Jordan Fray oral history - January 29, 2023

Hello. Here we go. So what is your LMU affiliation? Um, like, when did you start here?

How long have you been here? Yeah. So, um, I started actually during Covid. Um, I was, I graduated high school in 2020, and

I started LMU in 2020. Um, so I started online as a freshman. My college track has been a little bit weird. Um, I decided to take a three year track because

of financial reasons. Um, and so, um, I kind of did my sophomore and junior year at once. Um, and so my first year was all online.

I was over zoom, and then my second year, um, slash third year was in person. And that was my first time ever on campus. Um, and then this is my senior year, so.

And I'm going abroad for the spring. So technically I've only been at LMU like physically for a year and a half, but, um, I've been like in the LMU community now for two and a half

years. Um, and then I also I'm a student, um, in the Pool Sci department and Peace and Justice department. Um, but on top of that, I also work at

LMU. So I am the research assistant for the CSJ center, um, of Reconciliation and Justice. On top of that, I run the Covid 19 testing

center on campus. Oh my gosh. Um, yeah. And then, um, I, I help run a club as

well. I'm the director of philanthropy for the Women in Politics club. Um, and I use I'm an ex student government person.

So, uh, last year I was the vice president of cultural affairs and justice, um, for ASLMU. And I stepped down this year, but. Yeah.

Wow. That's so much affiliation. I know it's a lot. Um, okay, so this next question you can interpret, however

you want. Um, how do you describe yourself? That's a good question. Okay.

I describe myself in a lot of different ways. It depends who I'm talking to. So for academic things, I'm applying to law school right now.

And um, and that sort of way, I'd say that I am a woman. I am a very outspoken woman. Um, I am pretty resilient.

I've been through a lot of things, and I've kind of bounced back and adapted to different situations. Um, I also like identity sort of thing. Um, I would say that I am a woman, I

am pansexual. Um, I am a disabled. Um, and those are like the three identities I kind of speak out on the most.

Um, and then. Yeah. Um, that brings me here. Um, yeah.

Those are sort of like how I would describe myself or interpret myself. Yeah. Great.

Thank you. Mhm. Um, okay, so then we'll go ahead and shift into the questions about Covid. Um, my next question is describe the day when you

realized or heard that LA was going on a lockdown because of Covid 19. Who were you with? What were your first thoughts and what were your first

steps? Yeah, so I don't remember the day that LA specifically was going down. Um, by so it was March 13th.

Um, and I was in my ceramics class in high school as a senior and I was told, hey, guys, there's this thing, it's called Covid. Um, you're going to be gone for two weeks and

then you're going to come back. That never happened. Um, so I remember leaving. It was a half day.

Um, and so I left my ceramics class, and that morning, I had been warned by my environmental science teacher that this was likely going to happen. And CPS Chicago Public School system was likely going to

have a temporary day on Monday, the following Monday, uh, to give kids all of their information and pretty much my, um, AP environmental science teacher was like, do not come to that day.

He was like, you will get Covid, do not come, stay home. I don't care what the school is telling you. Um, it's not going to be two weeks, and this

might be the last time I'm seeing you guys. So I was like, okay, wow. What is going on? Um, and.

Yeah. And then I remember I graduated high school in the pandemic. Um, so I finished all my classes online. Was really

weird because I was just, I shut my computer and that's how I graduated. Um, that was that was kind of strange. Um, and then I remember over the summer, um, it

was up in the air when it came to LMU. So LA was on a lockdown, but all cities were at the time, and I grew up in a city, so that was pretty typical.

Um, and then I was also in Chicago during the riots. Um, after George Floyd's murder. Um, and so I was downtown and our mayor had

put up, um, basically the bridges in downtown. So while I was worried about Los Angeles, I was more focused on my safety at the moment because she pretty much split the north and south side, which was

really it was really interesting. Um, but yeah, it was there were sirens going off. We had armed guards on every corner. Um, at the same time that there was a global

pandemic. And so, um, that's happening as I am checking my email constantly for updates on LMU. Um, and I don't have the best family life.

Um, and so I was really excited to get out of my childhood home and be more independent and go to college. Um, and so that that email was really important for

me that, that was that was why I was keep refreshing my email for that LMU update. Um, and I remember getting one update that was saying, okay, here's the plan.

You guys are all going to come. There's going to be testing. Um, it's going to resume on campus, maybe some hybrid classes that I think went out in, I want to

say early July, mid June. And then I got another email that was like, okay, maybe not. Um, and it was so we're going to have hybrid

classes or mainly online classes. You're still going to be allowed to come to campus, that sort of thing. And then two weeks before I was supposed to leave

to move to LA. Um, at LMU's campus, I remember I got one email and it was like, it's not happening, guys. Um, your classes will be fully online.

And at this point I had picked out my roommate. I had scheduled my dorm, I was pumped and ready to go. And that was like the email that crushed it all.

Um, and it was like I understood it. Um, I was a global pandemic and people are dying. And so it's a scary time, and it's better to stay safe than be sorry.

Um, but it really sucked to get that email. And so, yeah, I remember that. Um, and then I was sitting in my living room, I think, with my mom and my stepdad.

Um, and the time that I got that email, I immediately turned to them and I was like, I don't know what to do. I need to find an apartment.

I can't live here. Um, and so that's what I did. Um, and so within two weeks, I had found an apartment in LA, found a job, moved to LA.

Um, because I was like, I can't do this. Um, I can't do college at home. And so that's just how I had to adapt, um, to the scenario.

But. Yeah. Um, and so I had gotten the email and then I moved anyways.

Um, but yeah. Wow. How did your, um, parents respond to that?

Yeah. So it wasn't good. Um, to say the least. Um, my mom is very protective.

Um, and so she was like, if you're not going to a college and you're not going to be safe on campus, like, I don't want you moving. And I was like, well, I can't study here and

be productive because that last part of my senior year, although my grades didn't matter at that point, it was really hard for me to study, um, whether that included my disabilities and the function of just being online 24

seven or my surroundings, or a mix of both. I don't really know what it was, but it was just really hard for me to do schoolwork. So I was like, I can't do this here.

And if I'm going to start college, like, it's important that I'm out. And so we had a really long discussion and I came up with Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoints of like different options

where I could go, um, because my family lived under the poverty line. I even applied for LMU's housing on campus as like an emergency scenario.

Unfortunately, they turned me down. Um, and so it was it was a lot of back and forth. And eventually my mom was like, okay, I see why

this is right. I had found a roommate or I found three roommates, um, that were all LMU freshmen and going through the same scenario.

And so she was like, okay, I will move you in. This will be okay. Um, and we kind of just took it on as

we needed to, but yeah. Wow. So, um, so I'm wondering if, uh, I want to

hear both sides of that, that moment because so for the first 3 or 4, first 3 or 4 months of the lockdown, you were at home in Chicago and then you moved and we were still kind of locked

down because that was the going into the, um, the Omicron fall. Right? Or was it the Delta fall now I can't remember.

I don't know, I think. Delta. But there was that. It might have been. Yeah.

That's right. It was just the still that that huge surge that happened in the um, winter of 2020. But so I'm wondering like what what what sort of

precautions you and your family took, like, you know, did you all buy tons of groceries or like, were you wiping down doorknobs back at home? And then when you moved, what was it like with

your roommates in LA? Yeah. So great questions. Um, when I first when the pandemic first happened, um, both

of my parents are high risk. Um, well, my mom and my stepdad, my dad is not high risk, but I see him less. Um, and so, um, that being said, we knew we

had to take extra precautions, so I wasn't allowed out of my house. Um, I didn't go. So as soon as, um, or as soon as the

pandemic hit and we knew the severity and I no longer went to class, I don't think I left my house for like, two and a half months, maybe more. Um, and I think the only times I left were

like, grocery runs or like to I, I had a drive through graduation, so that was a thing. Um, and so like, I, I, we did those, um, my family tried to throw me a small graduation party.

It ended up being five people outside, masked, not eating the pizza we bought because we were too scared. Um, and so, yeah, um, yeah, it was just a lot of, like, if we needed to do something or

see someone, you had to do it outside. You had to be masked. Um, and then there was no travel in that period. So actually, when the pandemic first hit, I had not

fully decided on college. Um, I knew I was going, I didn't know where. Um, and I had about I think I applied to 27 colleges.

Wow. Yeah. Um, and so when it came to time aside, I had only toured half of those colleges.

And that spring break, I was supposed to tour the rest of the colleges. Spring break was not happening. Um, so we canceled our flight, and that was supposed

to be a flight to one of my best friend's house. And then me and him were going to drive down the coast and tour all the schools that we went

to together. Um, and that just didn't happen because of Covid. And so I during that time, when the pandemic first hit, I was staying at home and I was making

like I was watching YouTube videos on what college I should choose. I was like any information I could get because I'm like a very visual person and I like to see

things hands on. And so any information I could get from Google or YouTube or even like Pinterest post, um. Or like Reddit, I was like gaining information and making

like spreadsheets of like, okay, I really want this in a college. This is what I don't want. And then like, I made a blind decision.

And so I guess it kind of happened to fall when I was graduating. And so it was a weird time because we were dealing with all of this added stress of like, what's

next in my future? Plus, hey, don't go outside, you might die. Um, so yeah, um, but yeah. And then when it came to grocery store shopping, I

remember they would do like every two weeks was a giant Costco trip. And that Costco trip had mask. It had Clorox wipes.

Um, my mom weirdly bought a lot of toilet paper, and I was like, why? Um, but yeah, so that that was that. Um, yeah.

How did you and your roommates approach the precautions when you got to LA? Yeah. So, um, that's kind of a complicated question.

Um, so me and my immediate roommate, so me and the girl who I shared a room with were very, very similar. Um, we were like, okay, we need to stay safe.

Both of our parents were high risk. We were like, we didn't want to go anywhere. We didn't want a party, that sort of thing. Um, unfortunately, we were in, uh, PDO, which is a

common apartment complex. Um, and it's known for pretty big LMU parties. Um. What does a PDO stand for? Playa Del Oro.

It's, uh. Oh, oh, oh, gotcha. On the corner. Um, yeah.

But, uh, so we were like, okay, we're not going to do this. We ended up seeing like a few friends and then like seeing a few people, and we were like, okay,

like, this is okay. No one's gotten like sick. And then we were like, wait, no, LA does not have any beds in the hospital.

We need to be careful. And so we basically only saw like our very immediate, immediate friends and family. Um, and we would not leave or we would leave,

but it would be to go on like a private walk or like anytime we did leave, we would bring our mask, um, and that sort of thing. And then my two other roommates, unfortunately, we disagreed on

Covid. Um, and so those two other roommates who were more like apartment flatmates, um, they were big partiers they would like to have like, a lot of people over or

go to other people's house. Um, and so we really disagreed with that. Um, and it got pretty toxic and bad in there just because of the whole Covid situation.

Um, until one point, one of the girls got Covid, um, and tried to or not tried to, one of the girls got Covid and we were like, okay, you have Covid, can you stay in your room?

We'll bring you food to your door. Um, we were like or if you need to leave, can you wear a mask? Can you wipe down whatever you're touching?

We're going to stay in our room, that sort of thing. We were on the first floor and we had a balcony

we could climb out of, so we didn't actually need to use our front door. Um, but yeah. And then she said no, she said she was going

to come and go as she pleased. It was her apartment. And so me and my immediate roommate then basically put Saran wrap around our door and it felt absolutely crazy.

Um, but my mom is a cancer survivor, and she was in LA and she was trying to see me, and I was like, I cannot risk this. Um, and I also have a lung condition.

And so I was like, this could be detrimental. There are no beds in LA. If anyone gets sick, like we need to be cautious. And so our apartment just fully there was like a

full split. One side was like Covid safe and the other side was not Covid safe. Um, and it was really hard to mitigate that situation

because we didn't have LMU involved. We were all adults, so parents couldn't really handle things. Um, and then the apartment complex had their own strict rules.

Um, and so, yeah, it was complicated. Yeah. Were you able to resolve it ever, or come to a place together?

Yeah. Not entirely. Um, we tried, we had a discussion with all of us and the parents, and we, like, came up with,

like, a contract system. Um, and that unfortunately didn't work. Um, and so we even got LMU involved. Um, there was another issue with, like, the roommates as

a whole where we needed to get LAPD involved, which was kind of scary for a minute. Um, that didn't involve Covid at all. It was a different scenario, but the entire place was

just a complete mess. And so, um, at just one point or another, me and my immediate roommate said, okay, we're just going to live out of our room.

Um, we had a toaster oven, we had a mini fridge. We had access to the outside world from our room. We didn't

need to go into our living room. And so that's kind of just what happened. Um, and then we ended the yearly lease. And so.

Yeah. Do you still see those former roommates? No, I don't. No.

Um, okay. How do you how do you think or how did you experience, um, the lockdown in relationship to your disability -ties or like, how was the experience impacted by your

disabilities? Yeah. Um, so it was kind of accumulation of my disabilities and also switching from high school to college.

Um, my disabilities are primarily learning disabilities. Um, and so when it came to going straight online, that was really difficult because I'm not someone who can sit for long periods of time.

I'm someone who likes physical activity. Um, I was a competitive synchronized ice skater my entire life. And when the pandemic stopped, I went from skating 27

hours a week to skating no hours a week and staying in a room all day. And so that was a big change, because I needed to figure out ways that I could, like, work out

and move my body in ways that would kind of help my mind process information and focus on it. Um, and so going straight to a computer was really difficult because I would just be sitting there all day.

Um, and I think for my first semester at LMU, it was really, really hard because I didn't have like, I had some friends, but I wasn't fully engaged in a community.

Um, I had just moved to a new city. We didn't like we weren't doing things, um, on like, a daily basis. I wasn't in any clubs because there were no clubs.

Um, LMU kind of felt like. Or it felt like they didn't reach out to their freshman class as much as I'd like them to. And there wasn't an orientation in in a way that

wasn't a zoom call, which made sense, but it just all we had was our orientation class, which everyone turned off their zoom camera for and did something else. Um, so yeah, um, it was it was really hard.

It was also really hard because I was a freshman and I didn't have priority registration at the time. Um, and I now do. And I got it this semester after.

But, um, navigating DSS and my accommodations. Well, DSS is saying, hey, we can't proctor any exams. My professors say are saying, hey, we're not going to give you exams.

We're going to give you all essays and timed essays or not even timed essays, but like, you have a week to finish this and accommodations don't apply to assignments. So that was really difficult to mitigate.

Um, and then having to explain to like professors like, hey, I'm new here, I've never done a college load of work. I don't know what I'm doing here.

Um, I didn't even have a major at the time. I was like, I'm kind of just thrown into the mess right now. Can you help me?

Like, these are my disabilities. This is what I need help with. And lucky enough, I had great professors who were super accommodating and super willing to talk to me and listen.

But I did have some other professors where they're like, well, I just I don't get it. And I was like, I don't know how to make you get it.

Like, we're in a pandemic right now. DSS can't help me right now. Um, this is just what I got. And so.

Yeah. Um, that was that was that. So I think that also, I mean, it's that you started to sort of.

Answer the other side of that question, which is like, how did the pandemic affect your college experience? It seems like these two are really entangled, so I wonder if there's a way.

Um. Like you started college in a pandemic, and it's all, you know, is that. Yeah.

Um, do you think that starting the college in during a pandemic lockdown had a very had a specific impact on your experience, or has affected your experience in any particular way?

Definitely. Um, one of my first projects that I actually did at LMU was my rhetorical right or my rhetorical arts class for social justice.

Um, and I did it on reasonable or no, I did it on the Covid 19 impact for people with intellectual and disavet developmental disabilities. So IDDs.

Mhm. Um, and that was like a semester long project that I did during the pandemic, as I was living with a person, oh, as I was living myself with, uh, intellectual and developmental disabilities.

And I was like, okay, I know this affects me. I wanted to see how it affects people with more severe IDDs or less severe IDDs, or just how it's affecting us in a whole as a community.

Um, and it was really interesting because I got to see a lot of my own problems based in like, numbers and the fact that I wasn't alone. Um, and I also like going back to your question

about how it affected me. Um, it was just weird, like I felt. I felt like I didn't have the support I needed in the process, but at the same time I was

okay. Um, and I think I was only okay because of all of the tutoring and support I've had in the past, and the way I know how to mitigate situations

and adapt to it. But it was a process where it was, it was learn as I go. Um, it was this is totally new to me.

I need to figure out a system that works for me. Um. This isn't.

I go to class every day. Um, one of the big things for me is that I really need to switch locations to be able to work.

Um, so going to school is actually really beneficial because my brain says, okay, you're at school, you're going to do schoolwork versus Mhm. I'm in bed because I don't have a desk in this room. Mhm.

I'm going to sleep. Um, but it's. Nope. You're on a zoom call.

You need to do schoolwork. Um, and so that was really hard because I couldn't go to a coffee shop. I couldn't go on campus.

And so I had to learn to, like. Kind of depersonalize my own room and be like, okay, bed, sleep desk, which is two feet away from the bed, is going to be school.

Um, and it was it was interesting. It was it was weird. Um, but yeah. Was it, did it did your body mind catch

on to that distinction relatively quickly or. I don't I don’t think so. Um, one of the biggest problems I had with that semester, and I'm a I'm a super academic.

How do I say this? Um. I. I don't have the best mindset when it comes to

academic excellence. Normally I compare that to my own worth, and I think that's part of like growing up with disabilities and being told like, hey, you don't belong here, or hey,

you're stupid or special. Um, and being told like, oh, you'll never get that far. And so an A on my transcripts makes me smile

for multiple reasons. Um, and so I will do whatever I need to make sure my grades are okay. Um, and during the pandemic and figuring out those first

months, I was really sacrificing myself. I was really sacrificing my sleep because I couldn't focus. And so I would stay up at ungodly hours, or I would procrastinate because I didn't know how to organize

everything at the time. Um, and so, yeah, that was just kind of how it all fell together. Yeah. Okay.

Um. Since we've been talking already for a half an hour. I just want to invite you, if you need to take a break for any reason to move around.

Or I can pause the recording. I'm good. But thank you. Okay, let me know.

Um. Okay. So how do you feel about LMU's response to the pandemic?

And there's some sub, some sub questions like LMU's response to essential workers, your college's response to your own BCLA. Yes. Yeah.

Okay. Um, at the university level. And then how do you feel about health mandates like masking or vaccination as they're implemented here?

And you can answer any or none or whatever. Take this however you like. Oh I'll take the big question first, and then you might have to give me the sub questions uh again just

because I'm going to forget them. But, uh. No problem. LMU’s response to the pandemic, I wish they were more transparent. Um, and I have a very I have a kind

of unique side when it comes to their pandemic response, because I help provide that information for students. I manage the testing center. Um, and so I've been at the forefront of it,

um, not so much at the beginning of the pandemic, but in the last two years, um, I started working at the center last fall. And so, um, yeah, that that was interesting.

Um, and I have a unique asp perspective to that. But their immediate response to the pandemic, um, I wish it was more transparent. Um, I wish they would have told us right away

that, hey, we're we don't think you're going to end up on campus. Um, because I would have been able to found find housing sooner, I would have been able to think through some

of my actions more, um, and maybe find different roommates, um, than just rushing out and doing whatever I could in, like, two weeks before I'm supposed to start college. I remember I actually started college in a hotel room

the day I had come back from a flight, um, like it was the first day I'd flown to LA. And it was like, okay, you're here. Open that zoom call.

Um, and so that was the first time I ever started. Um, and so I wish they were more transparent. And I wish they also gave us more of a

heads up or like a even if it's not exact, but like a hey, guys, these are the plans were evaluating, um, or taking student input. Um, I know that student input would probably lean more

towards open up the campus rather than close it down, and that might not be the safest thing. Um, so I understand why they didn't take it, but just hearing things from students or talking with students and

being like, okay, this is the scenario, how can we help you? Um, but yeah, um, in terms of their more recent protocol, um, and their current protocol, I wish vaccines were

more mandated. Um, I know that we give out some religious exemptions. Um, and I don't always feel like those religious exemptions should be given.

Um, and so that's my own personal opinion when it comes to that. Um, and that's just in like a, I totally understand, um, like Amish exceptions where it's like vaccines as a

whole. Um, but there are no Amish people in university. Um, and so I, I am kind of wondering about certain exemptions that we've given out there.

Um, and also like, just I wish they required more testing. Um, I know a few students who unfortunately, like, have gotten Covid like exposure notifications of, like, close contact exposures

and not gotten the testing and not gotten, like, repercussions because of that. Um, and so it would be helpful to like know that things are happening to keep our safety.

Um, I did like the fact that they kept mask for a really long time. Um, I think masking is just safe in general, especially for our professors.

Um, I know I have older professors with, like, newborn children, and so that can be super dangerous if you're forcing in-person classes and no masking. Um, and so, yeah, um, that sort of thing, but.

Yeah, that's that's what I got. Yeah. Great. Um, something you said just now just reminded me, and

it connects to something you said earlier. But this isn't on the sheet that I sent you. But I've noticed when I started at LMU, it kind of felt like.

Nobody except DSS ever really thought or talked about disability and accessibility. But then Covid really like brought accessibility to the fore for a lot of people.

Um, and I wonder since you have been on both sides of it, really, like, do you feel like the conversation around access has shifted since at LMU since the lockdown?

I feel like it's shifted, but not so much around disability. I feel like it's more shifted around accessibility, not disability.

And those things can come hand in hand, but they're not always the same because accessibility can pertain to anyone. Someone could need more accessibility because their schedule is really packed or they don't like driving, that sort of thing.

Someone with a disability can need accessibility because their wheelchair can't fit into an elevator or they can't see the board, that sort of thing. Um, and so there's certain things that are like hybrid

like hybrid learning can be great and it can be accessible for both disabled people and, um, neurotypical people. And then there's some things where it's like hybrid classroom style can actually be horrible for some people with disabilities

and great for people for neurotypical people. And so it really depends on the disability and the person. Um, but when it comes to like the conversation around

disability at LMU, I don't really get I don't think I can speak on what it was like before the pandemic because I was just never here. Um, but after the pandemic, I've been a little bit

disappointed. Um, I feel like disability is left out of a lot of conversations. Um, LMU prides itself on being a social justice institution,

on supporting all identities. Um, and I rarely see disability in those identities that are mentioned. Um, and so whether it be scholarship, whether it be

programing or just policy in general, um, I feel like they ignore those things. Um, so, yeah, um, when it comes to like accessibility in like terms of Covid things, I think that's been

more lenient. Um, a lot of the conversation has been around like, hey, this doesn't need to be an in-person meeting. Let's save everyone time and join the zoom call.

Or like, I know a few people, um, myself included, with disabilities who are like, hey, professor, could you just turn on the transcript real quick? It helps us a lot to have that, especially as

your lecturing at us. Um, and that's been nice or like recordings of classes. Um, that's been a lot more lenient with Covid. Um, but I feel like it's less about disability and

more about Covid. So I know a lot of students with disabilities who would say, oh yeah, my professor lets allows me to record in class, but that's just because some people are missing

because of Covid. It's not because it helps them, it's not because the professor is thinking it would help them later because they have a disability or a processing, um, divergent.

That is like easier to do when it's a recording or like a transcript or something like that. So yeah. Yeah, that makes sense.

Um, okay. What is one thing you hope the people of the future learn from this? And this could be your story.

This moment could be anything. That's a really good question. Um, I kind of hope that people of the future just know that it's okay to talk about nerve divergence

and disability, and it's not. I know we throw around words like differently abled or specialized, um, and the medical term is disability. And that's okay.

Um, and like that's a term a lot of people with disabilities are comfortable with. Um, and we don't see it as a disadvantage. And I think a lot of people think because it

has the word dis in it, it automatically makes it a bad thing. But disability can actually be a really great thing. Um, the things that I've learned to do with my

disabilities are way past when I know some of my other peers can do, um, and vice versa. They can do things that I can't do. But I like the way I learn, and I've learned

to grow up with my disabilities, and I've learned to love them. And so it's not something I want fixed, but it's more something I want in the conversation.

And so as we're doing projects like this and as we're talking and getting more comfortable with disability as a whole, it's nice to know that it's okay to mention it and it's okay to talk about it, and it's

okay to ask like, hey, can I do anything to help you guys, even if you're not a disabled? But like, is there any accommodations? Is there anything unique or is my teaching style okay

for everyone's brain? That sort of questions are great for a community. Um, and even not in a university, but even in like, work or even like on fun programing.

Like it's just great to include inclusive questions. Um, in general, whether it's disability, whether it's about pronouns, whether it's about race, um, and making sure everyone's comfortable because comfortability ranges from a scale to a bunch of

things. But yeah. For sure. Okay. Awesome.

Is there any do is there any other part of your story that you that you would want to add that you haven't been able to tell yet? We've been talking for just about 40 minutes, and I

wonder if there's another. Any other pieces? Um, I'm trying to think. I'm not sure right now if there's anything that comes

to mind. Um, I think that pandemic was hard for a lot of people, and it affected us in ways that we won't know right now.

Like, I know. Mhm. How the pandemic affected me in a short term amount of time, but technically, COVID's not over. Um, I like in 30 years, just being online for two years or being like in a room could really

affect someone. And so I guess I'm not going to figure that out until later. Um, and I think it's important for us as a

society down the line to say, okay, we need to realize how some of these, like, kids and some of these teenagers grew up and how their story and the impact of the pandemic or the impact of disabilities, or

the intersection of them both with different identities, affects everyone differently. Um, and how that might affect them down the road? Um, but yeah, like I still get on an airplane

with a mask, and some people still look at me like I'm crazy and I'm like, this is just what I'm going to do from now on, because that's what I know.

Um, but, yeah, that that sort of thing. Okay. Amazing. I think a lot of the things I do now

are because of the pandemic. Like I think back with my friends all the time. If the pandemic weren't to happen, I probably wouldn't be at LMU.

Um, I probably would be taking a history track or somewhat similar of a track. I've always been interested in social justice, but I don't know if I'd end up at law school.

Um, I don't know if I'd end up double majoring or finishing in three years. This is just like what happened. Um, and my college experience wasn't the normal college experience.

A lot of people are like, oh, you're gonna have the best time in college. You're gonna party like crazy. No, that did not happen.

Um, and I've never been, like, a big partier. Um, and so I wasn't surprised, but it was really like college wasn't college for me. Um, it was a place I was at for a

really short amount of time. The first year just feels like Covid. Um, it doesn't even feel like college. The second year was a blur.

Um, I was doing everything and everything. Um, so from running the or from helping to run the Planned Parenthood fundraiser to being on ASLMU and starting initiatives there, like a gender inclusive gym with Fit

well, like those sort of things. I was just kind of all over. I was trying to get everything done in one year, and now I'm like, okay, I'm a senior question mark.

This doesn't feel right, but okay, now I'm done. All right. Happy graduation. Um, so yeah, it's a it's a weird thing, but

yeah, my college experience has been different, but I'm kind of happy. Um, I'm not happy that Covid happened in any way, but I am thankful for the path that I'm on

right now. Um, and I think it would be an entirely different path if it wasn't for the pandemic and the break that we were forced to take as society.

So yeah. Yeah. That's awesome. I mean.

That's. great that you have that perspective and you've been able to say like, okay, which I guess what you said at the beginning too, when we were talking, you're like,

okay, we're just gonna we're going to find the positive. Yeah. We're going to go that way. Yeah. Well, That’s it. It's it's great.

Um, okay. Great. Let me stop this. That's so good.