{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/presentation/3/context.json","id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/iiif/p26pz5229w/manifest","type":"Manifest","label":{"en":["Zeco Krcic Oral History"]},"logo":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/010/original/Aviary_QPLlogo_192x192.png?1578574261","metadata":[{"label":{"en":["Description"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eZeco Krcic lives in Lynbrook, Long Island and works at Queens College as the Assistant Vice President for Facilities, Planning and Operations. In this interview, Krcic describes the changes and challenges that occurred to his work in the latter half of March. As the school transitioned to distance-learning, Krcic was still going to the campus and overseeing the maintenance and construction of buildings, all while adopting new protocols to keep things as sanitized, safe, and risk-free as possible. He discusses a day in his life during the pandemic, the new cleaning rituals adopted, how his family life adjusted as well as his thoughts on the future. He also reflects on his formative years as a Merchant Marine and Navy officer in 1990, where he saw combat and experienced the confusion and fear of war, and compares it to this current moment. Krcic meditates on how our experiences of pain can teach us to relate to one another and to cope during difficult times, as well as help us to learn to plan and adapt for the future.\u003c/p\u003e (summary)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Source"]},"value":{"en":["Interview conducted as part of the Queens Memory COVID-19 Project."]}},{"label":{"en":["Language"]},"value":{"en":["English"]}},{"label":{"en":["Coverage"]},"value":{"en":["March - May 2020 (temporal)","Flushing, Queens, NY; Lynbrook, NY (spatial)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Date"]},"value":{"en":["2020-05-15 (created)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Agent"]},"value":{"en":["Zeco Krcic (Interviewee)","Regina Carra (Interviewer)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Rights Statement"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eCC BY-NC-SA Contact digitalarchives@queenslibrary.org for research and reproduction requests.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},{"label":{"en":["Source Metadata URI"]},"value":{"en":["http://digitalarchives.queenslibrary.org/search/browse/42926"]}}],"summary":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eZeco Krcic lives in Lynbrook, Long Island and works at Queens College as the Assistant Vice President for Facilities, Planning and Operations. In this interview, Krcic describes the changes and challenges that occurred to his work in the latter half of March. As the school transitioned to distance-learning, Krcic was still going to the campus and overseeing the maintenance and construction of buildings, all while adopting new protocols to keep things as sanitized, safe, and risk-free as possible. He discusses a day in his life during the pandemic, the new cleaning rituals adopted, how his family life adjusted as well as his thoughts on the future. He also reflects on his formative years as a Merchant Marine and Navy officer in 1990, where he saw combat and experienced the confusion and fear of war, and compares it to this current moment. Krcic meditates on how our experiences of pain can teach us to relate to one another and to cope during difficult times, as well as help us to learn to plan and adapt for the future.\u003c/p\u003e"]},"requiredStatement":{"label":{"en":["Attribution"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eCC BY-NC-SA\u0026nbsp;Contact digitalarchives@queenslibrary.org for research and reproduction requests.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},"provider":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/aboutus","type":"Agent","label":{"en":["Queens Public Library"]},"homepage":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/","type":"Text","label":{"en":["Queens Public Library"]},"format":"text/html"}],"logo":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/010/original/Aviary_QPLlogo_192x192.png?1578574261","type":"Image"}]}],"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/100/301/small/Screenshot_%28139%29.png?1660574041","type":"Image","format":"image/png"}],"items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301","type":"Canvas","label":{"en":["Media File 1 of 1 - mix_05-15-2020_171335.mp3"]},"duration":4382.98122,"width":640,"height":360,"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/100/301/small/Screenshot_%28139%29.png?1660574041","type":"Image","format":"image/png"}],"items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/content/1","type":"AnnotationPage","items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/content/1/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"painting","body":{"id":"https://aviary-p-queenslibrary.s3.wasabisys.com/collection_resource_files/resource_files/000/100/301/original/mix_05-15-2020_171335.mp3?1603968383","type":"Audio","format":"audio/mpeg","duration":4382.98122,"width":640,"height":360},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301","metadata":[]}]}],"annotations":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["Full Interview Transcript [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Hi, my name is Regina Carra. It is 3:59 PM on May 15th, 2020. I am conducting an oral history interview for the Queens Memory Project, specifically for the initiative to document how the Queens College community is coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. I'm going to let my interviewee introduce themselves. Can you spell and pronounce your first and last name?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=3.0,36.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/2","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: Sure. Hi Regina. My name is Zeco Krcic. It's spelled Z E C O K R C I C.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=36.0,45.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/3","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Great. And how old are you Zeco?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=45.0,50.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/4","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: 49","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=50.0,51.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/5","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Can you just for the record spell out your email address? I'm supposed to ask about contact information. Can you just spell out your email address for the record?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=51.0,66.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/6","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: Sure. It's zkrcic@qc.cuny.edu.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=66.0,77.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/7","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Okay, great. And my email address is reginacarra13@gmail.com. R E G I N A C A R R A 13 @gmail.com. And then I'm supposed to ask about if you received the consent form, do you agree to the terms and conditions outlined in the Queen's memory informed consent and copyright permission form that I shared with you over email?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=77.0,109.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/8","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: Yes, I do.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=109.0,111.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/9","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Okay, great. And then I'm supposed to discuss, before we begin, the neighborhoods in Queens we are going to be discussing. So we're mostly going to be discussing Queens College. I wanted to ask, do you also live in Queens?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=111.0,127.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/10","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: No, I do not. I live in Long Island.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=127.0,131.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/11","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Okay, great. Where in long Island do you live?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=131.0,136.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/12","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: Lynbrook.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=136.0,137.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/13","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Okay. Um, okay, so we're mostly going to be discussing Queens college then, but we'll also kind of go into, you know, how you're doing at home as well. So to start can you briefly explain your role at Queens college as well as before the pandemic, your role before the pandemic. What did you do at Queens College and how many people did you manage? Just give us an idea of what your life at work was like before all of this began?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=137.0,172.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/14","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: Sure. In my role of the assistant vice president for facilities, planning and operations, I'm responsible for the operations team of about 140 staff and officers for buildings and grounds, environmental health and safety, sustainability, energy management, and campus planning, as well as capital construction.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=172.0,194.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/15","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: That's quite significant [laughs]. And how has your work changed since the pandemic began?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=194.0,203.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/16","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: So in normal times, and at all times, we operate one of the largest CUNY campuses. We have over 80 acres and 40 something buildings spread out on the property. And the work is always a challenge. It's a big facility and a lot of period buildings, a lot of new buildings and mixed 67 year old buildings. So maintenance, upkeep and capital construction is always a challenge while not stopping the business of campus, obviously. The pandemic disrupted literally every aspect of our facilities operations. I'm talking from things like routine maintenance and staffing levels to ongoing capital projects being posed, and then some restarted due to safety, as well as city budget challenges, all in just a short span of the last two months. We are now strategizing on future reopening and are also evaluating all aspects of facility needs in order for us to be able to open our campus in a manner which ensures health and safety of staff, students, faculty, and visiting public.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=203.0,270.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/17","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Can you talk a little bit about—are you at liberty to talk a little bit about what you guys are thinking in terms of reopening or just your concerns?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=270.0,281.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/18","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: Sure. You know, you can take a philosophical approach and I always look at it, is it crisis or is it the opportunity? So, I'm a public administration major and I always look at these things in that general way. And a lot of the business and it's core is changing for us for the future. This pandemic has changed many of the conceptions and pre-concepts from a time from two months ago. And a lot of it will be forever different. So in that context, reopening plans and not just how can we go back to normal? How can we go back to the new normal and the future normals? So the job is not to quickly go to one model of what that could mean as you can tell from national discussions and governors, local updates to us. All of this is about evolving science and knowledge and practices are being tried every day. The medical field is grappling with what this means for adults to kids now. So a lot of this is really a moving effort. The last thing we would want to do is say we have a plan, we're ready. It's not the idea. It's kind of like look at all the body of knowledge, look at the emerging knowledge and then start to think about what that concept could look and feel like. So it's very general, it's very conceptual at this point and that's probably the best way given where we are. Not trying to rush things, you know?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=281.0,369.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/19","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Right. And remind me when did Queens College close?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=369.0,376.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/20","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: So I'm going to say not particularly the exact date, but probably right after the first week of March. My daughter is a student there and I believe her last class was held on campus on the 11th. I could be wrong,11th or 12th.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=376.0,390.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/21","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Okay. Yeah, that sounds about right. For everything really. Yeah.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=390.0,395.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/22","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: So yes, I mean, for us, you know, like for the essentials that closing and everyone leaving did not quite mean mean that work changed in any way, because a lot of our initial work last couple of weeks, first couple of weeks following everybody's exodus was scrubbing, cleaning, disinfecting making sure that the buildings are left, but left, clean and sanitized. And while that was happening, we had a second wave of necessary—which is as you know, calibration for online learning, deployment of online learning across the university that came with needs that had to be tended to on campus. You know, setting up the computers so that online can work with a faculty member at home, [unclear] remoting into their laptop in the office. We needed to make sure everything is set up on the support side to physically conduct that new online program. So long story short, we had both the sanitizing and disinfection action, but we also had visits that were essential visits in order to carry out this new model of instruction. And that means for every time Regina comes to her office, we need to go back and sanitize disinfect and make sure the route from A to B is clean again. And that's daily, that's going on still today between the three shifts in public safety and buildings and grounds. There's a clear evidence and chain of emails who went where on which particular day, and then the follow up cleaning by custodians.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=395.0,490.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/23","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Wow. So just to kind of recap that. So if someone wants to come into their office or come to campus, they have to contact you first and tell you that they're going to—","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=490.0,504.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/24","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: Not me. What we did in Stanford University's guidelines and state and CDC guidelines, we promulgated a local policy for campus access. So if you had to come to your office, that need would need to be documented by senior administration official who is in charge of that business unit state, the reasons why, obviously everything had to be connected to the business continuation of business and why somebody's trip to the office is essential. We have three or four animal research facilities with active federal research and ongoing research with chemicals present and live animals. So very early on, we knew that some sort of a protocol is a must. So we have a protocol whereby senior administration is involved in granting privileges for specific days and times for certain considered essential visits. And this way there's a trail of evidence and we really enforce that unless there's absolute necessity to come to campus for the safety of those who are willing to come or thinking to come as well as ours and essential employees, we really were serious with limiting. Absolutely. And I think after the first week and people asking, everybody sort of realized, listening to the governor, you know what, shelter in place, that is the best. So those requests really did not go much further than that first week and things kind of normalize if you're going to call anything these days normal, but that certainly helped.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=504.0,596.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/25","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Good. Okay. Interesting. So who are the people coming to campus right now? Are they just some researchers and mostly facility staff?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=596.0,613.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/26","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: So you have in ongoing research, you can have a PI, you can have a faculty member, you can have a grad students who is tasked with carrying out finishing the research component that cannot be stopped. You have, people who care for animal facilities for researchers. These are people specialized and licensed o do what they do that nobody else can do. And that's really it. We also have—because of the ongoing campus projects which are deemed essential—we have contractors coming. We also have a [unclear] authority for construction who executes work for us together with us also is present on campus. They have an office of three or four people. They social distance and they also partake in work every day. So there's a contingency of people everyday on campus. And that's in addition to us essential staff, but it's really a drastically, drastically smaller village now. It's just a couple of hundred if you will, maybe less than that. So—","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=613.0,675.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/27","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Okay. Wow. And typically Queens college has how many people coming on on a typical day?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=675.0,683.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/28","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: So my average on daily in normal times, five to six thousand people are on campus every single day. I mean, one, a couple of years ago, we did a study. We were installing some turnstiles in our library, which is not the only building, but obviously libraries frequented. And we clocked more than 4,000 entries in one single day. So it's a big, expansive campus and it's a commuting campus. So a lot of kids travel and then stay on campus, go mingle between the buildings, do their work and get out at night. It's a busy bustling place. It does not look like it today.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=683.0,719.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/29","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Yeah. So that kind of leads me to my next question. What are the sites of this pandemic for you and the sounds, the smells, that kind of thing.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=719.0,729.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/30","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: So, I mean, the first thing that reminds me every morning of this: I pull up off of Kissena Boulevard to enter the campus and our main campus gate that has been locked for a month and a half. So you see this massive wrought iron gate shut with a chain. That's a huge statement to the pandemic. So I usually drive through a small side entrance gate and some of the sites—because it's so quiet on campus—you hear the sounds and the sirens, and especially you hear the truck sounds, which are on campus or about to enter campus. You usually turn your head because that means that we may be getting some PPE's and cleaning supplies and essential deliveries. So we're always on the lookout for those. So that's a good sign these days. It's like an ice cream truck for kids. Other sounds, I mean, whether I'm back home or out on campus grounds: birds. You know, for the most part, birds have replaced the cars. You can hear them and it sounds like they're louder, but I heard on NPR, somebody who's an expert on birds, they were basically saying that the birds are not really any more loud than they usually are except that we are so loud and life is so loud when it's normal, quote unquote, that they have to adjust. So we hear them now in their natural voice. Certainly it's a nice thing to hear, but given the context, not sure which one I would choose.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=729.0,821.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/31","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: Again, you know, I mentioned the emergency vehicles. Those are kind of the trucks and emergency vehicles and birds. The smells for me, certainly it's been two months of really smelling the minty smell of disinfectant. We use two different brands—EPA approved—to kill Corona virus and myriad other bad things. I'm using it in and out every day in my car. I purchased the commercial cleaning that I mixed for use at home and in the car to disinfect everything every day so that certainly is in my nostrils for two months now. Laundry again, I mentioned laundry because everyday the ritual is the same. I come home, everything goes in the laundry. Everything is laundered the same day, take the shower. So those are the smells of routine that wasn't quite like it up until two months ago.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=821.0,873.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/32","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Yeah. It sounds like that's what they're kind of suggesting for people who go to work—essential workers—is when you get home to immediately put your clothes in the hamper and take a shower and all of that. So you've been taking that advice and —","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=873.0,896.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/33","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: Yeah. I mean, it's a peace of mind, but it's also a duty because the rest of my family has been cooped up here and trying to keep safe and healthy. So I'm very cognizant of the fact that I'm the outlier. I go out every day. I do what I do, but I try to not carry anything back home. So that ritual is very important—scrubbing the car, the wheel, the gear shift. I go to groceries, so the first thing we do when I bring everything home: everything is sprayed down, everything is cleaned. Trying to minimize—given the fact that I need to work—anything else that can come from that, let's put it that way. Or at least peace of mind that you have given it your absolute best. Let's put it that way.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=896.0,941.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/34","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Right. Yeah, absolutely. I did want to go back to, you said you were talking about looking out for delivery trucks of PPE. Did Queens college struggle to get PPE kind of earlier in this pandemic? Are you guys good for personal protective equipment now and all of these disinfectants? Because I know earlier in the pandemic, people were kind of scrambling for these things and we had kind of a national need for them.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=941.0,977.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/35","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: So we've gone through the cycle at the beginning, thankfully because we have mandated process—all the employees based on what their line of duty is go through mandated training and we have environmental health and safety office, which enforces, through supervision, that people carrying out the task have to wear PPE. This is in normal time. So if you're a custodian and you're using this disinfectant, your M.O. is you need to wear gloves and the mask. So we had that as our routine and therefore the stock was a regular stock. Now, everyone, as you know, has gone through a big shock when state had to do what state had to do—which is to make sure that the supplies and restocking supplies [unclear] everybody on marketplace, including us had to be diverted to the front lines, true front lines.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=977.0,1025.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/36","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: So we had to really carefully go through where we are with the stock, did we place our orders in, track them. And this is where the ear on the ground for the truck came to be because the vendors that had completed orders from us kept shifting the dates of delivery. So, you know, you have the stock, but you want to feel extra safe that you also have that extra pallet for the next month. And that was very elusive. Eventually we did receive a lot more masks and gloves but you had to be very—it's almost like being on a ship and drinking the water you have with salt water around you and making sure you take little sips. We were really careful with how we go about it, because it was clear that we did not have the control of the marketplace and nobody did, you know?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=1025.0,1074.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/37","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: And yeah, that's certainly one of the big items on the list for reopening plans because I see that as part of our reopening strategy, a hundred percent. For me, at least, my guess is masks will stay with us for some time. I'm not sure what the future will hold, but masks and disinfectant gels and really an emphasis on individual personal hygiene. Things that we were taught as kids, things that most of us kind of relaxed about until two months ago. And now it's the front and center of what you do for yourself, how you can protect yourself, your loved ones and everybody around you. So PPE's are fine. Masks are fine. But the basics need to be just that. Need to be what we were taught long time ago.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=1074.0,1125.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/38","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Yeah. So would that involve some education from your office or, you know, educating faculty and then reaching out to students to make sure they're following social distancing.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=1125.0,1141.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/39","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: So, you know, social distancing—and, you know, there's different tools you can utilize to make social distance, be actually obvious and encourage it. So, you know, if an office is stacked with furniture in a certain way where you encourage the gathering, then you can look at furniture rearrangement to make sure that that is obvious that you are creating more distances. You know, same for the wait lines, same for seating arrangements, anywhere where you have a lot, because that was the norm before. How do you space it out now where you're still provided, but with safety in between? With behavioral messaging, with hands washing and the basics, I think we, as the facility can best help, if you walk to our building tomorrow, any building on campus, if you can clearly see, there is a restroom, there's a sanitizing station. If you don't have a mask, you probably won't be able to come in before public safety gives you one. If we do those two or three elementary things correctly, and you was as a new person coming on campus to the students see it in front of you, that I believe would go a long way in both reminding you and making you feel comfortable and safe. \"Oh, okay. Yes, I should\". So we think with a lot of those visual cues, because as you know, behavioral messaging is the only way you can really root out certain behaviors. It's not a magic pill, we have a tendency humans to fall back to our routine quickly after the threat is gone. So for me, this was a formative experience because it's not the Corona 19, it's the Corona 20 or whatever else comes. I don't think we'll have a look at the flu season the same way again. Which for me, probably the positive is that we'll go back to doing those basics. Right. So that's kind of the thinking.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=1141.0,1251.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/40","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: That's really true. I think you're probably right. And yeah, there's a lot of silver linings to this whole time period, I think. Can you explain a little bit about, just a little bit of a day in the life, how you're keeping yourself occupied, how's work been, that kind of stuff?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=1251.0,1277.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/41","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: So my day starts early in the morning because there are no distractions. I'm usually an early riser anyway. So I leave early, I don't look at nine to five hours anymore. Traffic is not traffic. So I get up when I'm ready, coffee in hand, and I go. I get to the office earlier, so I can also organize my day, gather my thoughts, look at the zoom and WebEx's, and all the conferences that are plenty these days, as you know, a lot of people are telecommuting and that's the only way to collaborate. So I have a section of my day blocked and I had to have it available for that. So I quickly in the morning gather myself and then go to visit the construction sites. That's important because we have reduction in staff levels and we have less people looking at things and less people being able to communicate and quickly respond to construction sites. So I tried to make sure that the daily activities are going smoothly, that there's no issues or requests from the college to support anything. Once that's done, I come back to the office. That's where I try to do my thinking productive work and then get ready for conference calls and such. Work really hasn't slowed at all. In fact, the load has increased because of less people and less staffing. And also because we have rotated our essential staff also to a weekly on and off schedule. We have looked at smaller shops or specialty trades and instead of having three people, we have one of those trades for a week. Then the other two workers rotate in a week, two or three. And the idea across board is that we look at the entire staff level, split it in such way where we have absolute social distancing and best safe way to support construction and campus life that is now, but not to create health issues. And that has worked very well so far. I think the staff took it very positively because you have a week at home where you can mentally recoup yourself. And when you are home, you are remaining on standby. Which means that if operationally campus is asked to do something, either for the university, for the needs of the campus or for the state, then we can call you in. Luckily we haven't had to resort to that, but that's the way we run it now. On the inside of the house, people that are daily there with have to do certain things every day. Excuse me, Regina. No. Can you excuse me? You need to go upstairs because I'm on an interview and we need peace and quiet. Thank you. Stand up to Regina and then go.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=1277.0,1448.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/42","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Krcic: Hi.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=1448.0,1452.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/43","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: Come on this side. Then you gotta go. That's Noah, Regina.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=1452.0,1459.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/44","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Hi, nice to see you. How are you doing?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=1459.0,1467.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/45","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Krcic: Good.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=1467.0,1468.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/46","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: That's good. Oh, that's a good,","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=1468.0,1475.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/47","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: He's chasing imaginary villains.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=1475.0,1475.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/48","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Krcic: I have nothing else to do!","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=1475.0,1476.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/49","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: He has nothing else to do. [inaudible] Thank you.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=1476.0,1482.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/50","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Krcic: Dad, can you go to the store later?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=1482.0,1490.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/51","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: Yes. Bye. Okay. I think he's gone.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=1490.0,1501.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/52","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: That's good. That's going to be in the archive [laughter]. That's okay. We're all making do. Where were we, I forget? Where were we?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=1501.0,1512.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/53","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: Yeah, I was at the point where we talked about [unclear] and then closed buildings. Closed buildings present another challenge altogether. Without staff, faculty and students using buildings each day, one has to very carefully monitor the systems and spaces because we need to stay ahead of possible issues such as floods, leaks, environmental conditions. Basically houses, you know, in a building especially, it's never sitting still. You have a lot of water, electricity running around, you have heating, cooling pipes. There's always an opportunity that something happens. Without any eyes in the building to tell us that, you could be two days later and with a lot more damage in the building, unless you catch it ahead. So we tried to conduct weekly weekend night walks through the buildings and kind of look inside, smell for things, you know, look for things like water on the floor. Luckily, nothing yet to report, but that's between us and the public safety. We tried to hit it from both sides, different schedules to make sure the building is okay and there's eyes on the road at all times. We also have had to go into probably thousands of offices since everybody left and we sent a mailer to everybody letting them know that we had to deal with perishables—all the food that was left in cupboards kitchenettes—because as you know, that stuff can also go rancid and we wanted to stay ahead of any kind of environmental issues from that. So we emptied everything. The next thing now we're doing these days is checking on the water itself. A sink in a kitchen or a sink anywhere or a drain in the floor is supposed to have water in it because there's a trap that makes sure, there in the plumbing code, that most sewer gasses from the pipe and the drain ever can come back in.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=1512.0,1629.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/54","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: Now in normal times when you use the water, that trap is always full of water and there is no possibility for the air to come back into the space. If you haven't used the sink in a month and a half, it could happen where enough water evaporates for the gases to come in. That's not and that's the big thing we're doing now with checking everything, making sure any way we go and custodians is in fact, we also run the water to the sinks, make sure that side is covered.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=1629.0,1656.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/55","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: The next challenge is the obvious. The temperatures are getting better, finally. We're officially stepping into summer 2020. Usually our summer is a big operation. We have a lot of building, as I mentioned. We have nine cooling tower sites, which is a lot for any facility. Every cooling tower site is difficult alone in a normal season because you have a lot of compliance, a lot of guidelines by the department of health. You have a lot of chemistry you need to maintain in the system, make sure you don't get [unclear] disease and such. So all of that operation this year is slightly different because some of the buildings that we would get narrowly ready for that are closed. So we are devising plans to see how to keep those buildings, which are physically closed and unused, healthy while not cooling them. So part of the planning here doesn't have the reference from the past because we never had to do that. There's a lot of new, but we have fantastic staff and engineering crew and operations people with a lot of years of experience. We have already developed a plan, what we call B, to both ready the cooling systems, if need be, if something changes miraculously during the summer and we need to, let's say open a building for some reason, but also to really be able to say, okay, we do not need to call an empty building and we have a plan on how to do that without creating environmental issues. That's locally. In terms of university, I am also on a taskforce at the university level to offer facilities feedback in terms of reopening plans. As you know, every state agency, every business, everyone in New York state is listening to the governor and is looking for his next reopening phasing. And in consultation with a lot of people around the task force we're trying to prepare as the agency and the university to be able to successfully have a plan that can be rolled out and in sync with state plans, obviously and all the data and all the science behind it. They also have my colleagues in other facilities across CUNY. Today we had a call—we usually talk frequently and everything I'm planning for, trying to test and compare to their plans. A lot of our facilities are different, but there are many similarities too, in terms of what we need to do in empty building, what are the practices, what is good to do, what is risky thing to do? So I think that we will ultimately collectively come up with an optical and standard approach. What's also good with talking about silver linings here, this is really, for me, likely beginning of certain way of doing business for the foreseeable future and for any season, if you will. So anything that we learn and everything that we do new now in this year really forms the new or the backup of business plan or variation to the old, which is always good. It's expanding knowledge base, getting us better at what we do. So ultimately it's a learning experience.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=1656.0,1857.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/56","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: And do you have a plan to codify any of this or write it down? Cause as you said, we've never had to think about like a building being empty for a month.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=1857.0,1873.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/57","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: Yeah, absolutely. When, when you say codify, you don't mean building codes, right?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=1873.0,1877.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/58","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: No, I mean more like a handbook. Like here's what we do if we need to close down campus again.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=1877.0,1884.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/59","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: Yeah, exactly. Because we worked with the university, we also have a university planning assistance and this task force is formulating what would end up being a standard operating procedure or the SOP. And that's a general guidance for everybody but it's also, as I said, local to each campus. Certain buildings are old. You may not be able to do what the guideline is for a brand new building on another campus. It doesn't matter. You can still come up with the basic guidelines in terms of the basics. Here's how you keep the building from getting sick; here's how you ventilate the building; here's how you can lock up the house, so to speak, and open it a month later with no ill effect. It's possible, it's doable. And again, because these things never happen, I think our collective experience and wisdom was always there, we just did not need to go there. And now we are. So again, that's why I said it, ultimately it's a learning experience, another thing to add, and yes, we're looking to standardize because it's easier when you have a standard to start from. Then you can localize to your campus.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=1884.0,1949.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/60","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Absolutely. Yeah. And then one other thing you mentioned that you visit the construction sites. What are those construction sites and will those be able to open sooner than other things on campus? Cause I know phase one in New York state has been construction projects or construction companies. I'm just sort of wondering if you're planning for that or have any thoughts—","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=1949.0,1977.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/61","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: Not necessarily because when you say construction, we have a essential construction that's a lot of infrastructure projects that needed to get done because the buildings are 67 year old. You need to do abatement, you need to remediate, you need to install new HVAC in the science facility, you need to finish the roof over a giant gymnasium, biggest one in Queens. So certain of these projects have to be finished because, first of all, you can safely social distance and contractors can carry out the work without any health and safety issues. And then you look at the true cost, as governor was saying to economy from really cold-stopping everything and then smartly sensibly, resuming things that can happen because this is all state [unclear] money invested in a facility. I don't need to tell you that every time we stopped. For any reason, a giant construction projects, the setbacks in terms of delays and then the cost later only balloon. States, as you hear from governor, can hardly afford anymore ill affects of this pandemic without help. So the idea is when you can sensibly continue things that must get done. So to your original question, no. Once we finish roof of the gymnasium and finish it, doesn't mean that we're going to necessarily open it the next day, say bring everybody back. The idea is one of we are public higher ed institution, we are engine for local economy, a lot of people work and live and are connected to the university. We have students who depend on us. So having that continuity, having the private companies come back to that marketplace and continue, that means less people furloughed, less people unemployed. It all contributes to the fact that you can sensibly do that. But yes, those projects do not have much to do with reopening per se.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=1977.0,2088.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/62","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Oh okay. So those construction projects are still happening at the moment.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=2088.0,2095.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/63","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: Yes. We have two or three major projects which are continuing. And again, there's a lot of oversight, there's a lot of inspections, there's a lot of protocols that we have insisted on and state and government and governor assisted, department of buildings. And honestly, that's the only way you can come back as a business proprietor, if you have a clear COVID-19 protection plan, if your work is following the same guidelines that mine are. So that as we interact, I expect you to wear a mask just like my contractor or my staff member is wearing one. So far it's been great because the bottom line is that we all need to go back to some of what this country is good with that normal and that production and the work and life that that affords. So, slowly but surely.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=2095.0,2144.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/64","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Yeah, absolutely. So we'll kind of transition to your home life. So we met your son. Noah was it?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=2144.0,2158.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/65","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: Yes. Noah.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=2158.0,2160.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/66","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: So how has your family been handling the pandemic?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=2160.0,2165.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/67","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: So like all of us, I think first week or two in March, we went through a major adjustment. The transition to telecommuting and online learning and finishing this academic year was at first hard, but it got easier each day. We planned to redo our basement space, which is where I'm talking from now. That took us about a month, March into April, and what was really good is that the space got done, but also it gave us as a family something to focus on together and a project was also a way to release some of that pent up cabin fever energy, and kind of create something with your hands other than let your mind run. So we have a beautiful family space now. Helped us a lot to fight the cabin fever and I think it was critical and timely for us because nobody else other than myself, was able to leave or go anywhere.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=2165.0,2230.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/68","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: So this was like it. This was what was happening and everybody took small parts in it and we got it done and we enjoying the space now. So that worked out really well. My wife is a teacher's assistant, so they're still finishing the school. There was a lot of training and online modules for students and work with teachers and additional training for them. My daughter is a student as I mentioned, but she's also a student assistant, a peer advisor for students at college where I work. So she had a similar training for how to deliver support to students online. She's still working every day from one to five, online appointments, helping with queries, with anything student needs. And my oldest son is 18. He's a senior in high school. Interesting thing with him, the day became night and night became day. So he would wake up around five, six, eat around seven and then do the homework, post the homework and then do it all over again. Luckily for the last maybe week or so, clock is kind of changing. He's slowly getting up around two and three, which is great [laughs]. We called it morning now. And I think it's also the draw to the outside and governor talking about, you know, some beaches possibly opening and things that people can actually get in the car and just do something other than nothing. So I think that's going to slowly change for him and he'll go back to normal. But yeah, that's been a how's life. We looked at a lot of things that were up to do list on the fridge and miraculously, most of it we got done in the last two months. So, you come home, you know, you can't do anything external, you concentrate on inside and outside for that matter. So that was helpful in the scheme of things.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=2230.0,2347.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/69","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: So do you think you would have done the basement project or you would have gotten it done as quickly if it had not been for the pandemic?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=2347.0,2359.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/70","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Speaker 2: That was already on our radar and we were gathering and starting it. It just was done much quicker than it otherwise could have been because it's usually that when I'm working, we leave stuff for the weekend. In this case, I will come from work, we'll work through late at night because nobody was going anywhere the next morning. So that part, I think helped just accelerate the project. But also beyond just being excited, \"okay, let's get through it and finish it\", there was also a satisfaction. I had something I did today that was a distraction from what's outside, which is chaos. There was a lot of good positives to it for everybody.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=2359.0,2400.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/71","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Good, good. I was wondering if I could talk—does your daughter talk to you a little bit about her work to support students and are students reaching out to her a lot right now?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=2400.0,2415.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/72","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: Absolutely. She's in a peer advisement program. And I have actually heard her myself sitting here working one day, where they have zoom meeting with several peer advisors and talking to a student who clearly was processing all the changes and struggling with changes, online learning, struggling with mechanics, but really with psychological side of what's happening. And what's really nice and gratifying to see for this generation like my daughter and the millennials and everyone younger than me is that we always talk about formative experience in life and perspective. And as you know, if you have gone through certain things in your life and that perspective is there, you have something to draw from. So as much as this is difficult for everybody, the way I'm looking at it for the younger generation and the way I see her engaging with students or peers is using this and growing from it and being able to effectively talk to somebody and, and get some perspective at that generational level that a student feels that he or she is not alone first, and that he or she is understood and that there is help. There is someone to talk to and to get through the difficult parts. Also more importantly—not more importantly, but importantly—in addition to the psychological help and simply being somebody that people can talk to the office is also connected to actual student services on campus. So peer advisement and tutoring, and then assistance is also there. So feel like you can always call somebody. And that was very nice to see, and you can hear them talking in the way young generation relates to each other and you can see the positive in the voice. So that was very nice to see because, we always thought of that as a \"let me talk to my advisor, let me go see somebody, a counselor\". Well, guess what we can do equally good on the zoom and just talk to person and make him or her feel better and get some action points done. Because as you know, when you're feeling that way, you need something that needs to be done next. So some of those conversations are focused on 'you need to do this and you need to file this form, or you need to call this office\" and then tracking that until it's finished. So it was nice to see that. It was moving too.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=2415.0,2561.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/73","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Yeah. That's really great to hear. So, on some of the information you shared with me, you went to—on mother's day—you went on a trip?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=2561.0,2577.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/74","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: Yeah. I forgot that part. Well, we have this—like in every family has this little rituals that tend to happen every year on the same day. So it just happened so that last week for mother's day, it was a nice day, we planted some flowers and the idea was just a spontaneous one: we'll drive out to, I forget the exit, Washington cemetery, Long Island. But my wife's mother is buried there and we usually have a ritual that every year we go there for mother's day and put flowers. So we did that this year, but what was different about it—usually we would plan this, some of my wife's sisters would come, it would be kind of a social thing. This year it was for the first time, like a month and a half, five of us, the family in the van, for the first time together. Everybody kind of looked around, but it was doing what we do every year, but doing it with a little bit of a tone of normal coming back, if that makes sense. Because you go back to some way of being together and we used to take trips a lot. And we'd go to Florida every year. We drive as quirky family do. Long trip to Florida but my take is that I want to use that time, I want it to take long so we do stuff together. So this was kind of a trip back to future that the normal will come back. So that was a nice thing that we did.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=2577.0,2659.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/75","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: That sounds lovely. So can you tell me a little bit about what you're seeing at home, in your neighborhood, while you're out and about?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=2659.0,2676.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/76","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: So obvious efforts to guard against the pandemic from spreading are visible everywhere. Neighbors are distancing while walking the streets. If you see them talking to each other, they have respectable distance between themselves. They often wear masks. Shops have installed protective guards at cash registers. Mostly everyone is wearing a mask and many merchants have required patrons to wear them while shopping, or there's a sign outside the door that you are expected to have a mask. I run every week, every two, three days. So a lot of runners, I see them routinely switching sides so that we don't run into each other, particularly if there is a way to safely avoid that. Also when we minimize contact, we do not run behind each other or ahead of each other. I'm aware of it when I run too.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=2676.0,2730.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/77","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: I hear—usually around seven o'clock at night here, my neighborhood—you hear routine appreciation moments when you hear the neighborhood cheering, clapping for medical staff, and for essential workers. You can usually hear an anthem. You can hear a song. Anywhere you go, mostly you see the signs thanking frontline workers, some of them are raising money to support those workers. As of late, last probably week or so, you can clearly see the difference. Like my routine was usually commute was 15-20 minutes. It's not that much different now, but I'm noticing more cars on the road. I'm noticing more local police kind of cruising on the highway, if not for anything, but just to cruise at a posted speed. And you don't see that until you see cars bunching up and you're asking yourself, why is everybody's slowing down? And then you see that somebody is up there making sure that people slow down. So there is an increase in number of cars for sure. Families, I see walking around, biking, gathering, walking around in much greater numbers. I see it for the first time in recent weeks. You'll see a lot more occasional stop in front of your neighbor's house or a family visiting family and talking from a distance. You can see that I haven't seen each other in a while. Um, so those are some of the changes in just the recent few days, I think.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=2730.0,2833.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/78","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: And why do you think those changes are occurring?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=2833.0,2843.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/79","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: I think if you hear, and I know a lot of people do listen to government's updates every day. Everybody's looking at statistics, everybody looking at how because of the collected effort to limit the transmission, people, social distancing, New York was able to get around and be able to say that we are controlling the beast by now. So I think both combined confidence, practicing of wearing masks and social distancing, give people that little extra confidence that, \"Oh, maybe I can go for a stroll or visit my neighbor and talk from, from sidewalk to a porch\", which was not the case clearly three weeks ago. So I think it's a sense that we may know more, we have more resources to apply to this. And we most importantly, behaviorally, are doing certain things more consistently and therefore have that confidence that we can take a little bit of a normal back and put it in our life.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=2843.0,2908.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/80","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: Again, I think governor is very wise to point out that doing certain things at a certain rate is one thing. Jumping too far ahead too quickly could reverse this. So, you know, I'm sure like you all of us are listening to those conferences every day. And especially with those counties where governor said that there would be some sort of reopening, everybody will be looking for that model of thinking to say, the famous [unclear] the governor always talks about. Okay, you have open the [unclear] Now there's the water coming under the door. Have you over opened it? Have you done it too much? So I think the next milestone in this crisis is just that look at the opening. Look what happens and see if those behavioral and distancing methodologies are still being practiced. The governor says you cannot force anybody. Yes, you can penalize, but not 19 million people.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=2908.0,2964.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/81","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: So I think it's [unclear], and it has to be, and it's only possible if it's a collective effort. I think that New Yorkers, for the most part, have really grasped how serious this is and what is needed. And that's the only reason we are successful. Because we're New Yorkers, I don't expect us to change on a dime and to do something silly now. So, we'll see. It's also encouraging that some of the treatments for the disease seem to be working. I think that's, especially for me listening to the statistics, that's a little encouraging is the connotation to the medicine provided. And then the number of people who used to go on a ventilator and sadly don't come back is now in a reverse trend, meaning that more people survive after they're on a ventilator. That's probably that factor X or the medical treatment itself which has proven to shorten that time. But again, like you hear every day and all of us from Dr. Fauci on down, everybody's saying we are still looking into all the angles of it. So it's just what I see what I hear and what I witnessed in my daily routine. I hope we're right, and I hope that this too shall pass, you know?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=2964.0,3043.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/82","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Yeah, me too. Hope so. So how have you stayed connected with friends and family at this time?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=3043.0,3056.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/83","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: So I use Viber and I use my cell phone and face-time and texting, and I'm sure I'm not alone and I'm sure you are one of us too, where you have seen a lot more of your interaction with family and friends and some friends you very infrequently spoke to. We're [unclear] we all had that, both presence of mind, time and ability to think about all of this and then maybe connect. I re-connected with a couple of friends that I was always connected to, but not anywhere nearly as much. And we are much more now talking and exchanging messages and—which is really nice because you get to do something you always find an excuse for because we're all busy. So that was definitely a positive.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=3056.0,3106.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/84","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Yeah. It says here—so you gave me some answers to these questions beforehand so I just want to preface that— but that you have family abroad. How have they been doing and how often do you get to talk to them?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=3106.0,3122.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/85","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: Well, my mom makes sure that we speak every day so that's how often and I don't get a choice over that [laughs]. She's also on Viber. She, as of two years ago, learn how to use it, how to use a smart tablet. And then she knows how to open a picture when I send. And you know, for her, these daily check-ins were beyond mom daily check-in. I don't need to tell you that New York was, after Wuhan, all over everybody's TV in the world as the crazy epicenter. So she would look at the scenes from New York City and saying, well, you live in New York. You know, some of those questions I get exactly. And I would always have to talk about my daily routine and how things are not what you see on TV. We're definitely in it, but there's way to do it smartly and continue doing what you're doing. So that helped a lot because, you know, TV footage is one thing. Reality could be different. We still continue that today. Every day we talk even for two minutes. \"How's the weather. Good. Sunny over there. Yes. Good. Bye.\" You know, but it happens.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=3122.0,3190.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/86","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Where is she located?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=3190.0,3193.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/87","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: They're in Southeastern Europe, what used to be a Yugoslavia at Montenegro. They actually, for a small country with limited resources, somehow they followed the early lead and before Italy was even at the worst of it and they just closed as one of the first countries in the region. They shut down and then they've been ahead of everyone else in that block of countries in the neighborhood. Because, not necessarily density, it's a small country like Rhode Island size, but because they really, from the government to authorities, enforced the rules and people just follow the rules. And right now they look into some reopening strategies, but they were able to really control things. So that was definitely good. For me, they're both 70 something, the worry was just that, you know, what do you do? And then a lag in information flow, you know, because while we were talking about masks and ventilators and distancing, they were just closing, but not necessarily talking about the minutiae details of everyday routine. So I spoke to her about that too, and kind of saying we are 2-3 weeks ahead of the next important thing in retrospect. So you want to make sure you think of that before it comes. It was good. It was good to you know, talk on both sides and see how things are different or the same, you know?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=3193.0,3277.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/88","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Yeah. That's really interesting. Do you know anyone or has anyone in your family been financially affected or by this pandemic at this time?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=3277.0,3293.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/89","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: Yeah, my brother in law just went back to work. He was furloughed for three weeks. We have some close family members who haven't gone back to work. They don't know when they will go back because buildings are closed, businesses closed, everybody's I think living off unemployment and their savings and waiting for the next thing to happen. So yes, it's home and it's real. I said, being essential is not, you know, people are saying you still have to go to work as well. I'm both lucky and privileged, you know, because a lot of people are hurting bad and it's not a matter of, \"Oh, come back in September\". We don't even know if they will. A lot of businesses are reshaping so you have a lot of positives to take from how things could be, because they clearly are for a lot of people.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=3293.0,3346.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/90","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Absolutely. Yeah. It's a really tough situation. It's hard to—I mean, I work from home, but it's—I can imagine it's a lot of anxiety actually having to go out for work and, but yeah feeling very grateful that at least the financials of the situation are fine at the moment.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=3346.0,3373.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/91","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: Yeah. I think that's okay now I'll call them later. It's okay. Don't do it. Thank you. I'll come back, come back, please. I think he's going to stay in Regina. Okay.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=3373.0,3397.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/92","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Okay. Well, yeah, we're almost done. I did want to kind of touch on—prior to our conversation today, you shared a little bit about your past and your background, and how that has helped you get through this kind of challenging moment and I wonder if you could just talk a little bit about that?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=3397.0,3420.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/93","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: Yeah. So I was 18 and 19 and in two short years of boat experience, my career was to be a Merchant Marine. So I spent a year traveling the world. I've been to every continent except Australia in a short year. That was a very formative experience for an 18-19 year old. Now I landed back and we had mandatory service to the country. So I went straight from a Merchant Marine I joined the Navy—because that was my debt to the country and one year of service that I had to do before continuing. So I joined and unfortunately, this was 1990 when the geopolitical situation was getting worse and worse. And unfortunately the civil war broke out. And while everything was getting crazy, I was in my six to seven months of service and then it got really crazy towards the 12 months and definitely May and June through September. I entered in September, and by the government rules, you have to do one year and get dismissed after one year. And that meant September. So just those three or four months in the actual war environment and at that age—if you roll the film back now, I'm going back 28 years now—what probably got me through that age in terms of my peers was that prior year and that experience in Merchant Marine, and then you think of that war on top of that and coming to US then going through that culture shock and assimilating, and then recalibrating and chasing the dream here. And then this comes. So a lot of those stacked experiences, you almost have a lot of crust, so things can quite penetrate easily. And you also able to draw on a lot of stuff. Pain is pain, and you can, a lot of times talk to people about pain from your reference point and how you deal with it, how you process it.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=3420.0,3539.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/94","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: So that's been very helpful to me because a lot of my work, as I wrote to you has to do with morale and the wellbeing of the people around us. Being able to project and talk to people about the experiences—to look at this experience as something that passes like everything else does. But if you process a certain way and you lean on each other, you can come out stronger, smarter, more experienced, ready for life in general or something else that may come next. That's all been very helpful and I always look at it when I reflect over the years—I wrote papers through the college years—something always helped me go back to that depository and say, \"Oh, okay, I can kind of transport myself back and forth and be able to talk and have that emotional capacity\". And a lot of times, you know, no matter what it is, it's not what you're trying to fix. You don't necessarily fix it for people, but to be able to talk to them and have them be heard and then talk to them, relate something similar that in itself helps the other person process their own. So yeah, that's been a gift for sure. And as much as pain is a gift that I truly—the more I live the more certain I am that that really is a helpful thing. Definitely helped. Still helps me today. I do frequent communication with staff. I see them outside. I see them on my floor. I see them on a construction site. There's always that side of dialogue that's not the operations or business. It's person to person. And that's very important because that's what keeps people in that frame of mind where they feel like they can do this, because we're all the same, you know, I get to oversee things, but just like everybody else, we go home to our families and everyday we go, quote, unquote, you are exposing your family too, so you need to process both things, you know, and then come back in the right mind the next day. So that definitely helped me.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=3539.0,3670.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/95","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: So going through past adversity has really helped you cope with, I don't know, this very unusual situation that we find ourselves currently.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=3670.0,3686.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/96","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: Absolutely. Absolutely. Because if you—and usually if you land from anywhere to America, you come to chase the dream and to do better for yourself and to seek opportunities. Usually things improve from where you came from and for the reasons that you escaped, you know. So that overall enthusiasm is what this country needs and the fact that this country will, and always does come back from things, that's what a lot of us who come here from elsewhere never really lose. So your personal struggle or setback while you're here, you always wait with where you are. I'm in America. Somebody can come back from anything it's it's US. So that's been very reassuring and comforting. And that's really what you put everything on the side, that yes, there will be normal again. And we are going to be smarter for this experience. We're going to be stronger. I told you that my background in academics is both political science and public administration. So for me, I look at it in a very profound way in terms of what I think government's role is when all bets are off and things like this.[unclear] what that government needs to do and how it could possibly be managing some calamity like this, because it's clear that we have all the richness and all the expertise and all the organizational capacity to do that. So I think the lessons of this experience, I don't think would ever make for the same to happen the way it did, because a lot of this is really deep in our memory now. It has affected everybody in the economy in a way that nobody will forget and that's reshaping policy, that's reshaping the approach. That's shaping the understanding that it's not partisan, that it thinks about the value of the country. So we need to protect the value and you need to think of this in a different way. And I think those are the lasting positives and will be.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=3686.0,3814.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/97","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: How do you think we will think differently because of this pandemic?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=3814.0,3823.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/98","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: So","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=3823.0,3824.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/99","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Or the hope that we will think differently.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=3824.0,3829.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/100","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: I think that—you heard probably from the governor talking about the awareness that we are the world, because we are so connected and commerce is connected and everything is—airplane ships all day long, everywhere—we cannot afford to think that something in a village, someplace, half away around the world could not possibly affect us. And I think that's what will help the organization is set up to do and connect the countries in a unified approach. Because then you expend the least amount of collective resources because you organize the effort to combat whatever that is together and you're there ahead of time, and you're there early, and you minimize the damage. So for whatever reason, you know, I think even the world kind of went back in some sort of a lull, economy's been good, things have been whatever, they are no craziness, and you kind of fell asleep in that sense of collective awareness. And I think this was such a smack because the capacities there, the organization is there, as we proved in different responses to AIDS, to SARS, to Ebola. So what was different this time? I think that the weight of this will probably form a framework and a strategy for us as a country and the world governments that we cannot afford another one of these, especially because this was not a magical thing appearing out of nowhere. I think we failed in that rapidness that was required. And that delay for things like this, as you know, and we all know now and see can prove very costly. So I just think the impact of what this turned out to be with whatever have to be the front and center. It must be. Again, the world markets are the world itself, this is how things move around. So you just cannot afford another shock like this. And again, it's not like we're putting someone—not talking about the endeavor, like a concept of a man on the moon was—even that was attainable. This is organizational fix at the world level. So I think those are the things for me, I'm feeling very positive that whatever political discourse now will be temporary, that there will be a collective mindset to say, you know what, no matter what you think, how you walk the street, this is a collective problem. And we need to just have that plan B if you will. If something doesn't look right, we all get up and do something. So that's my aspiration. And that's my belief. We shall see.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=3829.0,4000.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/101","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: Yeah, we shall see. I mean, I hope all those things happen too. Before I kind of wrap up, I wanted to clarify, when did you immigrate to the United States?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=4000.0,4017.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/102","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: 1991. Late 1991. Yeah.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=4017.0,4022.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/103","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Okay. So you you were in the merchant Marines in 1990.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=4022.0,4028.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/104","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: So yeah, I graduated high school 1989, went on the ship a week after graduation, came back in probably June of 1990, September. I was already in the army. It was all like quick, quick, quick, you know, [unclear] Navy, all happened in a short two years, but a lot happened in short two years. Usually when you graduate, where I come from, we have a big shipping industry with international commerce, a lot of people where I come from work, you know, captains and officers and engineers on the ships and cruise liners. So that's like the local specialty tourism industry. So most of the graduates in high schools are either geared up to work in engineering or on the officers or navigational side of the ship. So mine was the officer, you know, the navigation and supervision of work on ship. So as soon as you finished school, it was the last two years of high school was the vocational training. You learn all the college level courses in terms of navigation, sciences for maritime. It's almost like SUNY maritime, if you will. When you graduate, you need to—because of the government insisting on service to country back then you had to make choice. Either you take that one year experience right away, or you go to the army. One or the other, because you need to do one year in the Army or Navy. So it just happened I made choice for the ship, but in retrospect what a lucky choice. Many of us—it was hard enough to process what was happening when you're 18 and 19 and people are shooting at each other. You have no idea why, it doesn't make sense because everything was fine. And this is not somebody coming from elsewhere, this is your own people. That was a very lucky choice to do the ship first and then end up in situations like that.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=4028.0,4158.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/105","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Yeah. Great. Yeah, no, you have a really interesting and broad perspective. We're talking about, you know, this pandemic being a war, but you've actually been in war, or have seen it up close. And that is a perspective that I recognize I'm privileged to not have to deal with on a daily basis.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=4158.0,4189.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/106","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: Yeah. I think everybody who can skip it obviously—but this is why I'm thinking of what this means to everybody else. This truly was that experience minus the worst, minus the actual imagery of what that is. But this is truly a war in many ways it's the same thing. I think we'll take stock of this and the pain will not go probably for awhile, but your view on things in life, in general, I'm guaranteeing, will take samples from this experience and you draw on that as you go through life. And that's just why it sounds so familiar, you know.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=4189.0,4233.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/107","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: So before we—I'm going to give you kind of a last call. Is there anything else you want to have recorded for history? I feel that's an expansive offer [laughs].","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=4233.0,4247.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/108","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: I think we did a lot. I mean, a lot of this that I said is really a reflection of, you know, the special and positive things in this painful story. And I think life ultimately is pain, but it's really more important, the reflection on that learning experience and the fact that we can overcome things. And usually that's what build us up for the next crisis and the next obstacles in our life. Nobody wants them, but at the same time, they're formative and they build us up. I think for US, especially—in any society which is more of an individual individualistic society—to have this perspective now, it's very hard to visualize that something like that could happen in a society like ours in our lifetime. By any other means, it's just not possible. I believe for this country which has so much greatness to offer and yet to do, to have this experience that says, okay, there's a collective side to life and there's the individual and both equally important, but a mix of them is really what makes you great. And that to me is probably the best silver lining in all of this and the biggest takeaway. That we have seen it beyond the rhetoric and beyond the philosophy of whatever concepts are. You can be yourself but you also part of the whole, and that's probably what we will remember. The value of that.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=4247.0,4345.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/109","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: Part of the whole. Yeah. That's so well said. Thank you so much for talking to me, Zeco. This was a really great interview and we'll kind of be in touch over things. Thank you again for talking with me.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=4345.0,4369.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/110","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: Thank you for the invitation and thank you for coaching me.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=4369.0,4374.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/111","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Regina Carra: No, no, you made it made it real easy. Thanks so much.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=4374.0,4380.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301/transcript/20661/annotation/112","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Zeco Krcic: Alright.\n\nTRANSCRIPTION END","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/31665/file/100301#t=4380.0,4382.98122"}]}]}]}