I wanted to talk about the part of the BLM movement where people mention defunding the police. I found an article that talks about what the idea is.

During the BLM protests this past summer, many restaurants supported the protestors by providing free food, and acknowledging that the damage to their property was less important than the damage being done to Black people by police. They also performed support tasks such as hosting makeshift medic tents for the protestors.

On May 29th, 2020, a strip mall in Eugene, OR was vandalized by protestors of George Floyd’s death.

I wanted to talk about the Black Lives Matter movement. I figured what better source than the actual website.

A restaurant in Eugene, Oregon, was vandalized during the initial protests over the death of George Floyd. The damage was in excess of $500,000. The restaurant owner claims that the Black Lives Matter movement is being undermined by violent agitators. The owner has been criticized in the past for anti-homeless views.

This article demonstrates the active voice of Black students to access diversity and social justice at the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt). The website's creation is a way for students to actively notify Pitt of any kind of social bias shown. Protests for social justice across the nation have acted as a catalyst for Universities to become more aware of social justice reforms within their institutions.

The photograph on the right shows Trae Young, a Atlanta Hawks player, protesting at a Black Lives Matter event in June of 2020. I choose this picture because I am an Atlanta Hawks fan but more importantly because of the support provided by the NBA for social justice. Since the protests have started the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) have fully committed in supporting the social justice movement. Even with the NBA season over with now the spotlight to fight social justice has still continued. The NBA will continue to donate and provide support for education to minority communities. The NBA and NBPA have also made it their mission to address the lack of diversity in team management. Finally they have also made it their mission to help address police and criminal justice change in America. Protests are a bigger influence than people think and it is good to see big associations willing to make a difference for social justice.

The Tweet declares that the University of Illinois, The Fighting Illini, are in support of social justice. The college football team is supporting the Black Lives Matter movement by wearing black decaled insignias on their helmets with the Black Lives Matter fist symbol on the back of the helmet. The fist is a powerful gesture associated with the social justice protest. The video also states that football is just a game and social justice is a real world priority. A college football team and university realizing the fight against racism and social inequalities is more important than their institution is a significant event in the fight for social justice. Of course not all fans or comments think it is appropriate for the team to wear these symbols but all movements will have discourse in their pursuit to fight for social justice. This statement to display these images are closely related to how far the protests have come in the fight for social justice.

The week of homecoming has always been a huge deal for the students at Great Falls High School. Even when I went there 10 years ago, we went all out. I cannot begin to fathom the disappointment for the seniors who lost their last chance to play a varsity homecoming football game. This season has been met with many hurdles. Limited spectators, masks, social distancing, sign ins and contact tracers for attendance, it’s been a lot of adjusting for everyone, but especially the players. They work their hardest to stay healthy and eligible to play. When news broke about the other team having had contact with covid, the boys were devastated that they would not have the opportunity to fulfill that homecoming legacy. The loss of this game in many ways was the equivalent of a lost season.

This year is my youngest brother's freshman year of high school. Imagine our devastation when it was assumed that these boys would lose out on the opportunity to start their high school careers participating in a sport that they love. With thanks to GFPS and all associated groups, through social distancing, careful planning, and diligent hygiene-- these talented and amazing athletes were able to play for the very first time, at Memorial Stadium. Go Bison!

At the end of last year and the loss of the whole spring sports lineup, we were all disappointed to say the least. After all, they had worked so hard to not even be able to actually participate in their track season. Then the questions started rolling in-- what about next fall? What about football? At one point, it looked like it wouldn't even be possible, but somehow the district and state managed to make it happen with some limitations. At the end of it all, things turned out fine and the boys and each of the player's 3 allowed spectators got to enjoy this year’s football season. The stadium is much quieter with the same amount of energy from the players and the few lucky supporters who get to be there. They got to keep their season, they have had minimal cancellations due to other teams and contact with Covid, and I could not be prouder of these boys on and off the field. They got their season, they worked hard to keep it, abide by the rules, and to keep their season rolling through times of uncertainty.

This article shows the difficulties and last minute changes that professional MMA fighters are facing during this pandemic. I remember seeing the cancellations mentioned in the article as well as others. In MMA there is always a feeling of never being sure if a fight will go through until the weigh-ins are done because of the possibility of injury. The pandemic and the virus have added another possible cause of cancelation for fights. One that the fighter may have no control over.

Watching this event I found it interesting to see all of the masks that were being worn by staff and around the ring contrasting with the fighter not wearing one. I was also surprised that there were so many people in the crowd. This tweet and the photos it includes show that even in Japan, masks are strictly being worn in some capacity. ASU, HST485

This video shows the changes to face off procedures in the UFC because of the pandemic. I have enjoyed seeing the way that some fighters used their masks as an extension of their personality in these weird times. I find it kind of interesting how the fighters wear masks for the face offs only to completely disregard them and any kind of social distancing on fight night. ASU, HST485

With the ongoing pandemic, it has become safer to stay indoors rather than venture out into public often. Because of this many people elect to do their grocery shopping online and have their food delivered to avoid the crowds of the stores.

This tweet is from the St. Louis Area Foodbank urging people to donate food to their organization. Due to restrictions from the pandemic, the food bank offers contactless pickup, allowing citizens to drop off their donations without risk of getting sick. This allows them to help their communities without spreading the virus.

During this pandemic nobody knew what was going to happen with anything including the school system. What some people fail to realize is that most homes have both parents working to provide for their family. Well what happens when a pandemic hits? Everyone was unsure of what they were supposed to do. Nobody knew whether or not they were going to lose their job or if they were going to be able to provide for their family. one thing i noticed that should have had more light shed on the subject was parents teaching their kids during a pandemic. Homeschooling was never on anyones list of things they were going to have to do. I focus on the families that have both parents as the people bringing in money. When the pandemic hit and everyone was able to transition working at home the parents that had the kids going to school suffered the most. Not only do they have to work at home but they now have to find time to make sure their kids a re being taught there school work. I could not imagine being a parent in this time and having to juggle a job teaching kids and making sure food is prepared and everyone is happy. I noticed that this made a lot people appreciate kids as well. Stay strong! what teachers have to go through on a daily basis. I appreciate all you working parents that are being forced to teach their

I’ve always enjoyed cooking, but between working and going to school full time, I often find it very hard to find the time to try new recipes. When I was furloughed from my job for a few weeks, I used some of that downtime to try exciting new recipes. This picture is of my sister-in-law Elise’s pasta and sausage dish that she makes. Since it is my favorite meal, I made it myself a few weeks ago and it was fantastic!

From the events that have happened this year it makes it very difficult to try and stay focused on things that are important but also things that we just want to do. Due to COVID one thing that has changed for the worse is trying to get an education during a pandemic. For some it is harder than others and for others it is just as easy learning on the computer than it is learning in person. As a student I must admit that there are some things that i learn better in person than i do on a computer. During this pandemic getting my education has become both easier and harder. The easy portion is how well my school adapted to switching to the online courses instead of in person classes. I must admit that ASU surprised me with how well they transitioned. The hard part for me was trying to learn some material that I had no idea what was going on and i did not have the opportunity to get in person help on the subjects I was struggling in. What this pandemic did was rewire the brains of young people due to the lack of human interaction we had. It is almost as if we forget how to be a person around other people and I know that sounds silly but it is the truth. Going out in public was making me feel bad becuase who am i to go out when other people have to stay inside. Overall this learning curve shed a lot of light on how comfortable we were as students with being able to just go up to a professor and ask for help instead having to email and then being hopeful that they would get back to us in time. I have really learned a lot about myself during this time and hope it comes to an end soon!

The effects of the pandemic can be seen in the most unexpected places!

This is a photo of my friend, Lindsay. She is a high school teacher here in Colorado. We live in a small town that was fortunate enough to not feel the panic of the pandemic until well-after other places had. She misses her students, and there are real concerns for the mental health of not only the kids, but the teachers too.

As we know we are in a time of having to adapt to a situation we were never prepared for and things are changing rapidly. One thing in particular that has been ongoing for a while now is teaching in America. As we have been adapting to most things that has been happening in the world one of the hardest things that has happened is for the working family to have to find a way to make sure their children are being monitored while they are doing school through the computer. A much needed thing for most families is the time they have to do their work while their kids are at work. Having to adapt to something like that has been hard for most families in America. Having a friend who happens to be a teacher in this time i had the opportunity to aske her how she was dealing with having to teach from home. Listening to how hard it is to try and get kids to pay attention to the things she is trying to teach is the hardest part to her. Imagine trying to get teenage kids who are at home to try and listen to you while you are trying to make sure they are getting the correct materials to move forward in their academic careers. She says that it is her most challenging year yet and that she has not been this stressed from her job ever. After having this conversation with her it made the appreciation i have for teachers that much more great. We need to celebrate these people who have chosen to become teachers to our kids.

This is a screenshot from my phone from this afternoon. I live in Colorado, but depend on New Mexico for several things. I made a quick trip to Target today, and while in the checkout line, everyone’s phones went off.

My friend gave me permission to share a hilarious online dating experience he just had. Quotations are paraphrased. My friend Luke hops on Xbox and begins to tell me a story. He says, “I’m talking to this girl on Tinder for four hours. She then tells me, ‘I’m bored and I’m going to go read a book’ at 1:30 in the morning! I just laugh it off and ask if she wants to get together at some point the next day. She then tells me, ‘sorry, but my parents won’t let me go out because of COVID.’ She’s 24! She is 24 years old and she’s acting like her mom just grounded her.” I respond by telling him, “bro, she totally just curved you. She also told you she’d rather read a book than text you!” He then replies, “I know that, but if you’re 24 and can’t come up with a better excuse than ‘I’m grounded,’ you don’t belong on Tinder!” This funny story makes one ponder how many other things people use COVID-19 as an excuse to dodge and avoid.

This meme is in reference to President Ronald Reagan’s gun control measures, which are a callback to the sentiments of a large number of gun-owning former Trump supporters that have been left in the dust by the President’s increasingly authoritarian and draconian attitude towards the Second Amendment. Once he started saying things such as “I prefer to take the guns first and go through due process second” and advocating for expanded red flag laws, many libertarian-leaning conservatives realized that the Republican Party was not going to preserve or prevent infringement on their Second Amendment rights. The final nail in the coffin came with the aftermath of George Floyd’s death, when riot police across the country began abusing protestors and onlookers. When right-wing libertarian militias grabbed their kits and began protecting BLM protesters from police and protecting businesses from rioters, they were targeted by counterterrorism elements of the federal government. This meme represents the complete and total lack of faith that most gun owners now have in the Republican Party.

This is a trap remix of Darkthrone’s “Transilvanian Hunger” that I made on my phone in GarageBand. My friends and I usually congregate on Xbox Live every night after we get home from work for the night. With rising costs, dwindling savings, and less work available than ever before, we don’t really plan things anymore. When we do, the plans usually include cooking dirty burgers, drinking beer, and playing board games at someone’s house. That and playing Xbox together are the cheapest options for hanging out that we even have. Lately, our favorite pastime has been making beats on our iPhones in GarageBand. Someone jokingly told me that Norweigan black metal is the only un-sampleable musical genre. I set out to prove him wrong. Laughter and hilarity ensued.

During the pandemic all sports stopped, at least until there was enough safety procedures to safely play. The NBA found a location in Orlando at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at the Walt Disney World Resort, which was able to both house the teams invited as well as the staff and support staff for the teams. The games would be broadcast with virtual fans. This worked pretty well because the people in the bubble were tested and could work out and play on the many courts that the complex boasts. This idea was one of the better sporting decisions but with the size of the teams much more easily done than with other sports, with larger teams and more staff. The NBA soon returned and began to play and give people live entertainment with few COVID cases reported from the bubble

I interviewed my friend who has been affected by social justice issues that have been occurring in this country. He informed me how he has not been able to receive jobs he was overqualified for because of the color of his skin, how he has to fear driving by a police officer because of the color of his skin, and how he overall is not treated equally. He fully supports the movements going on in the country today and hopes for a better day.

During the reopening phase, many schools were deciding on if there would be a college football season, after many of the professional sports seemed to be ok in starting. Baseball started out with a few games that were cancelled but would travel, and test players. The NBA had figured a way to play in a “bubble” where the players would stay on Disney resort and play each other and be regularly tested. But the NCAA had yet to figure out it’s procedure for College Football. Trevor Lawrence the star QB at Clemson wanted to play and let his voice, as well as other be known that they hoped to have the chance to have a season, and through playing many of these players would have a better chance of avoiding COVID-19 at school versus where they would normally be if no football or school happened.

This is a news article explaining how Trump has reacted to the Black Lives Matter protests. He has reacted in a negative way and posted things on the internet that were false and showed his stance on the subject. It is important to note that this is the President of the United States and this is how he reacts to protests and people wanting change.

The NBA was considering a stoppage of games due to the outbreaks of COVID-19. During one of the press conferences a player named Rudy Gobert decided to touch all the microphones in the press room after speaking with reporters, within days the world learned that he had contracted Covid-19 and the sports world began shutting down all sports, including NCAA tournament and all sports around the world. Gobert was one of the first celebrities to contract COVID-19.

While many places were shut down, tourism to the Lake of the Ozarks rose during the pandemic. There was even a visitor who attended a party at a crowded lake bar later test positive for the virus.

While we all know that 2020 did not turn into such a shit storm because of full moons and the like, with as crazy as this year has been it has really seemed plausible at times. This meme sums it up perfectly.

This shows that a large number of people traveled to summer tourist destinations that were open. There were more visitors to the Lake of the Ozarks during the pandemic than there was in 2019.

As per quarantine, most people have had more time to create. With that time, my friend Apollo has drawn out a picture of him and his boyfriend. As with a lot of queer individuals, art can be a form of escapism and it certainly has come to flourish with the times of quarantine as many closeted individuals find it harder to grow in less than great positions.

Most believe Jehovah's Witnesses to be just annoying door-knockers but in fact, they are a doomsday cult led by a slightly obscure inner-government called the Watchtower Society. Here is a bit of their doctrine and perspective of what they think of COVID-19.

This is just one example of the effects that Covid has had on people. WIth the summer coming to a close, the last real possibility to have any outdoor dining. But as the number of Covid cases continues to rise everyday the Governor decided to restrict indoor seating and placed curfews on how long business could stay open. Because of this many restaurants will have no choice but to close their doors. Leaving many people back on unemployment only weeks before the holiday season starts. Covid continues to change and effect everyone differently, unfortunately it does not seem like we will see the end of this anytime soon.

As new restrictions on indoor seating take place as winter begins to ramp up, many Chicago restaurants are left wondering how they are to make it. Having a patio is really a privilege, having the funds to be able to turn it into igloo style spaces or completely heated is something that many restaurants can not do. In this article by Eater Chicago, restaurants vent about having wasted money restructuring their restaurants to protect their staff and customers. A large majority though were more concerned with how they were going to pay their staff and keep their doors open.

This shows how vulnerable we are as a country to covid 10 months in. As many restrictions were lifted in the summer, almost as quick as the summer heat was gone more restrictions were placed on restaurants. As many attempt to figure out some way to have outdoor dining in Chicago, in the winter, many know that the end is near. Many restaurants barely were making ends meet with the limited capacity seating and take out, and this latest round of Tell us a story; share your experience. Describe what the object or story you've uploaded says about the pandemic, and/or why what you've submitted is important to you. This shows how vulnerable we are as a country to covid 10 months in. As many restrictions were lifted in the summer, almost as quick as the summer heat was gone more restrictions were placed on restaurants. As many attempt to figure out some way to have outdoor dining in Chicago, in the winter, many know that the end is near. Many restaurants barely were making ends meet with the limited capacity seating and take out, and this latest round of restrictions will be too much for many restaurants to overcome.

This submission goes into detail from a front line worker on why rural Wisconsin is hit so hard when it comes to COVID, it is important because there are so few voices coming out of this part of the United States.

A recent photo from the Burnett County Sheriff's Office that shows the county had no new cases. It shows the pandemic is not worsening at the moment in a very rural area in Wisconsin

My aunt's photo of a rainbow on her dairy farm in rural Wisconsin. It shows how a lonely and quiet area in rural Wisconsin during the midst of a pandemic can have beautiful parts to it.

I wanted to contribute a photo because I think healthcare workers are heroes while providing care and support for their patients during the pandemic. I thought it would be easy to find still find a sign just as this but honestly, I did not find many (campaign signs took over many yards and corners). I do not believe this is a reflection of the community because I still think that the community views all healthcare workers as heroes for working on the front line of this virus knowing the dangers they put on themselves and their families. From conversations I have had with healthcare workers they are making sure their patients are receiving the best care and making sure they do not feel alone since they cannot have family by their side. I know the sacrifice they make but they make it so that we can get through this together.

I personally think this is important to increase the amount of cases they can test per day. However, from what I hear from my parents who live in Tokyo, getting tested is really hard because you have to have symptoms to get tested. With no symptoms, a lot test centers turn you down even though there are so many cases who are asymptomatic. 東京都は一日あたりの検査能力を6万5000件まで拡充します。 　東京都の現在の新型コロナウイルスの検査能力は一日あたり約2万5000件ですが、インフルエンザとの同時流行で発熱患者が増えた場合、最大で約6万5000件必要になる可能性があります。こうした状況を受けて都は、新型コロナの検査能力を12月上旬までに一日あたり最大6万5000件へ拡充する方針を明らかにしました。今月25日までに都内で確認されている今シーズンのインフルエンザの患者は4人ですが、これからの流行期に備える狙いです。 The Tokyo Metropolitan Government will expand its daily testing capacity to 65,000 tests. The current testing capacity of the new coronavirus in Tokyo is about 25,000 per day, but if the number of fever patients increases due to the simultaneous spread with influenza, a maximum of about 65,000 may be required. In response to this situation, the city has announced that it will expand the testing capacity of the new coronavirus to a maximum of 65,000 per day by early December. By the 25th of this month, four influenza patients have been confirmed in Tokyo this season, but we are aiming to prepare for the coming flu season.

Western Australia's "Hard Border" has prevented many people who live in the state from returning home. Australians wishing to enter the state must apply for travel approval called the “Good to Go process” with the police. Very few are permitted to enter, and those that do must also self-quarantine for 14 days.

CCMSgt Langston and other members of leadership surprised SSgt. Kasten with a STEP promotion to TSgt. outside of his hotel room, where he was being quarantined. Minot AFB in Minot, ND has been battling the pandemic and its effects on morale among the Airmen. This story represents the comradery associated with military members and keeping traditions alive.

On October 27, 2020, Chairman Faith of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe issued an Executive Order mandating the wearing of face masks within the boundaries of the Standing Rock Reservation. The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the hardest among minorities, including Native American tribes. With COVID numbers increasing in the Dakotas, it is no surprise that the local tribes are cracking down on safety measures. The protection of their people and culture will always be their number one concern.

In the early stages of the pandemic, North Dakota shut down like every other state. However, during reopening over the summer, safety protocols, such as masks, were not state mandated, only recommended. This has led us to being the state with the highest cases of COVID in the U.S. right now. During Governor Burgum’s press briefing on October 29, 2020 he adjusted the COVID-19 risk levels for various counties in North Dakota, bumping nearly half of the counties in the state into high risk categories and a quarter of the rest into moderate risk. Governor Bergum is still not pushing for a mandate on wearing masks in public areas, only recommending it.

The United States is experiencing yet another surge in Covid cases, this time just days before the presidential election. "The new benchmark of 90,456 cases was hit Thursday just hours after the U.S. logged its 9 millionth coronavirus case and shattered the previous daily record of 80,662 infections, set a day earlier. Also, the 540,035 new Covid-19 cases reported from last Friday, Oct. 23, to Thursday was the most for any seven-day period since July." The Trump administration has said that the U.S. is rounding the corner on the pandemic and even cited "ending" the pandemic as one of Donald Trump's accomplishments in office, yet the growing number of cases and deaths would say otherwise.

As nearly 1000 Americans are dying a day, Donald Trump Jr took to Fox News to say that COVID-19 deaths are at "almost nothing." Many people have called this deeply insensitive as the number of infections and deaths continues to rise.