‘I Am Drained Emotionally’
Chicago-area landlord Derrick Rowe had to sell three properties and borrow against his retirement to make ends meet this year.
My Pandemic Year
What The Year Of COVID-19 Taught Us
WBEZ asked Chicagoans to share how they’ve adjusted and evolved during an unthinkable year. Here are the stories — in their words.
Among the countless mundane moments from the past year, there are so many stories of heartache, renewal and gratitude. So, we wanted to know: How has living through a year of pandemic isolation changed you? What have you learned?
We heard from dozens of Chicagoans, who told us about coping with the loss of a brother, finding solace in the icy waters of Lake Michigan or discovering something inside themselves. Here are essays from just 11 of the people who responded. Click “Listen” to hear their voices.
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‘In The Water’s Embrace, I Feel Part Of The Whole’
Author Jian Ping added winter swims to her routine, and it has been magical.
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‘I No Longer Simply Accommodate Routine – I Crave It’
Evanston resident Susannah Pratt discovered an appreciation for the quiet routine of family life in quarantine.
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‘They Didn’t Teach This In Library School’
Librarian Brittany Drehobl helped move services online and learned just how essential her work is to the community.
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‘To Isolate, To Rest And Try Not To Die’
Writer Stan Engelsen’s emergency room experience brought back memories of losing a loved one to AIDS in the 1980s.
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‘I Had To Learn How To Protect Myself’
Elementary school teacher Mel Georgiou created a club for gamers to help her students connect and discovered her own value as an educator.
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‘Not Being Able To Say Goodbye … Haunts You’
When activist Jorge Valdivia lost his brother to COVID-19, who lived his life to the fullest, Valdivia was inspired to apply to grad school.
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‘They Don’t Understand The Pandemic … But They Still Do Want A Hug’
Northwestern professor Michelle Buck grappled with physical distance from her mother, who has advanced dementia, and her infant granddaughter.
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‘I Took Baking With My Grandma For Granted. … I Won’t Ever Take It For Granted Again’
Ellis Curry, 9, says despite the stress of this year, she’s learned gratitude for family and friends.
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With A Return To ‘Normalcy, I Fear Will Be Left Behind’
Writer Suzanne McDonough, whose immune diseases make her especially vulnerable to COVID-19, felt comfort in a world of masks and caution.
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An Artist’s ‘Low Battery Of An Exhausted Search Of COVID-19’
Chicago artist Yvette Mayorga used acrylic, nails, collage and rhinestones to make this painting, on display in New York City.
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Latest
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After closing 50 schools in 2013, did Chicago keep its promises?
WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times investigated promises made in 2013 to students and communities about what to expect after their schools shut down.
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Chicago’s 50 Closed Schools: A new approach in Englewood
Four years ago, Chicago tried an alternative to mass closings of underenrolled schools. Is this a path forward as the city’s enrollment continues to drop?
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10 years after mass CPS school closings, enrollment is even worse. What can be done?
Mayor Brandon Johnson says he opposes closing schools and our investigation shows they didn’t help students or communities. We explore the alternatives.
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CPS help was short-lived for Chicago schools that absorbed students from schools closed in 2013
The Sun-Times and WBEZ found that school officials failed to protect these welcoming schools and the $155 million invested in them over time.
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Chicago promised students would do better after closing 50 schools. That didn’t happen.
Chicago closed 50 schools in 2013, saying this would help students. But our analysis shows little changed academically for the affected kids.
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Ten years after Chicago closed 50 public schools, more than half remain shuttered and unused
The mayor promised the 46 buildings left would get a second life. The Sun-Times and WBEZ visited every building and community to see what happened.
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Chicago closed 50 public schools 10 years ago. Did the city keep its promises?
The city said the students would be better off, their new schools transformed and the closed buildings would be reborn as community assets.
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From ‘Cautious’ To ‘Blessed’: Chicagoans Reflect On Getting Vaccinated
Curious City spent the morning at two Chicago-area vaccination sites and spoke to people who’d just gotten a dose of the vaccine.
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WATCH: A Look Back At 2020, In 52 Photos
We’ve lived through a year like no other. Here’s what it looked like in Chicago and around the world.
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What 3 Health Care Workers Learned About The Pandemic — And Themselves
Mental health challenges. Isolation. Reusing PPE. What three health workers learned from Illinois’ first coronavirus surge.
