Item
Jillian Schemenauer Oral History, 2021/12/01
Media
Title (Dublin Core)
Jillian Schemenauer Oral History, 2021/12/01
Description (Dublin Core)
Jillian Schemenauer was born and raised in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. From there she went on the receive her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from the University of Minnesota-Mankato. She is now working on her Doctorate degree at UW-Milwaukee. In her interview, she discusses moving to Milwaukee in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. She also discusses the increase in mental illnesses in her students and colleagues and the reasons behind the increase.
Recording Date (Dublin Core)
Creator (Dublin Core)
Contributor (Dublin Core)
Partner (Dublin Core)
Type (Dublin Core)
video
Controlled Vocabulary (Dublin Core)
English
Education--Universities
English
Cities & Suburbs
English
Online Learning
English
Health & Wellness
English
Business & Industry
Curator's Tags (Omeka Classic)
Collection (Dublin Core)
Curatorial Notes (Dublin Core)
Date Submitted (Dublin Core)
05/01/2023
Date Modified (Dublin Core)
06/01/2023
Date Created (Dublin Core)
12/01/2021
Interviewer (Bibliographic Ontology)
Jenna Schemenauer
Interviewee (Bibliographic Ontology)
Jillian Schemenauer
Location (Omeka Classic)
Milwaukee
Wisconsin
United States of America
Format (Dublin Core)
video
Language (Dublin Core)
English
Duration (Omeka Classic)
00:48:09
abstract (Bibliographic Ontology)
Jillian Schemenauer was born and raised in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. From there she went on the receive her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from the University of Minnesota-Mankato. She is now working on her Doctorate degree at UW-Milwaukee. In her interview, she discusses moving to Milwaukee in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. She also discusses the increase in mental illnesses in her students and colleagues and the reasons behind the increase.
Transcription (Omeka Classic)
Jenna Schemenauer 0:02
All right, let's get this interview started. The date is December 1 is 7:02pm. The cases and deaths in the US is cases we're looking at 48,497,243 deaths is 780,131 cents in the past 30 days. Cases and death in Wisconsin, we're looking at 879,614 deaths 9052 cents April. In terms of percentage of US citizens vaccinated, we're looking at 74.8% above the age of five with one vaccine. Alright, if you wouldn't mind introducing yourself.
Jillian Schemenauer 0:53
I'm Jillian Schemenauer
JS 0:56
she's my sister. Um a little bit of if you wouldn't mind sharing some demographic data such as your race, age, gender.
JLS 1:09
I'm white. I am 26. I identify as female.
JS 1:19
Okay. Are you vaccinated? Did you ever get COVID?
JLS 1:24
I am vaccinated. I'm about to get my booster next week, two weeks, and I did not get COVID That I know.
JS1:33
What are your jobs? What kind of extracurriculars Do you participate in?
JLS 1:38
I am a graduate teaching assistant. At the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, I teach mostly freshmen for introduction to interpersonal communication. I'm also a manager at a brewery my extracurriculars include writing very lengthy papers, and reading a lot. Enjoy being with my family, with friends when I get the chance. Hanging out with my dog.
JS 2:14
And you are also a student yourself than to Milwaukee? Right? A doctorate student?
JLS 2:17
Yes. Yep. I am currently a second year doctoral student at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee.
JS 2:23
What are you studying?
JLS 2:25
communication.
JS 2:28
Where do you live?
JLS 2:29
I live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
JS 2:31
Whats it like living there?.
JLS 2:34
I It's, it's nice. I enjoy where I live a lot. I think it gets a bad rap for, you know, not a lot of reasons. I think there are obviously some issues systemically within Milwaukee and I think that comes to a head quite frequently. There. Milwaukee is a really big city in which like they're the county is huge, like Milwaukee itself is a really big city in which it's pretty spread out. It's about half a million people. So you know, it's it's up there, especially with Wisconsin, it's the biggest city in Wisconsin. There's a lot of things to do. There's they have a lot to offer. There's a lake there's summer fest, you know, there's various sports teams here. Again, there's, you know, they're issues that I think need to be addressed that either haven't or have not been in the correct manner. Yeah, what is the good city? I live in a really good neighborhood. I feel safe, which is important. So yeah, good.
JS 3:54
All right. And then where did you move from previous to this? What was your experience?
JLS 3:59
I lived in Shakopee, Minnesota, which is a suburb, south east of Minneapolis. It's about 20 minutes away from Minneapolis. And that was a much smaller city. I lived in an apartment whereas now I live in a house. It didn't have a ton to offer. But you know, being 20 minutes away from Minneapolis, it wasn't hard to get to. I was also a student at that time. So I commuted to the university, or sorry, Minnesota State University Mankato, twice a week. And until COVID hit so I, you know, drove about four hours each week to teach and to take classes. So my experience over in Shakopee was a little bit different than my experience in Milwaukee.
JS 4:58
Um, when did you move in comparison to when COVID hit?
JLS 5:03
COVID a hit. At least the shutdown started right after St. Patrick's Day weekend. So like the weekend happened, like following St. Patrick's Day, I remember I was out with some friends. And there was news of COVID. And of there being like shutdowns, but no one was really taking it seriously or like talking about it. But it happened. Yeah, that like Monday after I think it was like March 18 2021. And we moved, gosh, oh 2020 Sorry, no, 2021 We moved April 11th of 2020. Because my partner got a job after I got accepted to UW Milwaukee. And we had two weeks from the time that he got his job to us having to be in Milwaukee. So we moved just under a month after COVID started. And you know, initially we we had like the two weeks shutdown, we had an extension of spring break at Mankato. And we don't really like, at least from my own experience, I didn't really, like think it was going to be as big as it was like, there was events that had been canceled, that were rescheduled for like August and I was like, Oh, this is for sure gonna happen. And, you know, didn't. So it was it was challenging in which like, it was hard one finding people that can help us move. Because, you know, we're packing up our entire lives that we I mean, my partner's live in Minnesota his entire life, and I had lived in Minnesota for six years. At that point. We're leaving all of our friends in the cities, we're living like leaning essentially everything to move five and a half, six hours away. I mean, my family, our family in Chippewa and Eau Claire is three and a half to four hours. So still, you know, a hike for anyone to come down. And at that point, masks weren't mandated like no one knew what was appropriate to do, like everything was shut down. I remember meeting you mom and dad in Eau Claire. And like we were very weary of like, how we should act like what we should do. Because you weren't supposed to be seeing people. Like I remember dad being like, well, hopefully no one sees me from work because I get in trouble. And so like, I guess that was weird. Um, luckily, my partner Connor, I'll just use his name from now on. His brother, his brother's girlfriend and his brother's friend all came down and helped us and then Easter was the next day. So we like celebrated Easter. So yeah, that was it was a very odd thing to do. During that time,
JS 8:14
when do you think that it really started to hit you maybe that this was a little bit more serious in terms of COVID? Because, and I know that that timeline can get kind of tricky. But if you can think back best you can.
JLS 8:26
I, I don't know, I think what the thing that hit me the hardest was, well, one, realizing, you know, two weeks after classes shut down that we were going to be completely virtual. That was hard. Just transitioning online. And luckily, my the professor that I worked with, had already had an online class. So he just transferred all of that material over. So I didn't have to do a whole ton. But also I had my own schoolwork. So I was adjusting all of that. I mean, at that point, that time was completely a blur. I mean, I focused. I don't really know, I think I had one class that was already online. And then my other like focus was my thesis. But like, finding the motivation to do that, and like have meetings, I defended my thesis online, like I graduated online that I think that was like the biggest challenge for me. At that point. I graduated in May of 2020. And I was in Milwaukee, like I remember Connor and I we had a picnic in the park and that's how we celebrated and we ordered takeout and the only athletic thing that was on was MMA fighting, I think and so we bought it and it was like pay per view for like $80 It was obscene amount of money but that was all that was on And you know, you're past that initial stage like, Tiger King and all that kind of stuff. So it's like, what did we do? Are you I guess that and like, I really enjoy going to the gym and all that stuff. So that was like month, three of two of everything being shut down. So that was challenging for me, has tried to stay in like a mindset that was healthy. Yeah, I think at that point, I would say like. So I would say like, May, I think is when it like actually hit me. And I don't know, it's so hard, because I feel like there's so many different stages of like when it hit, because you had those first, like three initial months of shutdown. And in Wisconsin, I think it was like middle of June that they started opening things up to like 25, or 50%. And I got a job over here, as a waitress at like a rinky dink bar, that I ended up quitting a couple months later, and starting at the job that I'm at now. But then you move to you had to wear masks all the time, like inside, outside all of the above. And then they took that away again, and it's just like, but things are still very weird in that a lot of big events were canceled. Like there was no sports that you could attend. So there's that. And then we came back to Minnesota at the end of 2020 for New Years, and they had another shutdown, like we couldn't go out and do anything, which is fine. We're, I think we're past that age of like wanting to go and, you know, party at bars and stuff like that. But it was still weird that you you couldn't go to restaurants to order takeout? Like, it was just kind of weird. Wisconsin was not like that. So, but I mean, everything was still fine. In terms of school. I still wore a mask at work consistently until May of 2021. I think. Yeah. And so, you know, we're still in that area of like, you know, a lot of things are hybrid, like I had class online tonight, because my professor, her family's sick with COVID. You know, despite being vaccinated and everything like that, it's it's very much up in the air, everything is very much up in the air, and then there's, you know, all the variants that come into play, and I don't foresee it going away for some time, unfortunately.
JS 12:54
Okay, how was COVID affected your jobs, either at the brewery or teaching is it more stressful? Is there a bigger workload?
JLS 13:05
Um, I wouldn't say that it's more stressful. I don't, well, more stressful. Yes, there is not a bigger workload. In terms of work at the brewery, I do not have to a mask because I'm vaccinated. Sometimes they choose to do so depending on like the amount of people that are there. If it's not busy, I won't. If it is, I will. I always wear my mask at school. Unless I'm in my office at work, or like, my office. For Class though, teaching has been a lot harder than like previous years especially well, I wouldn't say like online was any easier because I had quite a few students just not show up. And also I taught public speaking, when it was virtual, and how do you teach public speaking virtually, like my students are never going to be able to use the skills that they learned, like in a real world, especially because they gave a speech to me and two other people. And it wasn't even verbal, like live it was recorded. So you know, they got like, ample opportunities to record and yeah, so that worries me. Um, but right now, it's hard because I'm teaching interpersonal communication and a lot of it is nonverbal. And I mean, my students can't see my face I have to be so extra it's ridiculous, like, hand gestures like, like the facial expressions they can see. It's hard and I, you know, I there's nothing I can do on my end to make it any easier. But I mean, I think they appreciate being in person, far more than they would appreciate being online. I get, you know, attendance is pretty regular, versus when it was online. And you know, I'm able to have more of those personal connections with my students than I would online. Like they still don't come to office hours. But, you know, they ask questions more in class, like they're more engaged. They say, this is weird, but they say thank you a lot more. Like they're more interested in my personal life. I'm more interested in there. It's like those relationships are a little bit stronger than they were last year. Which is nice. Yeah. So yeah, sorry. No, go ahead. I have nothing else to say.
JS 15:47
Have you noticed students or fellow colleagues mental health decreasing in any sort of way? Or even when it comes to motivation, anything like that?
JLS 15:59
Are we talking about colleagues or my own?
JS 16:02
Colleagues or students?
JLS 16:05
Okay. So I don't know a ton of my colleagues that well. But the ones that I do know, yeah, they think their mental health has declined. Well, and okay, you're back. Um, I think one grad school is, it's, am i allowed to swear?
JS 16:30
hmmm, no
JLS 16:33
hard, it's really hard, um, it takes a lot out of you, and it doesn't give much back. And so, experiencing that, with those that I'm close with in the department is it's, you know, it's, it's easy to see when they're stressed out. It's also though, that camaraderie, like you're able to vent, you're able to talk about your stressors and like, your depression, your anxiety, all of the things that you're experiencing, relative to both grad school, as well as COVID, as well as just like life in general. I have, you know, had students email me about their mental health and like, you know, I completely understand and I've been very open with, like, resources, and as well as, like, my own mental health, and like, how it's been impacted throughout the past year, to almost two years now. And, you know, I, I think their mental health takes precedence over a grade. I mean, they're human, they're not robots. I try to reinforce that notion to them. And, like, do my best on my end, you know, I don't have a ton of leeway. Because I work with for like, under another professor who ultimately has like the final say, but she has also been very, like, open with her own stress and like, how like, much pressure she's under. And so she's pretty understanding as well. I've had students who have, you know, come to me with things that I, like, may not have previously had students come to me for like, Oh, I've had a couple of students lose people that are very important to them. And like, they will indicate to me, you know, hey, I'm not doing well. And I've had students leave class, like, in the middle of class, I have a student come up to me and indicate that, you know, she needed a couple of minutes to just like, take a time, take some time to breathe. And at the end of class, she came up to me and a , sorry, they came up to me and apologized. And I was, you know, I was like, you don't need to apologize for like any of that. Like, you can leave my class at any point. If you feel that you can no longer be in this space right now. Like it's not doing you any good, then by all means leave and if it means leaving the entire class, that's fine. Like, I would rather have my students feel healthy and like, in the right headspace than try to fake it and not retain any of the knowledge at all. So yeah.
JS 19:26
So do you think that big change, you know, COVID I think we can all agree caused quite a big a big change. Do you think that there can be a cause of decreasing mental health?
JLS 19:38
Oh, yeah. 100% I think it this is weird, but I'm gonna use I'm gonna use like my developmental psych stuff. There's a theory called the ecological systems theory that each system builds upon each other or I guess so like, the cronos system, which is I'm going to talk about impacts the macro system which impacts ecosystem which impacts the mezzo and then the micro. So the cronos system involves like change, and like time in development. And those inherently impact every other system, all the way down to the microsystem. So, yeah, I think that this huge life change impacted everyone in maybe different ways. But also, there's this universal, like thing that's happening, that is impacting everyone. So yeah, I think that COVID definitely caused mental health challenges. And I think that it may be context specific, and like, who it's impacting, like, how it's impacting them. But you think of like healthcare workers, you think of essential workers, you think of those that still are who, you know, had jobs that they loved that lost them, you think of those that have lost loved ones like that inherent big change that is COVID caused a ripple effect that created all these other changes in people's lives? Yeah. So
JS 21:10
all right, did COVID Change your day to day activities?
JLS 21:14
Yes, ah God, I'm a very scheduled type a person when it happens, like a big old f you. So everything that I had planned, especially I think I had like, four trips plan that year. That was a downer. I mean, like, what do you do? On my day to day though. Like, like I said, I was a student at Mankato. So now I go down there on certain days. I teach, I'd take classes, I would work out every day at a gym, for the most part. If I wasn't in Mankato, I work at my other job, which was as a server at Red Cow in Minneapolis. And so that was like my way of making money outside of school. Because I don't get paid enough, is a whole nother issue. So you know, I lost that job. Technically didn't lose it. But like I didn't, I couldn't work. Because service industry, people, you know, weren't allowed to work. Takeout happened, but that was only at one location. And it was only like the managers that were working. So there was that added stress of like, where am I going to get money. And then luckily, there was the unemployment benefits that occurred, but I was also going out of my mind with not doing anything all day, like I was solely focusing on one class that I finished in early April, because it was online, and I could do everything beforehand. And then working on my thesis, which I had to, you know, I interact with my advisor via teams or via zoom. And that was challenging, because we have very different personalities. And like, his type A, as I am, is, he is type B. So it's like, very different people. And so that was challenging. And then, you know, I had Connor at me, too. And the days seemed endless, and like, there was nothing to do. So it was it. It was just like, this cycle of doing nothing. It seemed like for a few weeks. Yeah. And then I went back to work, and I was alone, and did not.
JS 23:46
you know, anyone else who maybe lost a job as well during COVID?
JLS 23:53
I mean, a lot of my service industry friends, lost their jobs.
JS 24:01
Maybe like a change in role as well. I know, a lot of people
JLS 24:04
Connor got a new job. So there was that. Nothing I can think of,
JS 24:15
um, what would you say just some of the I know, we've covered but some of the biggest challenges just in the end. In the future. When you look back, what would you just say the worst things and the biggest challenges were about COVID?
JLS 24:30
The isolation, I would say was like the biggest challenge and I mean, that's not just COVID that was also because we moved to a new city and didn't know anyone and how do you make friends during a worldwide pandemic? You can't you know, learning to live with someone. 24 hours a day was a really big challenge. And I think that definitely stressed our relationship a little bit. But luckily You know, we're fine, we've, we've been fine. And it probably helped that Connor went back to work. And April, so he was only, you know, not working for about a month. That was huge. I I think, you know, the stress of being online for school, like, every single day was really hard. You know, not getting those interactions that I would have liked to have, like, I'm a pretty, you know, introverted person for the most part. But like when I want to have, you know, friends over when I want to go do something like I wasn't able to do that. I think that was pretty hard. I don't know, I think like my mental health deteriorate deteriorated a little bit, just because I was still like, dealing with an eating disorder. And I think, you know, gyms closing was huge for me, and like a test of my mental, like capacity. And like, it was either you, like, retreat back into those old like old behaviors or you like push past this. And I think that was difficult for me, but I, you know, I worked through it.
JS 26:32
At what point do you think that you were able to kind of immerse more in the community in Milwaukee? Being a new resident during COVID?
JLS 26:41
Sorry, can you repeat that one more time?
JS 26:43
At what point? Were you did you find yourself being able to immerse in the community of Milwaukee a little bit more since the start of COVID. And you being a new resident?
JLS 26:55
Probably towards the end of summer 2020. Fall of 2020. I was able to, like meet a couple of people in my program. We had some of our best friends now move here that we have we had mutual friends from Minnesota. And so like, we were hanging out with them all the time. You know, I did like explore around Milwaukee, but I didn't get to do anything in Milwaukee really? Until, like fall of 2020. Yeah, I didn't really feel like I lived in Milwaukee until about that. Until I started school. Yeah.
JS 27:36
Do you know anyone who got sick or died because of COVID?
JLS 27:42
Yes, I did.
JS 27:46
Who are those people to you?
JLS 27:50
so of covid or during covid? of COVID. Okay, ah of is one of my favorite teachers from my high school who I kept in contact with up until probably 2020. He died October believe of last year. Yeah of 2020 Oh, god. Yeah, I think that was the person that I know of, for the most part. I mean, I've I had heard of people, like, acquaintances whose family members have died. But yeah, this that death was probably like the closest to me.
JS 28:37
And then do you know anyone have who died during COVID? Potentially not having COVID?
JLS 28:42
Yes, my cousin Alicia.
JS 28:46
And do you want to discuss just a little bit about that,
JLS 28:49
um, I really don't know, like, the context. And like, her life, she's a little bit older than me. But from my understanding, she just like wasn't doing well. And like, mental health wise, and like her marriage wasn't doing the best either. And so she attempted suicide, and was unsuccessful, in the sense that like, she was comatose, from, like, the sustained injuries. She was put, you know, on a ventilator, she wasn't essentially alive, I guess. Like she could not breathe without a ventilator. And so they took her off the ventilator, and she passed. You know, I think a day after but, you know, the silver lining from that is the fact that they were able to harvest her organs and she was able to save other lives. So
JS 29:58
how do you think that the grieving process of people and loved ones and family and friends, is changed by global pandemic, do you think that that grieving processes is different at all, then maybe outside of this global pandemic?
JLS 30:13
I think that the grieving processes of those that are like experiencing those losses aren't different, but I think just ignore it. I think that death by COVID has become like, normalized. I think that it, you know, initially, there was that shock value of like, Hey, we're losing, you know, 1000s of people. And now, people aren't taking it as seriously. And I think that, like those outside of like, the the family, the friends, those impacted, it was just kind of like, oh, you know, it's just like the flu. It's not, but
JS 31:05
do you think that that isolation aspect that I mean, I said, I think to a certain extent still exists today, maybe prolongs the grieving process, or,
JLS 31:14
I mean, I can't imagine in those initial months of like, lockdown losing someone, because, like, I think support is a huge factor in like, how you grieve and like, who you surround yourself with, and I think, being alone or being with, you know, a handful of people would have been really challenging.
JS 31:39
Do you think that a rise and mental illnesses becoming a global pandemic?
JLS 31:48
I think the rise of mental illness and I think mental illnesses in itself, is a pandemic. Yeah, I think people took to other measures to like, help with their mental health. Because, you know, you couldn't go into doctors. You know, there was like, virtual meetings and stuff like that, but it's not the same. And you're not, you're still not getting that interaction, like some people may have no therapist, you know, for that interaction. And, like, not having that in person was, I mean, I'm sure, like disheartening, and a challenge in itself, even if you're still having like those sessions. So I think that, like those that had, you know, a lot of disparities regarding their mental health during or throughout COVID, again, probably took to like other measures of trying to cope with it. And I think that in itself is an issue and, you know, hasn't really been addressed. You know, there's always going to be this, like, there's always been this stigma around mental health and like, people talk about it now. But and I think you're gonna you're chipping away at the conversation, but it's still not something that, you know, comes, it doesn't really come up in like, a casual conversation. And I mean, I think it very well should. So,
JS 33:28
what are some of the ways that you think that we can strip away a stigma like that?
JLS 33:35
what are some of the ways to normalize it? I'm hearing everybody, I feel like at some point in their lives, even if it's just stress goes through some sort of disparity. And I think, you know, it's, the more you talk about it, the easier it's going to become to, like, have those conversations. I mean, for example, I just went to a conference. And everybody was so open about, like, how they were doing about their mental health, about the medication that they're on, like, how it impacts them. It was just, like, amazing to me that, you know, these conversations are being had and like, how easy it is to have them. Like, it's not hard to say like, Hey, I have anxiety This is what I take, or, Hey, I have a therapist, she's great mommy to refer you to her. Like it's it's not hard. I think, you know, there's this culture surrounding not only the United States, but like other places, especially with men in that, like, you don't need a therapist like and don't cry, like this kind of stuff. And I think normalizing that that stuff happens is a first step in kind of chipping away at that stigma.
JS 34:56
Do you think that I've noticed a lot During the news and in different articles and things that the idea of human compassion and empathy is being brought up a lot with the oncoming of COVID? Do you think that that's a good thing to be really thinking about discussing and researching? Or do you think it's just something that's
JLS 35:19
Say that again, so like human compassion and empathy?
JS 35:23
So in terms of since COVID, started, I think there's, I've noticed a lot of media coverage and articles about how are we empathetic people naturally? What kind of compassion do people have in terms of COVID? And what do you think about that? Do you think that that's a relevant topic to be covered on during covid? Do you think we should really just be focusing on other things?
JLS 35:47
I mean, if you want to a feely, feely story, like, sure, but like, where's the data behind that, that suggests that we're inherently compassionate and empathetic towards other because like, you can write that up and down, until your blue in the face. So like, based on reactions to COVID, and you see that divide between, like compassion or, you know, just BS. Like, I don't I don't think that something that I don't know, I don't. I think it was good at the beginning, especially when it was like honoring healthcare workers and stuff like that, and like the compassion that was being shown towards them, but that went away very quickly. Yeah.
JS 36:38
Do you feel that COVID? Like, there, I mean, I think everybody knows that. COVID is a very political topic. Should it be a political topic?
JLS 36:47
No, no, it's, it is a pandemic, it is like, it's a virus, like, however point does that need to be political? Like, it's killing people? I don't get
JS 37:06
Do you think that it became more more poor more polarized with the the George Floyd massacre, for example, and things like that? Do you think that that almost was associated with COVID In that sense? Also, you are, you are free, you can feel free to talk about politics, whatever your views are on anything.
JLS 37:26
I think that at that point, it was what, like three months of COVID. And this, you know, tragic monsterous murder happened. And that I think signified where a lot of people stood on issues. I don't necessarily know that it was attributed to COVID directly. But I know that there was, you know, people on one side been like, babies, people are like, gathering and mass groups, and it's like, they're still wearing masks. They're still outside. But then you get, you know, things that happen, like, the capital riot and stuff like that, where these people were not wearing masks. Were essentially attempting to overthrow the government, like attempting a coup. And I don't I think being an isolation being, especially with the election, 2020 I think there was a lot, I think there was 2020 was just a storm of things that happened. I kind of like, blacked out, but yeah, I think I also don't think that like the various CDC changes, like every day helped with beliefs. Like, and then you had Fauci was coming out and saying, like, all these different things, and, you know, I empathize with him, because of the changes that, you know, COVID is ever changing. It's an it's an opportunity to beast like, how do you tame them? And, you know, doing the best that he could, relative to the information that he had, and like sharing that. I would never wish that upon anyone. So I think that was also politicized to like I think it was just, it's just a mess. Honestly.
JS 39:38
Do you think that media has a significant role in in turning the tide in these these types of situations?
JLS 39:48
Welll first off, I think that media has an impact in changing the tide in any sort of situation whatsoever. I think that you know, you've had one side and then you have another side that were very directly opposed to each other. There was no wiggle room for any beliefs on either side is either you're this way strictly or you're that way strictly and you are grouped into that setting, no matter what, like if you had even the inkling of a different view, you were still grooved with one side. Or you were still like, Yeah, I think that various media sites, twist the words and edit things to their liking and showcase that. And, again, I think that's with anything. It doesn't just need to be COVID. But yeah, you have one side indicating how various mandates or taking away rights, and then you have another side who is just simply trying to, like do right by the human rights. So do you think
JS 41:04
historically, even before COVID, and everything that this has always been an issue, do you think that COVID Perhaps caused this to be even worse in terms of media becoming more common in that sense?
JLS 41:20
I think. I mean, as we get older to like, we're going to be more subjected to it. I think that within the last, I would say, like, six years, I've noticed it more. But that's also because I've been on various outlets that I'm, you know, recognizing this behavior. I'm sure that you could ask mom and dad and they would say, you know, these things have been happening since forever. I think with the rise of various platforms, you know, such as social media, such as like, other, like podcasts, all these things that that divide has become has become clear. But yeah, I think there's always been, you know, pit against media, and like, different networks. But it's become more clear recently, especially, again, with the rise of social media, and like, you can't delete things from the internet. So
JS 42:29
What do you think that the media isn't covering that should be?
JLS 42:36
The media Okay, Epstein. thing for Epstein is like a little partner in crime. Her
JS 42:43
Okay. Any other? What about systemic racism in Milwaukee?
JLS 42:51
Yeah, I mean, I think that I mean, I'm currently writing a piece on Barstool Sports, specifically, Dave Portnoy, and he not only is misogynistic, especially with the current revaluations, that are out against him, but also with his unapologetic behavior, or like racist behavior. There's plenty of examples. And it's because his platform targets, you know, the young to like, I would say, like 15 to 30, age range, white males, and those are very dominant in our country. And so I think there's, like systemic racism, you know, Milwaukee is known for the redlining. Like there's all of these things that are very much swept under the rug. And I think, you know, they were talked about, not enough, but they were, you know, hitting the surface in 2020. With Breonna Taylor with George Floyd, with Ahmed Arbury, like all of these different individuals who did not, under any circumstance deserve to die. And did. I think, you know, it started a conversation, but that conversation really hasn't been enhanced because people look for excuses on like, when to have those conversations, and it's when these tragic events happen. I'll continue on with the conversations after the fact or after the trial. So
JS 44:36
how do you think good and bad, How do you think that maybe your university leaders or community leaders, whether that'd be back in Shakopee or Milwaukee had reacted and are currently reacting to COVID?
JLS 44:50
I don't know anything about Shakopee leaders whatsoever. I think we were falling by like Minnesota mandates. So like by the mayor, I don't think Shakopee would have had one, if it wasn't for the mayor. Milwaukee was fine for a bit. Mayor Barrett, like, did an okay job. But, you know, there was these businesses who claimed that no, they were their own separate entity from the city. And so they would open without masks like all these different things. And like, I don't know, Governor Evers. His mandates got shot down, because we have the majority Republican, whatever GOP thing. Senate, House, whatever. And so I think that there wasn't a lot of like jurisdiction, in Milwaukee. So that's why it ended pretty quickly, and has never really been reinforced. I think, like businesses themselves have to enforce things. Yeah.
JS 45:58
What about university wise?
JLS 46:02
I mean, we have to wear masks and stuff. Oh, we are required to be vaccinated now. That's a new development. Which is good.
JS 46:13
You happen to know if that's like one of the first UW schools to require that
JLS 46:18
it said it was in like, because of Biden's like order or whatever, but I thought that got shut down.
JLS 46:31
I don't know. Where we are 91% vaccinated?
JS 46:36
91? Okay, Okay, knowing what you know now about everything regarding COVID and life within the past couple of years, I guess, year and a half. What do you think that individuals or community members need to consider for the future? Whether that be in terms of continuing on with this global pandemic, a political global pandemic, again, someday down the line, anything like that, as we get out of this, perhaps, I think,
JLS 47:07
like, the biggest thing is like, be empathetic towards one another. And I know that sounds like wishy washy, especially because I said that, like it shouldn't be research, but again, how you research that and I think to be like understanding of, you know, people situations. Get vaccinated. It saves lives. To be kind to the health care workers to be kind to the service workers like individuals that you know, they're doing jobs that you wouldn't want to do. Yeah, get a pen. Yeah.
JS 48:03
Wise words. Thank you.
All right, let's get this interview started. The date is December 1 is 7:02pm. The cases and deaths in the US is cases we're looking at 48,497,243 deaths is 780,131 cents in the past 30 days. Cases and death in Wisconsin, we're looking at 879,614 deaths 9052 cents April. In terms of percentage of US citizens vaccinated, we're looking at 74.8% above the age of five with one vaccine. Alright, if you wouldn't mind introducing yourself.
Jillian Schemenauer 0:53
I'm Jillian Schemenauer
JS 0:56
she's my sister. Um a little bit of if you wouldn't mind sharing some demographic data such as your race, age, gender.
JLS 1:09
I'm white. I am 26. I identify as female.
JS 1:19
Okay. Are you vaccinated? Did you ever get COVID?
JLS 1:24
I am vaccinated. I'm about to get my booster next week, two weeks, and I did not get COVID That I know.
JS1:33
What are your jobs? What kind of extracurriculars Do you participate in?
JLS 1:38
I am a graduate teaching assistant. At the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, I teach mostly freshmen for introduction to interpersonal communication. I'm also a manager at a brewery my extracurriculars include writing very lengthy papers, and reading a lot. Enjoy being with my family, with friends when I get the chance. Hanging out with my dog.
JS 2:14
And you are also a student yourself than to Milwaukee? Right? A doctorate student?
JLS 2:17
Yes. Yep. I am currently a second year doctoral student at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee.
JS 2:23
What are you studying?
JLS 2:25
communication.
JS 2:28
Where do you live?
JLS 2:29
I live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
JS 2:31
Whats it like living there?.
JLS 2:34
I It's, it's nice. I enjoy where I live a lot. I think it gets a bad rap for, you know, not a lot of reasons. I think there are obviously some issues systemically within Milwaukee and I think that comes to a head quite frequently. There. Milwaukee is a really big city in which like they're the county is huge, like Milwaukee itself is a really big city in which it's pretty spread out. It's about half a million people. So you know, it's it's up there, especially with Wisconsin, it's the biggest city in Wisconsin. There's a lot of things to do. There's they have a lot to offer. There's a lake there's summer fest, you know, there's various sports teams here. Again, there's, you know, they're issues that I think need to be addressed that either haven't or have not been in the correct manner. Yeah, what is the good city? I live in a really good neighborhood. I feel safe, which is important. So yeah, good.
JS 3:54
All right. And then where did you move from previous to this? What was your experience?
JLS 3:59
I lived in Shakopee, Minnesota, which is a suburb, south east of Minneapolis. It's about 20 minutes away from Minneapolis. And that was a much smaller city. I lived in an apartment whereas now I live in a house. It didn't have a ton to offer. But you know, being 20 minutes away from Minneapolis, it wasn't hard to get to. I was also a student at that time. So I commuted to the university, or sorry, Minnesota State University Mankato, twice a week. And until COVID hit so I, you know, drove about four hours each week to teach and to take classes. So my experience over in Shakopee was a little bit different than my experience in Milwaukee.
JS 4:58
Um, when did you move in comparison to when COVID hit?
JLS 5:03
COVID a hit. At least the shutdown started right after St. Patrick's Day weekend. So like the weekend happened, like following St. Patrick's Day, I remember I was out with some friends. And there was news of COVID. And of there being like shutdowns, but no one was really taking it seriously or like talking about it. But it happened. Yeah, that like Monday after I think it was like March 18 2021. And we moved, gosh, oh 2020 Sorry, no, 2021 We moved April 11th of 2020. Because my partner got a job after I got accepted to UW Milwaukee. And we had two weeks from the time that he got his job to us having to be in Milwaukee. So we moved just under a month after COVID started. And you know, initially we we had like the two weeks shutdown, we had an extension of spring break at Mankato. And we don't really like, at least from my own experience, I didn't really, like think it was going to be as big as it was like, there was events that had been canceled, that were rescheduled for like August and I was like, Oh, this is for sure gonna happen. And, you know, didn't. So it was it was challenging in which like, it was hard one finding people that can help us move. Because, you know, we're packing up our entire lives that we I mean, my partner's live in Minnesota his entire life, and I had lived in Minnesota for six years. At that point. We're leaving all of our friends in the cities, we're living like leaning essentially everything to move five and a half, six hours away. I mean, my family, our family in Chippewa and Eau Claire is three and a half to four hours. So still, you know, a hike for anyone to come down. And at that point, masks weren't mandated like no one knew what was appropriate to do, like everything was shut down. I remember meeting you mom and dad in Eau Claire. And like we were very weary of like, how we should act like what we should do. Because you weren't supposed to be seeing people. Like I remember dad being like, well, hopefully no one sees me from work because I get in trouble. And so like, I guess that was weird. Um, luckily, my partner Connor, I'll just use his name from now on. His brother, his brother's girlfriend and his brother's friend all came down and helped us and then Easter was the next day. So we like celebrated Easter. So yeah, that was it was a very odd thing to do. During that time,
JS 8:14
when do you think that it really started to hit you maybe that this was a little bit more serious in terms of COVID? Because, and I know that that timeline can get kind of tricky. But if you can think back best you can.
JLS 8:26
I, I don't know, I think what the thing that hit me the hardest was, well, one, realizing, you know, two weeks after classes shut down that we were going to be completely virtual. That was hard. Just transitioning online. And luckily, my the professor that I worked with, had already had an online class. So he just transferred all of that material over. So I didn't have to do a whole ton. But also I had my own schoolwork. So I was adjusting all of that. I mean, at that point, that time was completely a blur. I mean, I focused. I don't really know, I think I had one class that was already online. And then my other like focus was my thesis. But like, finding the motivation to do that, and like have meetings, I defended my thesis online, like I graduated online that I think that was like the biggest challenge for me. At that point. I graduated in May of 2020. And I was in Milwaukee, like I remember Connor and I we had a picnic in the park and that's how we celebrated and we ordered takeout and the only athletic thing that was on was MMA fighting, I think and so we bought it and it was like pay per view for like $80 It was obscene amount of money but that was all that was on And you know, you're past that initial stage like, Tiger King and all that kind of stuff. So it's like, what did we do? Are you I guess that and like, I really enjoy going to the gym and all that stuff. So that was like month, three of two of everything being shut down. So that was challenging for me, has tried to stay in like a mindset that was healthy. Yeah, I think at that point, I would say like. So I would say like, May, I think is when it like actually hit me. And I don't know, it's so hard, because I feel like there's so many different stages of like when it hit, because you had those first, like three initial months of shutdown. And in Wisconsin, I think it was like middle of June that they started opening things up to like 25, or 50%. And I got a job over here, as a waitress at like a rinky dink bar, that I ended up quitting a couple months later, and starting at the job that I'm at now. But then you move to you had to wear masks all the time, like inside, outside all of the above. And then they took that away again, and it's just like, but things are still very weird in that a lot of big events were canceled. Like there was no sports that you could attend. So there's that. And then we came back to Minnesota at the end of 2020 for New Years, and they had another shutdown, like we couldn't go out and do anything, which is fine. We're, I think we're past that age of like wanting to go and, you know, party at bars and stuff like that. But it was still weird that you you couldn't go to restaurants to order takeout? Like, it was just kind of weird. Wisconsin was not like that. So, but I mean, everything was still fine. In terms of school. I still wore a mask at work consistently until May of 2021. I think. Yeah. And so, you know, we're still in that area of like, you know, a lot of things are hybrid, like I had class online tonight, because my professor, her family's sick with COVID. You know, despite being vaccinated and everything like that, it's it's very much up in the air, everything is very much up in the air, and then there's, you know, all the variants that come into play, and I don't foresee it going away for some time, unfortunately.
JS 12:54
Okay, how was COVID affected your jobs, either at the brewery or teaching is it more stressful? Is there a bigger workload?
JLS 13:05
Um, I wouldn't say that it's more stressful. I don't, well, more stressful. Yes, there is not a bigger workload. In terms of work at the brewery, I do not have to a mask because I'm vaccinated. Sometimes they choose to do so depending on like the amount of people that are there. If it's not busy, I won't. If it is, I will. I always wear my mask at school. Unless I'm in my office at work, or like, my office. For Class though, teaching has been a lot harder than like previous years especially well, I wouldn't say like online was any easier because I had quite a few students just not show up. And also I taught public speaking, when it was virtual, and how do you teach public speaking virtually, like my students are never going to be able to use the skills that they learned, like in a real world, especially because they gave a speech to me and two other people. And it wasn't even verbal, like live it was recorded. So you know, they got like, ample opportunities to record and yeah, so that worries me. Um, but right now, it's hard because I'm teaching interpersonal communication and a lot of it is nonverbal. And I mean, my students can't see my face I have to be so extra it's ridiculous, like, hand gestures like, like the facial expressions they can see. It's hard and I, you know, I there's nothing I can do on my end to make it any easier. But I mean, I think they appreciate being in person, far more than they would appreciate being online. I get, you know, attendance is pretty regular, versus when it was online. And you know, I'm able to have more of those personal connections with my students than I would online. Like they still don't come to office hours. But, you know, they ask questions more in class, like they're more engaged. They say, this is weird, but they say thank you a lot more. Like they're more interested in my personal life. I'm more interested in there. It's like those relationships are a little bit stronger than they were last year. Which is nice. Yeah. So yeah, sorry. No, go ahead. I have nothing else to say.
JS 15:47
Have you noticed students or fellow colleagues mental health decreasing in any sort of way? Or even when it comes to motivation, anything like that?
JLS 15:59
Are we talking about colleagues or my own?
JS 16:02
Colleagues or students?
JLS 16:05
Okay. So I don't know a ton of my colleagues that well. But the ones that I do know, yeah, they think their mental health has declined. Well, and okay, you're back. Um, I think one grad school is, it's, am i allowed to swear?
JS 16:30
hmmm, no
JLS 16:33
hard, it's really hard, um, it takes a lot out of you, and it doesn't give much back. And so, experiencing that, with those that I'm close with in the department is it's, you know, it's, it's easy to see when they're stressed out. It's also though, that camaraderie, like you're able to vent, you're able to talk about your stressors and like, your depression, your anxiety, all of the things that you're experiencing, relative to both grad school, as well as COVID, as well as just like life in general. I have, you know, had students email me about their mental health and like, you know, I completely understand and I've been very open with, like, resources, and as well as, like, my own mental health, and like, how it's been impacted throughout the past year, to almost two years now. And, you know, I, I think their mental health takes precedence over a grade. I mean, they're human, they're not robots. I try to reinforce that notion to them. And, like, do my best on my end, you know, I don't have a ton of leeway. Because I work with for like, under another professor who ultimately has like the final say, but she has also been very, like, open with her own stress and like, how like, much pressure she's under. And so she's pretty understanding as well. I've had students who have, you know, come to me with things that I, like, may not have previously had students come to me for like, Oh, I've had a couple of students lose people that are very important to them. And like, they will indicate to me, you know, hey, I'm not doing well. And I've had students leave class, like, in the middle of class, I have a student come up to me and indicate that, you know, she needed a couple of minutes to just like, take a time, take some time to breathe. And at the end of class, she came up to me and a , sorry, they came up to me and apologized. And I was, you know, I was like, you don't need to apologize for like any of that. Like, you can leave my class at any point. If you feel that you can no longer be in this space right now. Like it's not doing you any good, then by all means leave and if it means leaving the entire class, that's fine. Like, I would rather have my students feel healthy and like, in the right headspace than try to fake it and not retain any of the knowledge at all. So yeah.
JS 19:26
So do you think that big change, you know, COVID I think we can all agree caused quite a big a big change. Do you think that there can be a cause of decreasing mental health?
JLS 19:38
Oh, yeah. 100% I think it this is weird, but I'm gonna use I'm gonna use like my developmental psych stuff. There's a theory called the ecological systems theory that each system builds upon each other or I guess so like, the cronos system, which is I'm going to talk about impacts the macro system which impacts ecosystem which impacts the mezzo and then the micro. So the cronos system involves like change, and like time in development. And those inherently impact every other system, all the way down to the microsystem. So, yeah, I think that this huge life change impacted everyone in maybe different ways. But also, there's this universal, like thing that's happening, that is impacting everyone. So yeah, I think that COVID definitely caused mental health challenges. And I think that it may be context specific, and like, who it's impacting, like, how it's impacting them. But you think of like healthcare workers, you think of essential workers, you think of those that still are who, you know, had jobs that they loved that lost them, you think of those that have lost loved ones like that inherent big change that is COVID caused a ripple effect that created all these other changes in people's lives? Yeah. So
JS 21:10
all right, did COVID Change your day to day activities?
JLS 21:14
Yes, ah God, I'm a very scheduled type a person when it happens, like a big old f you. So everything that I had planned, especially I think I had like, four trips plan that year. That was a downer. I mean, like, what do you do? On my day to day though. Like, like I said, I was a student at Mankato. So now I go down there on certain days. I teach, I'd take classes, I would work out every day at a gym, for the most part. If I wasn't in Mankato, I work at my other job, which was as a server at Red Cow in Minneapolis. And so that was like my way of making money outside of school. Because I don't get paid enough, is a whole nother issue. So you know, I lost that job. Technically didn't lose it. But like I didn't, I couldn't work. Because service industry, people, you know, weren't allowed to work. Takeout happened, but that was only at one location. And it was only like the managers that were working. So there was that added stress of like, where am I going to get money. And then luckily, there was the unemployment benefits that occurred, but I was also going out of my mind with not doing anything all day, like I was solely focusing on one class that I finished in early April, because it was online, and I could do everything beforehand. And then working on my thesis, which I had to, you know, I interact with my advisor via teams or via zoom. And that was challenging, because we have very different personalities. And like, his type A, as I am, is, he is type B. So it's like, very different people. And so that was challenging. And then, you know, I had Connor at me, too. And the days seemed endless, and like, there was nothing to do. So it was it. It was just like, this cycle of doing nothing. It seemed like for a few weeks. Yeah. And then I went back to work, and I was alone, and did not.
JS 23:46
you know, anyone else who maybe lost a job as well during COVID?
JLS 23:53
I mean, a lot of my service industry friends, lost their jobs.
JS 24:01
Maybe like a change in role as well. I know, a lot of people
JLS 24:04
Connor got a new job. So there was that. Nothing I can think of,
JS 24:15
um, what would you say just some of the I know, we've covered but some of the biggest challenges just in the end. In the future. When you look back, what would you just say the worst things and the biggest challenges were about COVID?
JLS 24:30
The isolation, I would say was like the biggest challenge and I mean, that's not just COVID that was also because we moved to a new city and didn't know anyone and how do you make friends during a worldwide pandemic? You can't you know, learning to live with someone. 24 hours a day was a really big challenge. And I think that definitely stressed our relationship a little bit. But luckily You know, we're fine, we've, we've been fine. And it probably helped that Connor went back to work. And April, so he was only, you know, not working for about a month. That was huge. I I think, you know, the stress of being online for school, like, every single day was really hard. You know, not getting those interactions that I would have liked to have, like, I'm a pretty, you know, introverted person for the most part. But like when I want to have, you know, friends over when I want to go do something like I wasn't able to do that. I think that was pretty hard. I don't know, I think like my mental health deteriorate deteriorated a little bit, just because I was still like, dealing with an eating disorder. And I think, you know, gyms closing was huge for me, and like a test of my mental, like capacity. And like, it was either you, like, retreat back into those old like old behaviors or you like push past this. And I think that was difficult for me, but I, you know, I worked through it.
JS 26:32
At what point do you think that you were able to kind of immerse more in the community in Milwaukee? Being a new resident during COVID?
JLS 26:41
Sorry, can you repeat that one more time?
JS 26:43
At what point? Were you did you find yourself being able to immerse in the community of Milwaukee a little bit more since the start of COVID. And you being a new resident?
JLS 26:55
Probably towards the end of summer 2020. Fall of 2020. I was able to, like meet a couple of people in my program. We had some of our best friends now move here that we have we had mutual friends from Minnesota. And so like, we were hanging out with them all the time. You know, I did like explore around Milwaukee, but I didn't get to do anything in Milwaukee really? Until, like fall of 2020. Yeah, I didn't really feel like I lived in Milwaukee until about that. Until I started school. Yeah.
JS 27:36
Do you know anyone who got sick or died because of COVID?
JLS 27:42
Yes, I did.
JS 27:46
Who are those people to you?
JLS 27:50
so of covid or during covid? of COVID. Okay, ah of is one of my favorite teachers from my high school who I kept in contact with up until probably 2020. He died October believe of last year. Yeah of 2020 Oh, god. Yeah, I think that was the person that I know of, for the most part. I mean, I've I had heard of people, like, acquaintances whose family members have died. But yeah, this that death was probably like the closest to me.
JS 28:37
And then do you know anyone have who died during COVID? Potentially not having COVID?
JLS 28:42
Yes, my cousin Alicia.
JS 28:46
And do you want to discuss just a little bit about that,
JLS 28:49
um, I really don't know, like, the context. And like, her life, she's a little bit older than me. But from my understanding, she just like wasn't doing well. And like, mental health wise, and like her marriage wasn't doing the best either. And so she attempted suicide, and was unsuccessful, in the sense that like, she was comatose, from, like, the sustained injuries. She was put, you know, on a ventilator, she wasn't essentially alive, I guess. Like she could not breathe without a ventilator. And so they took her off the ventilator, and she passed. You know, I think a day after but, you know, the silver lining from that is the fact that they were able to harvest her organs and she was able to save other lives. So
JS 29:58
how do you think that the grieving process of people and loved ones and family and friends, is changed by global pandemic, do you think that that grieving processes is different at all, then maybe outside of this global pandemic?
JLS 30:13
I think that the grieving processes of those that are like experiencing those losses aren't different, but I think just ignore it. I think that death by COVID has become like, normalized. I think that it, you know, initially, there was that shock value of like, Hey, we're losing, you know, 1000s of people. And now, people aren't taking it as seriously. And I think that, like those outside of like, the the family, the friends, those impacted, it was just kind of like, oh, you know, it's just like the flu. It's not, but
JS 31:05
do you think that that isolation aspect that I mean, I said, I think to a certain extent still exists today, maybe prolongs the grieving process, or,
JLS 31:14
I mean, I can't imagine in those initial months of like, lockdown losing someone, because, like, I think support is a huge factor in like, how you grieve and like, who you surround yourself with, and I think, being alone or being with, you know, a handful of people would have been really challenging.
JS 31:39
Do you think that a rise and mental illnesses becoming a global pandemic?
JLS 31:48
I think the rise of mental illness and I think mental illnesses in itself, is a pandemic. Yeah, I think people took to other measures to like, help with their mental health. Because, you know, you couldn't go into doctors. You know, there was like, virtual meetings and stuff like that, but it's not the same. And you're not, you're still not getting that interaction, like some people may have no therapist, you know, for that interaction. And, like, not having that in person was, I mean, I'm sure, like disheartening, and a challenge in itself, even if you're still having like those sessions. So I think that, like those that had, you know, a lot of disparities regarding their mental health during or throughout COVID, again, probably took to like other measures of trying to cope with it. And I think that in itself is an issue and, you know, hasn't really been addressed. You know, there's always going to be this, like, there's always been this stigma around mental health and like, people talk about it now. But and I think you're gonna you're chipping away at the conversation, but it's still not something that, you know, comes, it doesn't really come up in like, a casual conversation. And I mean, I think it very well should. So,
JS 33:28
what are some of the ways that you think that we can strip away a stigma like that?
JLS 33:35
what are some of the ways to normalize it? I'm hearing everybody, I feel like at some point in their lives, even if it's just stress goes through some sort of disparity. And I think, you know, it's, the more you talk about it, the easier it's going to become to, like, have those conversations. I mean, for example, I just went to a conference. And everybody was so open about, like, how they were doing about their mental health, about the medication that they're on, like, how it impacts them. It was just, like, amazing to me that, you know, these conversations are being had and like, how easy it is to have them. Like, it's not hard to say like, Hey, I have anxiety This is what I take, or, Hey, I have a therapist, she's great mommy to refer you to her. Like it's it's not hard. I think, you know, there's this culture surrounding not only the United States, but like other places, especially with men in that, like, you don't need a therapist like and don't cry, like this kind of stuff. And I think normalizing that that stuff happens is a first step in kind of chipping away at that stigma.
JS 34:56
Do you think that I've noticed a lot During the news and in different articles and things that the idea of human compassion and empathy is being brought up a lot with the oncoming of COVID? Do you think that that's a good thing to be really thinking about discussing and researching? Or do you think it's just something that's
JLS 35:19
Say that again, so like human compassion and empathy?
JS 35:23
So in terms of since COVID, started, I think there's, I've noticed a lot of media coverage and articles about how are we empathetic people naturally? What kind of compassion do people have in terms of COVID? And what do you think about that? Do you think that that's a relevant topic to be covered on during covid? Do you think we should really just be focusing on other things?
JLS 35:47
I mean, if you want to a feely, feely story, like, sure, but like, where's the data behind that, that suggests that we're inherently compassionate and empathetic towards other because like, you can write that up and down, until your blue in the face. So like, based on reactions to COVID, and you see that divide between, like compassion or, you know, just BS. Like, I don't I don't think that something that I don't know, I don't. I think it was good at the beginning, especially when it was like honoring healthcare workers and stuff like that, and like the compassion that was being shown towards them, but that went away very quickly. Yeah.
JS 36:38
Do you feel that COVID? Like, there, I mean, I think everybody knows that. COVID is a very political topic. Should it be a political topic?
JLS 36:47
No, no, it's, it is a pandemic, it is like, it's a virus, like, however point does that need to be political? Like, it's killing people? I don't get
JS 37:06
Do you think that it became more more poor more polarized with the the George Floyd massacre, for example, and things like that? Do you think that that almost was associated with COVID In that sense? Also, you are, you are free, you can feel free to talk about politics, whatever your views are on anything.
JLS 37:26
I think that at that point, it was what, like three months of COVID. And this, you know, tragic monsterous murder happened. And that I think signified where a lot of people stood on issues. I don't necessarily know that it was attributed to COVID directly. But I know that there was, you know, people on one side been like, babies, people are like, gathering and mass groups, and it's like, they're still wearing masks. They're still outside. But then you get, you know, things that happen, like, the capital riot and stuff like that, where these people were not wearing masks. Were essentially attempting to overthrow the government, like attempting a coup. And I don't I think being an isolation being, especially with the election, 2020 I think there was a lot, I think there was 2020 was just a storm of things that happened. I kind of like, blacked out, but yeah, I think I also don't think that like the various CDC changes, like every day helped with beliefs. Like, and then you had Fauci was coming out and saying, like, all these different things, and, you know, I empathize with him, because of the changes that, you know, COVID is ever changing. It's an it's an opportunity to beast like, how do you tame them? And, you know, doing the best that he could, relative to the information that he had, and like sharing that. I would never wish that upon anyone. So I think that was also politicized to like I think it was just, it's just a mess. Honestly.
JS 39:38
Do you think that media has a significant role in in turning the tide in these these types of situations?
JLS 39:48
Welll first off, I think that media has an impact in changing the tide in any sort of situation whatsoever. I think that you know, you've had one side and then you have another side that were very directly opposed to each other. There was no wiggle room for any beliefs on either side is either you're this way strictly or you're that way strictly and you are grouped into that setting, no matter what, like if you had even the inkling of a different view, you were still grooved with one side. Or you were still like, Yeah, I think that various media sites, twist the words and edit things to their liking and showcase that. And, again, I think that's with anything. It doesn't just need to be COVID. But yeah, you have one side indicating how various mandates or taking away rights, and then you have another side who is just simply trying to, like do right by the human rights. So do you think
JS 41:04
historically, even before COVID, and everything that this has always been an issue, do you think that COVID Perhaps caused this to be even worse in terms of media becoming more common in that sense?
JLS 41:20
I think. I mean, as we get older to like, we're going to be more subjected to it. I think that within the last, I would say, like, six years, I've noticed it more. But that's also because I've been on various outlets that I'm, you know, recognizing this behavior. I'm sure that you could ask mom and dad and they would say, you know, these things have been happening since forever. I think with the rise of various platforms, you know, such as social media, such as like, other, like podcasts, all these things that that divide has become has become clear. But yeah, I think there's always been, you know, pit against media, and like, different networks. But it's become more clear recently, especially, again, with the rise of social media, and like, you can't delete things from the internet. So
JS 42:29
What do you think that the media isn't covering that should be?
JLS 42:36
The media Okay, Epstein. thing for Epstein is like a little partner in crime. Her
JS 42:43
Okay. Any other? What about systemic racism in Milwaukee?
JLS 42:51
Yeah, I mean, I think that I mean, I'm currently writing a piece on Barstool Sports, specifically, Dave Portnoy, and he not only is misogynistic, especially with the current revaluations, that are out against him, but also with his unapologetic behavior, or like racist behavior. There's plenty of examples. And it's because his platform targets, you know, the young to like, I would say, like 15 to 30, age range, white males, and those are very dominant in our country. And so I think there's, like systemic racism, you know, Milwaukee is known for the redlining. Like there's all of these things that are very much swept under the rug. And I think, you know, they were talked about, not enough, but they were, you know, hitting the surface in 2020. With Breonna Taylor with George Floyd, with Ahmed Arbury, like all of these different individuals who did not, under any circumstance deserve to die. And did. I think, you know, it started a conversation, but that conversation really hasn't been enhanced because people look for excuses on like, when to have those conversations, and it's when these tragic events happen. I'll continue on with the conversations after the fact or after the trial. So
JS 44:36
how do you think good and bad, How do you think that maybe your university leaders or community leaders, whether that'd be back in Shakopee or Milwaukee had reacted and are currently reacting to COVID?
JLS 44:50
I don't know anything about Shakopee leaders whatsoever. I think we were falling by like Minnesota mandates. So like by the mayor, I don't think Shakopee would have had one, if it wasn't for the mayor. Milwaukee was fine for a bit. Mayor Barrett, like, did an okay job. But, you know, there was these businesses who claimed that no, they were their own separate entity from the city. And so they would open without masks like all these different things. And like, I don't know, Governor Evers. His mandates got shot down, because we have the majority Republican, whatever GOP thing. Senate, House, whatever. And so I think that there wasn't a lot of like jurisdiction, in Milwaukee. So that's why it ended pretty quickly, and has never really been reinforced. I think, like businesses themselves have to enforce things. Yeah.
JS 45:58
What about university wise?
JLS 46:02
I mean, we have to wear masks and stuff. Oh, we are required to be vaccinated now. That's a new development. Which is good.
JS 46:13
You happen to know if that's like one of the first UW schools to require that
JLS 46:18
it said it was in like, because of Biden's like order or whatever, but I thought that got shut down.
JLS 46:31
I don't know. Where we are 91% vaccinated?
JS 46:36
91? Okay, Okay, knowing what you know now about everything regarding COVID and life within the past couple of years, I guess, year and a half. What do you think that individuals or community members need to consider for the future? Whether that be in terms of continuing on with this global pandemic, a political global pandemic, again, someday down the line, anything like that, as we get out of this, perhaps, I think,
JLS 47:07
like, the biggest thing is like, be empathetic towards one another. And I know that sounds like wishy washy, especially because I said that, like it shouldn't be research, but again, how you research that and I think to be like understanding of, you know, people situations. Get vaccinated. It saves lives. To be kind to the health care workers to be kind to the service workers like individuals that you know, they're doing jobs that you wouldn't want to do. Yeah, get a pen. Yeah.
JS 48:03
Wise words. Thank you.