The Horder

Posted on by Thor

 States lacking essential equipment like ventilators and masks need
relief quickly. Donald Trump has been fighting with state
governors blaming
them for the shortage of ventilators. The Trump administration wants
states to take care of themselves before bugging the federal government
for life saving equipment. The Strategic National Stockpile, a relatively obscure office in the
federal government that manages the country’s emergency medical
supplies, exists to respond to a crisis like the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jared Kushner, senior adviser to the president and his son in law, prompted controversy
when he made a rare public appearance at the April 2 Covid-19 task
force briefing and commented on the federal stockpile. When asked about
states’ needs for supplies, Kushner said the stockpile was “supposed to
be OUR stockpile.”
He added, “It’s not supposed
to be states’ stockpiles that they then use.”  The next day the
stockpile website was altered stating that the federal stockpile was “a short-term stopgap buffer.” More than once, President Donald Trump has falsely claimed that
the federal stockpile of emergency medicine and supplies he inherited
from his predecessor was an “empty shelf.” He has sought to blame former President Barack Obama’s administration for the current state of the stockpile.

The
National stockpile  of ventilators and medical equipment is likely running
low. The medical supplies are stored in six warehouses located in
strategic, undisclosed locations across the country, where they are
maintained by a staff of about 200. The stockpile has maintained a large
supply of personal protective
equipment, including N95 masks, face shields, and surgical gowns, as
well as medical equipment like the ventilators that hospitals so
urgently need now to treat Covid-19 patients.

On April
3, the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) said the federal government has just 9,800
ventilators available. There are 9,054 remaining in the Strategic
National Stockpile, and the Department of Defense had 900.  The
department of Defense has wanted to distribute the ventilators they
have, but the administration has not helped them in fining where they
should be sent.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo
said that just his state, which is currently at the epicenter of the
pandemic, will need as many as 37,000 ventilators at the peak of the
outbreak. After waiting for relief from the Trump administration, Cuomo
ultimately enlisted the National Guard to sieve and relocate ventilators
from upstate facilities to New York City. Cuomo  reportedly only had
2,200 in the state stockpile. But
instead of using all the tools at his disposal to help, Trump has
indicated that he doesn’t believe Cuomo actually needs that many. New
York Sate is not crucial to his reelection hopes.Trump further said,
“The states should have been building their stockpiles … we’re a
backup. We’re not an ordering clerk.” China donated 1000 ventilators,
and Oregon donated 140 ventilators to New York State to try and make up
for the federal disregard for the states plight. Cuomo pledged that New
York would follow suit and help other states at the pandemic sweeps
across the country.

Experts and lawmakers are concerned that the Trump administration’s
uneven distribution of supplies is driven by political goals. In early March, Washington State requested 233,000 N95 respirators
and 200,000 surgical masks, the Strategic National Stockpile sent them less than half that amount. Illinois, Massachusetts, and Maine also said they received fractions of what they requested. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
however asked for 430,000 surgical masks, 180,000 N95 respirators, and
other equipment. The full order arrived three days later. One anonymous
official told the Washington Post, “The president knows Florida is so
important for his reelection … He pays close attention to what Florida
wants.” 

The House Oversight Committee revealed that President Donald Trump’s administration failed to allot masks and equipment from the federal stockpile based on states’ needs. Trump has also been reportedly seizing shipments from private
companies to distribute to his political allies.

At a
White House press briefing on March 13, Trump told states to order their
own medical supplies, kicking off a process that has led to governors
entering bidding wars
with each other, the federal government and other countries over
essential
goods like ventilators and N95 masks. “It’s like being on eBay with 50
other states, bidding on a ventilator,” Cuomo said in a daily press
briefing.

The Trump administration has been getting
worse at dealing with the Covid-19 crisis. After spending the first two
months of the year denying the severity of the Covid-19 outbreak,
it’s now clear that the Trump administration has settled on deflecting
blame. Trump seeks scapegoats not solutions and accountability.

At
FEMA, the agency tasked with coordinating the federal response to the
outbreak, about 9,000 additional ventilators are still on hold as
officials seek to determine where they are needed most urgently. A
unified National response is needed to address the crisis but there is
no leadership to oversee the desperate need.

The number
of deaths has spiked to 1,255 in one day which is the largest death rate
of any country in the world. By Tuesday April 6, 2020, 5,489 New
Yorkers had lost their lives to COVID-19, up from 4,758 a day earlier.
Refrigeration trucks are acting as temporary morgues since the city’s
morgues are full. Between 200 and 250 people are dying each day and so
plans are being made for mass burials on Hart Island in Long Island
Sound off of the Bronx and other public lands. 

Viral Healing Touch

Posted on by Thor

On Palm Sunday (April 5, 2020) Pastor Rich Vera preached to a crowd gathered at The Center Arena on South Hiawassee Road in Orlando. After weeks of resisting a stay at home order, Governor Ron DeSantis issued a state wide stay at home order but then issued a second order that exempted religious services. His order specifically stated that only 10 people can congregate. DeSantis said in a news conference Thursday, “I don’t think government
has the authority to close churches, and I’m certainly not going to do
that.” He added Florida religious leaders he’d spoken with “almost 100%
agree” with mandating social distancing policies. Orlando had a stay at home order issued by Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings that would not allow a church gathering of more than 10 people. The State governor’s second order over rules the county order making religion an essential service. This piece meal approach to public safety will cost lives.

The horrific thing about Vera’s service is that he touches the faithful to heal them. This is certainly a breach of any form of social distancing.  Concern over the worship service prompted a call to the Orange County
Sheriff’s Office. The agency said a deputy responded to the church but
did not write a report. Noting the negative comments on social media, Vera responded during his sermon – “mind your own business.”

On the Rich Vera web page, one parishioner said, “This is regarding your comment in the most recent news story related to
holding services during the corona virus outbreak where you said others
should mind their own business.
If your service; involves more than 10 people, they are not keeping a
distance of 6 feet apart, if they are touching the same surfaces without
disinfecting them between touches, then it is everyone’s business. You
mentioned that you regularly touch your parishioners which means you are
violating the 6 ft distance requirement. The reasons it is everyone’s
business should be obvious. You and your parishioners may already
have the virus and not know it. Some may even have had it and recovered
without knowing it but still be contagious. You are taking unnecessary
chances that you won’t pass the virus within your congregation and then
to others outside your congregation. You may end up being responsible
for propagating the virus to far more people than you can imagine. Do
you want to be responsible for others suffering because your actions
indicate you either do or simply don’t care.”  

April is the Cruelist Month

Posted on by Thor

CNN News Anchor Chris Cuomo has been diagnosed with Covid-19 and he continues to broadcast from home. He has been very open about his fevers, chills and shortness of breath as well a phantasmagorical visions. In one of his broadcasts he said doctors are referring to the virus as “The Beast” and he said that April will be the Cruelest month. Indeed the hospitals in New York City are being overrun with patients infected with the virus. Refrigeration trucks are being set up outside hospitals to be used as temporary morgues since the morgues are already over run.

Cuomo’s reference to the Covid-19 virus at “The Beast” reminded me of a painting I studied as an art student by Rubens called “Daniel in the Lion’s Den.” I imagined those lions representing the virus as they pace in the cramped hospital room. I have seen so may picture of doctors exhausted emotionally and physically to the point that they just collapse on the floor or under a table. A photo of a nurse whose face was scarred by her surgical mask went viral.

Healthcare workers at Mount Sinai Hospital held photos
of sick colleagues at a protest demanding more personal protective equipment (PPE) in New York on April
3, 2020. Hospital staff were not able to get tests even after a nurse contracted the virus and died. The death of Kious Jordan Kelly, 48, was confirmed by Mount Sinai
Hospital. It comes amid an escalating crisis in New York in which
hospitals are faced with surging numbers of Covid-19 patients and
shortages of crucial medical equipment and protective gear for staffers. Senior Vice President Vicki R.
LoPachin announced that starting on Tuesday, April 7, Mount Sinai staff who develop symptoms consistent with Covid-19, will be tested for this viral infection within a few days of the onset of symptoms. 

On March 13, 2020 one nurse developed symptoms after treating a patient. Symptoms included shortness of breath, fever, and an unrelenting, dry cough. She was told to manager her symptoms at home because she could not be tested. She instead turned to her primary care physician who told her to call the Covid hotline. She waited two hours online and eventually was sent to another hospital to get tested. She tested positive. After seven days of managing symptoms at home and not improving, a
primary care doctor prescribed new treatment medication:
hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, and zinc.

Doctors and nurses are referring to the hospitals as war zones. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Hospital staff said nurses were told to reuse gowns, ration N-95 masks, and
wear surgical masks, which do not offer the same level of protection
against the virus. Some nurses in England have had to resort to wearing garbage bags since there is such a shortage of scrubs. Nursing staff are pulling together and doing what they can to rise above this  disaster. One of the horrible aspects of this virus is that it forces patients to suffer alone.


Fourteen white tents have been set up in Central Park to handle the overflow of patients from the hospitals. The 68-bed facility is run by Mt. Sinai Hospital, which is located
directly across the street from the tents in Central Park. Other locations hosting medical pop-ups include the Javits Convention Center and the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. The USNS Comfort Hospital Ship docked at pier 19 to assist in the pandemic. AS of April 4, 2020 the ship accepted “less than five” patients who were infected. Initial screenings prior to patients boarding the ship did not reveal that they had contracted the virus. The CDC screenings consist only of a temperature check and “a series of
questions addressing member’s recent health and contact history.” A ship can be a highly deadly breading ground for a deadly virus. The Comfort, which can hold up to 1,000 hospital beds, has treated fewer than 30 patients since arriving in New York on Monday March 30, 2020.

Creative Isolations Rehearsal

Posted on by Thor

I sat in and sketched the first Creative Isolations rehearsal on Zoom. This is a fascinating show put on by a group of graduate students from the University of Central Florida, who partnered with Orlando Story Club and the Downtown Arts District. The show was only staged on the video conferencing platform Zoom and YouTube. All the various slam poetry pieces and monologues are organized around the premise that a Shakespearean  acting troupe is looking for a way to have their voices heard over a digital platform. The performance was on Monday April 6, 2020 at 8pm.

Of course with the tech lags of video streaming and audio the first read through was a bit rough but it was possible to see the diamond in the rough. My series of pandemic illustrations will appear during one of the readings. And of course the illustration I did based o a written monologue about a sand sculptor will appear during that reading.

This is an amazing combination of tech and art and it should be truly unique to watch. Actually by the time this sketch goes live the performance will have already happened. I hope you got the word with my previous posts and had a chance to tune in.

Creative Isolations Team Meeting

Posted on by Thor

I have been contributing to Creative Isolations: The American Artists Project Performance.

On April 1, 2020 there was a zoom meeting for all 20 artists who are contributing to the project. Each artist in turn discussed their contribution to the project. I quickly sketched the Zoom meeting with the added challenge that people kept moving to new positions on the Brady Bunch screen.

I had done an illustration based on a short story about a sand sculptor. Because of the pandemic the sculptor was forced to work in his home sandbox. At first I thought the sandbox would be in the back yard, but then I took inspiration from Close Encounters of the Third Kind and I had the sculptor working in his living room.

Creative Isolations is a group of graduate students from the University of Central Florida, have partnered with Orlando Story Club and the Downtown Arts District for a celebration of artists in America. We have gathered stories about how artists’ lives have been altered by COVID-19 and selected artists to create original works based on those stories. Now, the artists are ready to share their creations with you!

The live, online performance will be on on Monday, April 6 (Tonight!) at 8pm Eastern Time (US and Canada).

Artist contributors include painters, actors, designers, singers, sand sculptors, composers, leather artists, and more.

The performance is free of charge. However, since social distancing has made it difficult for artists to make money, any funds raised will go straight back to the participating artists.

The Downtown Arts District and Orlando Story Club are proud partners of this project (6% of your donation will be used for an administrative fee).

LINK TO YOUTUBE CHANNEL:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1swgTahl0or-KNaCYFCjZg?view_as=subscriber

LINK TO DONATE:
https://downtownartsdistrict.com/product/make-a-donation/

Creative Isolations: The American Artists Project

Posted on by Thor

I am one of 20 artists who have been selected to participate in Creative Isolations: The American Artist Project as a creator. I joined this journey by creating original work in response to other artist’s stories. The results of these collaborations will culminate in a live broadcast online for free on Monday April 6th at 8pm Eastern Time (US and Canada). Any tips or donations will be divided between the creators. The artists include painters, actors, designers, singers, sand sculptors, composers, leather artists, and more.

I was given two stories and asked to illustrate one. I was fascinated with the story of a sand sculptor who was a 2D artist who became obsessed with sculpting with the heavy medium of sand. Clients were lining up and 2020 looked like the first year where he was completely booked to do conventions, festivals, weddings, parties, and resorts, then the Covid-19 virus closed the country. He was suddenly faced with having to work from home in his private sand box. Despite the endless uncertainties, he continued to create art that others might never see. His story very much parallels my own experience. As I am locked down and creating in my own private vacuum while listening to my inner demons. Lock down has become a time of feverish creation.

Artists have been asked to keep their individual contributions to about 5 minutes in duration. Rehearsals start April 3 and I might sketch the Zoom conference meetings that result.

Here is the breakdown of the performers in the Creative Isolations cast: 

          3 male actor/singer

          2 male actors

          1 medieval musician (multiple instruments)

          1 female actor/voice actor

          1 female comedian/actor

          1 male dancer  

Creative Isolation’s consists of a group of graduate students from the University of Central Florida, have partnered with Orlando Story Club and the Downtown Arts District for a celebration of artists in America. They have gathered stories about how artists’ lives have been altered by COVID-19 and selected artists to create original works based on those stories. Now, the artists are ready to share their creations with you!

The performance is free of charge. However, since social distancing has made it difficult for artists to make money, so funds will be raised by passing a virtual hat for the participating artists via PayPal during the event. 

The performance is free of charge. However, since social distancing has made it difficult for artists to make money, any funds raised will go straight back to the participating artists.

The Downtown Arts District and Orlando Story Club are proud partners of this project (6% of your donation will be used for an administrative fee).

The Performance is Monday April 6, 2020 starting at 8pm to 9pm.

LINK TO YOUTUBE CHANNEL:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1swgTahl0or-KNaCYFCjZg?view_as=subscriber

LINK TO DONATE:

https://downtownartsdistrict.com/product/make-a-donation/

Nature Art Show opening in a Pandemic

Posted on by Thor

This sketch may seem innocuous. It is the usual art show opening scene I might depict on any given day. I had two pieces accepted into this art show and the opening was slated for March 14, 2020 which also happened to be Saint Patrick’s day. Since my art was in the show there was an expectation that I would show up to the opening. One drink was on the house at the paid bar. The two paintings I submitted were, I thought, Pandemic appropriate. The theme of the show was “Nature”. Rather that submit beautiful landscapes I submitted two painting of mean and dying gnarly and decomposing trees.

The day before the opening, the Covid-19 Pandemic was officially announced by the World Health Organization. The situation was fluid with new announcements every few yours. On March 14, 2020, there were 156,000 cases of Covid-19 in America with 5,819 deaths. Despite these facts the art opening was still scheduled to happen. Pam Schwartz joined me and together we quickly looked at the art on the wall and then I settled in to self isolate on a couch and sketch.

People at the opening definitely did not stand six feet apart. People hugged and kissed and sipped drinks while telling stories just inches apart. It was terrifying. I listened for every cough and watched as someone touched their face and then shook hands. The second my sketch was done, Pam and I made a quick exit. On March 21, 2020, The Barefoot Spa closed in the best interest of everyone’s health. All the art work is still hanging, but the space is empty so the work will not be seen. Artists were told they might be able to pick up their work at the end of April but that might change depending on the state of the pandemic at that time. This is the last sketch I did at a public event. After this opening, I committed myself to self isolation in the studio. My work has become darker and more focused on the short-sighted politics that allowed the virus to spread so rapidly in America, though it could have been stopped in its tracks.

Choir of Death

Posted on by Thor

In Mount Vernon, Washington a choir decided to go ahead with a rehearsal in early March and now dozens of members have contracted the Covid-19 virus and two have died. With the virus spreading quickly through the state, leaders of the Skagit Valley Chorale debated whether to go ahead with weekly rehearsal. People were already dying in the Seattle area an hour’s drive to the south. But in Skagit county it was business as usual with no reported cases and no prohibitions on gatherings yet announced.

On March 6, 2020 Adam Burdick, the choir’s conductor sent out an email to the 121 member chorus saying the rehearsal would proceed as scheduled on March 10, 2020 at Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church.

60 singers showed up. Choir members were offered hand sanitizer at the door and everyone refrained from the usual hugs. The 2 1/2 hour rehearsal went smoothly with everyone trying to maintain some level of social distancing. Everyone had their own sheet music and they avoided social contact. On March 10, 2020 I was also going about business as usual here in Orlando. I entered a crowded sold out theater that night to sketch.

Three weeks later 45 of the singers developed symptoms and have been diagnosed with Covid-19. At least three singers have been hospitalized and two are dead.

No one at the rehearsal reported seeing anyone coughing or sneezing. Someone must have had the virus and yet not yet exhibited any sign of the illness. Some members did help set up and remove folding chairs and there were some mandarin oranges which people helped themselves to.

On infectious disease expert said that the act of singing might have resulted in fine particles being dispersed as people sang. It is possible the viral particles suspended in the air can be infectious for up to three hours. It apparently could spread without touch and among people who were asymptomatic.

The next choir performance was going to be in late April for the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival which attracts more than a million people. As of March 31, 2020, Tulip Festival organizers implored all tulip fans to follow the directives of the governor and the president. Stay home, stay healthy, stay alive. There are no services in Skagit Valley. Not even portable toilets! No open restaurants. Many public buildings are closed. All festival events were canceled. Organizers are asking people to enjoy the tulips virtually. #togetherwetulip

__________________________________________________________________________________

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued a “Safer at Home” order which went into effect Thursday night, April 2, at midnight. The order instructs people to stay home except for those working at essential business. The order was meant to follow the CDC guidelines to “Slow the Spread” which recommended restrictions to certain establishments conducive to mass gatherings and congregations. The order will last for 30 days.

On Monday March 30, 2020, a Tampa Florida mega church pastor was arrested after leading packed services despite the “safer at home” order issued in Hillsborough County. Sheriff Chad Chronister said up to 500 people were in attendance at Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne‘s Sunday services. The pastor was charged with unlawful assembly and violating public health emergency rules of isolation and quarantine. He paid the $500 bond and was released 40 minutes later.

At a press conference Monday afternoon the sheriff said, “Pastor Rodney Howard-Brown’s reckless disregard for human life put hundreds of people in his congregation at risk and thousands of residents who may interact with them this week in danger.”

The goal is not to stop anyone from worshiping but to have them worship safely. The Church has a steaming service that can allows parishioners to see the service from home. At a church service on March 15, Howard-Browne said he would not close his church’s doors until the Rapture, when believers will be lifted up to heaven, according to evangelical theology. Brown claimed his church was an essential business, like Walmart.

State Attorney Andrew Warren referred to Mark 12:13 “There is no more important commandment than to love your neighbor as yourself. And loving your neighbors is protecting them and not jeopardizing their health by exposing them to this deadly virus.”

As of this writing there are over 1,000,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the US resulting in over 51,000 deaths. In Florida there are 7717 confirmed cases with 128 deaths.

Stay home, stay safe.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis added a loop hole in his “Safe at Home” order allowing church services. This is insane! DeSantis puts the DUH in Floriduh.

In the Florida order “Essential Activities” means and encompasses the following:

1. Attending religious services conducted in churches, synagogues and houses of worship; (Is this limited by the more sane CDC mandate that only 10 people can congregate?) and

2. Participating in recreational activities (consistent with social distancing guidelines) such as walking, biking, hiking, fishing, hunting, running, or swimming; and

3. Taking care of pets; and

4. Caring for or otherwise assisting a loved one or friend.

DeSantis issued a second executive order that says statewide rules will “supersede any conflicting official
action or order issued by local officials in response to COVID-19.” Meaning cities that are suffering from higher rates of infection can not issue stricter guidelines to save lives.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Requiem 

Lyrics translated from Latin:

When the accursed have been condemned

And doomed to the searing flames,

Summon me with the saved.

Suppliant and prostrate, I entreat you,

My heart as spent as ashes,

Have care for my fate.

Pre-Pandemic: Four First Names Comedy

Posted on by Thor

Pam Schwartz and I went to Dragonfly Studio and Productions, 129 West McKey Street Ocoee FL to see Four First names Comedy. The acclaimed improve team featured Richard Regan Paul
and Chris Barry, for a monthly residency of improvised music, scenes,
and conversations. The evening featured as well,  some of Orlando’s best and most active independent improv
teams; The Runaways (Carolyn Fin and Rebecca Walters Penguin), Knife
Fight (Crystal Gray and Danny Loeken Marvy), Lemons (Laura Davis and
Jillian McNamara) and The Business Women (Rachel Dabney and Ray
Cartegena). Dragonfly Studio and Production’s owner and executive
producer Elaine Pechacek joined in the festivities at the piano.

Since the Covid-19 Pandemic had made live theater impossible for now, Elaine Pechacek has set the stage for virtual comedy and is asking for performers to submit video auditions. This theater is looking ahead to a bright future.



CALLING ALL ARTISTS!

MUSICAL THEATRE SINGERS / IMPROV PERFORMERS / MUSICIANS / AND THOSE POSSESSING any MUSICAL ABILITIES!

AUDITIONS are now open via video submission from now thru April 10, 2020 for 3 new musical improv teams! Submission packages MUST include all 3 of the following segments including the application form via the link at the bottom of page.

Call-backs will take place in person mid-May, COVID-19 permitting. Please note, once all teams are cast, they will be training for 3-4 months prior to any performances. Performances are slated to begin in September 2020.

VIDEO SUBMISSIONS MUST INCLUDE:

1. One minute or less of you singing a song from any genre you choose with track or live accompaniment. A cappella will not be accepted but self accompaniment via guitar, piano, uke, etc is acceptable.

2. Two minute video of any form of storytelling (for example: poem, self-written work, conversation with your mother, answer a phone call, talk to your cat, solve world peace, anything goes!)

3. Thirty second video of quick facts about yourself.

EXTRA CREDIT (NOT MANDATORY):

One to Two Minutes of any additional musical skills!

(For example: guitar, piano, tuba, dancing, rapping, beatbox, interpretive dance)

CLICK HERE FOR APPLICATION and MORE INFO about teams:

https://dragonflystudioandproductions.com/improv-auditions

You can submit videos either as Youtube link(s) or as direct video files in the following formats: .mp4 / .mov / .avi

You can print and fill out the application and take a pic and send it back as a .pdf or .jpg if the download doesn’t allow you to fill it out online. We will also accept read aloud versions of the application since I know some may not have access to their normal office equipment in which case just include that video with the rest of your submission.

LEADERSHIP TEAM:

Executive Producer: Elaine Pechacek

Associate Producer and Host: Mallory Robson

Creative Consultant and Host: Francisco J. Laboy

Please email all videos to Dragonflystudiosimprov@gmail.com. All materials, including application, are due: APRIL 10, 2020.

Must be 21 or older to submit.

*Separate files and links are acceptable as long as they are all within the same email

*Please include your name in the subject line of email along with team preference. (We will consider people being cast in multiple teams)

__________________________________________________________________________________

On March 25, 2020 Phoenix Tears Productions is presenting Ophelia Staged Reading Livestream.

Due to the current state of the world and public health, the staged reading of new musical Ophelia is moved to being a live-streamed reading. 


Tickets can be purchased via the ticket link below. Anyone who purchases a ticket will be sent a link to watch the LIVE STREAM on Wednesday, March 25th at 8pm. The following morning you will be emailed a link to the recorded show which will be viewable for ONE WEEK. We thank you for your patience and flexibility at this time.

Season ticket holders will be contacted about being in a small in-person audience. If you have purchased a ticket prior to this change and would like more information feel free to email mallory@phoenixtearsproductions.com

More about the Show:
Follow the story of Shakespeare’s Ophelia as she falls for Hamlet, fails to connect with her family, and tries to figure out who she is and what she wants to be.
A new musical by Jeremiah Gibbons.
This is a staged reading that will include a talkback where we ask for audience feedback.

Nathan Orozco

Posted on by Thor

This post discusses the shooting that took place at the Pulse
Nightclub on June 12, 2016. It contains difficult content, so please do
not read on if you feel you may be effected. 

This article and sketch have been posted with the express written
permission of the interviewee and is summarized from their own interview. Analog Artist Digital World takes the
privacy and wishes of individuals very seriously.  

At the time of the Pulse shooting Nathan Orozco was 18 years old. To celebrate his birthday he and friends were doing a club a night.  He had been waiting years for the chance to step into a club. It was his first night going Pulse.

He was not familiar with the club. He got there about 11:30pm. The exits he saw were blocked off. There was the hip hop room, the main stage, and outside, and he spent most of his time outside.

Nathan isn’t exactly sure when the shooting started, but about 1am there
was one last call for alcohol. When two friends went in to the hip hop
room for their last drinks, he heard the first gun shots from outside. Everybody dropped to the floor.

When the shooting started he found his way to the employee hallway. There were so many people crushed into that one hallway. That is when he heard the AR-15. Had the shooter turned to shoot down that hallway he would have shot at least 150 people.

Once outside, Nathan had to break the fence and jump over to the mechanic shop next door. There was another guy who managed to punch through the white fence as well. Many people made it out though there. The shots got so close. From outside it was possible to tell where the shots were coming from, but in the club it was a lot harder to tell because of the echo. Nathan also had to jump over the mechanic shop fence to get across the street and get out. People were trampling each other. He did all this while carrying Ross, who was one of the dancers that night. Ross who is tiny, was wearing nothing but a jock strap. People were jumping over him. So Nathan carried him across the street. When Ross was safe, Nathan went back to find his friends who both survived.

Once outside, the police were already flooding the streets. Across the street was the 7-11 and a Einstein Beagles. Everyone was moved to the back of Einsteins Bagels. At that time an explosion went off in order to break through the wall of the club. After that, bullets were flying towards the survivors so they had to move them to the back of the neighborhood that was behind the 7-11. From there he waited it out. A bus came to pick everyone up and bring them to the police department where they gave their statements. It was a surreal experience.

He didn’t get to the police station until 8 am. That means that for about 7 hours he stood outside the club witnessing everything.  The cops were doing all that they could, but they should have moved survivors further back because bullets were still flying.

The next day at 2 am a friend texted and told him which friends had died. Nathan has a tattoo which depicts three birds to represent his friends, a skull in a tree, and the Pulse symbol. The tattoo continues to evolve. He watched one friend, who had been shot like 6 times, die right in front of him that night. His friend lay there for about 10 to 15 minutes and it seemed like an eternity before his body was loaded into an ambulance.

Nathan was grazed by one bullet which cracked two of his ribs.  The
doctor decided to let the ribs heal on their own. Nathan didn’t notice
the wound until a year after Pulse, when the rib pains started. He would
touch them and found the ribs to be soft like mashed potatoes. The doctor felt
they would harden in time. One friend he was standing right next to that
night passed away. They had been dancing together. As soon as everybody
dropped to the floor, he never saw that friend again. 

The Pulse survivors and their stories helped Nathan get through it all. No one knows what you are going through but the people who went through it with you. It is not hard to find yourself again when you are around the right people. He tries to avoid survivors who used the shooting to make a name for themselves. He only went to one Pride event in Boston where 23 survivors spoke about the need to curb gun violence. It is never easy. He still has flashbacks. Loud bangs can cause it all to flood back.

Watching all the police and military going in suited up to save peoples lives was inspiring. He decided to take a pre-Asvab test for the navy and he passed with an 86. Now he just needs to get his diploma so he can be in the navy.