At the time of the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19), I was nineteen years old and interning at the New York State Capitol for the local assemblymember.
My program began in January of 2020. I joined while studying at SUNY OCC and I left my family home to stay in Albany during the internship.
This time in my life was incredibly exciting. My love for politics and public service that I had ever since I was a young boy, guided me to standing in the Chamber’s and committee hearings where procedural and vital votes are counted. The opportunities felt endless.
On any given day this room would be full of constituents, political action groups, ceremonies, and lobbyists of all walks of life. I was most encouraged seeing the lobbyists with ties to public interest groups. Notable examples include SUNY students lobbying for tuition freezes, citizens for safe roads, etc.
The day of the image taken here, was my final day in the Capitol.
At this time, most offices had already begun to shut down, and ours was one of the few still open. This day I witnessed a maintenance person in full HASMAT suit sanitizing surfaces around the building.
The unidentified man is seen walking alone towards the Marble staircase leading out of the Legislative office building. The only sounds were his footsteps and the water fountain’s trickle. His silhouette follows his pace, leaving the reflection of the past behind him.
To me, this image is so powerful. We did not yet know, but the past was gone, and we all had to move forwards. It underscores that everything, including the political system, froze in place. Events were cancelled, people were told to stay home, and many of us did what we thought was best for our health and safety of others.
The planet kept on spinning, but the hum of our world quieted.