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The #DocumentingCOVID19 Oral History Project, 2020-2021
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Brueggeman, Nikki
- Title
- The #DocumentingCOVID19 Oral History Project
- Dates
- 2020-2021 (inclusive)20202021
- Quantity
- 34 recordings + transcripts, (11.41 GB)
- Collection Number
- Cage 946 (collection)
- Summary
- The #DocumentingCOVID19 Oral History Project contains interviews, and transcripts, with Washington State University (WSU) students, a recent graduate, staff, faculty, Pullman Mayor Glenn Johnson, and individuals from Washington, Oregon, California, North Carolina, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, and an American living in New Zealand regarding the impact of COVID-19. Interviews are with BIPOC and LGTBQ+ individuals, individuals with disabilities, as well as with other members of the WSU community.
- Repository
-
Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Terrell Library Suite 12
Pullman, WA
99164-5610
Telephone: 509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu - Access Restrictions
-
This collection is open and available for research use.
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Nikki Brueggeman is a writer, historian, and consultant who was raised in Walla Walla, Washington. She attended Washington State University where she received degrees in history and Asian studies in 2013. From 2015 to 2017, she taught English in South Korea as a Fulbright grantee. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Brueggeman became interested in preserving the stories of people from a wide variety of backgrounds about their experiences and began The #DocumentingCOVID 19 Oral History Project. Through her project, Ms. Brueggeman explores the experiences of friends, family, and acquaintances during the COVID-19 pandemic with a focus on the west coast of the United States. She would like to acknowledge the mentorship, advice, and support of Dr. Mapuana Antonio, Dr. Emily Anderson, Remijio Mendoza, Rebecca Brothers, Greta Starrett, and Kwapi Vengesayi.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The #DocumentingCOVID19 Oral History Project contains 34 interviews with individuals from Washington, Oregon, California, North Carolina, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, and an American living in New Zealand regarding the impact of COVID-19. The project initially focused on documenting the experience of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities, as well as individuals with disabilities during the first six months of the pandemic. It then expanded to capture the experiences of Washington State University (WSU) students, a recent graduate, staff, faculty, and Pullman Mayor Glenn Johnson regarding the impact of COVID-19 on their personal and academic lives, as well as on the functioning of city government. The collection includes transcripts of the interviews. Interviews took place at the height of the pandemic when many were living under stay at home orders and WSU was operating virtually, as well as at the end of 2021, when most services had resumed in person. All files are digital.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Alternative Forms Available
Mp3 and PDF files were created from the original wav and docx files and are available online.
Restrictions on Use
Copyright restrictions apply. Release letters were signed and copyright resides with Washington State University Libraries.
Preferred Citation
[Item description]
The #DocumentingCOVID19 Oral History Project, 2020-2021 (Cage 946)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
Interviews are arranged alphabetically.
Location of Collection
The original digital files are preserved on the MASC storage server.Acquisition Information
Nikki Brueggeman donated this collection to the Washington State University Libraries between 2020-2022 (MS.2020.32, MS.2021.15, MS.2022.04).
Future Additions
The repository expects to receive additions to this collection.
Processing Note
Gayle O’Hara processed this collection in 2021 and 2022.Jean Baker assisted with processing in 2022. Audio files were received as wav files. Mp3 files were created from wav files using Audacity for online access. Transcripts were received as docx files and converted to PDF format for online access.
The Donna Casebolt interview was conducted by email; there is no audio file for this interview.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
| Description | Dates |
|---|---|
| Brenton, Justin
Brueggeman,
Nikki
(interviewer)
38:53 minutes
Discusses first hearing about, adapting to, and becoming a father during the
initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic; also discusses explaining the
pandemic to his older child and how the family has been coping with social
distancing measures.
|
2020 August 13 |
|
Butzke, Ally WSU Senior with major in Sociology,
minors in Workplace Diversity, Exhibition Studies, and History.
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
42:03 minutes
Location: Camas, Washington. Includes transcript. Discusses being a junior
and in Cougar Marching Band when WSU transitioned to online classes in March
2020; the impact of the pandemic on her work, academic and personal life;
staying connected to friends through social media.
|
2021 January 14 |
| Casebolt, Donna grandmother of interviewer, Nikki Brueggeman.
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
Email interview where she discusses viewing the pandemic through her
religious world view (Seventh Day Adventist), experiencing COVID-19 as a
senior citizen, and advice for future generations.
|
2020 June 13 |
| Conger, Vivian
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
51:40 minutes
Discusses her experience as a 66 year old, low vision individual with high
risk medical issues during the initial stages of the pandemic. She also
discusses being unable to perform a great deal of her work from home, the
impact of isolation on her mental health, and the benefits of her virtual
participation in church and with the United Blind of Walla Walla.
|
2020 June 12 |
| Cosgrove, Julia
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
61:48 minutes
Discusses her initial thoughts about hearing about the pandemic and social
distancing; how she and her family managed the stay at home order in
California, how COVID-19 has impacted on her work for a travel magazine, and
explaining the pandemic to her three and five year old daughters.
|
2020 July 14 |
| Cramer, Dixie
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
49:37 minutes
Discusses life in Walla Walla, Washington as a senior citizen during the
initial stages of the pandemic, transitioning to online music teaching, the
financial impact of the pandemic, and being a member of the Seventh Day
Adventist Church.
|
2020 June 04 |
|
Fang, Yihui (Bella) international student majoring in Computer Science and Finance at WSU.
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
50:13 minutes
Location: Kent, Washington. Discusses the change to remote learning, being
president of the International Student Council, staying connected to people
via social media, and dealing with anti-Chinese bias in the United States
during the pandemic.
|
2021 December 19 |
| Fullerton, Jackie a nurse and risk manager at an
Adventist Health Hospital in Northern California.
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
34:35 minutes
Discusses county, hospital, and federal responses to Covid-19. She also
discusses the impact of Covid-19 on hospital use and management, adaptations
of her work and general life style, and the consumerist ecconomy.
|
2020 April 30 |
| Hagen, Michael
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
38:23 minutes
Discusses being laid off as a research technician and moving to directing a
small company's research and development program during the pandemic. He
describes his reactions to New York's large covid spike, his own proper mask
use, and encorages people to listen to those who dedicate their lives to
being experts on specific matters.
|
2021 April 11 |
|
Hart, Lisa Head Women’s Tennis Coach at WSU.
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
38:45 minutes
Location: Pullman, Washington. Includes transcript. Discusses impact of
COVID-19 on WSU sports, the NCAA, and supporting both international and
domestic student athletes. Details how WSU resumed practice with safety
guidelines and how the campus and town changed as a result of the pandemic.
|
2020 November 19 |
| Honey, Teddie
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
64:33 minutes
Discusses being a social worker and manager during the pandemic, shopping for
his mother and her friends, and the reactions of different socio-ecconomic
communities in the Bay Area to the pandemic. He also discusses the
difficulty getting reliable information from the federal government and
working at a COVID-19 test site.
|
2020 May 1 |
| Hopkins, Robert Lee
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
58:58 minutes
Discusses working remotely, changes at home and in stores due to the
pandemic, being close to the first COVID cases in the United States, bonding
with his cat, George Floyd's murder and Black Lives Matter, the CHOP/CHAZ in
Seattle, what it is like to live as a Black man in the United States, and
his concerns for the Black community during the pandemic.
|
2020 July 1 |
|
Johnson, Glenn A. Mayor of Pullman, Washington and retired professor at WSU.
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
65:00 minutes
Location: Pullman, Washington. Discusses what makes Pullman and WSU so
special, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on city government and the
Pullman community, and the politicization of the virus.
|
2021 November 18 |
| Jones, Angela CEO of Washington STEM,
which facilitates STEM education for students of color, girls, students in rural communities, and students in low-income environments.
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
70:03 minutes
Discusses adjusting to COVID protocols, how her management changed once
employees started working remotely, converstations with her son about safety
given violence against Black males, the continuous effects of slavery, and
on testing negative for COVID months after her initial symptoms.
|
2020 May 25 |
| Lord, Samantha a high school teacher
in Clark County, Washington who lives in Portland, Oregon.
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
61:47 minutes
Discusses maintaining her polyamarous relationships during lockdown, the
impact of lockdown on her wife's business, the impact of Pride and other
events being canceled, the chaos of her school closing due to COVID,
creating an equitable curriculum for remote learning, trying to do all of a
teacher's job from home, and considering hot to plan for teaching in the
coming year.
|
2020 June 10 |
|
Manis, Kathryn PhD student in English at WSU.
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
50:14 minutes
Location: Pullman, Washington. Includes transcript. Discusses life on campus
and in Pullman prior to and during the pandemic; the challenges of moving to
both virtual learning and virtual teaching, as well as taking preliminary
exams in a virtual environment; the impact of social isolation on self,
fellow graduate students and the undergraduate students she is teaching.
|
2020 December 14 |
|
Mealey, Robert Chair of Veterinary Clinical Services and
Director of the Animal Health Research Center at WSU.
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
55:50 minutes
Location: Pullman, Washington. Discusses how the College of Veterinary
Medicine and the veterinary teaching hospital stayed open through closures
due to COVID 19, coordinating services, managing staff, the impact on
students, and what he learned over the course of 2020-2021.
|
2021 November 10 |
| Meyer, Isaac a teacher at private school in Seattle.
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
69:52 minutes
Discusses having students from Wuhan, China and Kirkland, Washington, the
increased visability of police violence, watching protests unfold in Capitol
Hill, being Jewish in Seattle, and the emotional labor involved in
teaching.
|
2020 June 28 |
| Mihalec, Chian
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
48:00 minutes
Discusses being a hair stylist and filing for unemployment during the
pandemic. She also discusses being a single mother to three children, at
home schooling, talking with her kids and getting to know them on another
level, and prioritizing mental health.
|
2020 June 5 |
| Morley, Elizabeth a veterinarian in Eastern Washington.
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
26:30 minutes
Discusses pet owners, her own ability to keep working and begin to pay down
the principle of her student loans, having to be conservative with supplies
at work due to the pandemc, and not being able to provide as much comfort to
pet owners due to COVID protocols.
|
circa 2020 August |
|
Newlon, Kelly Director of Global Learning, who began at WSU in January 2020.
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
63:00 minutes
Location: Pullman, Washington. Discusses the impact of COVID-19 on study
abroad, including bringing students home at the start of the pandemic,
financial issues, working virtually, and how study abroad is functioning in
2021 and going forward.
|
2021 December 02 |
| Orlando, Dodie
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
60:22 minutes
Discusses being blind, keeping her immune system strong, taking precautions
while being at risk as a senior with pre-existing conditions during the
pandemic, and contracting the H2N2 flu when it was pandemic in 1957.
|
2020 May 26 |
| Orlando, Eugene
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
45:32 minutes
Discusses being a senior citizen during the pandemic, Social Security, his
COVID precautions, living with the immune copromised, and the state of
teaching before and during the pandemic.
|
2020 June 4 |
|
Palmer, Guy Regents Professor of Pathology and Infectious Diseases, Creighton Endowed Chair,
and Senior Director of Global Health at WSU.
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
63:00 minutes
Location: Pullman, Washington. Discusses the impact of COVID 19 from the
perspective of an infectious disease expert, difficulties obtaining
necessary safety equipment for medical personnel in the United States and
abroad, WSU's role in responding to and managing the virus, resistance to
public health guidelines, and how to talk to individuals who are resistent
to vaccines.
|
2021 November 16 |
| Rabbit, Frances a San Francisco public elemetary school teacher.
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
58:51 minutes
Discusses stocking up on supplies, life in Oakland during the pandemic, being
sick at the beginning of the pandemic, the transition to virtual schooling
and the impact on the curriculum and student development, and the concern
for the social aspect of school due to the pandemic.
|
2020 October 1 |
| Redd, Bethany
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
38:26 minutes
Discusses job prospects as one who lives with a disability, and speculates on
future job prospects. She also discusses driving to parks and activites
people do there, what reopening and shutting down could look like as the
pandemic continues, and the role of government.
|
2020 May 22 |
|
Sekaquaptewa, Lee Fine Arts student at WSU.
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
50:26 minutes
Location: Pullman, Washington. Discusses the initial impact of COVID 19,
participating as an artist in the Black Lives Matter and Missing and
Murdered Indigenous Women movements, painting murals, visiting family on the
Yakima reservation and the impact of the virus on Indigenous communities,
and transitioning back to the WSU campus in August 2020.
|
2021 December 03 |
|
Thigpen, Jenny Associate Professor of History at WSU with focus on women
and gender; Director of the global degree (online) in History at WSU.
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
45:06 minutes
Location: Moscow, Idaho. Includes transcript. Discusses when she first heard
of COVID-19 and recognizing the tremendous impact on students, especially
those who lost jobs, were essential workers, had health issues, and/or had
childcare issues; seeing the disparities in experiences and trying to
provide support to students during the crisis. Provides a historian’s
perspective on pandemics and what we can learn from them.
|
2020 November 19 |
|
Thomson, Joshua Euphonium Performance graduate student at WSU.
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
48:50 minutes
Location: Vancouver, Washington. Discusses starting WSU in fall of 2020 and
the impact of the pandemic, especially as a musician and teaching assistant;
COVID 19 social and academic adaptations with ongoing value; navigating the
world as a trans person; and concerns about the impact of the pandemic on
the trans community, as well as concerns about discrimination and increasing
violence against trans people.
|
2021 December 10 |
| Urahausen, Robyn
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
36:56 minutes
Discusses obtaining unemployment during the pandemic, how Cheney, Washington
and its school district have handled the pandemic, teaching her children at
home, and changes to their routine.
|
2020 August 21 |
|
VanVleet, Kaitlyn Graduated from WSU May 2020 with degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology,
minors in Music and Spanish.
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
56:01 minutes
Location: Colfax, Washington. Includes transcript. Discusses the March 2020
transition to online classes due to the pandemic, participating in virtual
graduation, and looking for work during the pandemic. Addresses plans for
life after graduation being put on hold during the pandemic and trying to
stay connected to others.
|
2020 December 03 |
| White, Ryan a business inspector for San Diego County.
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
33:34 minutes
Discusses different government approaches to the pandemic, having a
structured routine, plans being cancelled, and working from home.
|
2020 April 30 |
| Wrobel, Conrad who works in the entertainment
industry and lives in Van Nuys, California.
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
68:31 minutes
Discusses witnessing panic responses and hoarding at the start of the
pandemic, quarantine, living near the protests following the murder of
George Floyd, working from home, and job insecurity.
|
2020 September 20 |
| Yaroshevich, Theresa a lactation consultant in New Zealand.
Brueggeman, Nikki
(interviewer)
52:10 minutes
Discusses her 50th birthday, the start of the lock down in New Zealand and
her household situation, getting informed updates from her government, her
mother in Michigan, consulting remotely, and the impact of lockdown on
mothers and families.
|
2021 April 17 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Covid-19 (Disease) -- Social aspects
- Epidemics -- Social aspects
Corporate Names
- Washington State University -- Faculty -- Interviews
- Washington State University -- Students -- Interviews
Form or Genre Terms
- Interviews
- Personal narratives
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Brenton, Justin (creator)
- Butzke, Ally (creator)
- Casebolt, Donna (creator)
- Conger, Vivian (creator)
- Cosgrove, Julia (creator)
- Cramer, Dixie (creator)
- Fang, Yihui (creator)
- Fullerton, Jackie (creator)
- Hagen, Michael (creator)
- Hart, Lisa (creator)
- Honey, Teddie (creator)
- Hopkins, Robert Lee (creator)
- Johnson, Glenn A. (Glenn Allister), 1944- (creator)
- Jones, Angela (creator)
- Lord, Samantha (creator)
- Manis, Kathryn (creator)
- Mealey, Robert H., 1964- (creator)
- Newlon, Kelly Ann (creator)
- Orlando, Dodie (creator)
- Orlando, Eugene (creator)
- Palmer, Guy (Guy Hughes), 1955- (creator)
- Rabbit, Frances (creator)
- Redd, Bethany (creator)
- Sekaquaptewa, Lee (creator)
- Thigpen, Jennifer (creator)
- Thomson, Joshua (creator)
- Urahausen, Robyn (creator)
- VanVleet, Kaitlyn (creator)
- White, Ryan (creator)
- Wrobel, Conrad (creator)
- Yaroshevich, Theresa (creator)
Finding aid prepared by Gayle O'Hara
2022
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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