Walking Richmond

OUR SILENT SPRING

In the spirit of the Out of Eden Walk, students from the University of Richmond set out this spring to report on their adopted city using the techniques of slow journalism. Then in early March, the outbreak of coronavirus forced them to return to their homes across the U.S., where they refocused their reporting to explore the pandemic's impact on their hometowns, their neighborhoods, and their lives. Their storytelling projects are presented below.

Winnetka, Illinois

Senior Alexis Angelus reported from her hometown, a suburb of Chicago that lies within Cook County, Illinois. As her governor ordered residents to shelter in place, the pandemic’s quiet toll on local businesses—and college seniors—began to hit home.

Chappaqua, New York

Lindsay Emery, a senior, reported from her home in Westchester County, an early hotbed of coronavirus cases in and around New York City. In addition to her work for this class, Lindsay reported for local news outlets on the crisis in her community.

Baltimore, Maryland

Sophomore Caterina Erdas reported from her home in the City of Baltimore, whose residents are predominantly poor and black. In addition to her dispatches, Catherine created a series of data visualizations in StoryMap form, available in the Map Room.

Sarasota, Florida

Noah Goldberg, a sophomore from Massachussetts, wound up sheltering in place with relatives in Sarasota, Florida. An experienced broadcaster, Noah launched a podcast series, UR Home Stories, to document the perspectives of his classmates and invited guests.

Santa Rosa, California

Reporting from his home in Santa Rosa, Steven Gu reconnected with a high school friend who owns a restaurant struggling to survive the pandemic. He also documented its toll on his host father, a medical professional who risks exposure daily in the hospital where he works.

Hillsdale, New York

Quinn Humphrey, a sophomore, was home in Pelham when COVID-19 began decimating the county. His family relocated to Hillsdale, a tiny hamlet in the Berkshires where Quinn reported on a family that survived coronavirus, and the town’s small businesses, struggling to stay afloat.

Plymouth, Michigan

In a suburb of Detroit, Nina Joss, a junior, found stories everywhere: On the dining room table, her mother, an RN, studied round-the-clock for COVID duty in the hospital ICU, while on the streets outside, longtime neighbors came to know each other for the first time.

Hershey, Pennsylvania

From her home in south-central Pennsylvania, Brooke Loomis reported on her hometown’s ‘can do’ spirit, sense of civic pride, and the role of Hershey’s medical professionals, including her own mother, tending to public health needs during the historic pandemic.

Yorktown, Virginia

Reporting from her home near the Chesapeake Bay, freshman Emily Lopez found stories in the creative things people do, in times of crisis, to make their world more beautiful and sane. Reporting from an art studio in a garage and a garden full of art, Emily captured the easygoing spirit of her town.

Annapolis, Maryland

With his host family in Annapolis, Alex Rodriguez, a student from Spain, spent quarantine in a quiet neighborhood near the Bay. In confinement, he found a side of America he’d never known: a place where sunken boats rise, emergencies are averted, and a roughneck named White Mike is really true-blue.