Items

• 2019-12

  HIS 643-44605: Story on Tourism

  Following the lift of COVID-19 restrictions, many people traveled for fun, adventure, or as a celebration of renewed freedom. However, I did not travel following the coronavirus and have never traveled outside the surrounding states. There are many reasons for this, but some of the primary reasons are that I am young, my parents never traveled, I have not had the money to travel, and the idea of traveling is scary. However, the older I get, the more I want to travel and not stay in the same space. There are so many places I want to travel when I can, that it is almost overwhelming. I want to travel to Italy, Greece, Sicily, France, Germany, Denmark, etc. I want to see David by Michelangelo, the Louvre, Santorini, Neuschwanstein Castle, Tivoli Gardens, etc. The sites I would want to visit are based on important historical and cultural sites. I would want to make the most of any place I visit, and I would spend every waking moment doing something. I would document my trip primarily through photos, videos, and physical evidence of my visits. I really enjoy collecting brochures, maps, stickers, post cards, etc., from places as a physical record of my trip. I hope to one day travel.
• 
  2022-06-12

  Eurostar station in London, June 2022

  During my honeymoon, my husband and I were in London, Summer of 2022. We had spent two weeks there and it was time to take the Eurostar train through the Channel Tunnel to Amsterdam. What particularly struck me was how serious the ticket agents and French government officials (the train must enter through France) were about Covid-19 Vaccine Record Cards. If someone did not have their official government-issued Covid vaccine certificate, they were absolutely not permitted on the train. It was very serious and made me anxious, even though I held on to mine tightly, along with my passport. We waited in the entry line for 40 minuets to an hour to get to the check point, the guards were very intense and scrutinized every passenger, and we eventually entered the train on to our destination. This was the first trip we had taken since the pandemic began, and by this time Europe and parts of Asia were opening back up for tourism. Many people we saw in London and Amsterdam at this time were no longer wearing masks, and since my husband and I were vaccinated, neither did we. We had an amazing honeymoon and I am grateful that the pandemic was slowing down and the countries we visited were accepting tourists.
• 
  2022-06-18

  Coronavirus: which works better to handle a pandemic – democracy or autocracy?

  This is a news story from the South China Morning Post by Priyanka Shankar. This article is discussing the difference in responses based on forms of government. When it came to handling the pandemic, people from Asian countries where restrictions were much tougher rated a higher rate of satisfaction in government response compared to Latin America and Europe. This was taken from the Democracy Perception Index. According to researcher Fredrick DeVeaux, a leader in conducting this survey, the tight restrictions common in Asian countries are generally accepted because it gets associated with low death rates. The survey does make mention that in countries such as Iran and China, they hid data about the virus from their citizens, affecting their overall response to changes in lockdowns. However, Singapore is also authoritarian, and the prime minister has made an effort to create transparency in what is occurring, so items get hoarded less. Overall, the article claims that the mass mobilization of people and goods under authoritarian regimes fares better than democracies do at creating an effective COVID response.
• 2022-04-29

  My Timewarp

  It started for me when I returned from a business trip in Europe in March 2020. I had to fly through Germany to get home. Early in the pandemic a new country got added to the no-fly list. When I got back home, I went to work for a few days and then was told from my manager that Germany just got put on the list that if you have been there, you had to quarantine, so I couldn't come to work even though I had already been there for 3 days. So, I worked from home the rest of the week. The next week was spring break and I had it off anyway. We had plans to go to Disneyland. We decided to go and had a two-day pass. We went to the park Thursday and were resting Friday and planned to use our second pass the next day when we got notified through the Disney App that the next day would be the last day the park would be open. Almost 10 minutes later our church sent an email that services would be cancelled for the foreseeable future. My husband and I decided it was best to go home even though we still had a day at Disney. It was sinking in that this wasn’t just a few days of inconvenience. It was serious and we should head home. The next few months were hectic, scary, annoying and lonely. My son was in kindergarten and had to miss a lot of first milestones. School at home for a Kindergartner was a joke, but the time we got to spend time together as a family was nice. My work was accommodating and provided everything I needed at home. Two years later I am still working from home. I gained 15 pounds but I am back to what I was when this all started. Things are getting back to normal now, but inflation is insane and the supply chain is a nightmare. I spent some of the evening today searching for formula for my sister-in-law in Utah. A formula shortage. Something as vital as feeding babies is hard to find. Additionally, Russia invaded Ukraine just over a month ago, so even though the pandemic has settled down, the world hasn’t. God bless us.
• 
  2021-08-30

  2021 Traveling

  I uploaded a photograph of a stadium taken Athens, Greece while performers & staff were setting up the equipment during our visit.
• 
  12/16/2020

  The Bulgarian Oral History, 2020/12/16

  In this interview the interviewee wished to be anonymous. In the interview we will be interviews a gentleman from Bulgaria in Eastern Europe. He works in a for a tech company and had to move into the city to find the job away from his small hometown. He tells us what it like in the city and why he would rather be in his hometown. As well he talks how COVID-19 has affected his job and family life and life around the city. In addition, he gives on interesting perspective on how the Bulgarian government is handling the pandemic. As well as what many people in Bulgaria think of the virus such as conspiracy theories and protests not things he personally believes but what citizens around him think at times.
• 
  2020-03-18

  How Will COVID-19 Change the World? Historian Frank Snowden on Epidemics From the Black Death to Now

  This video is an interview the Democracy Now did with Frank Snowden, Professor Emeritus at Yale University early on in the pandemic (March 18, 2020). Dr. Snowden specializes in the history of epidemic diseases and the history of modern Italy. His father was the first African American ambassador to Italy. At the time of the interview, Dr. Snowden was in lockdown in Rome, Italy. He had gone there to research another project when the pandemic hit, so he changed his focus to studying covid-19. He contracted the disease himself, but was lucky enough to live through it. I was particularly interested in Dr. Snowden's views on the pandemic since I had watched his Yale lecture series on epidemics available on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3AE7B3B6917DE8E6) which was incredible in its thorough exploration of some of the worlds worst outbreaks. In the interview he states that an early modern Florentine would recognize a lot of governments' actions to combat covid-19 as very similar to those used by the Italian city-states and elsewhere in Europe to combat bubonic plague, especially the concept of quarantine. He also addresses the startling commonality between anti-Semitism during the first several plague outbreaks to the Sinophobia and xenophobia seen during our current pandemic. The interviewer also brings up a great question about the possibility of fascism arising out of strict government measures to combat disease. I was particularly curious to hear Dr. Snowden's response in light of the protests in the United States against quarantine and mask-wearing. He acknowledged that while it could be one outcome, it is not the only nor the most probable possibility. Many governments have voluntarily ended their strict measures during pandemics without devolving into fascist states. Now that the pandemic is, it seems, waning I believe it is abundantly clear that those Americans who feared that their freedoms were threatened by historically proven practices were both selfish and foolish. They and our ineffective and dangerous leadership cause the United States to become a hotbed for Covid-19, while other countries who swiftly enacted and enforced lockdown measures and mask mandates, such as New Zealand and Italy, recovered much more quickly. I contend that Donald Trump and his sheep are responsible for thousands of unnecessary deaths.
• 
  2021-04-27

  Should the US Share Covid 19 Vaccines and Supplies? + American Patriotism

  Should the US Share Covid 19 Vaccines and Supplies? + American Patriotism I think countries should try to share supplies when they're able to. It's for the greater good but I also understand that countries just don't and won't adopt this policy. Every country in the world is a "_____ country first” country. I think it's unrealistic to assume that countries will donate covid-19 supplies while they are still dealing with it. I think the only countries that might do this are the Nordic countries that everyone points at and goes that is the favorite Child of the entire world. I think in the future it will be interesting to see what country is the favorite child as I put it. I also think that there's an interesting argument that goes along the lines of this, the United States is the controlling superpower and if they themselves are not able to be stable they aren't able to help the world to be stable. Yes, I understand this logic that I proposed is a little bit prideful coming from an American, because I think Americans have a tendency to use “the USA number one” mode of thinking and they also think that without the United States, the world would crumple. People who use this logic also mention the Marshall Plan and some of the other work that was done in the Asia post World War II. But I think nowadays, consensus with Americans is “what has the US done recently”. I agree with the “what has the US done lately” logic and I think it exists as a purposeful counter to the flag waving and patriotism that we see in so many Americans today. I think because of this we have created the “Ashamed American”. I would describe the ashamed American as being disgusted by those flag wavers. I describe them as disgusted with the right and disgusted with Donald Trump. I think these ashamed Americans look at the flag waving and they say “why?”. They say “why are we waving this flag for this country that has so many problems, that has done so much bad.” They don't believe that there was ever a Great America. They believe it's always been a flawed America and they look at these socialist countries that seem to be so happy yet they think why does America have so many problems while they are so happy. I think this is sort of interesting to document for the future because I'm not sure if it's always been this way. I think this might have arised with 2020 politics though I think I can't even say that. You must also understand that the reaction to the European trying to “diss” the US is often “Shut up you bidet-loving European. USA is number one! Number one, number one. Did y'all invent the hamburger? Did y’all invent French fries? I don't think so go back to your country with stupid free healthcare and play some stupid soccer.” and as the Europeans walks away, a group forms that begins to sing the national anthem. Even those “ashamed Americans” won’t let those darn Europeans speak badly on the US of A.
• 
  2021-01-25

  Biden keeps COVID-19 travel restrictions for Europe and Brazil, adds South Africa

  New travel bans. In reference to new strains discovered in South Africa and England.
• 2021-01-11

  First thoughts of covid

  When I first heard about the virus I was at school in the hallway going to Spanish. I didn't know much about it, but I remember them saying we might have to be online for a month or two, maybe even going through summer. When I got home that day I watched the news about the virus with my dad and saw details on it I originally thought it was like the flu and I turned out to be right. And when I found out that we would maybe have to wear masks wherever went, I was distraught. But I learned to live with it and shockingly we still have to nearly a year later. I don't know many people who got covid except for my aunt and her sister who had gone on a trip to Europe and got it on a plane. She lost her taste and smell for a few days and she was better in about 2 weeks and she slept in the same bed with her husband and he or her kids didn't get it. So to the average population, I believe that it's not too harmful as long as you are healthy and aren't too old.
• 2021-01-07

  A COVID Christmas

  Every year, all of my relatives that live in Europe fly to California and celebrate Christmas with us. We make our traditional lamb on Christmas morning along with our favorite Armenian food. I look forward to Christmas every year but this year was different. The airports were all shut down and they weren't letting people who don't live in the U.S fly in. Because of this, all of my relatives stayed in Europe for this Christmas and we missed them greatly. I woke up my family at 8:00 am dragging them out of bed. Still wanting to include our grandparents we called them on Christmas morning once we were all up and opened presents over facetime. We told them how much we missed them and could not wait to see them again. We still enjoyed our Christmas this year, but there were just some things that we needed to fix to have a safe COVID free Christmas.
• 
  2020-11-20

  大型セール“ブラックフライデー”仏で1週間延期へ(2020年11月21日) - Large sale "Black Friday" postponed for one week in France (November 21, 2020)

  厳しい外出制限が敷かれているフランスでは、ブラックフライデーの大型セールを1週間延期することが決まりました。 　フランスでは新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大を受けて多くの中小の小売店が閉鎖されています。一方でアマゾンなどネット通販大手は営業を続けていて、ブラックフライデーのセールが27日から始まることに小売店からは不満の声が高まっていました。それを受けて政府は20日、ブラックフライデーの大型セールを27日から1週間延期し、それまでに小売店の営業再開を認めることを発表しました。 In France, where strict outing restrictions are in place, it has been decided to postpone the big Black Friday sale for a week. In France, many small and medium-sized retail stores have been closed due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection. On the other hand, major online shopping companies such as Amazon are still in business, and retailers have been complaining that the Black Friday sale will start on the 27th. In response, the government announced on the 20th that it will postpone the big Black Friday sale for a week from the 27th and allow retailers to reopen by then. Video translated by Youngbin Noh
• 
  2020-11-06

  イタリアとドイツで新規コロナ感染が過去最多（2020年11月6日）- Highest number of new corona infections in Italy and Germany (November 6, 2020)

  イタリアやドイツでは５日、新型コロナウイルスの１日の新たな感染者が過去最多を更新しました。 新型コロナウイルスの感染の第２波がヨーロッパで深刻化しています。 イタリア政府は５日、新型コロナウイルスの感染者が前の日に比べ、３万4,505人増え、累計で82万人を超えたと発表しました。感染拡大を受けて、イタリアでは６日から午後10時以降の外出の原則禁止など、感染拡大防止のための制限が強化されます。 また、ドイツメディアは５日、１日の新たな感染者が２万594人となり、初めて、２万人を超えたと伝えるなど、ヨーロッパで感染の第２波が深刻となっています。 In Italy and Germany, the number of new infections of the new coronavirus in one day reached a record high on the 5th. The second wave of infection with the new coronavirus is becoming more serious in Europe. The Italian government announced on the 5th that the number of people infected with the new coronavirus has increased by 34,505 compared to the previous day, and the cumulative total has exceeded 820,000. In response to the spread of the infection, restrictions to prevent the spread of the infection will be tightened in Italy, such as the principle prohibition of going out after 10 pm from the 6th. In addition, the second wave of infection is becoming more serious in Europe, the German media reporting that the number of newly infected people on the 5th was 20,594, exceeding 20,000 for the first time. Video translated by Youngbin Noh
• 
  2020-03-23

  (HIST30060) 2020 in a nutshell courtesy of The Office

  (HIST30060) This video was posted about the time in March when most of the world started going into lockdown and Covid-19 cases were increasingly rapidly everyday, particularly in Europe at that time. At uni, we'd just started online classes as Victoria went into lockdown. The video is great at demonstrating the chaos that existed as the situation became a global pandemic, when nobody knew what was going to happen the next day or really how to deal with what was occurring.
• 2020-10-23

  The great mask debate

  This article is one that shows a good example of a COVID “success story” in a European country, while highlighting some of the failures in American leadership during the pandemic. Especially when it comes to the concept of leading by example. Slovakia is a country that seemed to tackle the pandemic head on, taking extraordinary measures in order to slow its advance across the nation. The article shows that Slovakia took three key steps in order to curb the pandemic when it reached the country’s borders. 1) Face masks were widely adopted 2) A nationwide lockdown was swiftly enacted 3) Slovakian leadership showed the way. For me, this submission is important because it is essentially the tale of two countries. While nothing is certain, If American leadership had taken a similar route to navigating the perils of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is likely that less Americans would have lost their lives. While America is more than 60 times more populous than Slovakia, there is little to no excuse for why the pandemic has been so poorly handled here in comparison to a nation with less resources like Slovakia.
• 
  2020-10-14

  Paris Sets Curfews as Cases in Europe Rise Again

  Cases in Europe and in the United States are starting to rise again. Paris and London have set nightly curfews to reduce the amount of interaction between its citizens to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
• 
  2020-09-17

  Ready for Round 2

  Scanning facebook, I came across this article stating that the number of Covid cases in Europe are increasing again. This is disheartening because recently the number of cases of covid had seemed to be leveling off and declining. As the pandemic began in Europe and Asia before the US, this could be an indicator of things to come for us if we are not vigilant. Hopefully, this is just a small hiccup and not a major setback.
• 
  2020-08-19

  Russian Ballet Returned to the Stage. Then a Covid Outbreak Hit.

  This article discusses the Mariinsky Ballet, one of Russia's premier ballet companies. As Europe is a bit ahead of the United States in reopening their performing arts, they began performing in July, in the middle of the COVID pandemic, only to have to close three weeks later when the virus spread throughout the ballet corps. Since then, the Mariinsky Ballet has been criticized for returning to the stage too early, despite the precautions they made against the virus. This incident has caused several other ballet companies across Europe to rethink their own return to the stage. In spite of these issues, many dancers are also wanting to return to the stage.
• 
  2020-02-28

  Not overseas but home

  I wrote this story for Womankind magazine's online 'Life in Lockdown' site. It is my reflection on my decision to cancel my long-planned overseas family adventure in the very early days of the pandemic. I wish I'd kept a better diary of this time so I'm glad I wrote this piece.
• 
  2020-07-30

  Abroad During a Pandemic

  I have decided to share my study abroad experience and how people were really not expecting a pandemic and what was done as a result of the spread.
• 
  2020-06-25

  Daily life changes due to Covid

  Here we have a tweet discussing one of the may daily life changes that have taken place since covid and lockdown began. In this case, the user talks about how bus travel has changed since lockdown in Berlin. Bus divers in Berlin are now behind plastic sheets and the front doors of buses are no longer used in order to protect drivers. Many bus drivers have gotten sick and died due to the large public interaction their job has. I wanted to put this into the archive because it is a simple example of how covid has altered society and daily life. Here we have an example of public transportation being altered, likely permanently, in Berlin due to the virus. Between all the headlines and stats are the real life changes everyone sees, and this is one example. I also took note of the fact that Europe is still in their first lockdown, while we here in America are wondering if there will be a second lockdown since the first one has essentially over for weeks.
• 
  2020-06-25

  European nations where virus first went mainstream nearly cleared as US cases soar

  Viral tweet today highlights the differences in cases between EU nations which were greatly hit by virus early on and the US. The days case increases of 190 for Italy, 81 for France, and 330 for Spain draw a stark contrast to America's over 33,000 new cases for today. The virus first drew mainstream attention in the west once it left China and started affecting western nations. Italy in particular was an early poster country for the pandemic, but now seems quaint compared the the United States. I included this tweet because it essentially sums up the current status of the virus globally. European nations are almost clear of the virus due to strict pandemic guidelines. Meanwhile the United States has taken the opposite approach and any hope for the pandemic being over soon is officially gone. What struck me about this tweet was remembering the public reaction when Italy was the center point of the virus, and the denial of the US ever getting that bad. Now the story of the pandemic has shifted dramatically.
• 
  2020-05-22

  Aiden S. Oral History, 2020/05/22

  The contributor of this item did not include verbal or written consent. We attempted to contact contributor (or interviewee if possible) to get consent, but got no response or had incomplete contact information. We can not allow this interview to be listened to without consent but felt the metadata is important. The recording and transcript are retained by the archive and not public. Should you wish to listen to audio file reach out to the archive and we will attempt to get consent.
• 
  05/13/2020

  Eurovision Cancelled for first time in 64-Year History

  For the first time in its 64-year-history, the Eurovision song contest has been cancelled due to the effects of Covid-19. This is the official statement from the European Broadcasting Union following the cancellation, and will be followed by an outpouring of support and efforts to celebrate Eurovision despite it not happening this year. #HUM402
• 
  2020-04-29

  USA Today: 3 Months In

  A timeline of COVID-19 in US
• 
  2020-04-01

  Russia and China push ‘fake news’ on coronavirus crisis, report claims

  This is an article outlining claims that both Russian and the People's Republic of China are attempting to sow disinformation in Europe amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, underming mitigation efforts by EU member states.
• 
  2020-03-27

  History of Pandemics

  An article about pandemics in history.
• 
  2020-04-04

  Coronavirus: Europe's forgotten Roma at risk

  This article discusses the current crisis in Europe and particularly the hard impact on the Roma community and many ways their comunity was already suffering and lacking in infrastructure to be adequately prepared for the virus. The article also discusses a number of legislative actions by European countries specifically targeting Roma communities.
• 
  2020-04-14

  Belarus chief defends decision to continue amid coronavirus pandemic

  ESPN article regarding sports in Belarus