Food workers and restaurants are a part of our communities. They rely on customers from the community and often live in the communities they serve. Making sure that customers are safe is a huge part of the job and as these Chicago food workers showed, they will not wait for mandates to put safety measures in place to protect workers and customers alike. Submitted by Stephanie Berry, curatorial intern for Arizona State University, HST 580.

Consumers have seen a shortage of ingredients and food like yeast, beef, or eggs. The same goes for food companies. The article by Food & Wine addresses how the FDA has loosened its regulations on ingredient substitutions due to the coronavirus pandemic. While some of these substitutions may seem inconsequential and even good, like not bleaching bread flour because the bleaching agent is out of stock. Why are we still bleaching bread flour anyways? The issue is how this will affect ingredient substitutions in the future as there is no set end date for these new rules. Wiggle room with ingredients can get dangerous for consumers, and while it may be necessary for the moment, it will have an effect on our food in the future.

With lots of time on our hands, people are turning to hobbies they have been putting off like baking. One of the hallmarks of being a good baker is making bread. This has created a shortage of yeast, which as the article points out, is a living ingredient that can only be rushed so much. Baking has it's seasons, and as a professional baker, you learn when to expect shortages of ingredients, and when orders for products will increase. Typically this is around the fall and into the Christmas season. With the coronavirus pandemic and many bakeries closed, people are baking like it is the Christmas season when most ingredient manufacturers have cut down their output to reflect the coming summer. The shortage of yeast is most likely why many people are turning to sourdough starters. However, the quickest way to get a starter started is by using dry yeast. Contributed by Stephanie Berry, curatorial intern for Arizona State University, HST 580.

With restaurants and breweries having to shut down or go to limited capacity because of the pandemic, their financial health has been hit hard. Colorado remains a hot spot for microbreweries and many of those microbreweries are community-driven. In the past, they created beers to raise relief funds for California and Australian wildfires as well as to support the community they work in. Coloradans support each other and the pandemic is no different. With 125 breweries participating the funds will go to jump-start the breweries financial well being and support the medical, gig workers, service industry, and hospitality employees. It's one of the ways food and beverage can be used to drive support to keep our communities strong. Now I just wish I still resided in my home state so I could help out by purchasing each variation of Colorado Strong Pale Ale.

This article interviews inmates, family of inmates, employees, and officials from the Federal Correctional Complex in Oakdale, Louisiana. The interviews were conducted orally, written, over text, and social media. Both the employees and inmates tell a story of an ill prepared system, though the prison claims to have begun preparing in January.

As the US faced the real threat of the coronavirus it became clear that "jails are petri dishes." Due to overcrowding and the large number of people that go in and out of the buildings daily it is impossible to stop the virus from coming in and spreading rapidly. Government and prison officials began discussing early release or releasing those still awaiting trial, particularly for nonviolent offenses. As with the rest of the nation the fear is that the virus will spread so quickly that the nations medical system will be overwhelmed. The same is true within the prison but the fear is that the inmates and employees of the prisons will add to the medical crises outside the prison.

The photograph depicts two plexiglass barriers suspended over counters at a Domino gas station in Blanchard, Oklahoma. These barrier are suspended from wire chains connected to the ceiling. These barriers act as a "sneeze guard" much like similar system have placed in restaurants in the past. Much like CDC recommended social distancing, these barrier act to protect employees and customers while they stand closer than six feet for transactions. This particular barrier at Domino was installed specifically in response to COVID-19. Local businesses, such as Domino, Spencer's Grocery, Subway, and China House were just a few of thoes that had been observed with these plexiglass barriers installed since COVID-19. In addition, local state and federal government offices such as Gayla's Tag Agency and the Blanchard Post Office had made the transition to these plastic protective barriers as well. As many locations make the shift to re-opening, the plexiglass barrier has become a growing standard of how people do face-to-face business, even in rural communities. Personal story submitted for the Rural Voices collection. Contributed by Clinton P. Roberts, curatorial intern for Arizona State University, HST 580.

Looking at protests across the country, I've wondered what the implications are for the pandemic. This doctor explains the difference between pool parties and protests over racist violence, is that only one is necessary. I believe one of the best things white people can do right now is listen to black people about the importance of these protests and help advocate for necessary change.

In prison social distancing is impossible. Once covid enters a prison many become infected quickly. Inmates are saying their efforts to obtain medical care are being ignored and families are not being notified when their inmates become ill. Instead they are only being notified once their inmate has died from the virus.

The public health implications of the George Floyd protests are interesting and scary to consider. Shutting down COVID-19 testing centers in one of the country's largest cities will surely have an impact on managing the pandemic which still rages on. However, the protests of George Floyd's death are an important development for social justice and advocating for reforms. I worry for the safety and health of everyone involved in the protests as well as the public health implications of not testing for the virus in one of the country's largest cities. It seems almost impossible to strike the right balance in this case.

In response to the inability to social distance within prisons government and prison officials have considered releasing some inmates early to slow the spread of the virus but this article states that has not happened. It points to the officials fear of inmates released early committing a crime.

One response to the pandemic in the US has been to consider releasing some prison inmates early to quell the spread of the virus within the prison population. This is a valid strategy because social distancing in a prison is impossible. In this video it appears that inmates are all sharing a cup in an attempt to infect themselves. Is that what is actually happening? Are they doing this in hopes that they will be released?

The sign depicts advertising to encourage people to sign up for Pioneer Telephone's Fiber Internet in Blanchard, Oklahoma. As a rural community, we had been waiting for fiber access for quite awhile. We are close enough to the Oklahoma City area to see the capability grow, but were too far away to benefit until recently. The local company Pioneer promoted the coming of the internet upgrade for the past year. I had already signed a contract to receive this upgrade in October of 2019, but by chance my neighborhood's service was ready until March 2nd just as COVID-19 concerns were starting to become more widespread. On March 25th state-wide restrictions put in place by Governor Stitt's executive order closed non-essential businesses, limited public gatherings to no more than 10 people, and enacted the "safer at home" protocol for those over 65 or with underlying medical conditions. During this time period I had restricted my exposure to just a few of my closest family in order to protect the older members. Pioneer called the last week of March to set a date, just as the biggest restrictions were occurring. I decided to move forward not realizing how the idea of a person entering my house would change my thoughts just a week later. The utility companies often send people to do work orders, which had never bothered me in the past. When Pioneer arrived on April 3rd to install the upgrade, I began to realize that this would feel very different. For the past month, we had postponed family nights, group dinners, and outings. During that time, we wouldn't dare answer the door for a sales person or go to grocery stores without a mask. The entire month was mostly just Kelly and I in my home with few outs beyond my work or my grandmother's house. The process was somewhat stressful because of how much the COVID-19 situation had changed since signing up for the service. When the man arrived, I noticed he was cautious about how he entered and the social distancing he kept from us. He did much of the organizing of his equipment in my driveway from his pickup. He was a contract worker for Pioneer and his helper was a young man of about eighteen. The two came inside, with the young man doing most of his work from my attic. This was the first time someone other than a few close family members had entered my house since the executive order. His distancing and professionalism helped alleviate many of the concerns. Once he left we used sanitizer wipes to clean door handles, just to be safe. The time he was in my house was cordial and friendly, but it was far from the normal way rural people would act in circumstances like this in the past. There were no handshakes which would've been a standard practice for many people in these encounters. This situation depicts the feelings of uncertainty and the changing of routine habits that occurred during COVID-19. Many of these changes were gradual, subconscious and only visible once we reflected upon them. Personal story submitted for the #ruralvoices collection. Contributed by Clinton P. Roberts, curatorial intern for Arizona State University, HST 580. #HST580 #ASU

I am sharing this journal in hopes of being able to look back to it in the future. I felt so overwhelmed by working from home when COVID-19 started to rock the world and I didn't journal. Now that school has calmed down and I have temporarily relocated to Fargo, ND I decided to share my story. North Dakota is quite open compared to other states and has been for quite some time.

While COVID-19 kept many at home over the last few months it didn't stop the inequalities and injustices faced by many across the United States. Many protestors in Fargo, ND marched through the city while also wearing their masks and being aware of social distancing protocols. The two women pictured, Janna and Marissa Diggs are a mother and daughter who are relatives of my mother.

Sharon Annesley of Blanchard, Oklahoma tells the story of how her rural church created a non-profit community clinic. She also details how this small rural clinic adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic. Her text document story chronicles how the clinic attempted virtual visits but was limited by technological access. Sharon details that clinic patients often elderly or generally without resources, had limited internet access which produced new obstacles for patients of the clinic. She also articulates the ways the clinic attempted to address these difficulties as they wait to reopen the clinic to the public in June. Text document authored by Sharon Annesley, Member of New Beginnings Church - Blanchard. The story is titled under the heading "HEALING HANDS COMMUNITY CLINIC RESPONSE TO COVID-19" (May 29, 2020) The story features photographs of the community clinic.

This short video discusses the plight of a LGBTQ person who is forced to return to an unaccepting home environment after losing her job due to the pandemic. This is another example of the ways that Covid-19 has impacted the LGBTQ community in struggles unique to the community. I never even thought about this as a potential problem because I am fortunate enough to have a family that accepts me for who I am. It makes me worry for LGBTQ youth who were able to move out on their own and get away from a toxic home life.

Sharon Annesley of Blanchard, Oklahoma tells the story of her rural church starting a community garden amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Her text document story chronicles how the church received the land and how they decided to create a garden that not only served their congregation but anyone in the community that wanted access. Sharon details what members contributed to the maintenance and what vegetables were growing there. She also articulates concerns that members expressed about potential food shortages and a garden's ability to address those concerns. Text document authored by Sharon Annesley, Member of New Beginnings Church - Blanchard. The story is titled under the heading "NEW BEGINNINGS CHURCH COMMUNITY GARDEN STARTED AMID COVID-19" (May 27, 2020) The story features photographs of the church garden. Sharon Annesley hand-submitted the physical copy of this document for submission to Clinton P. Roberts for the #ruralvoices collection. Contributed by Clinton P. Roberts, curatorial intern for Arizona State University, HST 580.

With the Covid-19 outbreak, the LGBTQ community is still finding ways to celebrate Pride Month. In Wisconsin, the gay night club "This Is It," has been live steaming drag shows and other organizations are exploring ways to still celebrate Pride despite the impact of Covid-19. I'm looking forward to potentially joining a virtual pride event and interested in how it would work. With the advent of technology things are much more accessible than they used to be and I'm glad people can still participate in some way.

Sharon Annesley of Blanchard, Oklahoma tells the story of her rural church and how it adapted their services during COVID-19. Her text document story chronicles the ways they were affected and adapted to the pandemic. This includes transition to virtual church services and transitions back after Oklahoma's loosening of restrictions upon churches in May of 2020. The church eventually created separate services between two church locations to allow the elderly and high risk members to attend exclusively in a safer environment than the rest of the lower risk members. This text document is authored under the name "Sharon Annesley, Member of New Beginnings Church - Blanchard, Blanchard, Oklahoma." The story is titled under the heading "NEW BEGINNINGS CHURCH - ADAPTING CHURCH SERVICES AMID COVID-19" (May 28, 2020) The story features a photograph of the church. Sharon Annesley hand-submitted the physical copy of this document to Clinton P. Roberts, curatorial intern, for submission into the #ruralvoices collection. Contributed by Clinton P. Roberts, curatorial intern.

During the stay-at-home order many soldiers were faced with a difficulty to stay fit.Without access to gyms or regular group PT they had to find creative replacements to maintain their physical readiness since it is essential in there profession.This article gives creative ideas for how to do that.

The coronavirus pandemic has already caused the shutdown of theaters in the West End and on Broadway. I have included this because there is a great fear of losing theatre companies and venues during the crisis. Funding is non-existent and actors, technicians and all others who rely on these theaters as resources for making a living will be left unemployed and searching for work in an even more saturated market.

This is a news article covering how the stop-movement order for troops has affected military families.It is personal to me since my family was supposed to P.C.S. in April and then was suddenly told it was to be rescheduled when we had already taken steps to sell our house and move across country and this type of incident occured all over the country during the pandemic.

Before entering the PX at Fort Bragg there is a sign displayed telling visitors that a facemask must be worn to enter the premises.Even though some states are opening up and facemasks are being used less and less the military base is held to a stricter standard.

This article in-depthly goes over the current pandemic and how it is specifically affecting the U.S. military.

“As Germany continues to relax social distancing restrictions imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19, playhouses in most cities are still waiting for an official date when they can reopen their doors to the public. The Berlin senate announced on Friday that open-air cultural events will be allowed from 2 June, but theatres are likely to remain shut until September. Venues such as the German capital’s Berliner Ensemble, however, are already providing a glimpse of what drama could look like in a world of social distancing.”

This is an example of how the military is applying social distancing techniques and trying to maintain the safety of the soldiers.

Several residents at a local assisted living and memory care home have tested positive for COVID-19. Four of those who tested positive have now died. It is not clear if the deaths were caused directly by COVID-19 or by comorbidities.

The most vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus are potentially being failed by society with restrictions and reopening. There may be a lack of resources allocated the "improve the prospects for this population".

Many nursing homes in Michigan are having trouble finding accurate numbers for COVID-19 infections. Michigan has not released numbers for coronavirus deaths by individual nursing homes.

Because of the differences in age, it seems some seniors are presenting with atypical symptoms for COVID-19. This is resulting in some difficultly in detection and treatment. Some are being brushed off as not needing immediate medical care and only taken to be tested after a spouse insisted they be taken to the hospital. In the hospital they tested positive for the virus.

A doctor in April was conducting an "observational, uncontrolled" trial on residents of a nursing home in Texas for the use of hydroxychloroquine.

An article discussing the fraud and scams that are an additional concern for the elderly during the pandemic. Usually a key demographic for scammers to target, the elderly are dealing with unscrupulous people who would commit fraud during the pandemic.

An article discussing how older adults are more at risk for COVID-19 and how they are dealing with the isolation and loneliness being inside a long-term care facility.

This article details elderly abuse in Grand Bay in which "at least one of the victims...has COVID-19". The article highlights how poorly the elderly can be treated, especially during a pandemic.

Dr. Neil Skolnik describes his interactions with nursing home residents during check ups during the COVID-19 pandemic and how isolation is negatively affecting them. He discusses the emotional pain caused by being unable to have regular visits from family members and how there should be some thought into how to allow visitations while keeping residents safe.

An article discussing the adverse effects that social distancing and isolation has had on the elderly, especially those with dementia and in Elder Care facilities.

Testing or lack there of has been a big part of the news cycle since covid reached the U.S. In the beginning a person could only gain access to a test if they met certain criteria. This severely limited the number of people tested and was done because the number of tests available was very low. Even people deemed essential workers, such as those working in the nations prison system, had trouble accessing tests.

Routines and processes are changing everywhere due to the pandemic. Prisons are no different. This document lists the federal prison system changes.

As the pandemic settled into the United States discussions began concerning inmates in all levels of confinement. Many officials, at all levels of government, agreed that some inmates should be released early in effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus within the prison population. The rules or guidelines for early release are different everywhere and as this article explains seem to change constantly. While two well connected men have been released the article explores the difficulty regular prisoners have in being released.

Karen Azenberg introduces this week's theme for The Show Goes On...Line! with the cast of "Music Man." It's a large cast, so hang on! Cast members also give a special shout out to ensemble member Michael McArthur from the 2015 production and went on to appear in TV's Smash, and Fosse/Verdon. Michael passed away this month; he will be terribly missed by all of us. Here to kick things off is none other than Lizzie Klemperer who played "Marian Paroo," performing her tribute to Michael with "I Could Have Danced All Night."

data does not matching civic leaders decision to admit actors and patrons back into the theatre. It is becoming a hot issue amongst the Performing Arts community

Local actors are very cautious about returning to the theatre and resuming rehearsals/productions. This particular post shows the distrust of public and civic officials as they are contradicting the data provided. Some are turning against each other because of the differences of opinion and fears based in the conflicting data. Actors have been hit hard by the Pandemic and want to get back to work. Others are more cautious, arguing that the safety of others is more important.

The pandemic quickly saw the phrase "social distance" become common parlance however there are populations that cannot social distance and one of them is prisons. Without the ability to social distance or wear a mask, the only options for fighting the spread of this virus, the prison populations are particularly at risk to contract the virus. This news story explains that of those tested (which aren't many) 70% are covid positive. Additionally, it sheds light on the fact that when prisoners contract the virus their families are not being notified. #hst580 #asu

News about the disproportionate death rates among the black community has been unnerving to many people, including myself. Why is this the case? In this article, Harriet Washington explores how environmental racism has contributed to this due to poverty, access to health care, and living conditions, among other factors. White privilege is sweeping, and I have certainly benefited from it in too many ways to name. I think it's important for all white people to use the power of their privilege to lift the voices of marginalized people and advocate for the reforms necessary to ameliorate injustices and inequalities.

This press release from the Human Rights Watch discusses a new podcast called AfroQueer. It discusses a variety of topics and how issues faced by LGBT Africans have been compounded by Covid-19. As a white gay man living in the United States, it is disturbing and saddening to learn of the plight of LGBTQ people in other countries and how these problems can be exacerbated by race. The theme that is emerging in marginalized communities is that the world won't stop its oppression of their identity and personhood, even during a global pandemic.

On May 25, 2020 George Floyd was killed by police officers in Minneapolis, MN. Since then, riots and protests have rocked the United States. Most recently, a protest took place in Fargo, ND on May 30 beginning at 10 am. As I write this the protestors have just moved from gathering outside the police station to marching down one of the busiest roads in town. I just find such irony in the fact that just weeks ago people were marching outside state capitols about their freedom being taken away as they were being asked to wear masks. Today, while marching for equality for all people, masks are being handed out and worn by almost all attendees. These protests have so far remained peaceful.

Monique Judge, news editor for The Root, discusses self care during the pandemic and rampant protests and racism in the United States. The challenges faced by black Americans during the pandemic is compounded by the racism that they already were forced to deal with in their daily lives. It's important for white people to listen to voices of black Americans during this time. It often feels like marginalized communities are fighting multiple front wars during this pandemic. While much of the world has been placed on hold during this pandemic, the social problems that already existed have not.

These screenshots were taken from a public Twitter account. The pictures are chalk drawings of Disney princesses and use lines that are similar to what was found in the original movies but replaced with quarantine items. I chose to contribute these because I think they'll be a great resource to use with middle school students in the future. Much like we use a lot of propaganda from WWII to teach students about life in the U.S. and Europe during WWII I would imagine these would be quite useful in explaining just how all-encompassing the COVID-19 pandemic is.

As someone who is white, it's important for me to recognize my privilege both during this pandemic and as the United States deals with protests across the country in response to the death of Georgle Floyd and other unarmed black people. This Tweet really drives home the significance of this happening during a global pandemic.