Items

• 2022-06-22

  The Two-Week Road Trip

  When COVID-19 shut everything down in March 2020, I was in the middle of student teaching and preparing to take my last teaching certification exam. My college graduation was moved to a PowerPoint presentation, and summer plans were canceled. The first year of my teaching career was hybrid. I had a small portion of my students in person, and a majority tuned into my world geography class via Zoom. In my second year of teaching, things were slowly returning to normal. Asynchronous and synchronous schooling was no more, and students had to attend in person while wearing masks and trying to maintain social distancing as much as possible in a high school. During this school year, my family planned a two-week road trip to explore historic sites in the United States on our journey from San Antonio, Texas, to Eau Clair, Michigan. On this road trip, we traveled through and stopped in eight states. In the Summer of 2022, I embarked on a two-week road trip from June 19th to July 2nd with my mom, my younger brother, and my grandma to visit family in Illinois and Michigan. It was chaotic and wonderful at the same time. We traveled through Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Missouri until returning to Texas. Travel restrictions at this point were lax or nonexistent in the states we traveled to, and many people we encountered acted as if COVID-19 had never happened. Masks were hardly worn, and social distancing was gone, although signs recommending the six-foot distance still lingered around different locations we stopped at. I, however, carried hand sanitizer with me religiously and had a mask with me in case it was needed. Because of how relaxed the COVID-19 safety restrictions were in the states we traveled through, my family and I were convinced we would get sick. Luckily, we did not, but whenever we returned to the car after a sightseeing excursion, we always said, “There’s no way we didn’t get COVID that time.” We were most convinced that we had come into contact with the virus in Chattanooga, Tennessee. While in Chattanooga, we went up Lookout Mountain and into Ruby Falls. Ruby Falls is a series of caverns that lead to the tallest and deepest underground waterfall in the United States. You must descend in an elevator to get down to the cavern entrance. There were no mandatory mask signs or social-distancing warnings to board the elevator, only a weight limit. So, my mother, younger brother, and I squeezed into an elevator with about twenty maskless people and descended into the cave. On the cave tour, we were still in close quarters but were able to spread out a bit more. We traveled into the depths of the caverns until we made it to the waterfall, took our pictures, and then road back up to civilization again, compacted into an elevator. We traveled and stopped in many different places, each with various rules and restrictions regarding how that establishment was handling COVID-19. Our elevator ride at Ruby Falls was the most surprising part of our trip. This elevator ride made me feel as if people had forgotten the entire COVID-19 epidemic had occurred. My surprise was mainly influenced by the precautions I had to take as a teacher, and going out into the “wild” opened my eyes to how different parts of the country were coping with the aftermath of the epidemic. I observed many people's attitude on our road trip: "Let's just get back to normal.”
• 
  2023-07

  Boston & Italy During Covid; Civil Rights Trip 2023

  Prior to the world-stopping "Covid Times," my friends and I had planned to travel to Boston, MA. We were going to watch a Braves v. Red Sox game, visit Salem and the Freedom Trail in Boston. We had tickets, airfare, lodging etc. Then the world shut down. Because of life circumstances, we had to delay further after the world opened back up, and decided to shift gears and take a different trip. This would be a Civil Rights trip in the Summer of 2023. Again, life circumstances created the need to adjust. Two members of our group (half of us) were no longer able to travel, so myself and the other member of our group went. The trip was great. We flew into NC, then drove to Charleston where we spent a couple days. It was great because we were able to visit several places which were very impactful to both of us. McLeod Plantation was a wonderful & educational experience. We were given a fantastic guided tour where we learned much about the enslaved people who made the plantation function, and then about their descendants, some of whom lived there until the 1990's. We also visited the Old Slave Mart which was one of the most prominent sites in Charleston for slave sales. It has now been turned into a museum and memorial. From Charleston, we visited Savannah. We were only there about 12 hours, but were able to visit the house of a very prominent slave trader and see the living and working quarters of the people enslaved there. From there, we went to Atlanta (I got to watch a game at Truist Park!) for the night, and then on to Montgomery. If we could do it again, I would spend much more time in Montgomery. We visited the Legacy Museum which was, in a phrase, life changing. The experience was phenomenal and extremely visceral. I think it is something every American should experience at least once. We spent the whole day, and barely scratched the surface. And that was just the museum and monument. From Montgomery we drove to Selma and were able to walk the Edmund Pettus Bridge. We also drove around town a little and were able to see some of the churches, and neighborhood that were so influential in the Civil Rights Movement and the powerful Selma to Montgomery March. From there, we went to Memphis where we visited the National Civil Rights Museum. That was also a wonderful experience. This was such an awe-inspiring trip. It was very quick, but it was fantastic. It is a trip that I would take again though next time for longer.
• 
  2022-04-19

  As Mask and Vaccine Mandates Fall, COVID Rates Soar Among Touring Musicians

  This is a news story from Variety by Jem Aswad. The author here is talking about rising COVID cases among touring musicians. She says that while no official data exists, social media posts from band members and musicians postponing or canceling concerts due to someone testing positive has been the way to find this data. Some musicians are demanding their audience members wear a mask, as if one member of the group tests positive, it could mean more financial trouble in the future. “I am not a big band,” indie musician Sasami tweeted earlier this year. “If we get COVID and have to cancel shows I’m fully FUCKED. If you love me at all, please wear a mask and buy merch so we can keep touring.” The indie and mid-level touring acts are hit the hardest by COVID, as canceling a show could mean more financial hardship. Those artists will typically play smaller venues too, and for smaller audiences, meaning that every show does count when it comes to money earned. The costs associated with postponed shows are daunting. “If a person on the tour tests positive, you still have to pay for lodging and food, and for a bus or other vehicles if you’ve rented them — and there’s zero money coming in for those shows,” Long says. “And,” he adds, “if the show being canceled is a festival date” — which, like other “tentpole” dates on a tour, are often much more lucrative than club shows — “it can mean a tour that was profitable is suddenly unprofitable.” The impact that COVID has had on performers themselves sometimes goes unnoticed, especially for smaller acts. This article helps show the ways performing arts has changed due to COVID.
• 
  2020-10-31

  Tour Virtual por Halloween al cementerio Presbítero Maestro

  Evento virtual para celebrar Halloween en Lima, Perú. Están ofreciendo un tour virtual del cementerio Presbítero Maestro. Por s./ 19 se pueden recibir un enlace para visitar el pabellón de suicidas, el pabellón de niños y no nacidos, tumbas de asesinos, zonas de brujería, tumbas de ex presidente y más. Los datos son lo siguiente: No vamos a permitir que por esta pandemia te pierdas la experiencia de Halloween en el cementerio mas misterioso y antiguo de Lima. Así que nuestro equipo de grabación irá al cementerio esa noche para traerte este recorrido virtual EN VIVO para que lo disfrutes desde donde estés, con la misma chispa y emoción como si estuvieras allí.
• 
  2020-08-19

  COVID-19 Concert Cancellations

  One of the many issues brought by the COVID-19 pandemic was the postponement and cancellation of many events. In late January my favorite artists, BTS, announced a worldwide tour that was planned to start late April. Fans became excited as concerts not only allow them to see the artists but also interact with other fans and feel a sense of community. Sadly, as the number of COVID-19 cases grew throughout the spring and public safety became of increasing concern, both BTS and their company decided to postpone the tour until further notice. While I am extremely happy the health and safety of both the fans and the artists were prioritized, it does very little to lessen the sadness that haunted fans as they no longer knew the next time they’d be able to see their favorite artists.
• 
  2020-03-12

  Screenshot of Tig Notaro Tour Dates

  My father and I had bought tickets to see comedian Tig Notaro’s show in Ithaca, NY, originally scheduled for March 14th. It was rescheduled and pushed back to October 3rd. Tour dates may be pushed back even further in the future, depending on how long the stay-at-home orders are in effect.
• 
  2020-07-29

  Salem History Through the MHS Archive

  This advertises a virtual event held by the Massachusetts Historical Society. This webinar discusses the history of collections about Salem, MA within the Massachusetts Historical Society. This webinar covers the history of Salem from its founding up until the present.
• 
  2020-03-30

  John F. Kennedy Library Virtual Tour

  The JFK Library engaged audiences by sharing a virtual tour of the Columbia Point Museum via a Tweet on Twitter. Individuals on Twitter can explore the exterior of the museum, beginning with President Kennedy's yacht, "Victura," sitting on the museum's lawn. Although museum-goers can't visit the museum in the conventional sense, individuals can still see what the museum looks like on its point in Dorchester, MA
• 
  2020-03-12

  The Soul Rebels Reschedules Tour, New Orleans, LA

  New Orleans brass band The Soul Rebels postpones their national tour due to the pandemic.