Interviewer
Kennedy Lawrence
Files
Abstract
This interview was conducted by Winthrop student Kennedy Lawrence ’24 with William “Bill” Calandro as part of Project 2020: A Collaborative Oral History on the Coronavirus Global Pandemic. Calandro, a native of Tampa, Florida, discusses his experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and the major social and political events of 2020. At the time of the initial COVID-19 shutdown, Calandro was working in professional sports in South Florida for the Florida Panthers. He describes the abrupt cancellation of sporting events, the transition to remote work, and the decision by the Panthers to retain their full-time employees during the shutdown. He also discusses the introduction of COVID-19 vaccination requirements at his workplace and the gradual return to in-person work.
Calandro reflects on the events of 2020 that received his greatest attention, particularly the Black Lives Matter movement and the civil unrest that followed. He also discusses his limited engagement with the 2020 election and his decision not to vote. The interview addresses his perceptions of the gradual return to normalcy, including the resumption of professional sporting events and the return to his workplace in the fall of 2020.
Calandro also discusses the longer-term effects of the pandemic on his professional and educational plans. He explains that the availability of remote work allowed him to continue working for the Florida Panthers while pursuing graduate studies in history at Winthrop University. He describes his decision to leave full-time employment with the Panthers to pursue history and how the option to continue working remotely made it possible for him to maintain a connection to his former career while attending classes. At the time of the interview, Calandro was completing a master’s degree in history and planned to pursue doctoral studies. The interview provides insight into the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment, professional sports, higher education, and individual educational and career decisions.
William Fredrick “Bill” Calandro (b. 1994) is a native of Tampa, Florida, and was a graduate student and graduate assistant in the Department of History at Winthrop University. At the time of the interview, he resided in Columbia, South Carolina.
Publication Date
2-8-2023
Unique Identifier
OH 720
Format
MP3
Length
00:09:38
Restrictions
Open under the rules and regulations of the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections at Winthrop University
Keywords
COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020, Winthrop University, Higher Education, Vaccination, Black Lives Matter, Politics
Recommended Citation
William Calandro, COVID-19 Pandemic, and Winthrop University, "Interview with William Calandro - OH 720" (2023). Winthrop University Oral History Program. OH 720.
https://digitalcommons.winthrop.edu/oralhistoryprogram/637