Life During COVID Student Submission Drawing

“…if nothing else, I hope that my story will at least prove to be a source of inspiration for those who seek to persevere through tough times. The last year + plus has been anything but normal and for me, it has been an absolute… Living hell.” 

 

–Nathan Weeks, EWU Music major

This Fall, the EWU Archives and Special Collections held a drawing for students contributing to the Life During COVID: Preserving Personal Pandemic Stories digital archive. The goal was to provide students an opportunity to express what they felt worth sharing about their experience during the pandemic. The range of stories submitted was broad with students writing about pregnancy, online education, personal and professional growth, family, loneliness, pets and masks. In total, the entries reflect common experiences of change, uncertainty and resilience, while providing specificities that help one appreciate that the pandemic defies any simple overarching summary.  All students who contributed were entered into a drawing held on November 30 for a pair of AirPods. Of the 26 eligible entries, Christoper Moznette, who entered a piece titled “In Hindsight,” won the prize. 

Here are a few excerpts from student submissions:

“I didn’t expect my life to change much, but then…  

Seattle became the epidemic center!!!

It felt like I was in a zombie apocalyptic movie.”

 

–Maribel Ortega Ramirez

“I was also tasked with making sure customers were masked before entering our restaurant. I literally would not have wished this on anyone. I’ve been verbally attacked multiple times, had a drink thrown on me, and a few customers refuse to pay for their food.”

 

–Grace Byrd

“March 8, 2020. Finals week was canceled because of coronavirus, so now my chem final is 5 days sooner. Ima fail that. Even he will have 3 days less to teach. I think we are all going to do terribly.”

 

–EMC

“Would I have guessed before all this started

That eighteen months later someone would call me their father

That another lost soul would choose me to marry

And that this lost boy would finally be happy

Now I know who I am”

 

-Judson Helland

“I miss my black T-shirt fabric mask. I’m really sorry that I lost it. I wanted to keep it, as an artifact or souvenir of all that we have been through together. There’s a saying I like about souvenirs: they’re proof that it really happened.”

 

–Linda Safford

Thank you to all who entered the drawing. View all the submissions at dc.ewu.edu/covid.