Items

• 
  2023-03-19

  HERMIT HERALD, ISSUE 150

  Final issue, a three year review
• 
  2022-08-19

  HERMIT HERALD, ISSUE 144

  TRUTH AND LIBERTY SUBJECTIVE
• 
  05/25/2022

  Javier Echeverria Hernández Oral History, 2022/05/25

  En esta entrevista Javier Hernández Echeverria es entrevistado por Carmen Kordick Coury concerniente al covid-19 en Costa Rica. Para empezar, hablan de los cambios que habían pasado desde el año anterior. Hablan de la situación en cuenta la pandemia y el programa de la vacunación. Hablan de la gente que aun no se han vacunado por falta de querer. Habla del camino a la normalidad, el uso de mascarillas, del gobierno, y nuevos candidatos. De allí hablan de su vida social, y el concierto de Cold Play. De La Caja, las elecciones, y el seguro social. Otra ves vuelven al tema de las vacunas, de gente que no se quiere vacunarse, de la familia de Javier y las noticias falsas. Habla sobre su vida ya jubilado, de la economía y inflación y gente sin trabajo. Para terminar, hablan de fuentes de información, de las elecciones y el nuevo gobierno. Al final habla del futuro.
• 2022-04-29

  The Pandemic in the Military

  When I found out about the start of lock downs and the fact that a pandemic was even happening, I was at the end of a training rotation at Fort Irwin, CA. My colleagues and I were extremely concerned about the welfare of our families as we had all been screened for symptoms, but there was talk of us not being able to return home until the DOD had figured out exactly how they were going to respond to the “sudden” emergency. I only put sudden in quotes because the government had plenty of warning that this was coming but decided that it wasn’t worth acting on until it had already started happening. Once home, the adjustment to a new way of life was akin to being dropped in a foreign country that speaks a language you don’t understand and has none of the customs you are familiar with. While families, dependents, and civilians had had warning, albeit minimal, that lock downs were going to be a thing and that masks were now mandatory regardless of where you were going, those who had been away without any media or contact back home, were suddenly thrust into the lifestyle of April, 2020. From that time to now, not only has vaccination and the reality of the virus become a contentious topic among coworkers, friends, and family, but what side of the issue you place yourself on has led to some of the worst division the nation has seen since the 1960s. Families have been ripped apart and friendships destroyed because the views expressed and sides taken on pandemic related issues, including the 2020 election, have adopted the same level of identity in our lives as our ethnic, racial, or religious backgrounds. Those who would have found common ground in shared religious belief, or shared culture now create new divides on the basis of believing that the vaccine works or not or believing that those who participated in the Jan 6, 2021 Capitol incident were justified or not.
• 
  2021-11-16

  Hermit HERALD, ISSUE 132

  Wokeness, big Democrat problem
• 2020-11-07

  You're Fired [PRIVATE -DUPLICATE]

  I worked the polls at Nevitt Forest Elementary during the 59th presidential election. The lines were crowded at 6:00 prior to the polls official opening at 7:00. The energy in the voting room was definitely mixed--some determined, some anxious, and some angry at the previous conditions of Trump administration of 2017-21. Although the energy of the election results are still mixed today still, this meme reflects one of the more amused and joyous reactions of the election turnout. Thus, using one of Trump's infamous lines of his famed tv show Celebrity Apprentice, this meme pokes fun at the importance of public ratings not only in pop culture but in politics as well.
• 
  2020-10-08

  2020 Election

  The picture above is a photo that I took of myself after mailing my absentee ballot for the 2020 election. This was something that was especially exciting amidst the difficulties that Covid-19 had caused in the United States and around the world. Due to the pandemic, most in-person voting was not happening that year. Instead, most people mailed in ballots. As a college student, I needed to register for an absentee ballot in order for me to vote in my home state of New Jersey. I remember that I did this while I was stuck at home over the summer. For me, during the summer of 2020, I did not feel as though I was accomplishing anything. Registering for my absentee ballot was one of the only things that I actually accomplished during this time. In addition, there was much unrest in the country, as well as on social media, that motivated me to register as well. As a 20 year old, this was the first Presidential election that I could vote in, which made it especially important for me. During the summer, with all of the unrest in the country, I was interested to see the areas in which I agreed with my parents, and the areas in which we disagreed. In such a disaster of a year, I wanted to be able to say that I had voted in the election, at the very least. It is my civic duty after all. I think that this photo is extremely interesting because it is a true time capsule. I am wearing a mask, which characterizes the Covid pandemic. The filter proudly states, “Just Voted!!!” and “Elections 2020”. There is a joy that is evident on my face; there is something exciting about being able to vote in your first presidential election. Throughout my life, I have learned about elections and have always wanted to take part. In the 2016 election, my high-school peers and I, who were nearly competent citizens, were forced to watch from the sidelines. There is also something particularly interesting about an election in an extremely difficult time. It felt important in a way that regular years might not.
• 
  2020-11-03

  Election Night 2020

  This poem sits at the nexus of pandemic life and political desperation. My wife lost multiple elderly family members to COVID because her parents believed the rhetoric spread by Donald Trump and those like him. Five years of dealing with racist, sexist, homophobic and transphobic bigotry being the political norm, and eight months of a pandemic in the heart of one of the largest science denying states in the country led to this moment of desperation, where all I could do was blindly bake and write to get the nervous energy out.
• 
  2020-10-27

  WI, MI Voters Speak Out On Impact Of Pandemic, Social Justice Protests On 2020 | NBC Nightly News

  NBC’s Lester Holt hears from voters in the battleground states about the Trump administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, the social justice movement and their 2020 decision.
• 
  2020-12-19

  Minnesota Election Day

  I had the privilege of documenting what I saw in Minnesota for @aclumn on Election Day. Going into the day I was prepared to see voter intimidation and long lines of frustrated voters, instead was met with celebratory and upbeat voters hosting cookouts and energized to cast their ballot.
• 
  2020-11-01

  Volunteer work during a pandemic

  Not only was 2020 the year of the pandemic, it was also the year of one of the biggest elections in history. I am a political science and history major at ASU and I wanted to volunteer for a campaign. I had a few friends who were working on Mayor Kate Gallego's campaign and through them I was able to volunteer for the mayor herself. Normally you would meet with everyone and do volunteer work together but since it was a pandemic we had to all do it over zoom at home. Most of the volunteer work was making calls and helping voters. I got the opportunity to send my ballot in early and all of us who voted put our stickers on our laptops. Now every time I go to open my computer I am reminded of all the hard work I put in during the pandemic.
• 
  2020-09-03

  How social justice protests could affect the 2020 election

  This article by Jenesse Miller looks at the campaign strategies of Joe Biden and Donald Trump as the social justice protests occur in the wake of police brutality. From the article, "Both Biden and Trump made plans to visit Kenosha in the wake of the civil unrest in that city. Trump toured businesses that had been damaged during riots and praised law enforcement, while Biden’s campaign announced he would hold a community meeting and speak with the family of Blake, who was shot seven times by police. Each candidate’s actions were carefully choreographed to appeal to specific voters among their respective bases of support, but will their plans work?"
• 
  2020-10-30

  Race and social justice in the 2020 presidential election

  In the interview, Rashawn Ray discussing race and voter suppression. He discusses the history of voter suppression and how it can be used against various communities of color and how it is being used today. He also discusses the many ways this practice affects communities and our country as a whole.
• 
  2021-01-29

  Four Wensdays in January

  This is a meme my friend shared in our discord, it recounts the absolute insanity that was January of 2021. The first image is of the failed coup attempt by enraged Trump supporters, white supremacists and fascists; who all stormed the capitol building with little to no resistance. While inside, they defaced the building, broke into offices and hunted for Vice President Mike Pence to hang for ‘betraying’ Donald Trump. The second photo came in response, depicting speaker of the house Nancy Pelosi holding the article of impeachment for Donald Trump. While it was argued that this was a pointless endeavor as Trump was virtually leaving office in a week, the main goal for impeachment was to prohibit Donald Trump from holding office ever again. The third image is the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States, this event was made possible by the presence of the national guard, where 21,000 soldiers were deployed to make sure nothing as similar as January 6th could occur. The streets were empty as roadblocks and military utility trucks cordoned off the area, massive fences were erected surrounding the structure and soldiers patrolled the area. Largely, it was believed there was going to be nationwide attacks on several capitol structures throughout the nation in response – yet nothing of substance happened. The final image, and my favorite, would be the assault on Wall Street. This is an insane story, so I’m going to be a little less formal but this is an incredibly significant event, it is an instance of effective class-warfare. I’m not going to explain stocks, but essentially what happened is hedge fund investors made a bet that GameStop would fail, they took several ‘shorts’ out on this company to profit from this bet – however, redditors on r/wallstreetbets caught wind of this and thought “what would happen if their bet was wrong,” they began investing heavily into the company, raising its value, and as a result, costing the hedge fund billionaires thousands. These thousands in losses became millions, then billions, as more and more working class and middle class people threw themselves onto the market, to eat the rich. It wasn’t about profit, about making a return, it was a message. Eventually, this fiasco showed Americans that there essentially is no such thing as the ‘free-market,’ as these large hedge funds began blocking people from purchasing stock, forcibly selling peoples stock, using their own funds to facilitate an artificial ‘scare.’ People lost so much after the initial manipulation, but it proved that the market was only free for the rich, that once anyone else began to emulate the fraudulent strategies of the wealthy elite, they would be struck down. This is currently on going, but I cannot stress enough – it is not about money, it’s about sending a message that people are done. It’d be funny if the federal government intervened on behalf of wall-street by bailing them out, before sending out those measly 2k stimulus cheques. For the archive, this photo represents the pace in which everything moved in 2021, and the absolute absurdity of where we are today. To think, when this began we were planning on a few weeks at home, we’d make sour dough bread, then we began missing our friends and family’s – then we were in the streets marching for civil rights, and the ability for people not to be murdered by police because of the colour of their skin, fascists stormed the government, the ex-president is being impeached, again, now we’re trying to destroy Wall Street, this pandemic is absolutely wild.
• 
  2020-09-14

  How are the mechanics of the first COVID-19-era election, taking place in New Brunswick, working?

  This brief interview with CTV journalist Laura Brown highlights how New Brunswick political figures navigated campaigning during the pandemic.
• 
  2020-09-09

  New Brunswick election officials report heavy advance voting

  This news article highlights how COVID-19 impacted voting during New Brunswick's provincial election.
• 
  2020-09-13

  An election without rallies or baby-kissing: New Brunswick vote a pandemic first

  This news article describes the impact of COVID-19 on the New Brunswick provincial election.
• 
  2020-09-10

  New Brunswick leaders spar over language, pandemic politics during CTV News roundtable

  New Brunswick politicians debate COVID-related issues during their provincial election.
• 
  2020-12-07

  Roman Wright American history final reflection paper

  This paper discusses the relationship between American history and current topics such as BLM and the 2020 election
• 
  2020-12-07

  History, Then and Now

  History Final Paper
• 
  2020-12-07

  Use of History in Memes

  Analysis of recent memes that use historic events to critique or comment on current issues.
• 
  2020-12-07

  The Long Arm of History

  I wrote this paper for my final project for HIS103 at Niagara University in 2020.
• 
  12/07/2020

  Lauren Murray Oral History, 2020/12/07

  Interview with a college student studying historical diseases about how COVID-19 compares to past pandemics. Comparison to 1918 Influenza pandemic and Black Death.
• 
  2020-11-03

  NYC Celebrate President-Elect

  In New York City, people gathered on street corners after the 2020 election was called to celebrate the President-Elect, Joe Biden. This video was shot by my sister, Catherine Sweeney. The pandemic made this year’s election a very important one for many people, as their jobs, relationships, school, and health were all affected by the decisions of the new president. As a relief to many, the candidate with a solid COVID and public health plan was elected. Joe Biden wants to find a unified coronavirus strategy and create a Medicare-like public insurance plan. Over the last few months leading up to the election, many celebrities and influencers have been urging people to get registered to vote, educate themselves on the candidates and issues at large, and take part in democracy. This year, many Americans, including myself, voted using mail-in ballots. Others showed up in masks on voting day and waited in socially distanced lines, to make sure their vote was counted. It took several days longer than usual to announce the winner because states had to process so many mail-in ballots. This goes to show that democracy carries on in a pandemic.
• 
  2020-12-05

  HERMIT HERALD VOL 1 ISSUE 83

  Presidents and non consecutive terms
• 
  2020-12-02

  HERMIT HERALD VOL 1 ISSUE 82

  Media coverage- Covid -19
• 
  2020-11-29

  HERMIT HERALD VOL 1 ISSUE 81

  Trump to press election queries
• 
  2020-10-06

  VOTE! or else.

  With the virtue of our country’s future president dependent on Pennsylvania the infamous swing state, street art like this is more than typical on the walls throughout Philly. It is powerful. I cannot stress enough how many times my Mom signed me up with election campaigns, poll ballot services, and volunteers from the State House. I believe we will look back on this election in the midst of a global pandemic and be able to reflect on it like no other. From outbursts of protests, riots, and looting’s, to the BLM movement, to lockdowns, all of these factors heavily affected Philadelphia, essentially influencing the outcome of the 2020 election. I believe through political murals like this reassure our 1st amendment during times like these. Given all the things the pandemic has abruptly stripped us of, it has provided us with the beauty of proactiveness and opportunity in political art.
• 
  2020-11-21

  HERMIT HERALD VOL 1 ISSUE 79

  Perception over truth
• 
  2020-11-12

  HERMIT HERALD VOL 1 ISSUE 77

  Election results fighting
• 
  2020-11-07

  Campaigning during Covid

  This is a video from Nov. 7., the day Biden was announced as President-elect. I was walking through Boystown in Chicago with my roommate to pick up dinner for the evening and lots of people were out celebrating. Celebrating in a COVID-friendly way...it may be hard to tell in the video but everyone was spaced out respectfully with masks! An unusual time but an important one to remember.
• 
  2020-11-03

  Voting Lines Stretched Across Two Parking Lots

  On November 3, 2020 I took a photo of the voting line that was spread across the Legacy Bank and Library parking lots in Blanchard, Oklahoma. The small community has several voting precincts and this is just one of them. At one point it was mentioned that people were waiting up to three hours to vote at this voting location. The crowd appeared to be somewhat spaced apart and some were wearing masks. The pandemic affected how people stood near each other, which would've been normally much closer.
• 
  2020-09-15

  US Postal Service notice on voting by mail during COVID-19

  On September 15, 2020 I received a post card mailer from the U.S. Postal Service. The message is: "If you plan to vote by mail, plan ahead." The reverse side had my information and a note detailing a list of suggestions to prepare for mailing in a ballot during the 2020 U.S. Election. Personally, I've voted in many elections over the past few decades and voted by mail for a long time before this election as well - I've never received any information like this. You can tell that during the pandemic there was going to be a lot of pressure on voting by mail. Personally, I turned in my ballot at least a month before the actual day in fear that the postal system would be overwhelmed in the days right before the election. This is the first year where voting by mail didn't seem like a convenience, but felt like it was a large part of election history. The pandemic seems to be shifting our daily lives in ways that no one would've expected at the beginning of 2020.
• 
  2020-11-13

  Over 130 COVID-19 cases in the Secret Service

  The Washington Post reported that over 130 members of the Secret Service are either in quarantine or have contracted the virus. 130 people accounts for around 10% of the total number of secret service agents. The outbreak comes as a result of the amount of traveling President Donald Trump did before the election. The White House has received massive amount of criticism for their lack of care.
• 
  2020-11-06

  HERMIT HERALD VOL 1 ISSUE 75

  PERCEIVE WHAT YOU WANT TO PERCEIVE
• 
  2020-11-05

  Voting and Coronavirus

  This picture depicts voters in Las Vegas voting with their masks on, which is what I had to do as well when I went to vote in person. This is an achievable idea for healthy Americans who can leave their houses because they aren’t afraid of getting the Coronavirus, but for a lot of older and immuno-compromised people, it is not likely. This resulted in many people using mail-in ballots to vote, like my grandparents had to, but we find out that some of the mail-in ballots are being “lost” or are being rejected. This is not how America should be run, we are amidst a pandemic with many people who can’t take the risk of getting sick right now to go vote and be in a closed space with many other people. It is our right, and it is our duty as Americans to cast our vote to decide who runs our country, it is unfair that people who voted in a perfectly legal way are being refused to be heard just because they don’t want to/can’t be around other people during a global pandemic.
• 
  2020-11-05

  Two Biden supporters in Gritty costumes greet each other in Center City

  The picture is about the protests in Philadelphia, with an icon of Philly, particularly surrounding the desire to count every vote against the requests of President Trump who wants to stop the count.
• 
  2020-11-05

  EXPLAINER: Have election-related protests materialized?

  These images and the article they came from show the continuing effect of the virus and the pandemic. Even in the protests during the elections, some people are wearing masks. This election is happening months after the pandemic began.
• 
  2020-11-06

  Poll Workers under Tough Conditions

  Practically the whole world has its eye on poll workers right now. With the pandemic, protests outside of recorder offices, and a massive amount of early mail-in ballots, poll workers are facing unprecedented working conditions. Many have faced scrutiny for how slow the process its going, but people seem to forget that we are in the middle of a pandemic and these workers need all the help, and not criticism, they can get. Michigan's secretary of state took to twitter to say, "Dear members of the public: Please stop making harassing & threatening calls to my staff. They are kind, hardworking public servants just doing their job. Asking them to shove sharpies in uncomfortable places is never appropriate & is a sad commentary on the state of our nation."
• 
  2020-11-03

  Non-Scalable Election Day Barrier Around the White House

  Apparently, a fake-concrete wall went up around the White House on election day, for what reason? Only time can tell.
• 
  2020-11-02

  Hermit HERALD VOL 1 ISSUE 74

  ELECTION PREVIEW
• 
  2020-10-15

  Senator Harris Suspends Travel Following Campaign Covid-19 Outbreak

  California Senator and Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee, Kamala Harris suspends her campaign travel following two positive cases in her campaign staff. This is a precautionary measure by the campaign. Neither Joe Biden nor Kamala Harris were exposed to either staffer.
• 
  2020-10-11

  No Summer in Wisconsin

  In January I had heard a few reports of COVID-19 starting to spread into the United States, but it wasn't until late March and early April that the whole thing became very real. I remember the day before UWSP officially announced that it would be sending people home. I was with all my friends in my dorm. I remember looking at one another and saying our goodbyes just in case we were all having to pack up the next day. I personally didn't like the dorms very much, but leaving earlier than I was expecting was particularly hard. The semester before I had gone home because of a death in the family. I was unable to cope with it and school. So the fact that I had to leave once again after having had two great roommates was a blow to my pride in returning. When I came home it felt very strange. Suddenly I had all this time off without really wanting it. My plans for the summer were originally to go to Japan for the Guy Healy Program, but that didn’t pan out. I didn't want to go back to work and I had some time before online classes kicked in. However, that’s when a long-awaited release appeared. On March 20th, Animal Crossing: New Horizons released on the Nintendo Switch. I ordered it to arrive the day of, and that game took up an enormous amount of my time. With classes ending and the summer beginning, there was still not too much happening. I put down Animal Crossing after playing it for a total of 655 hours (about 27 days). I felt empty and useless. I wanted to see my friends and enjoy the summer with them. I wanted to have an income but was still afraid to go in public. When I spoke to my mother about this she responded “The virus isn't happening anymore”. I spent most of my time sleeping and depressed. That’s when I decided to buy something I thought to be only for rich people. I bought an Oculus Quest AKA a virtual reality headset. I figured, since I wasn’t spending any of my money on going places, I’ll buy something to allow me to do so. As July began I grew frustrated with the limitations of my headset. Because of its limited processing power, I couldn't see all the places and people that I wanted to. So, that led me to my second large purchase. I bought a gaming pc (in my defense it was $100 off!) Immediately after placing my order, I got a job. I was very afraid of being around people, but I needed to get some of my funds back. I started working at one of the Dollar Generals in town and my goodness was it a shit show. To paraphrase: there was a new manager, numerous new employees, stricter rules, a coin shortage, numerous item shortages, I was the only employee who wore a mask every day until I left, and most customers did not wear a mask even after the federal mandate. I legitimately wished for death by the time August ended and had my medication dosage increased. Every day that went by was a day closer to me leaving and living in my new apartment in Stevens Point. On September 1st my roommate and I moved into our new apartment. I was so relieved and so happy to be far away from my reckless and conservative family. I was now closer to my school, my friends, and now I could plan my own meals! Classes began on the 2nd and they were entirely online, except for one. It was very strange waking up and not going anywhere. For the next few weeks my days went the same: wake up, eat breakfast, attend classes, eat again/nap, attend more classes, play games, do homework, go to bed. Over and over and over.. I started to feel like I was going a bit mad. Sure, I spent a bit of time with a select group of friends and went out to buy groceries, but I was starting to falter in my classes. I was sleeping through class, forgetting to finish my homework, and struggling to fall asleep. Feeling like I had nothing left in me, I made a few changes to my life. For one, I began eating healthier and taking my pills every day. I also had my dosage doubled again. Secondly, I started to work out a bit with a new friend of mine. Finally, I have been trying to fix my sleep schedule so I can have time in the morning to work on things and wake up for school. These last few weeks have by far been the craziest of them all. With the presidential election and Wisconsin's rising COVID-19 cases, it’s hard to find a sense of peace. I am home at the moment watching my little sister because my mother and step-father went to South Dakoda for their 10th anniversary. Last week I learned that my grandfather became infected, and today I learned that two of my cousins have now tested positive. The lack of fresh food at the house is driving me insane and I honestly just want to go back to my apartment. I can only hope that November won’t be as insane as I expect it to be. But hey, at least I have my 21st birthday coming up in December!
• 
  2020-10-06

  Trump Postpones Stimulus Check until After Election

  The main point of the news article is to inform those looking for a second stimulus check that it will be pushed back until after the election. I choose this article because it's important to a large number of people because the check is very important to many people’s businesses, families, and other things. It reveals how people struggle financially during this crisis as it can be hard to provide an income. Some bias against Trump, for trying to sway the votes in his favor. I think the media’s responsibility during the pandemic is to inform the public on new occurrences that manifest with the virus. It is also their responsibility to be a watchdog over other media sources and people. If any wrong doing happens it is their job to report on it.
• 
  2020-10-08

  Vice Presidential Debate Precautions

  More precautions are now taken for in-person political debates. In addition to sitting at least 6ft apart, the vice presidential debate featured two glass barriers between the candidates to prevent the spread if one of them unknowingly contracted COVID-19
• 2020-10-08

  An Unsure Election

  The experience of the election is changing. As a poll worker, I'm seeing this first-hand.
• 2020-10-05

  Covid-19 and The Media

  This article serves to inform the public of President Trump’s current condition after being diagnosed with Covid-19. It talks about how the doctors taking care of Trump contradict themselves when talking about his health condition and it leaves people wondering if he is in a worse state than they are making him out to be. I chose this article because I haven’t heard anything about Trump since he was diagnosed with Covid-19 and I wanted to know the latest news on his condition. This article shows how much of an impact Covid-19 is currently having in our Country. The President getting diagnosed with a disease right before the election can obviously have massive repercussions in the political world and America as a whole. This article is important because it lets people see the current state of our President in this crucial time and see the severity of what's going on. There is no bias that I could find in this article because the headlines, wording, sources, and even the pictures all have a very neutral standpoint. The article is simply presenting the facts and evidence they gathered from various sources. The responsibility of the media during the Covid-19 pandemic is to inform people of the situation around the world and spread the importance of safety. The pandemic has obviously started a lot of conflicts that can be seen all throughout the media, but the main priority of all people should be ensuring the safety of themselves and others around them.
• 
  2020-10-05

  Voting By Mail

  Around 28 million people out of 138 million who voted, voted by mail in the 2016 election. Somehow this year we are expecting a dramatic increase in vote by mail, with a 4-5 month notice. I wonder how this will affect our election?
• 
  2020-10-05

  The New York Times-- As Trump Seeks to Project Strength, Doctors Disclose Alarming Episodes

  This article is important because it shows that the president during the COVID-19 pandemic was not smart and didn’t take it seriously.
• 
  2020-10-02

  HERMIT HERALD VOL 1 ISSUE 67

  President & CV