Items

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  2020-07-22

  Grand Canyon Adventure

  With the lockdown measures in place this summer, my friends and I found ourselves hiking and exploring much of Arizona in an effort to escape the indoors for a while. As a native Arizonan I have never had the pleasure of experiencing the Grand Canyon first-hand, but this summer, I was able to explore one of the world's most beautiful natural landscapes. Truly an adventure, we camped on Horseshoe Bend and kayaked down the Colorado River (in which I unfortunately dropped my phone). As busy students who had scattered across the world for college, we were able to reconnect and remind ourselves of what is truly important in the midst of this pandemic: family, friends, health, and the natural beauty of the one world that we all share.
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  2020-08-04

  Blind Recklessness

  This photo really captures how reckless state governments were in the pandemic, opening schools despite it not being safe. Captured here is the danger of having schools open during a pandemic.
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  2007-08-30

  Wear a Mask Including You Earth

  I think this picture can be up for interpretation but I see it as all of Earth needs to wear a mask and be together in the fight for Covid because it comes for everyone. Simply put, we need to have a universal plan to fight this together. This is a drawing I found on the hindu.com
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  2020-09-01

  The learning never stops

  Ever since I got my own laptop, I stopped reading books. It had been almost 5 years since I started reading again. The reason for picking up a book was the boredom that came along with the lockdown and being alone for a little more than a month. Once I started with the first it was really hard to stop. It is a skill I am glad to have regained as it excites a part of mind that movies or videos never do. The vast amounts of information that is carried in a single book just makes the day better for me. It has been months since the lockdown started and the thirst for knowledge has not stopped.
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  2020-04-19

  Signs in California

  The current pandemic has created visual devices that highlight: the growing severity of COVID, and the community's collective responsibility and attitude towards keeping everyone safe. These signs allow individuals to reflect that they aren't alone, and that they, being a part of the community, are both directly and indirectly accountable for keeping others safe. These signs encourage those to think about the community at large and inspire those that have waning spirits, to remain strong. Photographs taken in San Francisco's Inner Sunset and at Cowell Redwoods State Park
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  2020-04-10

  The empty shelves

  The COVID 19 hits the world like a disaster and caught people off guard. As a student, I don't need to go out a lot since all my courses switched to online modality. But there is only one exception, and that is to go out and buy food. Be sure to wear a mask and maintain a social distance every time I go out. Above all, it seems that the strains of the epidemic had spread. If you get to the grocery late, the shelves will be empty. Target and Trader Joe's, two of my most frequent grocery stores I usually go to, best represent this example. The sight of grocery shelves bare of food perhaps makes people’s hearts flurried.
• 
  2020-07-07

  My Quarantine Story

  My experience is a firsthand story about my 14-day quarantine after I was diagnosed with Covid-19. I do not want to talk about the physical aspect of quarantine because I was asymptomatic. I want to touch on the mental wear and tear one can go through while isolating alone. No human interaction, for me, can take a toll on me because I am a very social person and can fall into a rut if I do not have social interaction. The first thing that is lost during isolation is routine. Life comes to a standstill and because there is little obligations, your mind allows you to get out of habit. The second thing that goes is a purpose and a motivation to do tasks that are typically part of your daily life. Although life is going on in the outside world, that perspective was not there for me. The last thing that goes away is your energy, not just physical energy but mental energy. My mental energy started to lack because I have a hard time being confined and I like to recharge by doing activities outside. Isolation was not just a physical challenge but a mental challenge.
• 
  2020-06-01

  Anger, Uncertainty, and Fear Felt Nationwide: Reverberations in San Francisco

  These photos portray the heightened social and political tensions that occurred after George Floyd's death. Systematic racism, marginalization, and police brutality sparked an increase in civil unrest, resulting in a mandated curfew in San Francisco. Floyd's tragic death caused rioting, protesting, and looting nationwide, concurrently taking place during the worsening pandemic of COVID-19. As many businesses closed their doors, many closing for good, few essential businesses such as Safeway stayed open. Strict policies in regards to wearing faces masks, social distancing as well as more intensive cleaning measures, were enforced to ensure the safety of the community at large. In short, the photos of store policies depict the rapid changes that were implemented in response to COVID-19. The rest of the photos show how our store took cover during the intense rioting that spiked in late May and early June. A few depict the aftermath of the looting at a local Safeway branch; the store that I worked at was not unscathed in the looting scene. I hid with a couple of employees in the manager's office, on the phone with police, as people broke in. This is just a small glimpse into a larger event that reverberated nationwide, sparking massive outcry, and hushed voices to rise as many sheltered during this pandemic.
• 
  2020-04

  Old Paranoia

  The modern day photo, the one quivocating social distancing to Communism, I first stumbled upon on social media. The photo instantly made me think how paranoia has always played a part in the American attitude towards the government; Americans have always been quick to assume that the government isn't being straightforward with them and that there's a conspiracy afoot. That conclusion leads me to the second photo, taken in August of 1959 in Little Rock, Arkanasas, was the response to school integration that allowed African-Americans to go to formerly White-Only schools. As you can see, it's a mirror image of Americans forming conspiracy theories or general paranoia that is usually scapegoated onto Communism.
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  2020-08-22

  COVID 19 and its impact on a small town in Hawaii

  The COVID 19 pandemic is devastating to even to a small community like my own. People continue to live in fear of the virus and it is only worsening for my own small community. This picture helps to show one of the positives of this devastating disease which is being able to get closer to my family members. During isolation I ended up spending a lot of time with my grandparents and we were actually able to get closer. I feel this says a lot about the pandemic. It shows that times are tough to people and this disease has got everyone concerned. During these harsh times it is now more important than ever before to have a good support system. The support from families and friends I feel is what kept me going and a lot of my other colleagues felt the same way. Through COVID 19 then I was able to get closer to my own family and I think this one positive despite these difficult times helps to make my time during this pandemic a little more manageable. I think both this picture and story helps to document both the effects of COVID 19 on a small town and one way that people have adjusted to the new environment.
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  2020-03-30

  The impact of Covid

  Let me share with you the story of my COVID-19 outbreak in the United States. The outbreak in the United States came after our school's spring break. At that time, we were instructed to attend classes online, and we were unprepared to the rest of the semester. And it has also been accompanied by the cancellation of many campus activities. The quality of the course is compromised. Both professors and students are severely tested because the new teaching modality has never been used. The professors ponder how to teach and design exams online, and the student tries to adjust to the new studying environment. What'sWhat's more, as students, we lost all kinds of group discussion activities, presentation and face-to-face experience in class. Online courses are always less convenient than face-to-face ones. But as students, we have to overcome it. Another thing that is affected by the epidemic is the mindset. I can imagine the COVID-19 will break out in the United States because it's a very contagious virus. It isn't the flu, but it is a virus. In the early stage of the outbreak, many people had very wrong misconceptions about the coronavirus. This misconception is more deadly than the COVID itself. When I walk down the street, most people don't wear masks because they think they don't need to wear masks. One passer-by even told me that masks were useless for the virus. I am so shocked by their mindset. It is the first time I can actually feel that the COVID is less lethal because people who don't believe masks can save a life are really trying to challenge COVID with their lives.
• 
  2020-07-20

  On Learning: Importance and prevalence of education

  It is my last year of undergraduate studies and a really crucial year for the transition into Medical School. Experiencing such a thing as this pandemic at such a momentous period in my life was intimidating at first but gradually transitioned into a much required reflection. The lockdown had started at the end of the Spring semester and the importance of school and studies started to fade away into what seemed like a never-ending holiday. The semester then ended and summer seemed like an extension of the holiday even though entrance exams were just around the corner for Medical School. Two months went by in a flash and nothing but a lazy attitude was accomplished. I then recieved this letter in an email from my grandfather who was half-way accross the world. The letter was a short story about his life and the educational aspects of it. He was clearly reliving some of his memories from when he was my age and wanted to impart some much needed advice onto me. Without knowing my mental state at that point, he knew exactly what I needed and could somehow sense my cowardice. His letter gave me a "kick in the butt", which was much required. From the letter; arose in me a certain kind of motivation that had escaped since the start of the lockdown. The letter is a small example highlighting the privilege of an education. It exemplifies the importance of learning, which can be useful for every student. The yearning to learn must never stop, especially at a time such as this.
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  2020-08-24

  health code

  It is the health code that is required for every Chinese citizens to enter public buildings and use public transportations. It proves that you have not encountered any one who has been tested positive nor did you traveled to a high-risk area in the last 14 days; you would only be allowed to go into the public if the health code is green. It has become a daily essential for me, like face masks and hand sanitizes.
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  2020-08-23

  NYC Ghost Town

  When people think of NYC, they think of how crowded and busy it is. To walk down the streets of NY, especially Times Square, and see nothing short of a ghost town, is a scary site. It almost reminds me of something out of a movie, more specifically the movie “I Am Legend.” Who knows the next time you’ll ever see an empty street in NYC like this again.