normal staples of bread, milk, and eggs might experience some panic-buying, but the fact that folks elected to panic-buy toilet paper was astonishing.</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="#_ftnref1"><span>[1]</span></a> Koger, Wanda, interview by Donald Koger, October 3, 2020, in Piscataway, New Jersey</p>
Dublin Core
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Title
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Summary of the Experiences of Wanda Koger, New Jersey Resident.
Description
An account of the resource
Summary of the experiences of Wanda Koger, New Jersey resident, based on an oral history interview conducted on October 3, 2020.
Wanda Koger is a 62 year old resident of Piscataway, New Jersey. She lives with her husband, her younger son, and two of her nephews. On October 3rd, 2020, she was interviewed by her younger son, Donald Koger to document her memories of the days surrounding the March 11, 2020 declaration by the World Health Organization that COVID-19 had become a pandemic.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Donald Koger
#anxiety
Adapting to live under lockdown
COVID Fears
COVID-19
early days
-
https://archivingcovid19.libraries.rutgers.edu/files/original/7be4af210b3fd49a5a9f2e6c9ad501db.pdf
5cb64d8db8d8d194c2714471303f125e
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
First Days of the Pandemic Oral Histories
Subject
The topic of the resource
Oral history accounts of the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
Description
An account of the resource
Oral history accounts of the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Fall 2020 Archiving COVID-19 class, students and instructors
Language
A language of the resource
English
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Word Document.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Linda, who saw it coming before most.
Subject
The topic of the resource
76 year old women takes steps to minimize the danger of COVID-19.
Description
An account of the resource
Experiences of a 76 year old women who became aware of the danger of COVID-19 several months before most of the US.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Linda Smith experiences as transcribed by Kyle Amadeo.
Publisher
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Rutgers University
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
10/16/2020
Contributor
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Kyle Amadeo with Linda Smiths permission.
Rights
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Linda Smith verbally acquiesced to having her story shared in this format.
Format
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Text.
Language
A language of the resource
English.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Interview.
2020
beginnings
COVID-19
early days
ignored people
January
New Jersey
older generation
pandemic
pre-outbreak
-
https://archivingcovid19.libraries.rutgers.edu/files/original/1ef2cc5bfc47258925aa9141253a134c.m4a
589a1a64548b7d9adda0ddeef030d964
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
First Days of the Pandemic Oral Histories
Subject
The topic of the resource
Oral history accounts of the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
Description
An account of the resource
Oral history accounts of the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Fall 2020 Archiving COVID-19 class, students and instructors
Language
A language of the resource
English
Oral History
A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge.
Interviewer
The person(s) performing the interview
Paul Orlowicz
Interviewee
The person(s) being interviewed
Pamela Orlowicz and Charles Orlowicz
Location
The location of the interview
Rutherford, New Jersey
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Audio File
Duration
Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.)
18:42
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Oral History - Pamela and Charles Orlowicz - Conducted By Paul Orlowicz
Subject
The topic of the resource
Covid-19 Pandemic
Description
An account of the resource
An oral history taken from Pamela and Charles Orlowicz by Paul Orlowicz concerning the first days of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Paul Orlowicz
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Rutgers University - Newark
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
Subject Matter: March 2020 / Interview Conducted: Early October 2020
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
M4A File
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Audio File
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
New Jersey / Amtrak Auto-Train (Florida to Virginia)
2020
9/11
Amtrak
Auto-Train
COVID-19
Death Toll
First Days
Florida
Insurance
Italy
Masks
New Jersey
Oral History
pandemic
Safety
Travel
Virginia
WHO
Wilmington
-
https://archivingcovid19.libraries.rutgers.edu/files/original/947da3f302264a7925f2414ad02805c0.m4a
eddb67165666d08d7db94f82a4ecf91f
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
First Days of the Pandemic Oral Histories
Subject
The topic of the resource
Oral history accounts of the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
Description
An account of the resource
Oral history accounts of the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Fall 2020 Archiving COVID-19 class, students and instructors
Language
A language of the resource
English
Oral History
A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge.
Interviewer
The person(s) performing the interview
Paul Orlowicz
Interviewee
The person(s) being interviewed
Deborah Durand
Location
The location of the interview
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Audio File
Duration
Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.)
18:22
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Oral History - Deborah Durand - Conducted By Paul Orlowicz
Subject
The topic of the resource
Covid-19 Pandemic
Description
An account of the resource
An oral history taken from Deborah Durand by Paul Orlowicz concerning the first days of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Paul Orlowicz
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Rutgers University - Newark
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
Subject Matter: March 2020 / Interview Conducted: Late September 2020
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
M4A File
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Audio File
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
New York City / New Jersey
2020
Airport
Broadway
COVID-19
First Days
Hudson Yards
Lockdown
Manhattan
Masks
Moulin Rouge
New Jersey
New York City
Oral History
pandemic
PPE
Signature Theatre
The Highline
The Vessel
WHO
-
https://archivingcovid19.libraries.rutgers.edu/files/original/5aa69c02a731bc8b4a07d195103fcdc6.pdf
23950c4f1fe26df5e99341d7e4901f52
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
First Days of the Pandemic Oral Histories
Subject
The topic of the resource
Oral history accounts of the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
Description
An account of the resource
Oral history accounts of the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Fall 2020 Archiving COVID-19 class, students and instructors
Language
A language of the resource
English
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Oral Histories: Notable Quotes - Transcribed By Paul Orlowicz
Subject
The topic of the resource
Covid-19 Pandemic
Description
An account of the resource
Notable quotes transcribed from oral histories taken from Deborah Durand, Pamela Orlowicz, and Charles Orlowicz concerning the first days of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Creator
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Paul Orlowicz
Publisher
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Rutgers University - Newark
Date
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Subject Matter: March 2020 / Oral Histories Conducted: Late September 2020 - Early October 2020
Format
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PDF File
Language
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English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Transcribed Quotes From Recorded Oral Histories
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
New Jersey / New York City
2020
9/11
Airport
Amtrak
Auto-Train
COVID-19
Death Toll
Essential Workers
First Days
Florida
Insurance
Italy
Manhattan
Masks
Moulin Rouge
New York City
pandemic
PPE
The Highline
Wilmington
-
https://archivingcovid19.libraries.rutgers.edu/files/original/254fe78bab5fb85d5ec2d54d99652681.pdf
25a1cdf7a4396157a1620635741eb417
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
First Days of the Pandemic Oral Histories
Subject
The topic of the resource
Oral history accounts of the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
Description
An account of the resource
Oral history accounts of the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Fall 2020 Archiving COVID-19 class, students and instructors
Language
A language of the resource
English
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
March 11, 2020: Day One? - By Paul Orlowicz
Subject
The topic of the resource
Covid-19 Pandemic
Description
An account of the resource
An interwoven narration of the first days of the Covid-19 pandemic as seen through the eyes of four related individuals: Paul Orlowicz, Deborah Durand, Pamela Orlowicz, and Charles Orlowicz.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Paul Orlowicz
Publisher
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Rutgers University - Newark
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
Subject Matter: Mid January 2020 - Mid March 2020 / Written: October 2020
Format
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PDF File
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Historical Narrative / Oral History
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
New Jersey / New York City
2020
Amtrak
Auto-Train
Broadway
China
Chinese New Year
COVID-19
Death Toll
ESL
First Days
Florida
Hudson Yards
Italy
Lockdown
Manhattan
New Jersey
New York City
Oral History
pandemic
Quarantine
Signature Theatre
The Highline
The Vessel
Virginia
WHO
Wilmington
-
https://archivingcovid19.libraries.rutgers.edu/files/original/cc0f37cff037d5650d12468aee094c4e.m4a
52237564b2fc48746558603bd7d36e86
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
First Days of the Pandemic Oral Histories
Subject
The topic of the resource
Oral history accounts of the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
Description
An account of the resource
Oral history accounts of the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Fall 2020 Archiving COVID-19 class, students and instructors
Language
A language of the resource
English
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Text
Any textual data included in the document
<div style="text-align:center;"><strong>Spirituality and Death: Living with COVID-19<br /></strong> <strong>An Interview with Vidya<br /><br /></strong></div>
<div style="text-align:center;"><em>This interview was conducted and recorded over the phone with my cousin Vidya Warrier who is currently moving from New Jersey to Tennessee.<br /><br /></em></div>
It was a classic watercooler talk at the office when Vidya heard about the Coronavirus in early February, standing around with her coworkers at Johnson and Johnson discussing and joking about the "Chinese virus" and the danger of a New Jersey lockdown. The joke quickly changed its tone as New York had its first case and spread exponentially: posters were put up to promote awareness, and big events were getting closed down very quickly. Despite the noticeable change in the atmosphere, people were aloof throughout New York, ignoring social guidelines and warnings, continuing their lives in a typical fashion. Vidya couldn’t help but share this nonchalance as she was socially coerced into meetings and lunches despite the rumored warnings and quickly became desensitized. The toilet paper war was on, and Vidya was a serious “Warrier” in this battle as well. Although she found the whole situation somewhat amusing and asinine, she was still forced to stock up as the downward spiral of competition and capitalism took effect. Going to the vitamin, grocery, and Indian stores, Vidya stocked up on herbs and dietary supplements, but also essential staples like dal and rice. Additionally, at home, she turned to her developing YouTube channel (The Dancing Warrier) to record her experiences with the virus and the emerging social atmosphere. This began before she was quarantined and continued well into her isolation as it depicted her newly secluded, and somewhat freeing life. <br /><br /> For Vidya, the initial carelessness had severe consequences. In early March, Johnson and Johnson had its first case of Coronavirus; an employee on Vidya's floor contracted the Coronavirus from her husband, who recently returned from Italy on a business trip. Concerned, the office closed down, but not before Vidya herself contracted the virus (tested a few days later, almost right as, or right before, tests started becoming available on March 5) and was faced with a reality unknown to the general American populace before the first wave happened and the pandemic was declared. <br /><br /> The exhaustion hit immediately – at home, Vidya felt the beckoning allure of her mattress and comforter, preferring to stay in bed all day with a rising fever and "feeling like something was off…feeling bad". To most, it would be natural to indulge in a frenzy of google searches, exploring cures, treatments, and home care to alleviate the symptoms and to confirm the diagnosis. For Vidya, who has lived her life studying and practicing yoga (specifically isha yoga) and spirituality, and even living much of her life under Sadhguru in the Isha Foundation, she was cautious and aware of the fragility of her psyche and the natural primal fear response that she would necessarily face. As such, withdrawing completely into her intense yogic practices and restorative silence, Vidya focused on spiritual practices centered around the breath and how it manifests in life and death. Although her past experience with yoga and comfort with metaphysical concepts like death prepared her for facing such a dangerous and significant affliction, Vidya found the experience of being infected as a cathartic and profound exploration into her relationship and attitudes towards death. To Vidya, the Coronavirus was a test of her will and ideologies in practices, and fortitude of spirit. Engaging in a modality of a simple diet, powerful mantric-centered meditation, spiritual yogic practices, and ayurvedic and other home remedies, Vidya found the Coronavirus as a method of introspection and a source of spiritual "bliss". Many of her accounts and emotions were recorded and archived in real time through her YouTube channel which she found to be a healthy outlet for her expression. She made videos about her new diet and style of cooking, new habits and daily routines, as well as very raw accounts of her experiences with COVID and the effect of her yogic practices on her situation.<br /><br /> These were the first days for Vidya, before life changed in any notable way for most Americans. The genesis for her relationship with COVID predated the March 11 CDC announcement and general societal chaos. Although she ascribed to the classic stocking-up practices and nonchalant attitude widely shared by many in society in late February/early March, Vidya had a unique experience being infected by the Coronavirus early on. It tested her roots, but her spirituality and yogic treatments made these times a transformative experience for her.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Originally audio file adapted to a narrative format in Microsoft Word.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Spirituality and Death: Living with COVID-19
An Interview with Vidya
Subject
The topic of the resource
An interview about the first days of the pandemic with my cousin.
Description
An account of the resource
<em>This interview was conducted and recorded over the phone with my cousin Vidya Warrier who is currently moving from New Jersey to Tennessee.</em>
Creator
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Akshay W.
Source
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Vidya Warrier
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Akshay W.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
September 28, 2020
Rights
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Vidya agreed to be interviewed, recorded, and the recording is permitted to be distributed.
Language
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English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Oral History Interview Narrative
CDC
coronavirus
COVID
pandemic
shopping
social distance
spirituality
Toilet Paper