Item
Charlotte Botenhagen Oral History, 2021/05/02
Media
Title (Dublin Core)
Charlotte Botenhagen Oral History, 2021/05/02
Description (Dublin Core)
This was an interview from Jennifer Botenhagen who is a preschool teacher living in a tiny mountain town. This interview details her experience adapting to teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recording Date (Dublin Core)
Creator (Dublin Core)
Event Identifier (Dublin Core)
Partner (Dublin Core)
Type (Dublin Core)
audio
Controlled Vocabulary (Dublin Core)
Contributor's Tags (a true folksonomy) (Friend of a Friend)
Collection (Dublin Core)
Date Submitted (Dublin Core)
05/12/2021
Date Modified (Dublin Core)
05/12/2021
04/18/2022
04/29/2022
Date Created (Dublin Core)
05/02/2021
Interviewer (Bibliographic Ontology)
Charlotte Botenhagen
Interviewer Email (Friend of a Friend)
charbote@gmail.com
Interviewee (Bibliographic Ontology)
Jennifer Botenhagen
Location (Omeka Classic)
81430
Placerville
California
United States of America
Format (Dublin Core)
Audio
Language (Dublin Core)
english
Duration (Omeka Classic)
00:28:00
abstract (Bibliographic Ontology)
This was an interview from Jennifer Botenhagen who is a preschool teacher living in a tiny mountain town. This interview details her experience adapting to teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Transcription (Omeka Classic)
Interviewee: Botenhagen Jennifer
Interviewer: Botenhagen, Charlotte
Date: 05-02-2021
Transcribed by Otter.ai, Botenhagen, Charlotte
Edited by: Botenhagen, Charlotte
Byline: This interview was recorded as a part of The Covid 19 Oral History Project, a project of the IUPUI Arts and Humanities Institute associated with The Journal of a Plauge Year: A Covid 19 Archive.
Charlotte Botenhagen 0:00
Okay, we are recording. So, my name is Charlotte Botenhagen and I am here with Jennifer Botenhagen. The date is five, two, 2021. I am located in Washington DC and Ms. Botenhagen is located in Telluride, Colorado. Ms. Botenhagen, I want to briefly review the informed consent and deed of gift document that you signed. This interview is for the COVID-19 Oral History Project, which is associated with the Journal of the plague here, a COVID-19 archive. The COVID-19 Oral History Project is a rapid response oral history focused on archiving the lived experience of the COVID-19 epidemic. We have designed this project so that professional re-researchers and the broader public can create and upload their or-ral histories to our open access and open-source database. This study will help us collect narratives and understandings about COVID-19, as well as help us better understand the impact of the pandemic over time. The recordings demographic information and the verbatim transcripts will be deposited in the Journal of a play gear a COVID-19. Archive, and the Indiana University Library System for the use of researchers and the general public. Do you have any questions about the project that I can answer?
Jennifer Botenhagen 1:26
Um, no. Thank you I'm ready.
Charlotte Botenhagen 1:30
Taking part is voluntary, you may choose not to take part, or you may leave the study at any time. Leaving the study will not result in any penalty or loss of benefits to which you are entitled. Your decision whether or not to participate in this study will not affect your current or future relations with the Indiana University IUPUI or the IUPUI Arts and Humanities Institute. Participating in this project means that your interview will be recorded in digital video and or audio format and may be transcribed. The recordings and possible transcriptions of my interview, copies of any supplementary documents, or additional photos that you wish to share, and the informed consent and deed of gift may be deposited in the Journal of Applied year, a COVID-19 archives and the Indiana University Library System, and will be available to both researchers and the general public. Your name and other means of identification will not be confidential. Do you have any questions?
Jennifer Botenhagen 2:29
Um, no, no questions.
Charlotte Botenhagen 2:32
In addition to your sign document, would you please offer verbal confirmation that you understand and agree to these terms?
Jennifer Botenhagen 2:40
Yes, I understand and agree to all terms.
Charlotte Botenhagen 2:46
Great.
I am also asking that you verbally confirm that you've agreed with your interview-that your interview-will be made available under the following licenses: The Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial share-a-like 4.0 International CC, BYNCSA 4.0. The COVID-19 oral history project the Journal of a plague here a COVID-19 archive and the trustees of Indiana University IU acting through its agent’s employees or Representatives has an unlimited right to reproduce use exhibit display perform broadcast creative derivative works from and distribute the oral history materials in any manner or media now existing or hereafter deployed in perpetuity throughout the world. I agree that the oral history materials may be used by the voices from the waterways and IU including its assigns and transferees for any purpose, including but not limited to marketing, advertising, publicity, or other promotional purposes. I agree that I you will have final editorial authority over the use of oral history material, and I waive any right to inspect or approve of any future use of oral history materials. Moreover, I agree that the public has the right to use the materials under the terms of fair use us copyright law section 170 of the US Copyright Act. So if you could just verbally confirm that-please.
Jennifer Botenhagen 4:09
Um, yes, I confirm ,and I agree.
Charlotte Botenhagen 4:15
Thank you. Okay. And finally, I want to ask for verbal confirmation that you have agreed to that your interview will be made available to the public immediately.
Jennifer Botenhagen 4:24
Um, yes, I agree.
Charlotte Botenhagen 4:26
Okay, great. Then we are done with all that stuff. And we can move on to the interview questions. So, you ready, any last minute, questions or anything like that?
Jennifer Botenhagen 4:37
No, I'm ready.
Charlotte Botenhagen 4:40
Okay, great. Okay, so our first question is, what is your name and what are the primary things that you do on a day-to-day basis so for example, your job your extracurricular activities, etc.\
Jennifer Botenhagen 4:52
My name is Jennifer Botenhagen. I am a preschool teacher; I work full time. For extracurricular, I do a lot of outdoor activities, such as walking, hiking, skiing, gardening.
Charlotte Botenhagen 5:21
Nice. Okay, so, um, where do you live? And what is it like to live there?
Jennifer Botenhagen 5:29
I live in Telluride, Colorado. And it's a very small town in a very rural area, surrounded by national forests and other public lands. So, there's a lot of access to wild areas. And there's not a lot of people here.
Charlotte Botenhagen 5:55
Awesome.
Okay, hold one sec.
When you first learned about COVID-19, what were your thoughts about it? How have your thoughts changed since then?
Jennifer Botenhagen 6:12
Um, yes. When I first learned about COVID, I was very scared and anxious. Um, I think there were a lot of unknowns and that contributed to the fear. Um, since then, I have come to terms with it, and I think I understand more about it, and how to deal with it. And um, so I think I've calmed down a lot since then, and the anxiety has somewhat dissipated.
Charlotte Botenhagen 6:59
Do you remember, like the first time that you heard about it? Because I remember I was in current events class, and we like, talked about it. It's like burned in my brain.
Jennifer Botenhagen 7:18
Um, I remember hearing about it in the news a little bit. But I think when we closed down our town, and we closed our school, and everybody was ordered to go home, that was the most shocking and time and it really hit home. Yeah. Okay,
Charlotte Botenhagen 7:45
Yeah definitely. Uh, ok, so what issues have most concerned you about the covid 19 pandemic?
Jennifer Botenhagen 7:49
Well, both personal issues, as to you know, how it's gonna affect my life, am I going to get sick is going to affect my job, my life, and then broader issues as well, such as, how is it going to affect the economy? How are we going to recover? And concern about how it's going to affect everyone and scariness of the death rate? So, I think all those things are concerning.
Charlotte Botenhagen 8:41
Yeah, definitely. Okay, so now we're going to move into some questions about employment.
So where are you currently employed?
Jennifer Botenhagen 8:53
I'm currently employed by the telluride School District. And I have kept my job with some quarantine and layoff periods during this whole thing. But I have still been getting paid and I have still been working.
Charlotte Botenhagen 9:14
Can you tell me a little bit more about that? Like, how has COVID played out in the school district and tell me a little bit more about those layout periods and how it's worked?
Jennifer Botenhagen 9:24
Yeah, well, I worked in the elementary school and the beginning we all shifted, closed down and prepared to go virtual. We did a lot towards those ends. And as time went on, we really-everyone push to keep the preschool even the lower grades open. The preschool has pretty much opened up again since the fall of 20. And we have managed to keep open, except for times when we've had some positive cases, and we've had to close down periodically and quarantine.
Charlotte Botenhagen 10:22
Right? So, in 2020, how long were you guys closed down? Like when-
Jennifer Botenhagen 10:29
Well, we were down in March, when it all hit, and we stayed closed down for the rest of that school year, and we did conduct virtual classrooms to keep the year going. And then we started up again in the fall with safety measures and in person,
Charlotte Botenhagen 10:56
And you were fully in person in the fall?
Jennifer Botenhagen 10:59
Yes, we were.
Charlotte Botenhagen 11:01
Can you tell me a little bit more about those safety measures and what you guys did?
Jennifer Botenhagen 11:04
Um, of course, we've all been wearing masks, we been super diligent about cleanliness, hand washing, sanitizing. We have super air purifiers in every classroom, and we keep the windows open. We also have implemented testing weekly for the teachers every week, and every other week for the students. So, we've been using the testing to combat the spread, and prevent that.
Charlotte Botenhagen 11:53
Awesome. Um, so how long have you worked for the school district?
Jennifer Botenhagen 11:58
Um, I've worked for the school district for over 10 years now.
Charlotte Botenhagen 12:08
Nice. Okay. So, would you say that COVID-19 changed your employment status at all?
Jennifer Botenhagen 12:13
Um, no, not personally, for me?
Charlotte Botenhagen 12:20
Did it change the employment status of like any teachers that you know?
Jennifer Botenhagen 12:23
Yeah, it did, because a lot of teachers moved around their positions, especially the teachers who were a little bit more at high risk, and so there was some change in the positions so that some individuals could be more virtual. And there was even some hiring’s so that we could have people in person. And then as well as some of the teachers virtual, and the preschool teachers have pretty much remained constant, however. So that has been a difference between preschool and Elementary.
Charlotte Botenhagen 13:24
So how is the rest of the school district dealing with COVID? Are they back in person or how's that different?
Jennifer Botenhagen 13:31
The whole, the whole school district now, through high school, is in person unless you choose to opt out and do virtual, which is possible. There were some periods of hybrid, there was some periods of total virtual for the higher grades to stay safe, but because it's-it's been demonstrated that in person is so important for the younger children, the push has been for in person learning as much as possible for the younger grades, especially through third grade.
Charlotte Botenhagen 14:24
Interesting. Ok that's-that’s good. Thank you. Um, so what concerns Did you or do you have about the effect of COVID-19 on your employment and the economy more broadly?
Jennifer Botenhagen 14:39
I have grave concerns for the economy broadly, I think this is going to change our country immensely. And hopefully, we can make the shift and continue to adjust and recover financial and economically. My situation has been really unchanged financially, and I'm grateful for that. And I, I'm going to continue with my current position in the future.
Charlotte Botenhagen 15:19
Do you think you could elaborate a little bit more and tell me like how you think COVID affected the economy?
Jennifer Botenhagen 15:31
I think it's gonna be hard for some of the lower income families to recover from this. I think they've lost their positions, and it's going to be difficult to find new ones. Some people have lost housing and I think, again, that's going to be a difficult, difficult hurdle to get over for some of these lower income families. I think that the higher income people have managed to shift, they've been able to adjust to going virtual and keep their jobs or find new ones. I'm mostly concerned with the businesses and individuals who have not been able to go virtual and have-have to completely-will have to completely change their lives and employment.
Charlotte Botenhagen 16:42
Right. That's a very good point. Okay, um, so has COVID-19 affected the employment of people that, you know? In what ways?
Jennifer Botenhagen 16:48
Personally, I've seen a lot with families having to struggle with children and helping them do the virtual school. I think that a lot of children have fallen behind because of this, and we're going to have a real struggle to catch up. Parents have, in some cases, lost their jobs, because they can't do both, go to work and take care of their children. There's been a huge gap there. And I'm worried about the children catching up, as well as the parents.
Charlotte Botenhagen 17:41
Yeah, actually, that's a really good point. Can you talk a little bit more about that, like, how you think COVID learning compares to normal learning, especially in the preschool? Like, how's it different?
Jennifer Botenhagen 17:55
It's hard to do virtual and to shift, it's hard for the kids to do that. They can only have so much time on the screen before they get burnout. And I think that without a lot of support at home, kids just aren't able to keep with it. I think they need that support. And they don't necessarily have it at home. So, there's a lot of people slipping through the cracks that way. Kids would have to be super motivated to be able to complete learning this way. And the kids without support, I think are the ones that are going to really suffer.
Charlotte Botenhagen 18:59
Do you think that, now that you guys are back in person and everything, do you feel like that's at the same level as just a normal school year?
Jennifer Botenhagen 19:08
Oh, no, I think kids have lost, and they lost the interactions with their peers, they've lost the social learning they would have been doing if they were all in person interacting. They've, they've lost all that social emotional learning that's so important, especially for the younger children. Our kids have the start and stop has been really hard for them to go and quarantine and then to come back into school and start again, and routine is super important for these children to give them a sense of safety and health, and that has been super hard for them. Kids have anxiety. And I think there's a lot of mental health issues that may be going on with a lot of our kids, even though they can't put it into words. I think- i think we're gonna see a lot of other issues coming up in the years to come.
Charlotte Botenhagen 20:31
How many times have you guys had to start and stop? Like, do you think since this whole thing started?
Jennifer Botenhagen 20:38
We've had four two week quarantines since the fall. Yeah.
Charlotte Botenhagen 20:49
And was that a result of people testing positive?
Jennifer Botenhagen 20:52
Yes, either students or teachers.
Charlotte Botenhagen 21:03
Yeah, got it. I am sorry. I'm sorry, um about the background noise. Um okay. Um, okay. I am so sorry.
(This is where it switches to the second audio file)
Charlotte Botenhagen 0:02
Okay, um, okay, so now we're going to move on to family and household. So how has COVID-19 affected you and your family's day to day activities?
Jennifer Botenhagen 0:19
Of course, we become more isolated and more like, we just insulated, I guess. And we do a lot of things outdoors. Those are our activities. We- I go walking-anything outdoors if we want to interact with other people, I don't meet at restaurants or any other activities anymore. And let's see what else. We got chickens during the pandemic, and we do a lot of gardening things around the house ,in the yard, outside. That's the focus now.
Charlotte Botenhagen 1:36
Yeah. That's awesome. I love that you got chickens. That’s fun. Okay, how are you managing day to day activities in your household?
Jennifer Botenhagen 1:53
Pretty much the same as usual. Nothing's changed there really, except, you know, if we go out, we are very good about coming in and showering and changing our clothes to prevent, you know, spread of disease. I guess things like that, we're more conscious of being clean and sanitary.
Charlotte Botenhagen 2:29
How has the COVID-19 outbreak affected how you associate and communicate with friends and family? In what ways?
Jennifer Botenhagen 2:37
Well, I think I went into that a little bit like, my friends and I always get together in some outdoor setting, if we're going to get together in just groups of two usually. And no big group situations. Face Time and zoom have become technologies we use to communicate with people who weren't here.
Charlotte Botenhagen 3:18
Okay, great. What have been the biggest challenges that you've faced during the covid 19? outbreak?
Jennifer Botenhagen 3:30
Um, I guess, I guess being isolated from friends and family. And that's been difficult. And I think that's the most difficult thing and not being able to see our relatives..
Charlotte Botenhagen 4:01
Uh huh. Yeah. Okay, what have you, your family, friends, done for recreation during COVID-19? So, please feel free to include details about like shows, games, books, anything?
Jennifer Botenhagen 4:23
Yeah. I think I've-I've mentioned that we have shifted to outdoor activities. And you know, we won't, we may talk about movies we've seen we may recommend things we may recommend books and try to read some of those same things but nothing together. It's all separate activities.
Charlotte Botenhagen 4:52
What has been your favorite activity that you started doing since COVID started?
Jennifer Botenhagen 5:01
I think the favorite thing is the chickens. It's really brightened our life around here, and chickens are just so entertaining. Every day I spend time with my chickens they’re a delight! Plus, the free eggs.
Charlotte Botenhagen 5:22
Yeah! How many of you have?
Jennifer Botenhagen 5:26
We have four right now. And they're all hens and they lay eggs.
Charlotte Botenhagen 5:34
That's awesome. Okay, so let's move on to community. So how has the covid 19 outbreak affected your community? So, you know, you can talk about many aspects, school, club, church, you know, any community that you're a part of?
Jennifer Botenhagen 6:06
Um, well, of course, it's greatly affected our community in many ways. From shutting down all of our community events. Telluride has a lot of events throughout the year, and people come from all over the world, to our festivals, our film festivals, our music festivals, our art festivals, and all of those things, wine and food festivals have been shut down. Telluride is a tourist town. It has gravely impacted our economy. And in so many ways, and it's affected the school, the graduating classes, all of the sports activities of the school have been shut down. And it's just I can't think of one aspect of the community that hasn't been affected by this. Right.
Charlotte Botenhagen 7:28
Right, it's very impactful. So I know that telluride has a ski resort. And can you tell me how they've changed things-if they've changed things-to make it more COVID safe? Or just how it's impacted the ski area?
Jennifer Botenhagen 7:50
Um, yeah, they did manage to open this past winter.
Charlotte Botenhagen 7:55
Did they close it all?
Jennifer Botenhagen 7:57
They closed last spring. And yeah, they closed early. And that affected everyone who work there. All the people that of course it made plans to come and ski. But yeah, this last winter, they have been open in a limited capacity. They've been trying to social distance. If you're-the lifts, you cannot ride with people outside of your family on the lift. So there have been lift lines. They sell a certain number of tickets every day, that's limited. And group size-lessons are limited. All of that, but thankfully, they have opened up for this past winter. And I'm sure again next winter.
Charlotte Botenhagen 8:55
Do you think you've had less people as a result in the community? Like less-
Unknown Speaker 9:00
Oh, yes, definitely.
Charlotte Botenhagen 9:05
-tourists? Interesting. Okay. So how are people around you responding to the covid 19 pandemic?
Jennifer Botenhagen 9:19
Um, I think there's a range of responses. And most people are very responsible and respectful and trying to get through this as best we can. I think there are some people like everywhere that don't want to comply with the rules and regulations. But for the most part, I think people are stepping up. There's been a lot of community support. For, for affected businesses and individuals. And for the most part, I think the community has come together in a positive way to deal with this.
Charlotte Botenhagen 10:18
That's good to hear. So, have you seen the people around you change their opinions, day to day activities or relationships in response to the pandemic?
Jennifer Botenhagen 10:33
Yeah, I think things change on a daily basis. And I think, you know, hopefully, everyone has become more flexible as we needed to become to deal with this. And I think that's sort of become a key word, well take one day at a time, be flexible and adjust. And I think for the most part people have.
Charlotte Botenhagen 11:02
So safe self isolation, and flattening the curve have been two key ideas that have emerged during the pandemic. How have you, your family, friends, and community responded to the request to self isolate and flatten the curve?
Jennifer Botenhagen 11:18
I personally have had to do it. And I know a lot of people that have, and we've all done what’s necessary to, to flatten the curve and keep it from spreading.
Charlotte Botenhagen11:39
Um, yeah.
Jennifer Botenhagen 11:44
And I think our community has shown that this works. And gradually over time with these measures, we have a low incidence rate right now, and I think a lot of these measures are working.
Charlotte Botenhagen 12:05
That's good to hear. Um, okay, how's COVID-19 changed your relationships with family, friends, community? In what ways?
Jennifer Botenhagen 12:22
I think maybe it's made me value my family, friends and community more, because when you can't see them and interact with them, you appreciate them more? And maybe that's how it's affected that for me.
Charlotte Botenhagen 12:47
Okay, great. So, our next section is health. So, um, have you or anyone, you know, gotten sick during the covid 19 outbreak? What has been your response and experience to this sickness?
Jennifer Botenhagen 13:08
Yeah, I've known people who have gotten sick. Most of my friends have had light cases. And it's been really lucky for me, and the people that I've known.
Charlotte Botenhagen 13:27
Was that people from the school district or just your personal life?
Jennifer Botenhagen 13:35
Both yeah, both, but I haven't known anyone personally, who's gotten really sick so, I've been lucky.
Charlotte Botenhagen 13:47
That's good to hear. Okay, cool. So, in what ways do you think that COVID-19 is affecting people's mental and or physical health?
Jennifer Botenhagen 13:59
I don't know. I think there's a lot of anxiety. And I see-I see that affecting people. There might be-some people are becoming physically healthier because they're going out every day and doing exercise outside. So, there's that and other people maybe are eating more, drinking more, and that may be affecting their health, so I guess it just depends.
Charlotte Botenhagen 14:37
Gotcha. Okay. Okay, so now we're on to information. So, what have been your primary sources of news during the pandemic?
Jennifer Botenhagen 14:58
Um, I get new Online. I've also get local news from our county and the county health department. I follow that pretty closely. Yeah, I think that's it.
Charlotte Botenhagen 15:20
Gotcha. What-oh sorry-have your new sources changed during the course of the pandemic?
Jennifer Botenhagen 15:32
Oh, not really. I may be more tuned into the internet than I was before, watching the news a little bit more closely.
Charlotte Botenhagen 15:51
And what do you think are important issues that the media maybe is or isn't covering?
Jennifer Botenhagen 16:01
Um, I don't know. I think all the issues are out there if you look for him, so, I can't think of any.
Charlotte Botenhagen 16:15
Gotcha. Okay. Okay, so now we are on to the big picture. So, has your experience transformed how you think about your family, friends and community? In what ways?
Jennifer Botenhagen 16:36
I think we're all interconnected. And it's important to keep that in mind. I know how important my family and friends are and will always find a way to connect with them, no matter what whether we have to shift our method of connecting. It's important to do so.
Charlotte Botenhagen 17:15
Ok good. So are you planning on or have you been vaccinated?
Jennifer Botenhagen17:24
Oh, yes, I have been vaccinated.
Charlotte Botenhagen 17:28
Nice. And has that changed your view on day-to-day activities? Or the pandemic in general?
Jennifer Botenhagen 17:40
Yeah, I think I've lightened up a little bit. I'm not so anxious about contacting the COVID. So, I feel like I can go out and in public a little bit more.
Charlotte Botenhagen 18:05
How does this pandemic compared to other big events that have happened in your lifetime?
Jennifer Botenhagen 18:15
It's hard to compare. I don't think there-there's anything to compare this to.
Charlotte Botenhagen 18:26
I've heard like some people compare it to 911. And just like, because I'm like, in college right now, and I was born after 911, and people have been like, ‘Oh, this is going to be your 911. Like, this is going to be your big event that changes everything.’ Because I know, like airport security got tighter, and everything.
Jennifer Botenhagen 18:53
But, you know, they're both big events that changed our society. But I think this is changed our society in so much of a broader way. And it's impacted every aspect of our lives. And we've changed so much. I think it's, it's even, it's a much bigger impact, I think.
Charlotte Botenhagen 19:21
Yeah, I mean, this is just, it's worldwide, it's global, too. So, it's, I feel like -And it's, you can't escape it. Um, what can you imagine your life being like any year?
Jennifer Botenhagen 19:43
I hope that things will relax even more, I hope to be able to travel more, do some more public activities like just go out to a restaurant and you know, or a movie. Things like that, that we took for granted before. Yeah, looking forward to doing those kinds of things.
Charlotte Botenhagen 20:14
I'm looking forward to seeing family and like traveling to other relatives, once people get vaccinated.
Jennifer Botenhagen 20:24
Sure. Yeah
Charlotte Botenhagen 20:25
What do you hope your life is like in a year?
Jennifer Botenhagen 20:34
I hope that things will go back to more of a normal. I hope school will be in person for all grades and ages. I think it's so important. I don't think Virtual School is something we can sustain. I just really don't, I think we need to be in person, I hope we won't be wearing masks, especially for us in preschool. The masks are detrimental to being able to develop language and understand and also to, for the children to be able to see expression and-and mouth arrangement for speech. All these things. I really don't want us to be wearing masks in the future. And I hope that goes away.
Charlotte Botenhagen 21:54
Right? Yeah. Like little kids learning, facial expressions and like happy and sad. Yeah, that's hard. Okay, knowing what you know, now, what do you think that individuals, communities, or governments need to keep in mind for the future?
Jennifer Botenhagen 22:24
Obviously, that this can happen again. Um, and I think we need to be more prepared for that. We need to have more of a global, even response, certainly country wide. For the safety of all, I think it can't be left to the individual that we need to be able to look to our leaders for guidance.
Charlotte Botenhagen 23:03
Yeah, that's good. Okay, um, so we're getting, we're getting there. Okay, government. So how have municipal leaders and government officials in your community responded to the outbreak?
Jennifer Botenhagen 23:22
Our county is small, and they have had an awesome response. It's been it's been connected between the agencies in our community, and the outreach has been incredible. I think they've done a super job in our county and the vaccination process has gone very smoothly. I think, you know, one thing that's helped us is we are a small community.
Charlotte Botenhagen 24:00
How many people- how many people do you have? in Telluride?
Jennifer Botenhagen 24:07
We have 2000 permanent residents.
Charlotte Botenhagen 24:11
Wow. Okay, that is tiny Okay. Um, okay. Do you have any thoughts on how local state or federal leaders are responding to this crisis differently?
Jennifer Botenhagen 24:26
Yeah, I just think it's, it varies so much, from county to county, state to state, I think. I think that's where we need to get better in the future with our communication and our direction. I think it needs to be coordinated more to be effective.
Charlotte Botenhagen 25:02
Gotcha. Okay, so we're to our last section closure, dash, big picture. So, um, when you first learned about COVID-19, what were your thoughts about it? And how have your thoughts changed since then?
Jennifer Botenhagen 25:28
From anxiety and fear, to acceptance and sort of reality, and hope.
Charlotte Botenhagen 25:56
And then what issues have most concerned you about the covid 19 pandemic?
Jennifer Botenhagen 26:12
Of course, just the severity in some individuals, the unknowns about how it's going to play out how, you know, it can affect us down the road, we don't know what the long, long term effects are of the disease. We don't know what the long-term effects are of the vaccination. I think the unknowns are scary.
Charlotte Botenhagen 26:54
Good. Okay. So that's kind of where we're going to end. So, is there anything else that like, maybe I didn't ask you, that you want to throw in here or just any final thoughts? Anything you want to add?
Jennifer Botenhagen 27:18
Um, no. No, I can't think of anything.
Charlotte Botenhagen 27:23
And then the last thing is, do you know somebody from whom you think we should request an interview? And if so, would you be willing to make an introduction? If you think of anyone, you can always shoot me an email, but-
Jennifer Botenhagen 27:42
Okay, all let me think about that. Okay.
Charlotte Botenhagen 27:46
Well, thank you so much for doing this with me. I enjoyed talking to you.
Jennifer Botenhagen 27:53
Thank you. Okay. luck with your future studies.
Charlotte Botenhagen 28:00
Thank you.
Interviewer: Botenhagen, Charlotte
Date: 05-02-2021
Transcribed by Otter.ai, Botenhagen, Charlotte
Edited by: Botenhagen, Charlotte
Byline: This interview was recorded as a part of The Covid 19 Oral History Project, a project of the IUPUI Arts and Humanities Institute associated with The Journal of a Plauge Year: A Covid 19 Archive.
Charlotte Botenhagen 0:00
Okay, we are recording. So, my name is Charlotte Botenhagen and I am here with Jennifer Botenhagen. The date is five, two, 2021. I am located in Washington DC and Ms. Botenhagen is located in Telluride, Colorado. Ms. Botenhagen, I want to briefly review the informed consent and deed of gift document that you signed. This interview is for the COVID-19 Oral History Project, which is associated with the Journal of the plague here, a COVID-19 archive. The COVID-19 Oral History Project is a rapid response oral history focused on archiving the lived experience of the COVID-19 epidemic. We have designed this project so that professional re-researchers and the broader public can create and upload their or-ral histories to our open access and open-source database. This study will help us collect narratives and understandings about COVID-19, as well as help us better understand the impact of the pandemic over time. The recordings demographic information and the verbatim transcripts will be deposited in the Journal of a play gear a COVID-19. Archive, and the Indiana University Library System for the use of researchers and the general public. Do you have any questions about the project that I can answer?
Jennifer Botenhagen 1:26
Um, no. Thank you I'm ready.
Charlotte Botenhagen 1:30
Taking part is voluntary, you may choose not to take part, or you may leave the study at any time. Leaving the study will not result in any penalty or loss of benefits to which you are entitled. Your decision whether or not to participate in this study will not affect your current or future relations with the Indiana University IUPUI or the IUPUI Arts and Humanities Institute. Participating in this project means that your interview will be recorded in digital video and or audio format and may be transcribed. The recordings and possible transcriptions of my interview, copies of any supplementary documents, or additional photos that you wish to share, and the informed consent and deed of gift may be deposited in the Journal of Applied year, a COVID-19 archives and the Indiana University Library System, and will be available to both researchers and the general public. Your name and other means of identification will not be confidential. Do you have any questions?
Jennifer Botenhagen 2:29
Um, no, no questions.
Charlotte Botenhagen 2:32
In addition to your sign document, would you please offer verbal confirmation that you understand and agree to these terms?
Jennifer Botenhagen 2:40
Yes, I understand and agree to all terms.
Charlotte Botenhagen 2:46
Great.
I am also asking that you verbally confirm that you've agreed with your interview-that your interview-will be made available under the following licenses: The Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial share-a-like 4.0 International CC, BYNCSA 4.0. The COVID-19 oral history project the Journal of a plague here a COVID-19 archive and the trustees of Indiana University IU acting through its agent’s employees or Representatives has an unlimited right to reproduce use exhibit display perform broadcast creative derivative works from and distribute the oral history materials in any manner or media now existing or hereafter deployed in perpetuity throughout the world. I agree that the oral history materials may be used by the voices from the waterways and IU including its assigns and transferees for any purpose, including but not limited to marketing, advertising, publicity, or other promotional purposes. I agree that I you will have final editorial authority over the use of oral history material, and I waive any right to inspect or approve of any future use of oral history materials. Moreover, I agree that the public has the right to use the materials under the terms of fair use us copyright law section 170 of the US Copyright Act. So if you could just verbally confirm that-please.
Jennifer Botenhagen 4:09
Um, yes, I confirm ,and I agree.
Charlotte Botenhagen 4:15
Thank you. Okay. And finally, I want to ask for verbal confirmation that you have agreed to that your interview will be made available to the public immediately.
Jennifer Botenhagen 4:24
Um, yes, I agree.
Charlotte Botenhagen 4:26
Okay, great. Then we are done with all that stuff. And we can move on to the interview questions. So, you ready, any last minute, questions or anything like that?
Jennifer Botenhagen 4:37
No, I'm ready.
Charlotte Botenhagen 4:40
Okay, great. Okay, so our first question is, what is your name and what are the primary things that you do on a day-to-day basis so for example, your job your extracurricular activities, etc.\
Jennifer Botenhagen 4:52
My name is Jennifer Botenhagen. I am a preschool teacher; I work full time. For extracurricular, I do a lot of outdoor activities, such as walking, hiking, skiing, gardening.
Charlotte Botenhagen 5:21
Nice. Okay, so, um, where do you live? And what is it like to live there?
Jennifer Botenhagen 5:29
I live in Telluride, Colorado. And it's a very small town in a very rural area, surrounded by national forests and other public lands. So, there's a lot of access to wild areas. And there's not a lot of people here.
Charlotte Botenhagen 5:55
Awesome.
Okay, hold one sec.
When you first learned about COVID-19, what were your thoughts about it? How have your thoughts changed since then?
Jennifer Botenhagen 6:12
Um, yes. When I first learned about COVID, I was very scared and anxious. Um, I think there were a lot of unknowns and that contributed to the fear. Um, since then, I have come to terms with it, and I think I understand more about it, and how to deal with it. And um, so I think I've calmed down a lot since then, and the anxiety has somewhat dissipated.
Charlotte Botenhagen 6:59
Do you remember, like the first time that you heard about it? Because I remember I was in current events class, and we like, talked about it. It's like burned in my brain.
Jennifer Botenhagen 7:18
Um, I remember hearing about it in the news a little bit. But I think when we closed down our town, and we closed our school, and everybody was ordered to go home, that was the most shocking and time and it really hit home. Yeah. Okay,
Charlotte Botenhagen 7:45
Yeah definitely. Uh, ok, so what issues have most concerned you about the covid 19 pandemic?
Jennifer Botenhagen 7:49
Well, both personal issues, as to you know, how it's gonna affect my life, am I going to get sick is going to affect my job, my life, and then broader issues as well, such as, how is it going to affect the economy? How are we going to recover? And concern about how it's going to affect everyone and scariness of the death rate? So, I think all those things are concerning.
Charlotte Botenhagen 8:41
Yeah, definitely. Okay, so now we're going to move into some questions about employment.
So where are you currently employed?
Jennifer Botenhagen 8:53
I'm currently employed by the telluride School District. And I have kept my job with some quarantine and layoff periods during this whole thing. But I have still been getting paid and I have still been working.
Charlotte Botenhagen 9:14
Can you tell me a little bit more about that? Like, how has COVID played out in the school district and tell me a little bit more about those layout periods and how it's worked?
Jennifer Botenhagen 9:24
Yeah, well, I worked in the elementary school and the beginning we all shifted, closed down and prepared to go virtual. We did a lot towards those ends. And as time went on, we really-everyone push to keep the preschool even the lower grades open. The preschool has pretty much opened up again since the fall of 20. And we have managed to keep open, except for times when we've had some positive cases, and we've had to close down periodically and quarantine.
Charlotte Botenhagen 10:22
Right? So, in 2020, how long were you guys closed down? Like when-
Jennifer Botenhagen 10:29
Well, we were down in March, when it all hit, and we stayed closed down for the rest of that school year, and we did conduct virtual classrooms to keep the year going. And then we started up again in the fall with safety measures and in person,
Charlotte Botenhagen 10:56
And you were fully in person in the fall?
Jennifer Botenhagen 10:59
Yes, we were.
Charlotte Botenhagen 11:01
Can you tell me a little bit more about those safety measures and what you guys did?
Jennifer Botenhagen 11:04
Um, of course, we've all been wearing masks, we been super diligent about cleanliness, hand washing, sanitizing. We have super air purifiers in every classroom, and we keep the windows open. We also have implemented testing weekly for the teachers every week, and every other week for the students. So, we've been using the testing to combat the spread, and prevent that.
Charlotte Botenhagen 11:53
Awesome. Um, so how long have you worked for the school district?
Jennifer Botenhagen 11:58
Um, I've worked for the school district for over 10 years now.
Charlotte Botenhagen 12:08
Nice. Okay. So, would you say that COVID-19 changed your employment status at all?
Jennifer Botenhagen 12:13
Um, no, not personally, for me?
Charlotte Botenhagen 12:20
Did it change the employment status of like any teachers that you know?
Jennifer Botenhagen 12:23
Yeah, it did, because a lot of teachers moved around their positions, especially the teachers who were a little bit more at high risk, and so there was some change in the positions so that some individuals could be more virtual. And there was even some hiring’s so that we could have people in person. And then as well as some of the teachers virtual, and the preschool teachers have pretty much remained constant, however. So that has been a difference between preschool and Elementary.
Charlotte Botenhagen 13:24
So how is the rest of the school district dealing with COVID? Are they back in person or how's that different?
Jennifer Botenhagen 13:31
The whole, the whole school district now, through high school, is in person unless you choose to opt out and do virtual, which is possible. There were some periods of hybrid, there was some periods of total virtual for the higher grades to stay safe, but because it's-it's been demonstrated that in person is so important for the younger children, the push has been for in person learning as much as possible for the younger grades, especially through third grade.
Charlotte Botenhagen 14:24
Interesting. Ok that's-that’s good. Thank you. Um, so what concerns Did you or do you have about the effect of COVID-19 on your employment and the economy more broadly?
Jennifer Botenhagen 14:39
I have grave concerns for the economy broadly, I think this is going to change our country immensely. And hopefully, we can make the shift and continue to adjust and recover financial and economically. My situation has been really unchanged financially, and I'm grateful for that. And I, I'm going to continue with my current position in the future.
Charlotte Botenhagen 15:19
Do you think you could elaborate a little bit more and tell me like how you think COVID affected the economy?
Jennifer Botenhagen 15:31
I think it's gonna be hard for some of the lower income families to recover from this. I think they've lost their positions, and it's going to be difficult to find new ones. Some people have lost housing and I think, again, that's going to be a difficult, difficult hurdle to get over for some of these lower income families. I think that the higher income people have managed to shift, they've been able to adjust to going virtual and keep their jobs or find new ones. I'm mostly concerned with the businesses and individuals who have not been able to go virtual and have-have to completely-will have to completely change their lives and employment.
Charlotte Botenhagen 16:42
Right. That's a very good point. Okay, um, so has COVID-19 affected the employment of people that, you know? In what ways?
Jennifer Botenhagen 16:48
Personally, I've seen a lot with families having to struggle with children and helping them do the virtual school. I think that a lot of children have fallen behind because of this, and we're going to have a real struggle to catch up. Parents have, in some cases, lost their jobs, because they can't do both, go to work and take care of their children. There's been a huge gap there. And I'm worried about the children catching up, as well as the parents.
Charlotte Botenhagen 17:41
Yeah, actually, that's a really good point. Can you talk a little bit more about that, like, how you think COVID learning compares to normal learning, especially in the preschool? Like, how's it different?
Jennifer Botenhagen 17:55
It's hard to do virtual and to shift, it's hard for the kids to do that. They can only have so much time on the screen before they get burnout. And I think that without a lot of support at home, kids just aren't able to keep with it. I think they need that support. And they don't necessarily have it at home. So, there's a lot of people slipping through the cracks that way. Kids would have to be super motivated to be able to complete learning this way. And the kids without support, I think are the ones that are going to really suffer.
Charlotte Botenhagen 18:59
Do you think that, now that you guys are back in person and everything, do you feel like that's at the same level as just a normal school year?
Jennifer Botenhagen 19:08
Oh, no, I think kids have lost, and they lost the interactions with their peers, they've lost the social learning they would have been doing if they were all in person interacting. They've, they've lost all that social emotional learning that's so important, especially for the younger children. Our kids have the start and stop has been really hard for them to go and quarantine and then to come back into school and start again, and routine is super important for these children to give them a sense of safety and health, and that has been super hard for them. Kids have anxiety. And I think there's a lot of mental health issues that may be going on with a lot of our kids, even though they can't put it into words. I think- i think we're gonna see a lot of other issues coming up in the years to come.
Charlotte Botenhagen 20:31
How many times have you guys had to start and stop? Like, do you think since this whole thing started?
Jennifer Botenhagen 20:38
We've had four two week quarantines since the fall. Yeah.
Charlotte Botenhagen 20:49
And was that a result of people testing positive?
Jennifer Botenhagen 20:52
Yes, either students or teachers.
Charlotte Botenhagen 21:03
Yeah, got it. I am sorry. I'm sorry, um about the background noise. Um okay. Um, okay. I am so sorry.
(This is where it switches to the second audio file)
Charlotte Botenhagen 0:02
Okay, um, okay, so now we're going to move on to family and household. So how has COVID-19 affected you and your family's day to day activities?
Jennifer Botenhagen 0:19
Of course, we become more isolated and more like, we just insulated, I guess. And we do a lot of things outdoors. Those are our activities. We- I go walking-anything outdoors if we want to interact with other people, I don't meet at restaurants or any other activities anymore. And let's see what else. We got chickens during the pandemic, and we do a lot of gardening things around the house ,in the yard, outside. That's the focus now.
Charlotte Botenhagen 1:36
Yeah. That's awesome. I love that you got chickens. That’s fun. Okay, how are you managing day to day activities in your household?
Jennifer Botenhagen 1:53
Pretty much the same as usual. Nothing's changed there really, except, you know, if we go out, we are very good about coming in and showering and changing our clothes to prevent, you know, spread of disease. I guess things like that, we're more conscious of being clean and sanitary.
Charlotte Botenhagen 2:29
How has the COVID-19 outbreak affected how you associate and communicate with friends and family? In what ways?
Jennifer Botenhagen 2:37
Well, I think I went into that a little bit like, my friends and I always get together in some outdoor setting, if we're going to get together in just groups of two usually. And no big group situations. Face Time and zoom have become technologies we use to communicate with people who weren't here.
Charlotte Botenhagen 3:18
Okay, great. What have been the biggest challenges that you've faced during the covid 19? outbreak?
Jennifer Botenhagen 3:30
Um, I guess, I guess being isolated from friends and family. And that's been difficult. And I think that's the most difficult thing and not being able to see our relatives..
Charlotte Botenhagen 4:01
Uh huh. Yeah. Okay, what have you, your family, friends, done for recreation during COVID-19? So, please feel free to include details about like shows, games, books, anything?
Jennifer Botenhagen 4:23
Yeah. I think I've-I've mentioned that we have shifted to outdoor activities. And you know, we won't, we may talk about movies we've seen we may recommend things we may recommend books and try to read some of those same things but nothing together. It's all separate activities.
Charlotte Botenhagen 4:52
What has been your favorite activity that you started doing since COVID started?
Jennifer Botenhagen 5:01
I think the favorite thing is the chickens. It's really brightened our life around here, and chickens are just so entertaining. Every day I spend time with my chickens they’re a delight! Plus, the free eggs.
Charlotte Botenhagen 5:22
Yeah! How many of you have?
Jennifer Botenhagen 5:26
We have four right now. And they're all hens and they lay eggs.
Charlotte Botenhagen 5:34
That's awesome. Okay, so let's move on to community. So how has the covid 19 outbreak affected your community? So, you know, you can talk about many aspects, school, club, church, you know, any community that you're a part of?
Jennifer Botenhagen 6:06
Um, well, of course, it's greatly affected our community in many ways. From shutting down all of our community events. Telluride has a lot of events throughout the year, and people come from all over the world, to our festivals, our film festivals, our music festivals, our art festivals, and all of those things, wine and food festivals have been shut down. Telluride is a tourist town. It has gravely impacted our economy. And in so many ways, and it's affected the school, the graduating classes, all of the sports activities of the school have been shut down. And it's just I can't think of one aspect of the community that hasn't been affected by this. Right.
Charlotte Botenhagen 7:28
Right, it's very impactful. So I know that telluride has a ski resort. And can you tell me how they've changed things-if they've changed things-to make it more COVID safe? Or just how it's impacted the ski area?
Jennifer Botenhagen 7:50
Um, yeah, they did manage to open this past winter.
Charlotte Botenhagen 7:55
Did they close it all?
Jennifer Botenhagen 7:57
They closed last spring. And yeah, they closed early. And that affected everyone who work there. All the people that of course it made plans to come and ski. But yeah, this last winter, they have been open in a limited capacity. They've been trying to social distance. If you're-the lifts, you cannot ride with people outside of your family on the lift. So there have been lift lines. They sell a certain number of tickets every day, that's limited. And group size-lessons are limited. All of that, but thankfully, they have opened up for this past winter. And I'm sure again next winter.
Charlotte Botenhagen 8:55
Do you think you've had less people as a result in the community? Like less-
Unknown Speaker 9:00
Oh, yes, definitely.
Charlotte Botenhagen 9:05
-tourists? Interesting. Okay. So how are people around you responding to the covid 19 pandemic?
Jennifer Botenhagen 9:19
Um, I think there's a range of responses. And most people are very responsible and respectful and trying to get through this as best we can. I think there are some people like everywhere that don't want to comply with the rules and regulations. But for the most part, I think people are stepping up. There's been a lot of community support. For, for affected businesses and individuals. And for the most part, I think the community has come together in a positive way to deal with this.
Charlotte Botenhagen 10:18
That's good to hear. So, have you seen the people around you change their opinions, day to day activities or relationships in response to the pandemic?
Jennifer Botenhagen 10:33
Yeah, I think things change on a daily basis. And I think, you know, hopefully, everyone has become more flexible as we needed to become to deal with this. And I think that's sort of become a key word, well take one day at a time, be flexible and adjust. And I think for the most part people have.
Charlotte Botenhagen 11:02
So safe self isolation, and flattening the curve have been two key ideas that have emerged during the pandemic. How have you, your family, friends, and community responded to the request to self isolate and flatten the curve?
Jennifer Botenhagen 11:18
I personally have had to do it. And I know a lot of people that have, and we've all done what’s necessary to, to flatten the curve and keep it from spreading.
Charlotte Botenhagen11:39
Um, yeah.
Jennifer Botenhagen 11:44
And I think our community has shown that this works. And gradually over time with these measures, we have a low incidence rate right now, and I think a lot of these measures are working.
Charlotte Botenhagen 12:05
That's good to hear. Um, okay, how's COVID-19 changed your relationships with family, friends, community? In what ways?
Jennifer Botenhagen 12:22
I think maybe it's made me value my family, friends and community more, because when you can't see them and interact with them, you appreciate them more? And maybe that's how it's affected that for me.
Charlotte Botenhagen 12:47
Okay, great. So, our next section is health. So, um, have you or anyone, you know, gotten sick during the covid 19 outbreak? What has been your response and experience to this sickness?
Jennifer Botenhagen 13:08
Yeah, I've known people who have gotten sick. Most of my friends have had light cases. And it's been really lucky for me, and the people that I've known.
Charlotte Botenhagen 13:27
Was that people from the school district or just your personal life?
Jennifer Botenhagen 13:35
Both yeah, both, but I haven't known anyone personally, who's gotten really sick so, I've been lucky.
Charlotte Botenhagen 13:47
That's good to hear. Okay, cool. So, in what ways do you think that COVID-19 is affecting people's mental and or physical health?
Jennifer Botenhagen 13:59
I don't know. I think there's a lot of anxiety. And I see-I see that affecting people. There might be-some people are becoming physically healthier because they're going out every day and doing exercise outside. So, there's that and other people maybe are eating more, drinking more, and that may be affecting their health, so I guess it just depends.
Charlotte Botenhagen 14:37
Gotcha. Okay. Okay, so now we're on to information. So, what have been your primary sources of news during the pandemic?
Jennifer Botenhagen 14:58
Um, I get new Online. I've also get local news from our county and the county health department. I follow that pretty closely. Yeah, I think that's it.
Charlotte Botenhagen 15:20
Gotcha. What-oh sorry-have your new sources changed during the course of the pandemic?
Jennifer Botenhagen 15:32
Oh, not really. I may be more tuned into the internet than I was before, watching the news a little bit more closely.
Charlotte Botenhagen 15:51
And what do you think are important issues that the media maybe is or isn't covering?
Jennifer Botenhagen 16:01
Um, I don't know. I think all the issues are out there if you look for him, so, I can't think of any.
Charlotte Botenhagen 16:15
Gotcha. Okay. Okay, so now we are on to the big picture. So, has your experience transformed how you think about your family, friends and community? In what ways?
Jennifer Botenhagen 16:36
I think we're all interconnected. And it's important to keep that in mind. I know how important my family and friends are and will always find a way to connect with them, no matter what whether we have to shift our method of connecting. It's important to do so.
Charlotte Botenhagen 17:15
Ok good. So are you planning on or have you been vaccinated?
Jennifer Botenhagen17:24
Oh, yes, I have been vaccinated.
Charlotte Botenhagen 17:28
Nice. And has that changed your view on day-to-day activities? Or the pandemic in general?
Jennifer Botenhagen 17:40
Yeah, I think I've lightened up a little bit. I'm not so anxious about contacting the COVID. So, I feel like I can go out and in public a little bit more.
Charlotte Botenhagen 18:05
How does this pandemic compared to other big events that have happened in your lifetime?
Jennifer Botenhagen 18:15
It's hard to compare. I don't think there-there's anything to compare this to.
Charlotte Botenhagen 18:26
I've heard like some people compare it to 911. And just like, because I'm like, in college right now, and I was born after 911, and people have been like, ‘Oh, this is going to be your 911. Like, this is going to be your big event that changes everything.’ Because I know, like airport security got tighter, and everything.
Jennifer Botenhagen 18:53
But, you know, they're both big events that changed our society. But I think this is changed our society in so much of a broader way. And it's impacted every aspect of our lives. And we've changed so much. I think it's, it's even, it's a much bigger impact, I think.
Charlotte Botenhagen 19:21
Yeah, I mean, this is just, it's worldwide, it's global, too. So, it's, I feel like -And it's, you can't escape it. Um, what can you imagine your life being like any year?
Jennifer Botenhagen 19:43
I hope that things will relax even more, I hope to be able to travel more, do some more public activities like just go out to a restaurant and you know, or a movie. Things like that, that we took for granted before. Yeah, looking forward to doing those kinds of things.
Charlotte Botenhagen 20:14
I'm looking forward to seeing family and like traveling to other relatives, once people get vaccinated.
Jennifer Botenhagen 20:24
Sure. Yeah
Charlotte Botenhagen 20:25
What do you hope your life is like in a year?
Jennifer Botenhagen 20:34
I hope that things will go back to more of a normal. I hope school will be in person for all grades and ages. I think it's so important. I don't think Virtual School is something we can sustain. I just really don't, I think we need to be in person, I hope we won't be wearing masks, especially for us in preschool. The masks are detrimental to being able to develop language and understand and also to, for the children to be able to see expression and-and mouth arrangement for speech. All these things. I really don't want us to be wearing masks in the future. And I hope that goes away.
Charlotte Botenhagen 21:54
Right? Yeah. Like little kids learning, facial expressions and like happy and sad. Yeah, that's hard. Okay, knowing what you know, now, what do you think that individuals, communities, or governments need to keep in mind for the future?
Jennifer Botenhagen 22:24
Obviously, that this can happen again. Um, and I think we need to be more prepared for that. We need to have more of a global, even response, certainly country wide. For the safety of all, I think it can't be left to the individual that we need to be able to look to our leaders for guidance.
Charlotte Botenhagen 23:03
Yeah, that's good. Okay, um, so we're getting, we're getting there. Okay, government. So how have municipal leaders and government officials in your community responded to the outbreak?
Jennifer Botenhagen 23:22
Our county is small, and they have had an awesome response. It's been it's been connected between the agencies in our community, and the outreach has been incredible. I think they've done a super job in our county and the vaccination process has gone very smoothly. I think, you know, one thing that's helped us is we are a small community.
Charlotte Botenhagen 24:00
How many people- how many people do you have? in Telluride?
Jennifer Botenhagen 24:07
We have 2000 permanent residents.
Charlotte Botenhagen 24:11
Wow. Okay, that is tiny Okay. Um, okay. Do you have any thoughts on how local state or federal leaders are responding to this crisis differently?
Jennifer Botenhagen 24:26
Yeah, I just think it's, it varies so much, from county to county, state to state, I think. I think that's where we need to get better in the future with our communication and our direction. I think it needs to be coordinated more to be effective.
Charlotte Botenhagen 25:02
Gotcha. Okay, so we're to our last section closure, dash, big picture. So, um, when you first learned about COVID-19, what were your thoughts about it? And how have your thoughts changed since then?
Jennifer Botenhagen 25:28
From anxiety and fear, to acceptance and sort of reality, and hope.
Charlotte Botenhagen 25:56
And then what issues have most concerned you about the covid 19 pandemic?
Jennifer Botenhagen 26:12
Of course, just the severity in some individuals, the unknowns about how it's going to play out how, you know, it can affect us down the road, we don't know what the long, long term effects are of the disease. We don't know what the long-term effects are of the vaccination. I think the unknowns are scary.
Charlotte Botenhagen 26:54
Good. Okay. So that's kind of where we're going to end. So, is there anything else that like, maybe I didn't ask you, that you want to throw in here or just any final thoughts? Anything you want to add?
Jennifer Botenhagen 27:18
Um, no. No, I can't think of anything.
Charlotte Botenhagen 27:23
And then the last thing is, do you know somebody from whom you think we should request an interview? And if so, would you be willing to make an introduction? If you think of anyone, you can always shoot me an email, but-
Jennifer Botenhagen 27:42
Okay, all let me think about that. Okay.
Charlotte Botenhagen 27:46
Well, thank you so much for doing this with me. I enjoyed talking to you.
Jennifer Botenhagen 27:53
Thank you. Okay. luck with your future studies.
Charlotte Botenhagen 28:00
Thank you.
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