Items

• 
  2020-08-01

  The Pleasant Sounds of a Quiet Town

  The photograph captures a moment of my family in Helen, Georgia. It marked our very first vacation as the pandemic began to subside, and society slowly started to reopen. Throughout the challenging year of 2020, I wrestled with numerous dark and trying circumstances. My engagement dissolved, my health deteriorated, and my battle with depression intensified. I often felt isolated, with nowhere to turn for human connection, as everything around us remained shuttered. The deserted streets and vacant stores seemed to echo the emptiness I felt inside. However, this trip to Helen breathed new life into me. For the first time in a year, I felt a spark of vitality. In Helen, I could once again frequent bustling restaurants, immerse myself in the sound of live music, and explore the welcoming shops. It marked the beginning of a remarkable turnaround in my life, which has since led to some of the most fulfilling years I've experienced. Today, I cherish even the smallest moments, such as a simple trip to buy groceries and the comforting presence of people in my life.
• 2020-10-05

  Water Slides in the Days of Covid

  My family resided in Columbus, Georgia during the Covid-19 pandemic. In October 2020 my sister-in-law’s family came to visit us from Arizona. We decided to take our families to Great Wolf Lodge in LaGrange, Georgia, just 45 minutes from my home, for a two-day vacation. This was my first experience traveling after travel restrictions were lifted. Great Wolf Lodge houses an indoor water park, restaurants, and family entertainment attractions, as well as hotel accommodations all in one building. My family had visited before the pandemic, so we were familiar with the resort and procedures. This made changes in policies and behavior more evident than they may have been otherwise. Safety protocol set in place at Great Wolf Lodge included mandatory mask wearing in the hallways and open areas of the resort. Masks were not required in the waterpark; however, signs were posted throughout detailing mandatory social distancing protocol. Individuals were to remain at least six feet apart from each other in all areas, especially when waiting in lines. The guidelines were a nice idea, but large swarms of children eager to get onto a waterslide cared little for waiting in lines any distance apart. The adults seemed to feel the same way too. There was no personal space while waiting in lines, much less six feet social distance. In normal times, Great Wolf hosts bedtime dance parties and stories in their main lobby for the kids. Due to Covid restrictions, however, these dance parties were canceled and instead were broadcast on a set TV channel that could be viewed from guests' rooms. Our families arrived around 1:00 in the afternoon on day one. One person went in to do the checking in and then we headed to our rooms to change and head to the park. Everyone played for at least three hours. A few of the older kids tired out earlier and headed back to the rooms. The rest of us headed back to the rooms for dinner with the plan to meet up again afterward and play until the park shut down. Over the next hour, almost all of my kids started coughing. We started to wonder if they were having a reaction to the chlorine. Then the runny noses started and even the most excited kids said they were too tired to go back that night. After talking to my sister-in-law, the same thing was happening in her family. We decided to call it a night and check back in the morning. By morning, we had to call it. Even mild cold symptoms were enough in those days to get you thrown out of public places and we had to be cautious with even the smallest symptom that might indicate Covid-19. We knew the only responsible thing was to pack it up and head home. We had a great three hour vacation the day before, but the rest of it just wasn’t going to happen. It was the most expensive three hour vacation I think I’ll ever have. We felt like criminals smuggling our tightly masked children through the halls that morning and begging them to hold in their sneezes or coughs until we got outside. We were so glad we had chosen to vacation only 45 minutes from home that time. The colds passed, and eventually we returned to Great Wolf Lodge to enjoy a full vacation. We still laugh, though, about our attempt at a “normal” vacation in the midst of Covid-19.
• 
  2021-05-12

  Et Tu , Brute?

  When Governor McMaster signed an executive order stating that children had to wear mask in schools, the state went bananas. Many began to question whether McMaster's hawk feathers were starting to turn white as many people formed their opinions on what was the correct way to implement health guidelines in schools. I feel like this shows the pushback our governor was starting to have with COVID guidelines since our numbers were the highest in the South along with Georgia the month prior. I also felt like this was funny change of events considering that the governor was the first opt in to South Carolinians not wearing mask when the CDC confirmed it was safe.
• 2021-10-09

  Summer Camp 2020

  Last summer, I was employed by the Boys Scouts to work at one of the boy scout summer camps located in Georgia. To meet all health guidelines, we were required to wear masks, have weekly Covid testing, and make sure that we did not get sick on the property. Summer camp had only lasted between three and four weeks before we had to close, and send everyone home early.
• 
  2021-08-28

  Visiting Grandma

  This photograph is from when my mom, dad, brother, brother's fiancé, and I flew to Georgia to visit my declining grandmother. For my entire life, my grandma, my mom's mom, lived in the next town over, only about seven miles away. However, as she aged and as the isolation from the pandemic set in, my family decided that it would be best for her to move to Georgia to live with my aunt, my mom's sister. Although we tried to take care of my grandma from the start of the pandemic through when she left in October of 2020, we lived in perpetual uncertainty and fear of exposing her to the virus. Every time we had her come over for dinner, we were afraid that we were taking a gamble, especially when the pandemic was just starting. My grandma moved to a care facility in Georgia in April. Since my grandma, my family, and I were all vaccinated, we planned a short trip to make sure we got to see her one more time. Although we were masked and only had a limited amount of time, getting to see us again meant a tremendous amount to my grandma.
• 
  2021-07-16

  And No You

  My mom died of COVID-19 last July when her nursing home in Atlanta was overrun with the virus. Before that, she lived with me, my dog, and cat. The way she lived in the house made it truly a home for us. I am a workaholic, often using the house for a fast supper and some sleep before starting all over the next day, sprinting back to work. The poem is our way of telling her how much she is missed.
• 
  2021-03-26

  Black Lawmaker Arrested For Knocking On Governor’s Office Door

  State troopers arrested a Georgia lawmaker who was knocking on Gov. Brian Kemp’s office door, in protest of the closed-door signing of a bill that would restrict voter access. Critics, including Rep. Park Cannon, say the new laws will disenfranchise Black and Democratic voters. “I am not the first Georgian to be arrested for fighting voter suppression. I’d love to say I’m the last, but we know that isn’t true.”
• 
  2021-04-02

  hermit HERALD, ISSUE 107

  George Floyd trial
• 
  2021-03-22

  March to Stop Asian Hate

  Nearly a week after eight people were killed at spas in the Atlanta area, hundreds gathered to remember the victims and call for an end to hate towards Asians in a year that has seen an uptick in attacks against members of the community. People attending a rally New York City's Columbus Park Sunday, pictured above, told CNN they came out because they are tired of dealing with discrimination and hope the tragedy in Atlanta will spark change. When asked why she attended, Angela Eunsung Kim said, "'Cause I'm Asian, and I'm a woman, and if I don't stand up for myself then no one else will. So that's why I'm here."
• 
  2021-03-19

  Asian American Experiences With Hate

  There were 3,795 firsthand complaints of racism and discrimination against Asian Americans from March 19, 2020, through the end of February 2021, according to the coalition Stop AAPI Hate. Last week, eight people -- six of whom were Asian women -- were killed in the Atlanta shootings at three spas. The incident shook up many in the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. While the past year has magnified the hate, it's also inspiring some Asian Americans to stop being silent and speak out about their experiences. CNN asked Asian Americans to share their stories. CNN received more than 300 responses, and this article shares some of these stories. They recount fear, violent attacks, racial slurs, losing businesses, being told to "go back to your country," and the scapegoating that has happened to the AAPI community. There is also a desire with the AAPI to speak out and encourage others to, too.
• 
  2021-03-16

  Surge in Hate Crimes Against Asian Americans

  As the U.S. continues its battle against COVID-19, it is also battling a rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans. A recent report found that hate crimes against Asian Americans in major U.S. cities surged by nearly 150 percent in 2020 —even as the number of overall hate crimes fell. Stephanie Sy looks at how the violence has marred one community, and how they are coming together in its wake.
• 
  2020-09-21

  Protests against ICE, Forced Sterilization and Under Reporting of Covid-19 Cases in Detention Centers

  Last Monday, Dawn Wooten, a nurse at an ICE detention center in Irwin County, Georgia, revealed doctors were performing unnecessary gynecological procedures, including hysterectomies, on immigrant women being held. She also revealed the facility was underreporting the number of positive of COVID-19 cases by failing to test detainees and neglecting their medical needs. These cases of forced sterilizations are far too common in American history. After sterilization became legal and provided to Puerto Rican women for free, approximately one-third of the female population was sterilized between the 1930s and the 1970s, making it the highest rate of sterilization in the world. Health workers encouraged the procedure through door-to-door visits and employers showed favoritism towards sterilized women. I highly recommend a short documentary called La Operación available online about this US-imposed sterilization policy in Puerto Rico.
• 
  2020-10-23

  Dance to Express Grief

  It's been 39 days since Dawn Wooten, a nurse at a Georgia ICE facility, exposed mass hysterectomies were being performed on women for unexplained reasons. This week, 19 women at this facility came forward confirming Dawn's complaints and sharing doctors performed, or pressured them to undergo “medically unnecessary” surgery without their consent, including procedures that limit their ability to have children. In these photos, Ananya Chatterjea, Founder of the Ananya Dance Theatre, shares a dance piece expressing grief and resilience.
• 
  2021-02-22

  Black history and the COVID-19 pandemic

  This post tags an article titled "The Black Plague" which states that according to the Reuters report African Americans are more likely to die from Covid-19 than any other group in the U.S.. The article goes further in to explain the synopsis of affected and deaths of certain states but it importantly states that black people are more likely to have pre-existing health conditions that weaken their immune systems causing them to be easily infected. Though this is one reason why; other reasons including, as stated in the article "Trumpanian Malfeseance" is another major cause. With the testing locations around the U.S having major breakpoints, it was noted that zipcodes of higher-income families had the closest and many available sights of getting tested compared to zip codes with low-income families. Further studies showed that out of these lower-income locations, the majority was filled by black people. This limited the opportunity for black people to get tested and explains how the pandemic is affecting black people.
• 
  2021-02-19

  The Delta Flight Museum Will Become Georgia’s Largest Covid Vaccination Site Next Week

  The state of Georgia has announced that they are partnering with Delta Air Lines to turn the Delta Flight Museum into a vaccination center. The center will be one of four major vaccination centers in Georgia. Vaccinations will be offered through drive-thru and walk-up.
• 
  02/16/2021

  Jaz Kaur Oral History, 2021/02/16

  I recorded a mini oral history with my mom's old friend about the positive aspects she experienced during the pandemic
• 
  2021-01-03

  HERMIT HERALD VOL 1 ISSUE 89

  call for challenging media
• 
  2020-10-05

  The Pandemic in Prisons: Covid-19, Repression, and the Carceral State

  This podcast episode is from the Revolutionary Left Radio podcast featuring show host Breht and guests.
• 
  2020-11-12

  HERMIT HERALD VOL 1 ISSUE 77

  Election results fighting
• 
  2020-05-29

  BLM Protestors at CNN Building

  During the protests a few months back, I remember seeing this picture spread all around twitter uncensored and I remember thinking “these kids are going to be arrested because no one is protecting them’. And so I felt it was only fitting that this be the photo I choose for this assignment.
• 2020-11-05

  Where’s Some Russian Collusion When You Need It?

  My friends and I were once again on Xbox Live, talking about the election, and I had a sudden thought. Didn’t Trump steal the election in 2016 with help from Vladimir Putin, according to the liberals? Of course he stole the election in 2016. Our voting system is totally rigged and rife with fraud. But, not when Joe Biden wins! When Joe Biden cheats his way into getting 5 states with hundreds of thousands of mail-in ballots at 3AM and I point that out, I’m ‘disrespecting the electoral process’ and ‘a fascist.’ Both are hilarious because I never respected representative government in the first place and I’m an anarcho-capitalist. Naturally, I asked my friends at this point: “where’s some Russian collusion you really need some? Putin’s not coming through for the Orange Man this year.” Laughter ensued.
• 
  2020-06-15

  Censored Children

  This photo and article are about the Black Lives Matter movement; specifically which places in the world are experiencing high levels of protests. The event is occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating the importance of social justice during a pandemic. I censored the face of the children as an assignment regarding privacy and ethics.
• 
  2020-03-25

  Flying across country with empty seats

  Pictures from both an empty plane across country and also an empty hotel where I was staying during work travels in late March 2020. Despite the pandemic I was an essential worker and therefore was traveling across country multiple times a month during March, April, and June 2020. This flight was San Diego to Atlanta and the hotel was also in Atlanta where I was one of three guests in a hotel with hundreds of rooms.
• 2020-10-16

  Pre-Pandemic, what did we know? Teachers knew nothing.

  March 12th, 2020 seemed to be a perfect spring day in Southeast Georgia, it was a beautiful morning. I am a teachers assistant in a self-contained classroom in Liberty Co., GA. We had a long weekend ahead of us, March 12th was a Thursday and we had Friday off, 5 day weekend, and all of the kids knew it! So as any teacher would do we had a relaxed day. We taught normal morning lessons, talked to the kids about why they will not see us on Friday, Monday, Tuesday, or St. Patricks day that was coming up. So, we painted pictures of rainbows - nothing out of the ordinary, at least not in our little self-contained bubble. The teachers for some time had been hearing about this virus, and that it was far worse than the severe flu we saw in 2018, or anything else we have seen from overseas. This illness was something that we all were closely monitoring in the news because schools are the perfect breeding grounds for germs of any illnesses; however, we knew one thing - that there were some measures being put in place for travel. Then we get an all-call on the intercom in our classroom, "Hey 201, we just want to inform yall the main water line is broken up the road. We suggest you call your parents to get ready to receive their children, its a half-day." STUNNED we all took a moment, took a breath. Our 7 kids had no idea what was happening so we all took to our phones and called the parents of the most vulnerable first, then the ones we knew may take some time to get a hold of. Next we informed our parents of the children who ride buses that they will be on their way home within the next hour as the school had no water. We rallied up our kids, went through our daily clean up (4 hours earlier than usual) and gave them all tight hugs. Some of them didn't want to leave, some really didn't understand why they were going home so early, and some just wanted to get out of the crowd. In the end, I hugged every last one of my kids I took up to the front office because I had a sick feeling about this weekend. I told them to be good and listen to their adults and I waved goodbye. For most, that was the last time I saw that set of kids again because last year's class was older. Those children went onto middle school. Friday, March 13th, 2020 came and rumors started that we may not be going back to school on Wednesday because of some virus called Coronavirus. What was this? Why? No one understood. My teacher friends were all communicating online what was happening, a lot of uncertainty. The weekend came and went, nothing. Monday, the 16th of March, we got the news we weren't to enter ANY school building, this virus is highly contagious. I'd seen the news and by then China, Japan, Korea, and Italy were on total lockdown, Spain was following suit; along with the rest of the world, the US was the only nation in the world not really doing anything. However, in Liberty co. we were on lockdown, schools shutdown. At some point we were told only lead teachers and 2 assistants per grade level may go into the school to help get the children's personal belongings, this did not happen. Everything was shutdown, it was too dangerous. Personally, I didn't hear from the majority of my students after March 12th. Many factors are at play here: little to no technology in low-income homes, parents decided that since school was out they weren't obligated to stay in the area so they went to visit family in different Counties/States (so no communication was made) or parents didn't pick up the phones when we would call, those that we did see online wasn't for long because our teaching method is very hands on for Special Education our parents had no idea how to help at home and some gave in a put YouTube videos on all day. This wasnt easy for ANYONE I know. Pandemics, changes in general, and a sudden life change is ALWAYS hard. School as we know it will never be the same. As of today, this new school year we are doing hybrid teaching, which is giving parents the option to send their child to school face-to-face learning (with a mask on at all times) or they can have virtual learning. Our county provided everyone child and staff with ipads, so there's really no excuse at this point. I'm optimistic for the future, I feel a change in teaching. It's hard to change a system that is so engrained in our systems but we can figure it out.
• 2020-10-08

  An Unsure Election

  The experience of the election is changing. As a poll worker, I'm seeing this first-hand.
• 
  09/17/2020

  [REDACTED] Han Oral History, 2020/09/17

  This is an audio interview with a classmate who is based in Korea. She is a freshman who is studying Pharmacy. She expresses her thoughts and experience on the current pandemic, Covid-19.
• 
  2020-08-27

  Drag in the Age of COVID-19

  This news article explores the effect the COVID-19 shutdowns have had on drag performances. Since March, Atlanta has banned gatherings of over 50 people in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus. For drag queens in the Atlanta area, this means that they have not been able to perform live since March. However, many have found virtual performances to be a viable alternative. Some drag queens, in fact, are glad that they are able to work virtually now as they had been wanting to get out of performing at bars. While virtual performances don't make as much money as live performances, the audience is a lot larger than if they were performing live.
• 
  2020-08-25

  A mother captured an emotional photo of her son crying in virtual class to show difficulties of distance learning during pandemic

  When her son returned to virtual learning last week, Jana Coombs saw him struggling. Her 5-year-old, a kindergartener at a school in Coweta County, Georgia, was so frustrated with the remote back-to-school experience that he put his head down and cried. Jana Coombs story is not unique; it’s the same story experienced by thousands of mothers who now find themselves running back and forth to their children’s computers trying to make sense of remote learning. This article is an accurate glimpse into the home of every mother with a school aged child and how their lives have been affected by Covid.
• 
  2020-07-09

  New Car!

  Throughout the pandemic, I needed assistance. I had to rely on other people for the things that I needed. Through God's grace, savings, and unemployment assistance, I got my new car! I would've never imagines i qould get my car during a global pandemic, but i am so grateful!
• 
  2020-06-09

  Voter Rights in a Pandemic

  The image on the left shows the voting line in predominantly African American and Democratic portion of Fulton County, GA where complications with electronic ballots created a 4 hour line to vote; the left shows the predominantly white and conservative portion of that county. This is an example of the pandemic's impact on the upcoming elections.
• 
  2020-05-14

  My Experiences

  Biography
• 2020-05-12

  Covid-19 and being immunosuppressed

  I love in Bremen, Georgia, USA, a tiny town 65 miles west of Atlanta, Georgia. I also have asthma and an immunosuppressed due to the medications I take for rheumatoid arthritis. Covid-19 has been an eye-opening experience for me. I never really thought about being immunosuppressed until now. Sure, I had to be careful if someone around me was sick, but I could pretty much go where I wanted, if I wanted, with no fear. Now, I wear a mask and gloves when I go for a walk. I don't go to the store for anything -- my husband goes. No outdoor places with large crowds, which are getting more prevalent in my state since Governor Kemp lifted the stay at home restrictions, foolishly, in my humble opinion. Every little thing that starts up bodily, my first thought is, "Is it Covid?" I started having an occasional dry cough on Friday with a weird feeling on my tongue, headache, and achiness. Is it Covid? Well, I do cough due to a medication I'm on, and I'm prone to migraines, not to mention I ache a lot from the RA, so it probably isnt. Can't get tested anyway. So I wait, and watch, and mull over each possible symptom. I turn to TV and books and school (even online as it is until the fall) to take my mind off possible symptoms. I worry when my husband has a cough and complains of headache. I worry about our son, who lives with us and works from home right now. I worry they're going to call him back into work while cases and deaths are still rising. I worry. But we'll get through this.
• 
  2020-04-22

  "The Hermit Herald" vol. 1 Issue 19

  50th earth day; hammer & Dance-early openings; Nursing homes; Treatment update; Happy Science bajou.
• 
  2020-04-15

  Social Distancing Line at Your Dekalb Farmer's Market

  This image shows a line of shoppers located approximately six feet apart outside Your Dekalb Farmers Market in Scottdale, Georgia. Most shoppers were wearing masks, but the woman with the two children in front of the author went maskless. Everyone seemed stressed. A masked security guard let in new shoppers only when other left the store.
• 
  2020-03-27

  Essential Employee: Social Worker

  This is an announcement that gives the holder permission to leave their home and go to work, assisting at a young adult transitional program group home. #HIST5241
• 
  03/18/2020

  Coronavirus is Strong But We Are Stronger

  A message taped to a neighborhood mailbox encountered while out on a walk with my son.
• 
  March 23, 2020

  St. Louis Exhibit Opening Cancellation

  The Museum of History and Holocaust Education was supposed to open a new traveling exhibit entitled The Tragedy of the St. Louis on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. The exhibit tells the story of the German luxury liner, the St. Louis, which was carrying over 900 refugees from Germany when it was turned away at Havana Harbor in Cuba. The museum curator as well as members of the Simon family, featured on the exhibit panels, were going to speak at the opening event, including Mrs. Ruth Simon Heinemman, a kindertransport survivor and Kennesaw, Georgia, resident. https://historymuseum.kennesaw.edu/exhibitions/traveling/st-louis.php
• 
  March 13, 2020

  Military Changes

  During this time of social distancing and restraint of large gatherings, my brother was graduating from Army Basic Training. I, along with my parents and many other family members, made the trip from Dickson, Tennessee to Fort Benning Georgia. We went to watch his graduation ceremony and spend the few days he was allowed leave with him. However, the night before we were to leave we received word that the ceremony was cancelled and we wouldn’t be allowed to see our soldier as of that time. After hours of waiting to see what might change we finally were notified that the ceremony was still canceled but we were allowed to see our soldier and bring him off base. After traveling down to Fort Benning we got to watch his ceremony on our laptops and were then allowed to go pick up our soldier. We spent the remaining day catching up and doing as much as we could in as little as possible. Finally the end of the night came and we were headed back to our hotel when my brother got a a call that said he had to go back to base. Furious but helpless we had no choice but to bring him back. Once again because of the coronavirus precautions, and President Trump declaring the virus a pandemic that day, we had no clue when we might see him again. The next morning we got our final notification that we could go on base and spend the day with our soldier but he wasn’t allowed to leave and it would be his last chance to see us. We then went on base and spent what little time with him we could. That night we said our goodbyes and started home. My brother is now somewhere in the middle of the woods with the rest of his platoon in isolation. We have had little communication with him but he said that they will be spending five days in the woods, going back to the barracks for a shower, and right back into the woods for five more days. His base is now on lockdown and no civilians are allowed to enter. After this whole mess and scramble to see my brother I’m just happy we got to spend what little time with him we did.
• 
  2020-03-18

  Covid-19: Responding as One Region

  Email from the leader of Welcoming America's One Region subcommittee to share resources for members in metro Atlanta to help vulnerable populations in their municipalities and other networks respond effectively to the COVID-19 crisis--- especially multilingual resources.
• 
  3.16.2020

  Empty shelves at Publix in Atlanta.

  At 1:00pm on Monday, March 16, 2020, the shelves at my local Publix were almost empty. The store was packed with people, all of whom were stocking up to be locked in for an indefinite period of time.
• 
  2020-03-14

  Flying Home for Spring Break

  Flying with my friend from Georgia to Arizona; not sure when we'll go back.