Submissions from 2023
Cloud of Covid, Anonymous
The COVID-19 pandemic was the most turbulent time of my life. Both my parents worked in New York City at the time, and nothing seemed certain. During the time of the world “stopping”, my grandmother was living with us to receive Pancreatic cancer treatment. This meant that any time anyone had any symptoms, our whole family was on high alert.
Covid- 19, Anonymous
Many aspects of our daily lives were thrown into disarray because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even until January 2023, no one knew what true, long-term consequences it would have. It would introduce new customs that many of us had never experienced before, like wearing masks, keeping six feet apart, and not shaking each other's hands to introduce ourselves. We have not seen such an outbreak since the 1980s with HIV and AIDS in the U.S., where there was so much paranoia within our society that we were constantly sanitizing our hands and quarantining when someone was infected with COVID-19.
Covid 19 and Other Pandemics, Anonymous
The Coronavirus was a global pandemic that spread from China to the United States in March 2020. In March, it was announced to us that the United States had to go into lockdown for two weeks. Little did we know that this two-week lockdown was going to turn into almost a year. This news was found to be very surprising by everyone because it has been so many years since we had a pandemic that affected everyone.
Covid- 19 Reflection, Anonymous
I wrote about what was going through my head and what I want people to know about how it affected me.
COVID-19 Reflection, Anonymous
The COVID-19 Pandemic was one of the most difficult times in recent history for not only the infected, but also the general public. When COVID-19 first became an issue in the United States with schools closing down for two weeks in March of 2020, I was a junior attending a private, all-boys high school. When the school officially closed, we began virtual classes which was a difficult adjustment due to classes being taught on Zoom and the schedules of classes being strangely different. This form of learning was difficult for me personally.
Covid Birthday, Anonymous
Covid 19 was a shock to us all. No one knew what to expect. It was a new way of living for everyone.
Covid Reflection, Anonymous
The Covid-19 pandemic was an unforgettable time in the lives of anybody who had the ability to form memories. It was an absolutely unprecedented event that scared the entire world into locking themselves inside for months at a time to avoid risk of a very dangerous condition that could affect anybody enough to hospitalize them. When many of us who lived through this era think about the pandemic, we can reflect on it as a time when the world stopped moving.
Covid Stress, Anonymous
My COVID-19 experience was definitely something that I will never forget. At the time with me working in the healthcare field, being a CNA. It brought much stress and especially chaos. After coming home from long shifts helping with elderly patients who were sickened by covid, it definitely was hard to see and it took a toll on me.
Family Experience, Anonymous
It started with whispers in the hallway. Hearing rumors from peers that we would have two weeks off from school and then return to share stories from those glorious 14 days. In hindsight, it was naïve to think that Covid-19 would have such little impact on my life, but it eventually struck my family as it did thousands of others.
How Covid Changed School, Anonymous
I would have told you that this is a science-fiction story but it actually happened to me while I was in high school. My experience in high school was just like everyone else’s that I knew. There were good days and bad days. It was a lot like my older sister’s experience in high school until it wasn't due to COVID-19.
How I Want Future Generations to Remember COVID-19, Anonymous
For the future generations, I want them to know that COVID-19 wasn’t just “two weeks off from school”, I want them to know and realize that life was troublesome for many people and families still haven’t recovered years later.
Learning During Covid, Anonymous
This shows how covid effected my education as well as my mental health.
My Brutal Covid Experience, Anonymous
Within weeks, Covid 19 was present in the United States. It affected everyone in the world. Nobody knew what to do at the start of this, and nobody completely knew what was going on.
My Covid Experience, Anonymous
Each person today has had such different covid experiences, in this paragraph I will be going into depth my own covid experience. My sophomore year of high school, I was homeschooled, taking classes at home for months due to several different circumstances.
My Covid Lesson, Anonymous
What was supposed to be a two-week break turned into months of quarantining and not seeing any of my close friends. Covid-19 was hard on many people. During this time, I found who I am on my own.
My Covid Reflection, Anonymous
March 2020 is a year that I will never forget. Covid-19 was becoming more known, but it did not affect my dance team trip. My team and I were in Orlando, Florida for NDA Dance Nationals. I felt so drained and feverish, a sickness I have never had before.
My Covid Travel Experience, Anonymous
When I first heard that we were all getting two weeks off from school because of some weird virus, I was really excited. I didn’t know the severity of it until two weeks turned into three weeks, and three turned into six, and then we were out for the rest of the school year. I didn’t get Covid until the very end of it. I was in Europe on Vacation with my family and I was on a cruise.
Remembering Covid, Anonymous
This is a short reflection on my experience as a firefighter during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Senior Night, Anonymous
This content refelcts on my experience because as the world seemed to be going back to normal, COVID-19 ruined my special night of senior year in 2021 that I looked forward to since being a freshman.
Working At An Assisted Living Facility During Covid, Anonymous
For the past few years, learning how to deal with a pandemic referred to as Covid-19, was an everyday struggle for humankind. The fear of leaving your house to get groceries, or even going to work had people struggling to live the life of what was worry-free. At the very beginning of the pandemic, I was working at my very first job, which was at an assisted living facility. I was a server at the dining hall in the facility and made great connections with some really nice people. In the midst of the first wave of Covid, the facility had to restrict visitors from coming and began taking everyone's temperatures who came into the building. With weeks passing by, and doctors learning more and more about this disease, it was deemed to be the worst for the elderly, which caused the residents to be forced to stay in their rooms all day.
My Account of Covid- 19, Ryan Anonymous
It was March 13, 2020, when the first encounter happened. The Coronavirus was still new to many of us, so we really did not know the true severity that this virus had in store. One morning, during second period, the entire school was called down to the auditorium for an impromptu assembly. With the recent closings of neighboring schools, we were certain that we were the next to close; everyone was ecstatic.
COVID-19's Impact On My Final Two Years of High School, Robert Bevilacqua
This document primarily concerns COVID-19's impact on my final two years of high school (NY) and its repercussions on my academic career.
Submissions from 2022
A Time of Growth and Learning, Anonymous
I spent most of my time reflecting, and I learned to appreciate what I already had and set new goals for myself.
Challenging and Eye-opening, Anonymous
Standing next to us at the store was a man wearing a mask and gloves. Little did I know that that would be my attire for the next year.
Covid Pushed Me to Want to be a Nurse Even More, Anonymous
The biggest adjustment for other High school students as well as myself was switching from in-person to remote learning.
It Was Friday March 13th, Anonymous
The Coronavirus is very similar to both “The Plague” and “The Black Death” in numerous ways. The spread of infection, self-quarantine, travel bans, and lack of a cure, are all qualities that these diseases share.
Life During the COVID-19 Pandemic Was, and Still Is, Dispiriting, Anonymous
For me personally, I did not enjoy quarantining at all. I did enjoy seeing my family every day, however, I was very lonely. I couldn’t see any of my friends, which was very disappointing. Thankfully with social media I could facetime them and text them, but face-to-face contact with other people is very necessary; it is something you wouldn’t normally think is important, but when you are unable to physically be with other people, you realize how lonely you feel.
March to September 2020, Anonymous
Although the pandemic was very negative for almost everyone, my piece focuses on a way to make it not so negative anymore. I explained my personal experience but showed what made the whole situation better for me. This piece was written to talk about the early months of the pandemic which include March to September of 2020.
Class assignment for Western Civilization, Professor Marino.
Quarantine Was Very Productive But Lonely, Anonymous
Class assignment for HI-102-P. No two people’s experiences with Covid-19 are the same, and in February of 2022, it is still a very relevant issue.
The COVID-19 Pandemic: The New Way of Living, Anonymous
The coronavirus came to America in the beginning of the year, 2021. My contribution is based on the virus's peak and how it affected my family. My essay ranges from what life was like as a high school student in New York witnessing the pandemic to my family being exposed. It touches on the important features of being in lockdown and the adjustment society had to make that still exists today. A common theme throughout my assessment is the development of fear from the coronavirus. It discusses how fear has driven many of the restrictions that my community has had to undergo. Lastly, it highlights they key results from the pandemic that are still being enforced a year later.
The Covid Pandemic Primary Source Paper, Anonymous
Class assignment for Western Civilization, Professor Marino.
The Covid pandemic was the first world crisis my generation has lived through and been a part of. Almost every aspect of daily life had changed during the height of the pandemic, and some of these changes will most likely remain forever.
The Day the World Shut Down, Anonymous
If I could tell only one thing to future generations about the hardships of the pandemic, I would tell them that no one thing in life is permanent. Things you could never imagine being temporary can be taken from you in an instant. The pandemic has taught me how to adapt during difficult times.
Covid Experience, Jorge Gracia
My personal experience about the pandemic has been for me a lesson of life from which I was able to learn many things.
Keeping Our Bodies and Minds Healthy is Crucial, Grace Miller
In my history class, I was asked to submit a part of my paper to the archive. The question asked "What would you want future generations to know about what life during the COVID pandemic was like?" I responded my offering my observations during the quarantine followed by what I think could be learned from the patterns I experienced during that time.
As If Time Stopped, Douglas Suter
Class assignment for Professor Marino, Western Civilization. 5 year embargo applies.
Submissions from 2021
2020, A Year to Remember, Anonymous
5 year embargo applies. My reflection touches on the end of my senior year of high school, the uncertainty I felt during the beginning of the pandemic, and difficulties starting college in a pandemic.
A Comprehensive Overview of Recent and Past Pandemics, Anonymous
Class assignment for Professor Marino, Western Civilization HI-102. I felt it was my duty to continue volunteering my time and service as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).
A Different Outlook, Anonymous
Class assignment for Western Civilization. No matter how hard the quarantine phase of the COVID-19 pandemic got we were always grateful for what we had.
An Unexpected Curveball, Anonymous
Class assignment for Western Civilization. Covid-19 impacted our lives in a very direct and prolonged way. The isolation and feelings of detachment due to stay at home orders, social distancing, and mask wearing affected a large part of the population.
Bullied by COVID’s Isolation, Anonymous
Class assignment for Professor Marino, Western Civilization. My content is a self reflection of the obstacles that COVID 19 presented to me, specifically isolation. The time period is from November - January 2020-2021. The location was campus at Sacred Heart University and describes the feeling of being isolated away from the view of a simple human smile that can bring comfort and acceptance to someone. Having the freedom of enjoying the company of others taken away from you.
Covid-19, Anonymous
Class assignment for Western Civilization , HI-102. For me, the only word to describe the pandemic was horrifying. Anyone who had any recollection of the pandemic will say March 13th will forever live in their memory as the day the world changed.
Covid-19, the Coronavirus: It Has Many Names, Anonymous
Class assignment for Western Civilization. A lot of people died, businesses shut down, people had to learn or work at home and students had school online using apps like zoom to participate in class in real time because of the whole nation quarantining itself. Quarantining was probably the worst and yet not the worst part of Covid because no one was able to go anywhere, everyone had to stay home so no hanging out with friends or really any kind of socialization.
COVID-19 Took Something Away From Everyone, Anonymous
Class assignment for Western Civilization. When people talk about COVID 19, the first thing that comes to mind is isolation. Growing up in a culture that is so group-oriented and close, the pandemic was a huge adjustment.
COVID-19, Where Do I Even Begin, Anonymous
Class assignment for Western Civilization. Life was an emotional and mental roller coaster for everyone and I am sure the world was affected by this one way or another. As I sit here and write this out, I can’t help but remember how much I hated COVID-19.
Days Started to Blend Together, Anonymous
5 year embargo applies to this Covid reflection paper. High school felt unfinished. When the time came to make a decision about where I was going to go to school in the fall, I was very conflicted.
Days with Extreme Highs and Lows, Anonymous
This account shares my feelings and certain situations and events specific to those who graduated high school and started college during the pandemic. It also shares some of the common stressors during the beginning of the pandemic and interesting and unexpected situations.
Everything Resembled a Ghost Town, Anonymous
Personal reflection paper. I remember going for a drive and just seeing everything dark with no one around and I couldn’t help but think about how depressing it was to see everything resemble a ghost town.
Living Through Covid-19, Anonymous
Class assignment Western Civilization. 5 year embargo applies. I had my last day of high school without even knowing it. Never getting the opportunity to say goodbye to all my teachers or friends was heartbreaking. These people I grew up with my whole school life I won't get to see until maybe my 10-year reunion.
Missed Out On, To Me, the Best Part of High School, Anonymous
My Covid-19 reflection. Spending time with friends and family, traveling, and just being able to experience life have all been put on pause for who knows how long.
My Covid Story Starts December 20th, Anonymous
Class assignment for Western Civilization. The Covid -19 pandemic was much more than a disease but a complete change of lifestyle for every American including myself. My story with the pandemic that earned 2020s word of the year to be “unprecedented" starts December 20th.
My Personal Covid-19 Experience, Anonymous
Class assignment for Western Civilization. My content is a personal experience, about what went on around me. I just took the time to explain my days leading up to the pandemic, and my days during. What a world of difference a month could make!
Never Take Life For Granted, Anonymous
As someone who has lost a loved one to this virus, I have learned to never waste a minute when I am with my family because you never know if that will be the last time you see them.
No Matter How Tough Life Can Be, You Need to Keep Going, Anonymous
Five year embargo applies. This is a first hand account of my life as a high school student during the years 2020-2021. I go into depth about what the world was like and how I live my life now compared to how I did in years prior. This piece will give future generations insight into what a pandemic is like and how to push through it.
Nothing Short of a Culture Shock, Anonymous
Primary source reflection paper for Western Civilization. We were in uncharted territories with new rules and restrictions. All of these new rules and cancellations happened at once and there was no true way to have been prepared.
Primary Source Reflection, Anonymous
Class assignment Western Civilization 1500 HI-102-N. 5 year embargo applies. During this never-ending time, it has taught me patience, but it has also brought me anger.
Primary Source Reflection #1, Anonymous
Class assignment for Western Civilization. During the time of the pandemic it was a hard time for me because of the new challenges we would have to go through as a country together. the new way of life by having to wear masks, being socially distant from others, and having online learning were just the tip of the iceberg of the pandemic. March 13th 2020 was the last day of in person learning for my junior year and high school and ever since then life took a complete different turn with dealing with the pandemic.
Primary Source Reflection #1, Anonymous
Class assignment for Western Civilization Since 1500 HI-102. Being a teenager going through my most crucial years in a pandemic was not easy; junior and senior year were anything but normal.
Probing The Pandemic Problem, Anonymous
Class assignment for Western Civilization. I struggled to sustain the same love for learning.
Quality Time With My Family Really Warmed My Heart, Anonymous
Quarantine was definitely scary and sad not being able to do our everyday activities but being able to spend quality time with my family really warmed my heart.
Quarantine, But in Florida, Anonymous
Western Civilization primary source reflection. In late February, my classmates were sitting in the back of our AP Government class when our teacher gave us international news updates. He mentioned some ‘Chinese virus’ named Coronavirus that was causing China to go into a nationwide lockdown. We found it more interesting that a virus was named after a beer instead of the actual occurrences.
Quarantine Wasn't As It Seemed, Anonymous
Class assignment for Western Civilization. My paper describes my experience over quarantine. It mentions my adjustment to the crisis.
Self-growth and Self-reflection, Anonymous
Professor Marino assignment, reflection of my own personal experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, and I would want future generations to know about what life during the COVID pandemic was like.
Spoiler Alert: It Got Really Bad, Anonymous
Class assignment for Western Civilization. This is about my personal experience with COVID-19 and all of the different adjustments not only I had to make in my day-to-day, but that everyone had to make. It affected my high school experience and is now affecting (not as much so) my college experience.
The Covid-19 Pandemic Changed the World, Anonymous
What I most want people in the future to understand about the COVID-19 pandemic is how quickly it changed from what everyone thought was a small sickness, into a worldwide pandemic that led to a complete shutdown.
The Day the World Shutdown, Anonymous
Class assignment for Western Civilization. Over that weekend, the concepts of quarantine and social distancing came to life. The pandemic turned into one of the most stressful times over a short period.
The Eye of a Pandemic, Anonymous
Class assignment for Western Civilization. A few days turned into a few weeks, and a few weeks turned into a couple of months. The way we learned had changed. For the first time in decades, we were not allowed to learn in person, but instead online.
Time With Family Is Valuable, Anonymous
What did help me get through this pandemic was running and watching movies. Almost a year into this pandemic, things about my way of life are still the same, but it taught me who my true friends are and that time with family is valuable.
Western Civilization Primary Source Reflection #1, Anonymous
The virus made it to Australia, and eventually, we followed suit and went into a nationwide lockdown.
Will the Virus Continue to Impact the World?, Anonymous
A reflection assignment for Western Civilization: Since 1500 HI-102-N. It was written on 2/24/21 and it talks about my experiences during the pandemic. It is hard to imagine what the young kids are going to grow up with, if this virus continues to impact the world.
Like It Was Just Yesterday, Aidan Anonymous
Class assignment for Western Civilization. I talk about my experiences during the pandemic. For instance, how I got surgery the day before the pandemic started on March 12, 2020. I talk about how we as a society battled the pandemic, and how former Governor Andrew Cuomo also had his battle [with] the pandemic.
The World Flipped Upside Down, Alexander Anonymous
Class assignment for Western Civilization. My paper relates my experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how quickly it can flip the world upside down. The story takes place in Fairfield County, CT in 2020.
Primary Source Reflection #1, Brennan Anonymous
Class assignment for Western Civilization. At this point in time, our generation is still currently living through COVID-19.
The World Had Come to a Pause, Brianna Anonymous
This personal reflection gives information on covid-19 and how hard it was for not only myself but medical staff.
March 13, 2020: Excitement and Anxiety, Caitlin Anonymous
My primary source paper covers my feelings about covid from when it first started, to the midst of the pandemic and my hopes for the future. I also discuss what I learned or gained from experiencing a pandemic.
Disparities in the Country Unfold Before Me, Ella Anonymous
My Covid-19 personal reflection. In some parts of the country, mask mandates were created and followed, yet elsewhere people were packed on beaches without a mask in sight.
Life In a Pandemic, Francesco Anonymous
Class assignment for Western Civilization. My family and I were some of the unfortunate ones as covid affected us considerably. Family members and close friends that were dear to us became sick, and some even passed. My mother's occupation was stolen from her, too, due to the circumstances. These events as a whole left us emotionally and financially damaged.
Pandemics, Jessica Anonymous
Class assignment for Professor Marino, Western Civilization. This explains my experience with covid and how it affected my life and my senior year of high school.
Worst 6 Months of My Life, Nicholas Anonymous
Class assignment for Western Civilization.
SHU Mandatory Weekly Testing, Citlalli Godinez
News article by Citlalli Godinez for the February 17, 2021 issue of The Spectrum.
Mahwah Class of 2020, Jacqueline Paruszek
Class assignment. This lifestyle in the COVID pandemic has become the new normal and it is hard to think about life without masks, social distancing, sweatpants every day, and sanitizing whenever I get the chance.
What It May Be Like After The Chaos, Kassidy Pratt
The paper I wrote reflects on my first hand experiences and thoughts during my senior year with COVID-19. I started with the beginning the pandemic and how hard it was to accept what was happening. Then I move to talk about how I accepted it and learned to live with it in the new "normal."
What Began as a Typical Day in my AP Biology Class, Jessica Romano
Class assignment for Western Civilization. This piece is my experience during Covid-19. March of 2020-September 2021. I live in Northshore, Massachusetts and started as a Junior in high school. 5 year embargo applies.
It Was Worse Than We Thought: Weeks Turned Into Months, Adriana (Rosie) Salsone
Class assignment for Western Civilization. The beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic was a haze for me. I remember it being a similar feeling to when I was living through Hurricane Sandy. At the start of the epidemic, my sister and I went to the grocery store because we were so nervous, we were going to be locked in our house for two weeks. It was worse than we thought.
The Pandemic has been the Hardest Time of My Life, Jessica Zarrilli
Class assignment. 2020 started off as a regular year, we counted down from ten and the clock struck twelve. No one knew what the future would hold.
Submissions from 2020
A Break from the Outside World, Anonymous
I took quarantine as a break from the outside world and used it as a time to work on my mental health. I looked at it as a time to self-reflect and learned to take things day by day.
A Monster No One Had Conquered Before, Anonymous
My experience of the Covid-19 pandemic starting in March 2020 and going through September 2020. It has been a struggle living through this pandemic, but my hope and faith in God has kept me going and will continue to sustain me until we reach the end.
Anything Can Happen Within a Blink of an Eye, Anonymous
This reflects my experience during Covid-19 because it compromised my senior year of high school. Class assignment for Professor Marino, Western Civilization.
A Rollercoaster of Emotions, Anonymous
COVID-19 has been a surreal experience but one that has made me stronger. I am proud of myself and the people in our country who quarantined so that we could save lives.
As Soon as This is All Over, I am Going Back to Paris, Anonymous
My plans for 2020 were much different from how it actually played out. I had plans to study abroad, turn 21, and start my senior year of college. I never expected a worldwide pandemic to ruin it all.
A Time of Uncertainty for All People, Anonymous
Living through a global pandemic is something that I never thought I would have to endure.
5 year embargo applies.
A Time to Remember, Anonymous
COVID has truly been a time to remember. Six months ago, on March 13th the whole world changed. Experiencing a global pandemic first hand has been an experience I will never forget.
A Whole New Lifestyle, Anonymous
I never thought I would ever have to be told to “social distance” from people I call my best friends.
Beyond the Fear, Loneliness, and Confusion, there was Hope and Unity, Anonymous
Beyond the fear, loneliness, and confusion, there was hope, unity within people, and a time to take a break from all that was happening in life and just reflect.
Coronavirus Personal Experience, Anonymous
The document explains how I felt and what I experienced during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Don't Take Anything for Granted, Anonymous
Class assignment for Western Civilization: Since 1500 HI-102. Embargo applied.
This writing reflects my experience during this time because it talks about what I went through as a senior in high school to now as a freshman in college from the day it all started on March 13th to now and how it has changed my life, things I have gone through, and things I would like the kids of the future to know.
Expect the Unexpected, Anonymous
The content shows how Covid affected me and my family and what I want future generations to know.
Experience During COVID-19, Anonymous
This submission from Professor James Bartley was a class assignment from a student who maintained a journal describing her experience working at a hospital during the pandemic.
Friday the 13th of March was the Last School Day of My Senior Year., Anonymous
The Coronavirus pandemic has affected every single person on this planet. Ever since the virus hit the U.S. our way of life has changed and hasn’t gone back to normal. Not only has every single person been affected by the pandemic, but almost every aspect of living has been changed.
Isolation and Quarantine, Anonymous
My Covid experience talks about the day we were moved out to the present.
Life during Covid, Anonymous
Explains what life was like during the COVID 19 pandemic. This was an assignment for Western Civilization.
