Hayden Bartholomew oral history - February 17, 2023

Okay. And we are recording. Awesome. Awesome. Okay, so what is your name?

Uh, my name is Hayden Bartholomew. Awesome. Thank you so much again for joining us today. Hayden.

We're so excited. I'm excited to be here. So what is your, yay yay awesome. Okay. So what is your LMU affiliation?

Uh, so I am a student at LMU. I am currently, I think, a junior credit wise. Yeah. Sounds right.

Awesome. How long um have you been at LMU and when did you start? Uh, so I started at LMU actually way back when,

in 2018. Um, I started in fall of 2018. Um, and then I started my spring semester, uh, and then I took a leave of absence starting spring break,

um, of 2019. Uh, and then I came back to LMU. Mid-pandemic. So I lived on campus for a semester and a

half, and then I took a leave of absence. Um, I lived with my parents for a little bit, and then I moved out to LA permanently. Was working, living, supporting myself.

It was awesome. Um, and then the pandemic hit and then mid-pandemic in spring 21. So like January 2021, I started back doing online classes.

Um, and then when we moved to in-person classes, I actually moved myself. And I now live here, but. Yay, yay, awesome.

Okay, so how do you describe yourself and interpret this in any way you would like? I, man, how I describe myself depends on the day. Um, depends on how I'm feeling that day.

Because some days I will. I will say I'm awesome. I who am I? I'm a super smart, motivated person who's going after their

dreams. And then some days I'll wake up and you ask me, who are you? I'm like, I'm a piece of garbage who lives like

garbage and is garbage. Um, so I, I don't know, I think I am just myself. I don't know who else to be.

I've tried. I've tried to be other, other things and people, and it's never worked. Um, so at this point, I'm just me, and that

can mean a whole lot of things. So I feel like if we if we let me ramble, I'll be here for an hour and a half. So I'm just.

I'm just me. I love that. That was perfect. Okay.

Moving on. Um, describe the day when you realized or heard that LA was going on a lockdown. Um, because of the Covid 19 pandemic.

Who were you with? What were your first thoughts? First steps. So, like I said, uh, Covid hit while I was

in that leave of absence while I was living out here in LA. Um, so when I first moved out to LA, I was renting a room in a woman's house.

She was lovely. Awesome. Had a lovely dog. Uh.

And then. I started planning to move in with one of my best friends, and so we would have an apartment together. And we were planning this.

We were planning this, um. We're like, it's we find a place that we're pretty excited about and we start hearing these things that there is something called Covid called coronavirus, right?

And then we move in to this place that we find. And I'm working at a virtual reality arcade. So where.

A bunch of kids come in and put things on their face and hold things in their hands. That's where I'm working and I'm planning to move it, move places.

And so moving. And then a week later, things get shut down. And. I was like, well, like.

And I knew that my job that's the first first to go like we're not essential in any way. Like. Playing virtual reality video games.

That's not essential. Sorry. You know, it's fun job. Not essential.

So I like I remember I was just like. I don't know. I don't know what to do. I.

I am so blessed in the fact that my parents are well off, and I know that they would, would be, and always are willing to help me no matter what.

Like if I need it, you know? But I'm also someone that really values independence, so I like to do it on my own. I want to, you know, I want to do that with

by my own two hands. Um, so, you know, I had that comfort of, like, I know that I will be taken care of, but I would like to take care of myself.

And so, like, figuring out, like, what do I do, you know, because if I want to support myself and keep living out here, I need to get a job. What jobs

are. What jobs are open right now, right? Like everything just got shut down. Um, so for a couple of months, I was just

living at home, and. I will say I'm really thankful that I moved right before the pandemic because as much as, uh, you know, I appreciate where I was living, that room that I

was renting. I. I'm very happy that I got to quarantine and lockdown with one of my best friends in the world. Yeah.

You know, because she was. Yeah. Lovely. She was a lovely woman that I was, you know, renting from. But she also

was the same age as my mom, and so she would like, take on like, mom tendencies. And so I was like. I don't need to be quarantined with that.

Yeah. It was lovely. Quarantined with with her. Um, and so that was that was the first experience

of just. What? Just. Oh, gosh.

What now? Yeah, totally. Yeah. Oh my gosh.

And so what was that first month like when you were locked down? What sort of precautions did you take or like have to take?

Um, I'll be honest. For me, it was a. Pretty chill month. It was.

It was nice. Honestly, I had a great. And like. My heart goes out to all those who suffered.

I personally had a fantastic time. My roommate and I made schnitzel all the time we like. At this point we had like barely any furniture.

So for like a week of that we just had a cardboard for uh. Like it was awesome. It was so chill.

Um, and like, again, it was, you know, it was one of my best friends and we kept our we kept our bubble, like, really tight. Um, there was like 5 or 6 of us, and,

like, that was our bubble. But, like, you know, it's still a good enough size bubble where it's like. You get to have that like fun, social, you know,

interaction. And we would still have game nights, you know, but it was just the same squad every time, you know. So it's like it was a Covid safe, consistent game

night. Um, so it was honestly pretty fun. I love staying at home. One of my favorite places to be is at home.

So that was great. That sounds awesome. And so in your living situation, it was just you and that roommate, is that correct?

Uh, yes. So it was just me and my roommate and then the girl that he was dating at the time, uh, she actually moved in with us for, for a bit

to, for most of Covid, but then they broke up. So that's, you know, but yeah, uh, it was just the two of us, you know, on the lease, paying the rent.

Um, but like, uh, you know, like how you could have, like, your bubble. So there were people that, like, would go to their own home with, like, just them.

Mhm. And then we had our bubble. Yeah. Awesome. Yeah.

Perfect. So how did your lockdown experience impact your disability, if at all? Yeah.

Um. I mean, I guess. I don't know because my my disability is mental, it's not physical.

Right. So I wasn't. I I I was lucky in the fact that I didn't have to worry about like, oh, I'm immunocompromised.

So like, that's that. Mhm. You know. Um, it was. It was tough mentally. Uh, on my, like, depression and anxiety.

Um, for a bit, but. I've also been in therapy for so freaking long that, like, I can I can deal with a lot of situations.

I can deal with a lot of stuff. Um, actually just had therapy earlier this morning. Fun fact. Hey. We love it.

Um, but like. I don't know. Locked down in my disability, I feel like. I feel like I kind of was able to thrive

Yeah. Because it gave me. It just gave me. It gave me space to learn a lot about myself. Honestly.

Like. I don't know, I always. I always was like, oh, I'm an extrovert because it's like, I love hanging out with people.

And then I realized, no, I'm not an extrovert. I like the five people in my life. I like those five people and that's it. I'm extroverted around those five and then all everyone else.

Can f off, you know, like. [laughs] So you know, I always thought that, like, I loved, like, being out and about, but it was just that I

never really liked where I was living before. I didn't enjoy living with my parents. Living with Sandra was was fine, but again, it still kind of felt like I was living with my mom,

you know? And so I learned that I really like being at home. I really like being at home.

Like. I just I learned a lot more about myself. And I think that also like helps me advocate for myself more now too, because how can you advocate for

your needs if you don't understand them? You know? So I think that that that's the biggest thing that it impact impacted.

And then. Like with classes. Specifically, I learned I really like online classes. Not a whole lot of people do.

I thought that I, you know, would be super stoked for in-person classes, but I. So I I have ADHD. And.

Being being here and being able to fidget while being on mute and not having to worry about anyone hearing my fidgets, anyone worrying about me adjusting. Amazing.

If I like, if I ever like, need to stand up, stretch my legs, it's not going to distract anyone. I'm a tiny little square, right? And like, I'm not like I can just be my

ADHD self. I can adjust in my chair however many times I want and like, still be engaged in class and not worry about.

all these other people like. Yeah. Getting distracted by what I'm doing or seeing what I'm doing, whatever, you know. So that that was that was really nice, actually. Yeah.

Totally. And so the next question is how? How has the pandemic affected your college experience and like work at LMU?

And if you want to. Yeah so. Elaborate on that anymore, you kind of just answer that. Yeah. It was like again, like it just online classes.

Amazing. Um, I will say that like. I also like. Another thing that I like learned about myself is that.

I mean, I already kind of knew that, like, I, I do better with structure, right? ADHD. Mhm. Brains like to have structure, right. Mhm. But I don't like to have structure imposed upon me.

So. Like being wholeheartedly on my own really forced me to create that structure for myself. And I think that that's helped me so much.

Right. Because I think a lot of people with online classes, they would just like, they would skip online classes, they would have their camera on, like they would have their camera

off and just be like doing whatever and like. Okay. So I, you know, like, I made it a point for myself to be at every class with my camera

on there, taking notes like I made it a point, because if I like, if I don't do that for myself, no one is going to make sure that I show up to the classes.

And if I don't show up to the classes, then my GPA falls and like that, that, and then I lose the like partial aid that I have. Like, it's on me.

Like I'm the one who has to do this right. And so it's like forcing myself to wake up every morning and like sit down, even if it's just like at my desk and create that dedicated workspace I think

was really, really helpful. And it's also like, I think it also helped carry into the in-person semesters because I haven't missed any classes. So.

I think we're doing pretty well, you know, like creating that structure for myself and really helpful and handy. Awesome. How do you feel about LMU's response to the

pandemic in like, you know, the college's response university level? When it comes to the students, all of that. Um. I think it was fine.

Good. Like. Yeah. You know that. Like that's. We, you know, we took precautions as you as you

should, you know? Um. Yeah. I'd I'd just say thumbs up.

Good job. You know, I think that. Of you know of the responses to have they they had the right one.

Right. Because they. Mhm. I feel like the other end of the spectrum is no masks like everyone. Yeah. Like party, no mask. And so like.

You know. They. They did the right thing. Good.

Good job. Yep. Do you think LMU's approach to disability has shifted since the pandemic and has this, like, increased awareness?

Um, if you feel there is an increased awareness. Has that had any impact on how disability is perceived and addressed on campus? I think maybe I think that it has probably increased

some awareness, uh, on campus. Um. Hm. Thinking about, because I think a lot of people they would not have ever thought about.

the immunosuppressed person on the. Mhm. Average day, right? Like. On the average day most people don't think like. Think about the fact that, like, oh yeah, my friend

Greg has asthma, you know, but now this like, it brings it into a whole nother light, like, because. This is a part of their life that like. You you know, like I I think it.

Yeah. It makes people think about, you know, like. Oh, you know, like I, I'm not immunosuppressed, but like, my friend is, you know, like, Mhm. Um, and I maybe some people also.

I mean, I know some people also like, went through their own mental health and like mental health journeys and so. Bringing that kind of awareness, um, to mental health and

mental disabilities as well. Um, I think that that is. That is good. I think that in general the world is on a

path to communication and accommodation and recognize. Recognization. Is that a word? I think so. I do believe it.

If it’s not a word before it is now. Exactly. Um, but just. Yeah.

Awareness and representation to I think that we're getting we're moving in the right direction with things. So I have hope. Yeah.

I love it. Okay. Um, wrapping this up. Um, what is one thing you hope people of the

future learn from this and just kind of this experience overall, this very niche experience that we have with Covid and, you know, growing up right now. I, I hope that people.

More understanding. I want people to to be more understanding, you know. And. Just like.

I don't know how to elaborate on this, but like. Recognize that not everyone is doing perfect at all times, you know? Um.

I hope people learn. Learn to accept. Like. That their human experience is not the only experience that

is out there. Um, I think that a lot of people, like, get so absorbed in their own head and they, like, they're so quick to reject anything that doesn't fit into their

box. And I want people to understand that there are. Infinite human experiences, right? Like.

Like. Like, most people like, had a super shit time during Covid. And so a lot of them will always like assume

like Covid sucked and then they'll like and then they'll talk to me and I'm like, yeah, I had a great time. And like, also like I didn't even really talk about

I got, um, I got a job for part of the pandemic before I came back to LMU at an emergency, uh, emergency relief homeless shelter. And it was awesome.

Right. So it's like I had a great time during the pandemic. I was chilling, right?

So anytime. Yeah. Anyone hears that, they're like. What? You know. And so it's like just just even that like recognizing. Mhm. Not everyone experiences things the same way that you do.

And that's okay. That's what that's good. Right? If everyone experienced the same thing the same exact way,

there'd be nothing new. Nothing would ever get done. Right? So true.

People have different experiences than you, and thank God they do. You know, so that that's what I hope. I hope people learn from this.

Awesome. That was amazing. Thank you so, so much. Yeah, thank you. Is there any thing else you would like to talk

about that you feel I didn't cover, or in regards to your disability or anything that we're talking about today? Um. I don't think so.

I think maybe I should clarify that ADHD, like, is not just like, oh, I can't like, can't focus for homework like it it is. It is a neuro divergence that affects my executive function,

which includes memory, organization like retention, everything. Right. So it's not just like, oh, I can't focus on homework.

It's. I. I can't like if I'm not on my medication, I can't stay on one task for more than 20 minutes. Mhm.

If I'm fucking lucky, I'll get 20 minutes in, like so. Totally. I think I think that's the main thing.

Like, ADHD is not just like I can't focus. It is. It impacts every part of your life. Mhm.

So. Yeah. That's it. Awesome.

Okay, great. I am going to stop the recording now. Okay. And then I'm just going.

Yeah. Here we go. Stop the recording.