Items

• 
  2020-11-20

  Banner Health reinstates no visitor policy at all Arizona locations.

  A press release detailing Banner Health reinstating no visitor policy at all Arizona locations, going into effect at 6 p.m. on Nov. 22
• 
  2020-11-20

  Banner Health joins Mayo Clinic, Dignity Health and others to spread "Mask Up" message Wearing a face mask is best way to slow down surging COVID-19 pandemic

  Banner Health is pleased to join local health organizations Mayo Clinic and Dignity Health (CommonSpirit Health), as well as other top U.S. health systems, in a "Mask Up" promotion campaign designed to encourage everyone to wear a mask as protection for themselves and others against COVID-19.
• 
  04/02/2020

  3D printed face shields

  The 3D printing community is coming together to ensure Banner Health employees have the personal protective equipment (PPE) they need. Manufacturing is taking place across the Banner Health service area.
• 
  08/05/2020

  Cox Business donates medical supplies

  Cox Business donate more than $200,000 worth of filtration and surgical masks. Community partners such as Cox Business continue to show their support for Banner Health's frontline health care workers.
• 
  -0021-06-29

  Deli Smells and Sounds

  This story tells of the dramatic shift in "normalcy" that the pandemic interrupted.
• 
  2020-06-14

  Solace in the Smell

  This is a story about how hand sanitizer kept one woman hopeful during the pandemic. "Sanitation theater" was a coping mechanism used by individuals, businesses, and organizations used to convince ourselves that we were safe. So much of what we needed during the pandemic, was respite from the dread and insecurity. So much was unknown and so much felt out of control. The smell of the hand sanitizer produced by my local distillery instantly evokes the emotions I felt at the height of the pandemic
• 
  2021-02-02

  Exotic Pets and Reptile Gain Popularity in Australia

  According to the article, Australia is experiencing an increase in exotic pet popularity during the pandemic. With people having more time and resources, the demand for pets, in general, is on the rise. The fear of reptiles exhibited by Generation X is not there in younger generations, so demand for these cool and unusual creatures is on the rise.
• 2020-05-14

  US Market for Pet Reptiles During the Pandemic

  According to the report, during the pandemic, the market increased for pet reptiles. For families not wanting to take on the expense or space requirements of a dog or cat, but looking for an entertaining companion, reptiles make a great choice. They are allergy-friendly as well. The writer of the article anticipates that the trend in pet reptiles will only continue to increase in the years to come.
• 
  2020-09-12

  Coronavirus and pets: How the COVID-19 pandemic has sparked an increase in pet adoption

  This video talks about the shortage of available dogs for adoption in the United States during the pandemic. It describes the huge demand in the North East, California, etc. but packed shelters in the South. This is a trend that started long before the pandemic. Southern shelters are shipping dogs to shelters in the North for adoption. Millenials and Gen Z people want more pets and are willing to spend more money on their pets. This trend is expected to continue after the pandemic as more people negotiate with their employers to have non-traditional or hybrid work models.
• 2021-06-20

  The Best-Laid Plans Go Awry but Mojitos Soften the Blow

  The pandemic torpedoed a very important trip for me – a trip paid for by my place of business to attend a conference in London and give a presentation on an archival project and connect with fellow librarians. I intended to bracket my trip with a visit to Ireland, the home of my ancestors, and conduct some genealogical research. To say I was disappointed is an understatement. I probably won’t be working at my current workplace when the next conference is held (once every three years), so I don’t expect to have the opportunity to get a free trip to a lovely part of the world from them in the future. And I need to have boots on the ground to conduct more research: following up on facts and documents my family has shared with me and which I wanted to confirm or debunk during my research in Ireland. So my genealogy work has stalled as well. There hopefully will be opportunities in the future to visit the UK, to conduct research in Ireland, and to attend conferences, but the perfect combination of all of these that had been arranged for summer 2020 is lost forever. Since I live in a very hot locale during the summer months, and count on getting out of town to maintain my sanity, I wasn’t able to create a staycation to counteract the lost of this trip and vacation—unless you count being huddled in the coolest room in my home with my feet in a kiddie pool sipping mojitos and reading travel and Irish history books to be an acceptable alternative. Although, come to think of it, those mojitos were pretty good.
• 2021-06-19

  Museum of the San Ramon Valley

  The Museum of the San Ramon Valley is well on its way to being back to normal. On June 15th, California officially reopened, which amongst other things meant there were no restrictions on how museums could operate. This means we can finally operate at full capacity. Even when we could only operate at 25 percent capacity we never hit our upper limit of guests, so capacity wasn't ever really a problem. That is something that concerns me as the museum reopens; that we will have low attendance. I was able to work at the museum a few times in the middle of the pandemic, and I never worked a day where we had more than thirty total guests (including people who were merely looking for a restroom or asking for directions to something, who did not pay to look at the exhibits - we had probably no more than 20 or so paying customers per day). We also don't need to impose mask mandates as of June 15, but the museum's board of directors decided to keep our mask mandate. However, if someone comes in without a mask and doesn't want to take a free one then we will still allow them into the museum. I am not concerned by this because I am vaccinated, and even if I wasn't there is a very low likelihood of getting sick. We have not done any exhibits related to COVID yet. Starting last year and continuing this year we have an exhibit on the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, with a focus on our local area. This is in addition to our regular exhibits. Starting today (June 19) we also have our train exhibit for a month, which is a model train display with models of local historical buildings (and other things, like a UFO and more non-history-related things). The model train exhibit always brings in little kids with their families, so hopefully that improves museum attendance. Most of our attendance comes from families with little kids, older Baby Boomers, and the elderly. The museum needs to improve on attracting people in their teens and twenties in order to earn more. Hopefully, a COVID exhibit can do that by making history more personal. On our website, we have a story collection form for people to share stories of COVID, much like JOTPY, but I do not know what we will be doing with those responses. When I physically work at the museum next I have a bunch of items from last year (inspirational painted rocks, city council and school board campaign materials, masks) that I will donate, and hopefully, those and other items find their way into an exhibit.
• 
  2021-06-01

  hermit HERALD, ISSUE 116

  article
• 
  2020-03-30

  The Real CovidBusters

  This is a drawing that I created in Mar 2020 after I had been let go from a 14 year factory job. In 2020 I created a series of drawings to get through the loneliness of the lockdowns. Now in 2021 I am going to school to become a PSW, which is a hospital worker who helps clients with things like bathing ,and dressing etc... hopefully I can make a difference in the future.
• 2020-05-29

  Working Remote Internship

  Everyday, in theory, I wake up around 7:30am to prepare for my 8am meetings. Most days I wake up 10 minutes before, roll over and turn on my company-issued computer. If my internship were to be in person, I would have to drive 20 minutes to the office building in a different city. I honestly would prefer to attend my internship in person, but I admit online internships have their advantages. For one, no one knows that I am lying down on my bed eating during meetings. I never have to excuse myself to use the restroom. I can grab a snack anytime I want and wear my pajamas. On the other hand, I like dressing up in business casual and making an effort to look good. I was even looking forward to waking up early to commute. I wanted to explore the big beautiful office and meet other interns. So while I do not mind a remote internship, part of me is constantly thinking about what could've been.
• 
  2021-03-16

  Safety at Teriyaki Ha Ha

  At Teriayaki Ha Ha on Route 1, just across from Nease High School, staff erected a wooden frame with plastic sheeting hung from it to create a protective barrier. When you walk in the front door, your order is waiting on the table. Cash is put into an envelope or credit card taken in advance on the phone. Everything is no contact. Next door is a Papa Johns where staff had masks pulled down around their necks and I observed several people walk in without masks, revealing how widely safety protocol differs from one business to the next.
• 
  2020-03-12

  COVID 19

  COVID 19 I decided to choose as a source an image related to the COVID 19 virus. The image belongs to https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/news/coronavirus-countries-cross-100-covid-19-world-update/. This website provides information about the virus and was last updated on March 12, 2020. The image shows the virus spread around the planet earth. This image helps me explain what the virus is and how it spread. I select this type of source because I consider that it expresses a simple but concise message. I consider that it is something that everyone can understand and from which they can learn. By looking at the image people can get an idea of what the spread of the virus really meant. They can observe that its spread was not in a specific area, but rather that it spread around the entire world. Since the virus made its first appearance in Wuhan China, everything has turned into a catastrophe. The virus began to spread rapidly around the world. People were really not prepared for the COVID 19 virus. Many people died from this virus and those who were infected and survived did not have a good time. The virus isolated everyone and everything stopped being what it always was. People could no longer visit their loved ones or spend time with them. Many businesses closed, and as a result many people lost their jobs. Now everyone had to wear masks, they had to keep their distance from each other, and they also had to constantly wash their hands. This was somewhat frustrating, as people searched for gloves, masks, and disinfectants in stores. However, because everyone was looking for the same items there was a shortage of them. Sometimes when people found such items they could only buy one per person, especially alcohol and disinfectants. People really felt desperate. Things had changed a lot. Now many people had to work from home. The same thing happened with the students. Students had to take classes from home through a computer. This was something that didn't seem right to everyone. Many students lost interest. I consider that both historians and everyone in the future should be aware of what the COVID 19 virus was. Although the COVID 19 virus is a new virus that arose suddenly, it is not the first time that humanity experiences something like this. Previously around a hundred years ago something similar had happened with the Spanish flu. The Spanish flu like COVID 19 had also become a pandemic. Because of this, millions of people died. However, this was something that remained in the past as no one spoke of this event. I consider that people could have learned something from the history of the Spanish flu and applied that knowledge during COVID. However, few people are aware of what the Spanish flu was. Therefore, it is necessary to take into account everything related to COVID 19. Although it is likely that the appearance of a new virus cannot be prevented, at least people will know how to protect themselves and thus prevent the spread. The virus spread around the world rapidly for various reasons. However, one of these reasons was that people had no idea how to react to the virus. If people had had an idea of how to protect themselves at that time, perhaps the virus would not have spread the way it did. I believe that acquiring the necessary knowledge about the virus will be of great help in the future.
• 
  2020-03-17

  Nobody's Home

  This article shows and talks about how empty downtown Naperville was once lockdown began. This was from very early on, last March, so it was super strange seeing what's normally a super busy place, with people going every which way, so empty.
• 
  2021-05-03

  Josiah Collinge Oral History, 2021/05/03

  The interview describes the life of a young adult before the pandemic and how it changed during and after the pandemic. It also discusses the significance of the pandemic to him and those around him.
• 
  2020-05-20

  LaGuardia’s Ghost Town

  For my primary source, I selected a photograph I took of the gate house area in LaGuardia Airport in mid March of 2020. In the picture it shows several employees, sitting around doing nothing at all, the whole airport was a “ghost town”, meaning there were no passengers to assist with there tickets and gate claims, or any questions in general. During this time we were all nervous, not just nervous about COVID-19 and from the horrific scenes in the news, but also as an 11 year veteran in the airline industry, our jobs were on the line because of the decrease in flying, fear of flying, and the travel restrictions of no flying. With the airline burning 35 million dollars a day how can they pay 80,000 employees system wide I told myself. The airline soon told us system wide that it’s recommended we take a leave of absence at least a year with no pay to save the company or else there would be cuts, not including the 25% cut in our salary we took already. All week I was on the phone with my work partner talking everyday trying to figure what’s the plan. All these thoughts came racing three my head. What are we going to do? Do you think we will be fired or let go since we have seniority? Why I didn’t finish college 13 years ago and became lawyer or something. My job made us an offer, hey said take the year off with no pay, and your still have flying benefits for you and your family as always, and you will still have full medical benefits and we will pay your medical as well. After talking with my family, my fiancé, my partner from work, I decided on March 26th 2020, I was going to take the leave of absence. A whole year later April 26th of 2021 I finally came back to work full time, and the airport passenger count is starting to increase. The reason why I seated this primary source is because I would like historians to know the insides that us airline employees faced during these challenging times. I know many airline companies asked Congress for help in payroll support for the employees which majority of them did get including us, but we never saw that payroll support, nor did they call us back Early to work since they got some kind of support from the government, instead that money went in the stock market, and for bonuses to the CEO, and managers in the company. While I am happy and very fortunate to be back at work, it was very challenging as I’m sure it was for everyone, but one good thing that came out of it, 13 years later, a year ago from today. I was able to join the family of bronx community college, and focus on my education while I was off.
• 
  2021-05-11

  Olivier Duguet Oral History 2021/05/11

  As a CEO in Southeast Asia, the interview covers topics such as travel bans, new ways to work in the office, vaccinations, and compares government decisions in Europe and certain countries in Asia.
• 
  2021-05-04

  Devyn Nguyen Oral History 2021-05-04

  Interviewee discussed what life is like graduating during the pandemic, working in a small family-owned business and the pushback against COVID safety in Orange County. She describes how the pandemic has brought her family together along with the tight-knit community with similar social values she has created.
• 
  2021-04-24

  Quarantine expiriences

  For the last three or so years I have been deeply interested in photography. I enjoy photographing people and cars, though during the pandemic I have had less of a chance to go out and photograph people, that’s why I thought this would be a good chance for me to get back into the hobby and share some shots I had already captured during the pandemic. These photos have meaning behind them that remind me of all the parts of my life over the last year. A primary source is any document about a subject that was created by someone who was at the event or took part in whatever the subject is. The portfolio that I created is a primary source as it documents the first hand experiences I had while in the pandemic. It has the highs and the lows, and shows an account of one person's life in the United States of America during Covid-19. My experiences in the Pandemic were very mixed. Some parts stayed the same, some better, and some worse. Before Covid I had a small group of friends that I hung out with and when all the stay at home orders began I was able to still see them sometimes, and I never went out much so I had a very similar routine. Though one thing that I lost was car meets and races. Not only did mask ordinances make meets harder to plan but Eau Claire also began cracking down on car meets more and more. It was really tough missing out on the fun cameroudery of car meets. I work at a car audio shop and one great positive of the pandemic is that because of relief checks the shop has been constantly booked for the last 6-8 months. Another positive has been going on late night adventures with my friends. We are constantly repairing something or upgrading our cars and so when we get done it is usually late and in the last year we have begun to do fun things late at night when we get done with the daily project. The first photographs I chose was a representation of the many small businesses in the area that have been closed due to rough times during the pandemic. Many great local businesses have struggled to stay open or failed even failed to do so. The photo was taken at a storage facility for signs of businesses that have closed down in the last year or two. The photographs of cars are meant to represent the many new late night adventures that me and my friends have had during the pandemic. These trips were one of the main things that helped me cope with the pandemic and hold on to normal life just a little bit. The photo of the room is of my childhood room at my parents house. During this fall at UWEC I got a call from the school informing me I had possibly come into contact with someone and I had to quarantine for two weeks. At this same time my father contracted COVID and this meant that I was confined to this one room for my two weeks of waiting. The room became my very own jail cell, after just a few days and it was very difficult for me to pay attention in school during my quarantine. It was one of the roughest my mental health has been in my life
• 
  2021-04-28

  Can employers legally require COVID-19 vaccinations?

  As the COVID-19 vaccine becomes available to everyone, there are questions about whether or not an employer can require employees to get the vaccine. While making the vaccine required is well within the rights of an employer, it is unlikely this will happen. However, there are many places that are strongly recommending that employees get the vaccine.
• 
  2021-03-03

  Bodies Needed

  This is an image of a protest blockade in support of a jailed Indigenous elder, who was arrested for protesting at the Trans Mountain pipeline construction sites in Burnaby, BC. The elder, Stacy Gallagher was arrested while preforming a smudging ceremony. This blockade was organized by the Braided Warriors, calls on their social media platforms brought more bodies to help maintain the barracade against the agents of the Canadian state and the Crown. The post's description stated, "BODIES NEEDED AT CLARK AND HASTINGS: 6:22AM, MARCH 3RD. Bodies needed ASAP to protect our Indigenous youth, elders, mothers, and children. We saw what happens when youth put a call out for support and nobody showed up - Indigenous youth, mothers, and elders were violently attacked - left with concussions and lasting injuries we are still recovering from. Numbers are low and early morning is typically when police move in. People have been holding it down here all night, and need bodies down here immediately. When our numbers dwindle, we are in danger. The Crown will not hesitate to criminalize Indigenous peoples. Your inaction is complacency, and complacency is violence. Put your body on the line. PROTECT OUR INDIGENOUS CHILDREN, YOUTH, MOTHERS, AND ELDERS. PROTECT THE SACRED FIRE." The comments of this post have messages of solidarity, people organizing for food and water, and those stating they would be arriving on the scene to help.
• 
  2021-04-12

  Solidarity with Tiny House Warriors

  An image of land defenders and their blockade on Secwepemc territory. These land defenders are calling for a cessation of the construction on the Trans Mountain Pipeline, which runs through unceded Secwepemculecw and Wet'suwet'en territories. While these piplines represent a threat to the ecology of the region, the construction represents the continuation of Canada's colonial reality into the years of pandemic. Furthermore, the construction of this pipeline has resulted in the creation of several work camps for transient labourers which have been called 'man camps.' These camps have been identified as a threat to indigenous communities, with particular threat of violence against First Nations women in the areas surrounding these camps, they have also been linked to the perpetuation of one of Canada's greatest crimes, MMIW (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women). As identified by the supplementary report on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in 2019, the perpetuation of this crisis and the lack of action on behalf of the Canadian state is a genocide, according to the U.N.'s definition of genocide. In truth, it is continuation of the genocidal campaigns against First Nations peoples across North America, the pursuit and extraction of capital by exploiting the land and the peoples who walked upon it first. These Tiny House Warriors in the comments call for land back, and a general campaign to shut down Canada. As of now, construction on the TMX continues unabated, the government of Canada shows no sign of upholding the call to Truth and Reconciliation.
• 
  2021-04-22

  Community’s importance to the service industry during Covid-19: A business owner’s perspective

  This article, written by small business owners, addresses the challenges faced by the service industry during COVID-19. These owners of a coffee shop share a list of ways that the community can support their local service industry, and why it is crucial to do so. They make it clear that it's not simply about buying a product; instead, it is about building a community and supporting those that you care about, which goes both ways. If you support small business owners and show that you're there for them, they in turn will give back to the community in any way that they can, creating a caring environment. The lessons they share are so important to keep in mind as we are still dealing with the pandemic, so that we can build a support system that lasts long past when the pandemic is over.
• 
  2021

  Food Industry Post-Pandemic

  Given the changes the food industry had to go through to adapt to the pandemic, it is unlikely all of those changes will go away as vaccination rates continue to rise and positive COVID-19 cases go down. With an increase in consumers enjoying fresh food and home cooked meals, there is a possibility this decrease in eating out will continue even as restrictions are lifted. This could be due to new social norms, saving money, or even newly developed preferences. Only time will tell if these patterns are predicting the future, or if they will change once more as public spaces become safe again.
• 
  2021-04-25

  Padraic Cohen Internship Portfolio

  This is my portfolio for my internship experience with the JOTPY, thank you so much for this; I really enjoyed working with each and every one of you - thank you for everything.
• 2021-04-23

  The Face Mask

  At the beginning of the pandemic, a surgical mask was not something we thought about daily. As cases began to rise and people began to get sicker and sicker a mask was the most wanted item in the world. All around the news and internet, we would hear not to leave our house without a mask or be around other people without one. This lead everyone in the world to be on the hunt for masks. The next thing we knew everywhere masks would be sold out or on backorder and people began to panic. Mask at the beginning of the pandemic was very hard to get your hands on but as time went on businesses got more interested in mass-producing masks and saw to take the opportunity to make a whole lot of money on a needed item. We can now see masks being sold in every store from corner stores to grocery stores and even designer brands like Saint Laurent Paris. Businesses saw the opportunity to make a lot of money on items that were needed by consumers every day but they knew consumers would buy them because nowadays people want to match them with their outfits. These masks have become such an essential part of our daily lives that we no longer reach for our keys before we leave we look for our masks. Although there are many people who follow the mandatory rules of wearing masks there are still many others that believe wearing a mask is taking away their freedom. It is unbelievable to think that a simple cloth that goes over your face that can protect the lives of many others and yours has become such a controversial and important part of our everyday life when it was never something that affected us before March 2020
• 
  2021-03-15

  Dear, COVID - Sincerely, NYC

  Dear COVID, You tried to break us. You were rampant. You were brutal. You did not discriminate. You were careless. You hit NYC hard, and didn’t stop. You stormed through our diverse neighborhoods. Our middle class and hard working people. Our less-fortunate. Our most vulnerable. Our elderly and incapable. We became the epicenter at one point, and it didn’t stop there. You halted our way of life. You shut down our small businesses. Our restaurants. Our bars. Our necessities and invaluable operations. Our transportation systems. You divided families and friends. You caused us to feel lonely and scared. Worried. You put people out of work. You ruined lives. You murdered many. But, we’re still here. And we aren’t going anywhere. We fought back. We’re still fighting back. You haven’t gone anywhere, but we’ve learned to live with you. For now. We have regained some aspects of our way of life. We continue to support each other in times of need. We support our small businesses and give back to our communities. We are finding ways to comfort each other and be with one another again. We are being smart. We are being considerate to others and continue to do so. You may still be very present in our everyday lives, but not for long. We will come back from this, stronger than ever. Thank you for showing us what we are made of. Sternly, NYC COVID has been tough on us in the States, more particularly in NYC. This virus is ruining many lives and is still very present. NYC has been affected in many ways, and still continues to be. This has something our city has never had to experience. Unfortunately, the process has been very slow. However, with vaccinations, and herd immunity, we shall get through this and bring back our city with a bang. My family and I have been very fortunate thus far and I always try my best to find ways to give back and support local businesses and families that have been hit hard. I believe everyone should do this to the best of their ability in a time like this. Through all this, we as a city is still standing strong and our will is not broken. The photo attached is a small glimpse of ways we are getting by while also be weary of our actions. You can see a couple enjoying their time at a restaurant, while in the reflection, a stranger wearing a mask and being mindful of other’s health.
• 2021-04-23

  The COVID-19 Pandemic From An Introverts Point of View

  The global pandemic that started in 2020 has been extremely hard on a lot of people, especially extroverted people that need social interaction to feel normal. I feel I am incredibly lucky in this regard as I enjoy my solitude without the hustle and bustle of social activities. When the pandemic started back in March 2020 and we all were advised to stay inside to help combat the virus it was the easiest task in the world for me. I personally practice social distancing in general since I don’t enjoy people being in my personal bubble and I also dislike being around large groups due to personal anxiety. So overall when this all started, I honestly did not notice a big change in my life. One thing I did notice was that people in my phone and on my friends lists through various platforms were suddenly super active in their messages being sent to me. I can empathize with others in this regard because even introverted people like to engage in social activities every now and then. Another big thing I noticed was all my favorite software got major updates and were revamped due to so many people now working from home many companies actually saw their productivity explode in 2020 while wonderful it is very sad to see companies not giving their workers more options to work from home now in 2021 despite seeing boosted productivity. I was also able to go shopping for groceries with less crowds which to me was a nice thing to not be surrounded by so many people as I would be in any other situation. I also really like wearing masks when its cold out because it keeps your face from being hit by harsh cold winds and you kind of feel like a Mortal Kombat character. Now that things are getting a bit more under control with more vaccines out in the public space and people going back to work, I hope people who need to socialize get the chance to do so. I will also remember 2020 because so many people globally did not live to see 2021, I feel fortunate that my family and I made it through 2020 in one piece.
• 
  2021-04-20

  Normal Life thru pandemic state

  The object of my writing was to inform others my life was fairly regular throughout this lovely pandemic. It is important to me because I must stay focused on the importance of even though there are crazy things in life that happen, the silver lining, is always to focus on the positive.
• 
  2021-04-20

  How Downtown Iowa City plan to bounce back as pandemic eases and shoppers return

  Iowa City has started to formulate plans for fully reopening its downtown area. However, a survey of the stores downtown shows that some business owners are considering selling or closing. In order to help revitalize the community, the city has started efforts to help bring the business more customers.
• 
  2021-04-10

  Black Lives Matter, Artist and Craftsman Supply in San Diego

  It's still pretty rare that we go anywhere other than a grocery store or the occasional gas station, but it was necessary to re-up on art supplies (green pen, eraser pencil, sketch books, and the like). At one of our favorite supply stores, the Artist & Craftsman Supply in the Hillcrest neighborhood of San Diego, we found the goods. There were limited customers, all with masks. The plexiglass in front of the register kept employee-artists and customer-artists that much safer, as did the gallon-sized dispenser of hand sanitizer. As we left speedily, we noticed several "Black Lives Matter" signs posted in the windows.
• 
  2021-03-09

  #JOTPYSilver from purplegenevre

  #jotpysilver Jobs that may not have been an option for me a couple years ago (fixed-term positions out-of-state) are now totally options for me because they’ve recognized the need to offer remote employment options.
• 
  2021-04-18

  The Beginning of the End!? Corona Culture Spring 2021

  These items are a sampling of documents and links to news articles and public event dates that chronicle the reopening of some parts of the United States in spring 2021. One year after the start of the pandemic (the anniversary itself celebrated in various media), Texas and other parts of the U.S. were trying to return their businesses and services to more normal conditions. A community college's plan for reopening its main campus, a news article about a baseball park increasing its capacity (and having a sold out game), a listing of 2021 tour dates for popular musicians, and a town's decision to end its mask mandate all tell the story of people wanting to return to normal living. However, both government leaders and ordinary people could disagree about whether it was good to relax COVID restrictions as the announcement by a local mayor and the decision of a local school board suggests. These items reflect the challenges of returning to Pre-COVID lifestyles because not everyone was united in the belief that it was safe to live normal lives. This illustrates the interesting conflict between holding on to what makes people be or feels safe and those who believe such restrictions are unnecessary now.
• 
  2021-04-12

  Vancouver Island's Food Service Industry

  In this podcast, Philip Wolf discusses how COVID-19 has impacted the food service industry with restaurant owners Oura and Kymon Giakoumakis. Their restaurant resides at a golf course, so during the winter they saw a drop in patronage and are hoping to start patio service soon so business can pick up again. They did adapt to take-out service and a "parking lot patio" in order to provide service in safe ways, but they still struggled with the requirements and monetary challenges that the pandemic has caused. In this podcast they also discuss other local restaurants, layoffs, and closures, giving a clear view of how Vancouver Island, and specifically the district of Saanich, has adapted during this time.
• 
  2021-04-16

  Lack of Workers for Service Industry Jobs

  Rapid City, South Dakota is suffering from a lack of applicants for service industry jobs as tourism increases ahead of Memorial Day. While the reason for this lack is not confirmed, locals have been theorizing that due to the high rate of exposure in service industry jobs, people are restraining from applying in order to stay safe during this summer as travel is increasing again. There is also a population coming from other countries that receives visas in order to travel to Rapid City and work service positions, but since there is still a hold on international travel, they are not coming either. For those who are looking to hire, they are all in competition with each other, since many of the open positions require the same skill set. This has all added up to panic amongst business owners, as they are likely going to be operating with a much smaller staff, but with normal (if not larger) crowds of tourists this summer.
• 
  2021-04-09

  San Antonio Service Workers Receive Vaccines

  Heard, a local organization in San Antonio, Texas, set up a COVID-19 vaccine clinic specifically for service industry workers. This is absolutely essential, as Texas has opened restaurants to full capacity, putting servers at an extreme risk of exposure. While spaces for the April 15th clinic were limited, by only allowing service industry employees to reserve a vaccine, they allowed individuals to protect themselves sooner by getting vaccinated.
• 2021-04-14

  CVS Changes Policy to be more LGBTQ Inclusive

  CVS changed COVID-19 vaccination registration form to be more trans/ LGBTQ friendly. Originally, the form asked people to mark their birth sex in order to get the vaccine however, now they have removed the question. The CDC has come out and said it is important to only ask about the gender identity not the gender on the birth certificate. CVS has issued a statement stating that sex, gender, race, or ethnicity does not hinder people from getting the vaccine.
• 
  2021-03-16

  #JOTPYPhoto from Katy Kole de Peralta

  PPE vending machines at the PHX airport
• 
  2021-04-13

  ‘Not everyone is going to survive’: Chicago movie theaters continue to struggle amid pandemic

  The movie theater industry has been hit hard by COVID-19. Theater chains like AMC have the ability to file for bankruptcy and scale back locations. For mom-and-pop movie theaters, however, there is no bankruptcy, so many face permanent closure.
• 
  2021-04-15

  Another Victim of a COVID Economy

  I have anxiety. It’s not uncommon, and I have coping mechanisms. One of the things that helps me not fixate on things out of my control is being active. So I run. And for the past six years, I have been very committed to “barre,” which is similar to Pilates. My barre studio is my respite from the world, one hour to focus just on myself and my muscles. And the supportive community is unlike any other I have been a part of (I’ve done boot camps, kickboxing, etc. and have never found anything like this.) Since exercise is crucial to my mental health, when the pandemic began, I knew I could not stop working out. Especially with a household of five suddenly being at home together 24 hours a day! I was extremely fortunate that my barre studio immediately transitioned online. In fact, all throughout this pandemic, I have held them up as my example of the exact right way to deal with this situation. They made a digital library, offered multiple daily live classes over Zoom, reopened as a hybrid. My barre classes have been the constant throughout this pandemic, especially before I returned to work in person. Up until a few weeks ago, my most consistent live interaction with adult humans not living in this house were my barre instructors and the other women in the classes. So when I opened my email and saw this message, it hit me like a ton of bricks. They couldn’t survive COVID-19. It makes sense - they had two studios before COVID and rent is not cheap in Orange County. I am, of course selfishly sad - where will I find a reasonably priced, low impact but high intensity exercise studio that is five minutes from both my daughter’s gym and our church? But my real sadness is for the small business owner who opened this studio eight years ago. She is truly passionate about physical and mental health and is probably one of the most positive people I have ever met. And in a way that doesn’t annoy you, which honestly is a gift. As people get excited about businesses reopening, it makes me reflect on how many more have had to close their doors permanently.
• 2021-04-15

  A Little Crypto Called Dogecoin

  Similar to my GameStop stories on here, I will try to narrate the DogeCoin experience as it goes on during the pandemic. DogeCoin, a crypto currency modeled after the popular internet meme involving a shiba inu dog in a funny pose, has been soaring the past week or so. Doge first entered my radar probably four-five years ago, when the original meme was popular. Supporters of the coin, which was not very valuable, used it to donate clean water to a village in Africa, as well as paying to sponsor a Nascar team with it for a short time. It largely fell off the radar, but somehow during the early part of this year it returned. Spurred on by meme-stock movements like GameStop, Doge rallied and returned to being worth around 4-5 cents per Doge, much higher than previously. It dipped initially after reaching 8 cents and the people with tens of millions of it selling for a hefty profit. Now, it is to above 12 cents, far more than it has ever been worth. Dogecoin is accepted by more and more websites every day, and famous personalities like Elon Musk and Snoop Dog have rallied behind it. Supporters have even taken out ads in New York's Times Square to promote the currency. While I have long had doubts about crypto currency, I didn't want to miss out on this like I did Bitcoin. I knew about Bitcoin when it was worth less than a dollar, and now it is worth over $60,000 per coin. Doge will never reach that level, but even my meager amount has nearly doubled in the past week. The wave of amateur investors spurred on by the pandemic has produced odd results, and perhaps the weirdest one is the coin based on a stale internet meme.
• 
  2021-04-15

  Video Games to Pass Time, Pt. 2

  As time has gone on, video games have continued to be my primary outlet for entertainment. The one that has captured my attention the most ever since GameStop paid for my new computer is Total War: Warhammer 2, or TWW2 going forward. TWW2 is set in the venerable Warhammer Fantasy universe, first created in 1983 as a way for the British company Games Workshop to independently sell Dungeons and Dragons miniatures, has evolved into a vast setting including the original tabletop strategy game, over a hundred books, and various video game tie ins. Perhaps the most successful of the tie-ins is the Total War: Warhammer games, developed and published by Creative Assembly out of their own historical Total War franchise. These games are divided into two parts. First is the turn-based world map, where you can see beautifully rendered fantasy landscapes in ways fans of the setting never could until now. In this mode you do diplomacy, order around armies, and develop cities. The second part is the real time battles, which the included screenshot is taken from. In this you zoom down to see your armies directly, and command them in battle using strategy to gain the upperhand. This screenshot is of my current campaign, where I am playing the High Elves of Ulthuan. Warhammer and its science-fantasy counterpart Warhammer 40,000 are renowned for their 'grimdark' setting (a genre name that is taken verbatim from the opening scrawl of every WH40k book), so while the High Elves are definitely considered good guys by the broader narrative, they are still pretty mean and arrogant by ours. While I defend the shores of the magical island paradise of Ulthuan from invasion by the evil cousins of the High Elves, the Dark Elves, I am in real life distracted from the fact that I am stuck in my apartment because of the pandemic. This game allows me to both play by myself for entertainment, but also to share my stories with friends playing their own games. We are all a bunch of nerds, so segueing into in-depth discussions of Warhammer lore is also a good way to pass the time.
• 2021-04-15

  GameStop Part Three

  A continuation of my other two posts about the GameStop stock short squeeze. As time has gone on, GameStop's stock seems has remained volatile. In the past few weeks it has dropped slightly, but nowhere near where professional analysts (who may have a stake in it going down) have wanted it to be. GameStop has changed their internal structure, paid off over $200,000,000 in debt with cash, and all things are pointing up for them. However, the most interesting part of these few weeks as far as the pandemic is concerned is the internal dissent within GameStop communities on Reddit. This frenzy over the stock began on the subreddit WallStreetBets, but the return of old moderators to cash in on the moment caused an exodus to a new subreddit, simply called GME. Like WSB before it, this new subreddit was abandoned due to poor moderation, moving now to SuperStonks. There it remains to this day, however the active posters on these subs are extremely paranoid about hedge fund "shills" coming to spread uncertainty. The pandemic, from its very beginning, spawned a new type of investor. Tesla's skyrocketing stock price at the beginning almost one year ago is what made people on WallStreetBets rich, and many people who have previously never invested before (me included) have jumped onto the bandwagon to get some money for ourselves. Many of these new investors are now learning for the first time that the SEC is not necessarily out to protect them, and that hedge fund billionaires will not necessarily play by the rules. It remains to be seen the big takeaway from this revelation for most people, once the initial paranoia is past. Some people I have seen have developed a strong sense of class consciousness, seeing this as an attack on the little guy by billionaires who became exponentially more wealthy from such trickery during the pandemic. Others accept it as the way things are. It is certainly a historical oddity that the pandemic has triggered mass participation in the capitalist stock market, and the result may be a growing number of young opponents seeing for themselves the rigged system.
• 
  2021-04-13

  Good, bad and ugly: Covid-19’s impact on the Valley’s tourism sector detailed in study

  Over the last year, Arizona has seen the cancellation of major events due to COVID-19. These cancellations have had a major impact on business and tax revenue. The entertainment, hospitality, and food business have been hit the hardest.
• 
  2021-04-12

  Being Asian During Covid

  This piece describes the minor hardships I have experienced during Covid as a young man who happens to be Asian.
• 
  2021-04-10

  Rally to stop bank funding

  April 9th we rallied at #tdbank 295 Park Avenue demanding banks stop funding oil and gas projects including DAPL and Line 3 #shutdowndapl #stopline3 #stopthemoneypipeline @potus #buildbackbetter #justrecovery
• 
  2021-04-07

  Covid-19 Alberta Data

  This website is the official COVID-19 data tracker for the province of Alberta, this one in particular covers the increase of cases in Alberta on April the 7th, the increase in cases mirrored Ontario’s own massive outbreak of 3,000 new cases. Because of this, it is becoming more and more apparent that Alberta will be forced into another lockdown or at least a return to ‘step 1’ reopening restrictions. More and more Albertans are suffering from lockdown fatigue, and there is blatant unrest as many are becoming fed up with the constant opening and reopening, returning to step one – there has not been a decisive ‘win’ over the pandemic and many would point the government’s inaction to prove this. In regards to my small town of Cochrane Alberta, some businesses are stating that they will not shut-down with the return to step 1 or a renewed lockdown. Largely, they are stating that a lockdown would further gut small businesses which have suffered immensely from these restrictions – stating that smaller businesses have been largely left out to dry without provincial aid, while larger corporations continue to operate. Many of these larger businesses have operated throughout the pandemic while smaller businesses have been forced to shut their doors. On top of this, the same penalties apply to these larger stores, there have been large congested crowds lining up outside of such stores such as Ikea, or Wal-Mart; a condition which would result in a deathly fine if it were given to smaller businesses; but for these international corporations, these fines are nothing. While I’m personally in favor of lockdowns, it is hard to ignore the leniency given to these major corporations and the harm to these smaller businesses. Fore mostly we must protect human life by preventing the spread of COVID-19, yet we must also provide sufficient financial aid to these businesses; while also adjusting penalties to actually hurt these mega-corps when they break pandemic restrictions. However under a government which prides itself on austerity and corporate tax cuts, this will not happen. The attached image is the spike in cases on the 7th.