We are excited to present COVID-19: Crisis and Resilience. This publication showcases the creative, academic work of SUNY Empire State College students on how COVID-19 intersected with their lives. 

This project began as we witnessed students using learning activities to give voice to their COVID-19 experiences. We decided to create a unique learning experience by offering a course each term during the 2021-22 academic year, to examine and interrogate COVID-19 using multiple disciplinary perspectives. An outcome of this academic experience was the opportunity to submit their work to a peer-reviewed forum for publication. A call was also sent out to the larger student body and faculty to provide this opportunity to all students. 

This publication is a testimony to the struggles, creativity, and most of all, perseverance of our students. As you engage with their academic work, we hope you have a chance to reflect on your own experiences with COVID-19. If you are interested in learning more about our academic process to create the course, please contact any of the mentors below. If you are a student interested in adding your academic work to this publication, please contact John J. Lawless. 

Sincerely, 

John J. Lawless, Cynthia Bates, Lisa D’Adamo-Weinstein, Elaine Handley, Raul Manzano, Lucy Winner 

 

DETERMINED 
By Naomi Arndt 

The effects of the COVID19 virus left an indelible mark on our history. While most of us have suffered losses, we have also been helped in some way. Returning to Empire State College to complete my MBA has been grief therapy for me. I share part of my experience during this pandemic because I hope to encourage others to keep moving forward. 

 

3D ANIMATION – “BEFORE IT’S TIME TO SAY GOODNIGHT – A BEDTIME LULLABY” 
By Diane Baumann 

The premise of this bedtime lullaby helps the children to understand that night sounds are not so scary and are caused by the natural sounds of nature and not monsters.  In addition, the music is soothing which helps to calm the children.  The lockdown provided more time for me to explore and develop my creative endeavors.  This story was a picture book I wrote and the 3D animation I developed during the pandemic is the musical component to the story. 

 

LITTLE SHOP OF WONDERS, CLIP FROM THE EPISODE “TAKING TURNS” 
By Diane Baumann 

The lockdown caused by the pandemic changed our daily routines. Staying home and social distancing was the new way of life. There was no socialization for children and no interaction with their peers, which is important for their behavioral development. Stress and anxiety issues appeared in children as well as adults. The cartoon episodes that I was working on prior to the pandemic were stories with good content in that it was teaching the children socialization, lifestyle choices, music, and light academia. Using my cartoon characters was the vehicle to capture the children’s’ attention. 

 

THE HEATH OF NATIONS: GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH 
By Matthew Berge 

COVID-19 showcased the dysfunctionally-fragmented nature of America's healthcare system. Physicians, public health officials, and healthcare advocates have lambasted our dysfunctionally-fragmented American healthcare system, calling for a universal/public model akin to other developed countries. Underfunded public health departments and an ill-conceived federal response brought these issues to the forefront of public discourse. Before lockdowns and mask/vaccine mandates, elected officials knew the severity of COVID-19 while publicly declaring the virus an opposition hoax. Unfortunately, politicians and ideologues politicized the pandemic rather than working cohesively to develop robust public healthcare infrastructure/systems. This paper examines potential ramifications/long-term consequences emanating from the politicization of COVID-19. 

 

END LIKE THIS 
BY MICHAEL BRIDENSTINE 

When the world shut down in an instant back in March 2020, the hallways, classrooms and auditoriums of schools throughout the United States fell silent. The hustle and bustle was replaced with an eerie stillness and deafening silence, much louder than that typically heard on a vacation break or summer recess. This was different, as there was an element of danger in the void. It was unexpected, unnerving and unreal. In his video poem "End Like This", Michael Bridenstine seeks to capture the uniqueness of this moment, and inspire thoughts and impressions of what could have been. 

 

FIREFIGHTER 
By Richard Calore 

I took this photo at the funeral for a local firefighter who died of covid. I always take a camera wherever I go and like to capture moments others might overlook. This frame, black and white, the cross ahead down the narrow passage of two fire trucks speaks very close to me. This portrays a somber image of reflection.  

 

THE GOOD IN COVID-19 
By Cassandra Clements 

COVID-19 will always be associated with pain. It has changed our lives forever. We will never be the same. Despite the negative impact of COVID-19, it was important for me to share a small piece of how I found the good in COVID-19. 

 

HEARTBREAK 
By Jeanmarie Kearney 

In the essay ‘Heartbreak’, I describe seeing my mother-in-law pass away via FaceTime. It is the COVID-19 lockdown. As my husband tries to say goodbye to his mother through a cell phone screen, I am struck by how the kindness of a stranger and the support of family made a sad moment not only bearable, but beautiful. 

 

THE OTHER VIRUS 
By Jeanmarie Kearney 

‘The Other Virus’ is written from the point of view of a grandmother witnessing the loss of innocence of her beloved young grandsons. The COVID-19 Virus is nothing compared to the one that awaits them when they go out in the world. George Floyd’s murder video is a reminder that maybe being locked down at home with the ones who love you most isn’t the worst thing. 

 

MY COVID-19 STORY 
By Oscar Lopez 

2020 will go down in history as one of the extremely difficult, painful, and uncertain times in my life. It was unlike anything I had ever encountered. The pandemic brought the world to a near standstill. The crisis demonstrated how vulnerable we are and the extent of our control. Despite the challenges, it allowed some of us to reflect on what we had control over. For me, it deepened my relationship with God, family, and community. I was able to devote more time to my health and fitness because I no longer had to commute four hours to work each day. Covid compelled me to reevaluate my profession and return to school to acquire new skills and knowledge, which brought me to Empire State. 

 

SCHRÖDINGER'S VIRUS 
By Harley Madden 

Moving somewhere new always has an adjustment period. However, nothing could prepare Cassandra for the unusual townspeople and their supposedly physic leader raving about a fabricated plague.

 

THE MENTAL HEALTH EFFECTS OF COVID 19 AND ITS IMPLICATIONS 
By Tracy Soberal 

Mental health can be defined as a part of a person’s well-being, meaning they are functioning at satisfactory levels of emotional and behavioral adjustment to life circumstances and situations. The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc globally causing a pandemic and healthcare crisis, with millions infected and death tolls in the hundreds of thousands. 

 

PSYCHOLOGICAL RESILIENCE 
By Yoko Uchima 

In spring 2020, I was hospitalized for COVID-19.  Even after my physical recovery, my mental shock from fear was still great.  To free myself from a depressive mood, I applied myself to an approach of art therapy.  These are the four of the seventeen pastels I drew during my ten-month mental recovery.