Items
Creator is exactly
Lawson Miller
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2020-01-14
A Peppermint December
December was the most stressful month of the year. My entire family got Covid-19 right before Christmas and I was struggling with anxiety for most of the month, which has been compounded by the pandemic. One of the ways I've sought to alleviate stress when going to bed at night is by putting peppermint essential oil in an oil diffuser as I fall asleep. Peppermint smells and feels naturally calming to me. The strong and comforting scent has at times made me feel that I can breathe better and easier. A small and perhaps cliché remedy has at times made a world of difference. -
2020-08-27
Lawson Miller Internship Portfolio
I decided to embark on this internship despite no previous experience in public history, and it has afforded me the opportunity to learn many things about the practice of public history and historical collection more broadly. Having worked on the internship in tandem with a fellowship role on the same project had challenged and pushed me in ways I hadn’t imagined. Having begun the project as a volunteer, a fellow, and then an intern placed me at the apex of an entirely new experience, and is part of my drive to challenge myself, to learn, to be part of something larger than myself, and to grow. In my first semester of graduate school, I became deeply immersed and personally invested in a project that had become bigger than I may have initially anticipated. This project has taught me, among other things: leadership, patience, collaboration, how to be adapt quickly, as well as the concept of shared authority. The skills and growth I have received over this journey has been invaluable. In addition to learning important skills and practices relating to history, the internship has given me practical experience in being a leader among my peers, communicating effectively through press releases and social media, and developing effective standardized practices. These skills will be invaluable in whatever I pursue, as well as in my life more broadly. Getting lost in the work of the internship regarding the historical curation of the pandemic, has ironically distracted me from the pandemic itself to an extent, in my personal life. I have paused many times during the course of this internship to reflect on the significance of our work and the significance of this moment in history. The friends and professional relationships I have created through this experience will follow me throughout my life and academic career. -
08/23/2020
Kelsey McIntyre Oral History, 2020/08/23
Kelsey McIntyre lives in Walnut Creek, California. She discusses how the pandemic caused her to lose both of her jobs but says she is grateful that her state and local government responded the way that they did, or things could be much worse. Kelsey feels that she has grown closer with her family who are in various places across the United States, and that the increasing prevalence of technology such as Zoom makes it possible to communicate with them. Kelsey talks about the impact of COVID-19 on the LGBTQ+ community by the cancellation of Pride Month events and the LGBTQ+ community being at increased risk for exposure by those who are most vulnerable. Kelsey talks about how her partner works in news and she relies on them to get updates about what is happening, as well as checking the news on her iPhone She also talks about how she has learned to establish boundaries with her partner and that being together frequently can be both good and bad. Kelsey believes that masks will be mandated indoors a year from now, at least where she lives, and is optimistic that people in the LGBTQ+ community are actively participating in preventative measures. -
08/16/2020
Kyle Ballard Oral History, 2020/08/16
Kyle Ballard is active duty military in North Augusta, South Carolina. Kyle identifies as a gay man and uses the pronouns he and him. He has witnessed firsthand the federal government response to the pandemic as he works on a military base and was given a restriction of movement order after falling ill in March. Despite his illness, he was unable to get a Covid-19 test due to testing restriction at the time. He spends most of his time working at the military base and developing student government for Arizona State University’s online campus. Kyle discusses the potential issues faced particularly by LGBTQ+ youth in the middle of the pandemic and his disappointment in the government response across all levels. He lives with his boyfriend Mason and recounts how it was difficult to not see him as much after the quarantine had ended. Kyle wishes the media would focus more on what other countries have done to successfully limit the spread of Covid-19. -
07/12/2020
Katrina Beattie Oral History, 2020/07/12
Lawson Miller of Tooele, Utah conducts an interview with Katrina Beattie of Lancaster, California. In this interview, Katrina explains how the pandemic has affected her job as a teacher, her role as a mother, and the impact of Covid-19 on her family and community. Katrina expresses her hopes for the future and offers insight about the local, state, and federal government response to the pandemic. -
2020-07-12
Lawson Miller Oral History, 2020/07/12
Lawson Miller grew up in Utah. He has studied Political Science and North American History at Arizona State University. He currently works as a classroom instructor at Excelsior Academy. Lawson has a partner and they enjoy extracurricular activities such as reading, school work together, and watching TV shows and other documentaries. Lawson shares that he is a part of implementing a unified LGBTQ+ community for Arizona State University students. Lawson touches on the impacts of Covid-19 specifically the LGBTQ+ community and other minority communities. He also highlights the political and social implications of the coronavirus on all social sects as of prime importance. Lawson’s reflection on past significant global events includes the many school and civil shootings that have devasted United States populations, the George Floyd protests, and the many fights for civil and social rights. In this interview, Lawson reflects on COVID-19 from a perspective of civil and social rights while emphasizing the utmost regard for health and safety priorities for all. -
2020-06-14
Arizona State University Mental Health Resources
A month or so ago, Arizona State University sent out some of these magnets to online students. The magnet advertises ASU's "360 Life Services" which allows students to connect with counselors and explore different resources to allow students to cope, especially during this time. We stuck this magnet on the side of our fridge. I'm grateful to be a student at a university that cares about the mental health and well-being of its student body, and that has the resources to provide students in need with help. This is particularly important during these times, and especially makes me think about students with inadequate access to healthcare and LGBTQ+ students, people of color, and other minority communities whose mental health has likely been disproportionately impacted by this pandemic. -
2020-06-14
Full Time Job Working From Home
This is my makeshift desk that my boyfriend made for me amid the pandemic. Having worked at a school and being out for the summer, I had to find a job over the summer in order to pay rent, bills, and student loans. I was fortunate enough to find a job working for a company in Salt Lake City. Due to the pandemic, the hiring and on-boarding process was completely virtual. Trainings were conducted through Adobe Connect and the company provided the monitors and the computer, as well as the mouse, keyboard and headset. We've been informed we will not actually have to go into the building until at least the end of the year. Working from home is an adjustment from what I'm normally accustomed to. I'm not used to sitting for a long period of time or having the convenience to be able to work from home. There are perks that are really nice, in terms of not having to travel or worry about getting infected with the virus. I'm enjoying my job, though like all jobs, there can be rough days. -
2020-06-14
Foreign Affairs Subscription: "The World After the Pandemic"
I've had a Foreign Affairs magazine subscription since my freshman year of college, when I took an international relations class. I've enjoyed reading Foreign Affairs ever since. This is the latest edition of the magazine that arrived in the mail yesterday. Some of the latest discussions regarding the pandemic that I've seen taking place in the context of foreign policy, is how COVID-19 will forever change the world, like 9/11. I found the cover art to be very poignant and powerful. It's a ticking bomb with the rendering of what COVID-19 looks like on a microscopic level as the fuse. I don't think I've fully comprehended the ways in which COVID-19 will forever change the world, and I'm not sure it's possible at this moment in time. The cover of this Foreign Affairs magazine is really powerful in its representation of the crisis. -
2020-05-19
Photo taken of last day of work
Working at a school during COVID-19 has felt like a whirlwind. The transition to an online format with no notice and a sort of "learn as we go" training has been tiring. I'm grateful that things worked out and that schools were still able to provide quality educational opportunities despite being shuttered. Turning in my keys for summer was bittersweet. It'll be nice to take time to reflect and decompress over the summer, and plan for a potential return in the fall. It was a very odd first year in education, and an odd way to end the school year. A cloud of uncertainty hangs over the future and what will happen next, but if educators can survive this year, they can survive anything. #ASU #HST580 -
2020-05-09
New Realities
When visiting my mother this weekend, we decided to take a trip to the gas station to get some drinks. My mom is immunocompromised and takes Covid-19 very seriously. She said if I planned on going into the convenience store I had to wear a mask. She keeps masks like this in the glove box as well as hand sanitizer in her car. She puts on the mask and sanitizer before she enters the store, and puts sanitizer on again when she returns home, before she goes inside. -
2020-04-28
Rural county in Utah creates a Facebook page to host a county-wide talent show
As people are confined to their homes amid the pandemic, Tooele County has created a Facebook page for residents to upload videos of themselves doing performances and showing off their talents. -
2020-04-27
Finished my first semester of grad school amid a global pandemic
Juggling grad school and a full time job hasn't been easy. The outbreak of Covid-19 made this a more difficult task, as I work at a school and teaching was shifted to an online format within a matter of days notice. It often feels that things have been moving so quickly that I haven't had time to fully comprehend them. Nonetheless, I must take note of some of the accomplishments along the way, such as finishing my first semester of grad school at Arizona State University. 10 monographs, some dozen scholarly papers, and two major papers I feel both relief and a sense of accomplishment. -
03/15/2020
CoVid-19 cases in Italy worsen, raising death toll and number of infected
CoVid-19 cases worsening in Italy -
03/15/2020
Critics go after NYC Mayor De Blasio for refusing to close public schools amid CoVid-19 outbreak
De Blasio has refused to close public schools despite the urging from public health officials -
03/15/2020
Prophet of the LDS church attempts to reassure members amid CoVid-19 outbreak
Religious leaders attempting to be a calming presence amid the outbreak -
03/15/2020
CNN sets the podiums 6 feet apart in accordance to CDC guidelines, prior to the Sunday Democratic primary debate between Biden and Sanders
Measures are being taken as the CoVid-19 is impacting even the 2020 presidential election cycle -
03/15/2020
Patients in Utah struggle to get tested for CoVid-19
Lack of available testing causing issues around the country -
2020-03-15
Machines that read CoVid-19 tests are still waiting for FDA approval, despite use in other countries
Government struggles to respond