Items

• 
  2021-02-22

  Mask trash #3

  Disposable mask spotted en route from the Tempe transit center to the Childhood Development (Psychology building) on Campus along Veteran's Way. 33°25'21.0"N 111°55'45.3"W
• 
  2021-02-20

  Mask trash #2

  I saw this black, disposable mask while vacuuming my van on Saturday at Cobblestone Auto Spa. I picked it up and threw it away before it blew into the water channel.
• 
  2021-02-20

  Mask trash # 1

  Mask trash on the playground at the Kroc Center in Phoenix, AZ
• 
  2021-02-11

  Mini Oral History with Tracey Kole, 02/11/2021

  I recorded a mini oral history with my mom about silver linings.
• 
  2021-02-07

  The Hiking Experience during a Pandemic

  The pandemic and the increase in teleworking mean that people are able to go to the great outdoors much more frequently than they were able to do so previously. My experience hiking during this pandemic has been different in many ways from hiking pre-pandemic. Many more people on the trails every day of the week and at every time, problems finding a parking spot at the trailheads, and a general reluctance for people to stop and talk with you. In addition, people seem to discount social distancing practices on the trails; they rarely wear masks yet they walk within a feet or two of you, and they also talk while in close proximity to you. Hiking has always been a refuge for me, a chance to escape from people and noise. Now it’s more like walking on a city sidewalk. I hope that this appreciation of the great outdoors continues after the pandemic but along with it goes respect for the land and for fellow hikers.
• 
  2021-02-07

  Nature Endures

  This photograph shows the imposing Catalina Mountains (Babad Do'ag to the indigenous Tohono O’odham) to the north of Tucson, Arizona, USA, with a majestic saguaro in the center front. The rocks in these mountains record millions of years of history. The multi-armed saguaro has stood for at least 75 years. Viewing these natural phenomena has always been a favorite pastime of mine, but during this time of pandemic, contemplating these forces of nature reminds me of the endurance of nature and the long stretch of environmental history. The pandemic and our current difficulties will pass just as other the saguaro and the mountains have seen many other calamities pass.
• 
  2021-02-07T18:36

  Mask Trash

  This is a photograph of a mask discarded on the side of my yard, in the desert where many animals such as coyotes, quail, javelinas, and rabbits make their homes. I have seen much pandemic-related trash discarded on the sides of the road, on sidewalks, and in people’s yards during this pandemic: hand sanitizer bottles, masks, wipes, etc. With the pandemic has come an increase in the use of disposable materials such as these, adding to environmental degradation and displaying a disregard both for people and for animals. This photo of mask trash shows a toxic side effect of the pandemic and a reminder that people need to use non-disposable items whenever possible and show respect for our natural environment by not throwing things away in this manner.
• 
  2020-05-09

  Self-portrait with mask, May 2020

  During the pandemic, I often walk in Brooklyn's historic Green-Wood Cemetery with its rolling hills, lovely views, and fantastic old monuments; it's also where my grandparents are buried. I've always loved the beautiful, timeless melancholy of the place, but during the pandemic, it was also a strange comfort to read the headstones and think of the people buried all around me. Life, sickness, crisis, death are all just part of being human. These dead humans also lived, suffered, died, and now it's just another version of the same thing. The self-portrait included here is based on a photo I took of myself in Green-Wood as I wandered there one day in April 2020, looking to get away from lockdown and to find company among the graves.
• 2020-12-25

  Christmas 2020

  This years Christmas was very different. Because of the pandemic, my family and I could not travel we stayed at home and had a small family Christmas. We went to the beach because we live somewhere were it is always warm. I got to go surfing. We then had a family zoom with our family who lives in New York who we would regularly have been with. Overall I like change and had a great 2020 Christmas!
• 2021-01-26

  Covid Stats

  Covid has infected more than 3 million U.S citizens. Almost 38 thousand people have died from this virus. L.A county has more than 1 million people Infected. This caused everything to close down. Airports shutting down, people getting trapped. Something that personally affected me was not being able to do anything outside. We couldn't go to the mall or movie theatre. Our families were not allowed to fly over and spend time with us. Covid crashed the economy for the world. Leaving more people in poverty than before. Covid has affected us all in terrible ways...
• 
  2021-01

  Beautiful Things

  This picture was around the time of winter break. To many people it will just be a picture of the mountains covered in snow. However, to me it is a picture that represents the change in my life since this pandemic. Before the pandemic all I was able to do was focus on my studies and sports with no time for myself, but now, even though times are stressful I am able to breathe a little more.. I guess. Before these mountains were covered in snow I went up there a few days before to check out the view with the Christmas lights, but nothing could have prepared me for what would happen next. Even though these mountains were already beautiful before, after the snowfall they’ve become a masterpiece. These mountains show change, in fact they encourage change within ourselves, for the better of all of us.
• 
  2021-01-17

  Spending Time in Nature Will Get You Through the Pandemic

  My story and photographs talk about the beauty and power of nature and how spending time in nature can help us get through the pandemic.
• 2021-01-13

  Finding the Joy in the Little Things

  At the start of the pandemic, I was in an anxiety spiral. I was worried about everything from the health of family and friends to the possibility of nuclear warfare, and it resulted in some fairly agoraphobic, unhealthy coping mechanisms. I had recently moved to a new state, so I didn't even know the way around my neighborhood. I would stay in my room for days at a time, only socializing with the villagers on my Animal Crossing island. I was afraid to leave my house, afraid to grocery shop, afraid to pass someone too closely on the sidewalk. After several months of this behavior, and countless episodes of reality television, I recognized that I needed help. I began the process with a simple google search. "Online therapy options." After some trial and error, I found a therapist that helped me break out of my depressive, anxious cycle, in a way that was both gradual and socially distant. Through my work with her and some self-reflection, I found several things that help me cope with the current reality, allowing me to enjoy small joys throughout the day, and here they are: 1) Trails! I was a hiker in college, but fell out of the habit after graduating due to moving around a bit. Since I had moved during the winter, I hadn't had a chance to explore any trails near my new home. With some recommendations from both my therapist and the internet, I slowly began to venture into the outdoors. I started with a trail that was a 10-minute walk from my house, and eventually worked my way up to a state park about an hour away. It allowed me to feel comfortable leaving the house again in a way that was still Covid-friendly, and I gained a better awareness and appreciation of my surroundings. As an added bonus, I was able to experience Ohio autumn in all it's red-yellow-orange beauty. After a hot, humid, sad summer, some beautiful fall colors along some incredible trails were a perfect way to reset. 2) Books. I read more during the first few months of the pandemic than I had in the past several years combined. I was able to tackle books that had seemed too long and daunting in the past, as there was little to keep me from them, and it provided a sense of much-needed escapism. I rekindled my love of reading, worked through some of my "to-be-read" list, and incorporated reading into my daily routine, giving me something to look forward to and work towards during a time that felt stagnant. 3) Podcasts. I've been a regular listener of podcasts for years. I have the weekly release schedule of my favorite podcasts memorized, and at this point I turn to those for car rides before music. But, similar to books, I had put off some of the podcasts that require more attentive, prolonged listening; these were often podcasts that told a story over many episodes, both fictional and non-fictional. With stay-at-home orders in place, it seemed that all I had was time, and one can only spend so much time listening to the news, so I turned to podcasts. I listened to them when cleaning, when walking on the trails, when cooking, and even when I was just laying around. According to my Spotify Wrapped from 2020, I spent much more time listening to podcasts than music, and I enjoyed every minute of it. 4) Succulents. I have my mom to thank for this one! I had collected a large variety of succulents over the past few years, but had to leave them behind with my sister when moving at the beginning of 2020. With plant-shopping being extremely non-essential, I hadn't had the chance to start a new collection prior to isolation, and I had just accepted that I was no longer the plant-parent I once was. My mother, being the incredible woman that she is, decided that was unacceptable, and signed me up for a monthly succulent subscription for my birthday, in which I receive two baby succulents a month. So far I have eight little succulents, and they are thriving! 5) Cold brew. As an extreme coffee lover and addict, and as a barista, I couldn't make a list of my favorite things without including some form of caffeine. My favorite place in the world is a comfy coffee shop, but that obviously is not the safest setting to relax at the moment. I used this time at home to perfect my cold brew recipe, as well as play with all the different ways to enjoy coffee at home. While I still miss the atmosphere of a cafe, and will be back as soon as it's safe and smart to do so, I have had fun crafting new drinks at home. While I have had a variety of small enjoyments here and there throughout the last nine or ten months, these are truly the things bringing me joy and peace in this lonely, frightening time. Even when this pandemic is officially over, I plan to continue these practices, as they have become essential to my daily routines.
• 
  2021-01-12

  Sounds of nature over while civilization takes a break

  In Hawaii, especially on the island of Kauai there were so many tourist that near the roads and tourist shops and restaurants you most heard traffic or people, and in the evenings live entertainment for tourists. Now, in the mornings you can hear birds and at night the crickets.
• 2020-01-09

  THE19 (Metaphor)

  Imagine a hurricane approaches your beachfront community, a beautiful place of both cottages and mansions on heavenly stretching strands of sand and coconut trees. The storm started far out in the ocean as a tropical storm, an abstraction a week or more away. Then it developed into a category 2 as it approached the continent and crossed Cuba, still days away but becoming a concern. Before long, forecasts by experts confidently showed exactly where landfall would occur, the strength of the winds, the height of the surge, the flooding that would accompany it, the millions it would impact, the estimates of the extent of damage and disruption (and death tolls) predictable. You do the right thing and with your family and neighbors evacuate and move inland and find safe shelter. It’s inconvenient and uncomfortable at times, sharing and aiding your fellow refugees. They don’t have the brand of cereal and chocolate milk your kids like. They run out of Coke. But pitching in until it’s safe to go home seems the best and only course. And soon you’re glad you did because by the time the hurricane makes landfall the news come in that it is a Cat 5, indeed, “the second most intense tropical cyclone on record to strike the United States.” Imagine as you watch the pummeling rain and listen to the ominous wind and wait, you already know this story: “In 1969, Hurricane Camille claimed 259 victims along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Most were guilty of only being on the wrong place at the wrong time, unlike twenty who perished while attending a beachfront “hurricane party” beer bash and barbecue. Despite evacuation warnings delivered by vehement emergency teams [experts], their festivities continued unabated. The partygoers definitely declared that the concrete foundations and the second floor location of their party provided plenty of protection from the impending hurricane. Their confidence proved to be tragically misplaced when a twenty-four-foot wave slammed into the apartment, destroying the building and subjecting the partiers to gale-force winds and violent ocean surges. Most of these hurricane worshippers were killed. A few survivors were swept miles away, ….” (The Darwin Awards, 1999) Imagine you know there are old folks in your very own town who chose to stay. Folks who just couldn’t imagine leaving the idyllic homes in their idyllic locations where they have lived in for decades, and who have weathered previous storms and thinking this one too “isn’t that bad,” or thinking. “Unless it has my name on it, it won’t get me.” You pray for them. But you also know some who stayed defiantly, the young and strong, and the middle-aged but “free” who resented being told by anyone what to do--especially by “experts.” And some of those protestors (an alarming number of whom you know) raised the bar, rebelled blithely, partying practically on the beach, posting selfies and videos on Facebook as the storm intensifies--to prove it was safe. As final proof, a video is posted of an engorging wave, a wave as large as any building you could hide in, a dark seething mountain of water. The video records shrill, exhilarating, victorious whoops of glee of the partiers it approaches. Then nothing. Now imagine, immediately you are asked by experts to stay in your shelter a little while longer, not forever, but much longer than you had ever expected to stay. Why? you ask. We’ve been so good. We did everything we were asked. We deserve to go home. We’ve run out of Lucky Charms and Quick and Coke. Despite your pleas and imploring, the experts are firm. Because, they say, a second hurricane is already coming, practically on top of the first. It’s not a Cat 5, yet, but…. This is unimaginable. This wasn’t forecast before. But, it’s here now, the experts nod somberly. Enough is enough. Enough is enough. Enough is enough, you hear yourself say, but…. Finally, imagine, dozens and dozens of your neighbors, even members of your own family, saying, I can’t take it anymore. This is not my life. I haven’t had a beer or a Buffalo Wings in days. You watch them, so impatient and tired of waiting and angry for the fun they miss. You watch them rush back to the beach. W. K. Sheldrake (Wayne) is the author of Instant Karma: The Heart and Soul of a Ski Bum, #1 on Outside Magazine Online’s list of “6 Adventure Books We’d Read Again and Again,” and Foreword Magazine’s ‘Gold Medal’ Adventure Book of the Year (2007). He is recording his pandemic experience of Pandemic Disability in a memoir The19: Confessions of a Mad (American) COVIDodger. He lives in Southern Colorado with his “high risk” wife where there is plenty of wide open space. They do not currently have a dog.
• 2021-01-08

  Covid over winter break

  Over Winter Break my family and I drove in our Black SUV Ford Explorer Sedan 1200 miles or 18 hours to Cheyenne, Wyoming to visit my Grandparents. Along the way we stopped at the local Starbucks' to pick up a coffee for my coffee obsessed mother and we were on our way. When driving through Los Angeles, California you should always expect to be caught in traffic which was a minor setback, but we still made it through. The rest of California is very ugly being that its just Desert for 200 miles. During this time my sister spends her time spreading her nasty feet across the seat onto my body and refuses to move them for at least an hour. When I attempt to do this I am immediately yelled at and pushed off within 3 minutes. My dog which is completely lazy lays his little butt down between my sister and I and sleeps 3 quarters of the trip. My dad drives the whole time because my mom throughs a fit and refuses to drive even a single mile. And I sit down under my sister's legs under her super hot grey blanket in a cramped SUV in the desert and despite all that the car ride was pretty nice. When we finely arrived at our hotel in Grand Junction, Colorado we went out to Applebee's which I got to say is pretty good. I got the rib plate and a kiwi lemonade which I got to say is really good. At around 7:00 we arrived back at our hotel where we all collapsed and went to bed. At 5:00 we got back up, got dressed, brushed our teeth, and walked out of our hotel in to 20 degrees ferenheit. I made a mistake and decided to do it in sweat pants and a T-shirt. The rest of the drive was much shorter and a lot more scenic with the beautiful Colorado mountains and snow on the ground. we stopped at a local Maverick Gas Station to fill up and we all got out and used the facilities, even the dog. and the rest of the trip was nice. When we finally arrived we hugged our Grandparents and went inside. They have a enormous beefy Black Labrador named Hatti that for some reason liked to lick my dogs ears. Around 5:00 my aunt, uncle, and cousins came over and once again we hugged and visited for the rest of the night. over the next few days we went over to our cousins house to hang out and have a ping pong tournament, I lost badly. Over that time we went to my cousin's friend house to look through a telescope and witness something that only happens once every 400 years. Jupiter and Saturn join together in the sky and and create a bright light known as the Christmas Star. After that we went back to our Grandparents house to spend the night. the next day we went ice scating at the local arena and I swear I spent more time hitting and bruising my body parts on the ice then on my scates. The next day we spent most of the time playing pingpong with our cousin's. The next day we went to an escape room which we successfully completed and the next day it was Christmas Eve. That day was absolutely amazing. It started with launching a potato with a potato cannon across the ranch my grandparents own. After that we went to the shop and we did our own scavenger hunt which is our tradition. And then we went back to our Grandparents house to have our Christmas dinner with our great Grandma who is 92 and had our annual lemon cake. We went to bed and woke up and it was christmas. I got a lot of good stuff. like clothes a new football and a new build your own remote control rock crawler jeep. and then it was time to leave and go to our other Grandparents in Colorado Springs, Colorado. There we had a second Christmas Where I got New Airpods and a lego set. we hung around the house for mostof the days but we went to our other aunt and uncle's house and visited them for 2 days. And then it was time to leave to go back home the way we came marking the end of our trip.
• 2021-01-07

  How Christmas was Different

  Every year at Christmas time we have family over to celebrate. We would have skied at Mammoth Mountain California this year. However, due to Covid-19 restrictions my family was neither able to ski at Mammoth nor have family over. This made the holidays very different. We did not travel over the Christmas break, rather we spent the holidays, hiking and going to the beach. On Christmas Day my family hiked the Sandstone Peak trail. The peak is the highest point in the Santa Monica Mountains this made for a great view, especially of the ocean. Another hike that my family went on was a hike up a mountain called Mt. Boney. We went to various beaches during the break, where I surfed a little. Overall, it was a different Christmas due to Covid-19 and we could not do some of the things we usually do in order to protect ourselves and our family members.
• 2020-12-05

  How Christmas was like for me this year.

  This year Christmas wasn't exactly normal with covid ragging everywhere and in a few places getting worse. Normally For Christmas, we travel out of state but without being able to get on a plane, as it would put us in danger of getting Covid. So instead we drove up to Lake Tahoe to see our grandparents, aunt, and uncles, as well as cousins. However, we didn't stay up there very long as we wanted to be home for Christmas. Besides that, we were home all of the time and I and my family had a little case of cabin fever so we spent some time with friends that we had been previously been exposed to. All in all Christmas this year was very different.
• 2021-01-06

  My COVID-19 Christmas

  Over my Christmas break, I had a very similar Christmas to a normal one. I got the gifts that I had wished for and I went to San Diego. This has been a tradition in my family. We went and stayed on a marine core base and stayed in cabins on the beachfront. We went on bike rides through Pacific beach and we had pizza from Big Bob's Pizza. We had a great experience, however, we had to wear our masks everywhere. In every store, restaurant, or town, everyone was wearing masks. Aside from this minor inconvenience, my family and I had an incredible time over Christmas break and in San Diego.
• 20201-01-06

  A 2020 Christmas

  My winter break in the year 2020 was drastically different compared to the other years. I usually take a 15-hour flight from Los Angeles to Shenzhen, China, sleep and watch at least 2 movies on the plane, and arrive at the destination all tired and jet-lagged. My dad would welcome my family and me and promise to have a good dinner tonight when we got home. I would see all the skyscrapers in the city on the way, sometimes being too tall to see the top just from the car window. I would admire all the lush green hills, for LA, had brown hills with dried out bushes and dead trees. When we arrived and rang the doorbell, my grandparents would open the door and say how much they missed us. This year was different though. Instead of packing clothes and gifts for my relatives overseas, I stayed at home, playing card games with my family. Instead of getting together with grandparents, uncles and aunts, and cousins and having a big Christmas dinner, we made steak, mashed potatoes, and a pie while listening to Christmas music. Instead of playing my first round of golf for a new year at Mission Hills in Shenzhen with my dad and mom, I played with my mom, getting ready for a golf tournament I had in two days. I missed my overseas family and was able to see them over facetime and in photos. But this Christmas was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. My family got playing cards and different board games to play. We would laugh at each other when they had bad cards, or argue at each other when they wanted to trade property with each other in Monopoly. This Christmas was different, but I enjoyed it like always.
• 2020-12-27

  Jacob Orozco and his Covid 19 Christmas.

  The Christmas of 2020, Covid was still going on. I woke up the morning of Christmas very excited, made myself eggs from a chicken, and bacon from a pic. I also had fresh squeezed orange juice. After that my 3 siblings came downstairs and had some of the breakfast that I had made. Eventually my parents work up and we got started ripping open presents. after that we drove to visit family and exchanged gifts. we had soup and meat from a cow and drove an hour back home. We got up at 8:00 am the next morning and started driving to Lake Tahoe, l beautiful lake in Northern California. we Gott caught in a snowstorm but all was worth it when we finally got there. This Covid Christmas was not that bad. As a family we found ways to make Christmas fun and enjoyable, despite the tough times we were living in.
• 
  2020-12-29

  Along for the Ride

  Getting to free food pick up has been difficult, but I am so thankful. I have to use Ubers because public transportation is even more difficult. As I am riding in my Uber I draw my city. This has been adding to how I sketch and create while moving so I can capture the purest essence of my people and my city.
• 
  2020

  Places of Silence

  Places of Silence Artists’ Statement The cataclysmic situation caused by the Covid-19 has created a new reality for people. Society faces disastrous effects of unprecedent pandemic: losses of the human lives, loneliness, luck of personal interaction, anxiety, feeling hopeless. Visiting our favorite places, we were struck by the scarce silence of the streets, abandoned buildings, gardens. We saw the familiar places from entirely different perspective - they were silent. Spacious grounds, the ocean coast, paths in the sand were without the usual addition - a man. Our ongoing project “Places of Silence” reflects our personal experience in this new reality. Another aspect of the project is depicting the sublime beauty of landscapes surrounding us. We feel that looking at nature brings a balance and hope, as well as leads to the self-reflection, understanding oneself, and one's responsibility to other people. The project consists of ten large scale mixed media paintings on canvases and more then eighty works on paper. We have chosen paper as the integral material for the series. The origin of paper is directly related to nature. Its texture and brittleness reflect the amazing vitality and fragility of the nature. We applied black acrylic paint on the traditional oriental rice paper creating the palette of different hues and then attached small pieces of paper to the canvas the same way as if we would be using paint. Dense layers, lumps of liquid mass soaked in water, monochrome colors, an endless gradation from black to white allow us to create rich Earth like surface for our landscape works.
• 
  2020-06

  June of 2020: a quarantine journal

  This past June, for the first time in my life, I began keeping a daily journal—composed in formally identical declarative sentences—as a record, not only the events of the world that were on and affecting my mind, but also my domestic observations of home, of family, the creatures in my yard, the blooms erupting throughout the garden. In a season of isolation and upheaval, it in many ways helped to keep my brain from total dissolution into quaking depression. Once this month-long record was complete, I launched a Kickstarter campaign in support of the limited publication of *June of 2020: a quarantine journal*, with all profits being donated to Black Girl in Maine, a social-justice blog founded by writer, educator, and activist Shay Stewart-Bouley. While my skill has always been the construction of narratives that allow the reader to feel what it’s like to experience the characters’ experiences, Shay’s talent lies in taking the complex abstractions of social justice and explaining them in a way that is not only immediate and concrete, but also grounded in the experiences of both herself and her audience (in other words, she takes the cultural phenomenon at large and makes it directly relevant to you and your life). She has an ability that I lack. So I’m using my abilities to help support her and her work.
• 
  2020-07-18

  Denver Botanical Explorations

  This is a photo of some social distanced exploring done at the Denver Botanical Garden. It was to get out and see the flowers! It’s so beautiful there! Everyone looked so happy to be out in the world exploring. It was such a fun day.
• 2020-09-11

  Escaping the California Ashes

  On Friday,09-11-20, I left my home to head to my boyfriend’s house. The air quality was dangerous and I was excited to leave the unhealthy air. I had my bags packed and then his family and I went into the car. We drove 4+ hours past Tahoe to Reno Nevada. The air quality was better and the views were beautiful. The drive consisted of bright green trees, blue sky, fluffy clouds, and gorgeous rocks. The landscape was something that I hadn’t seen in a while. We eventually arrived into the hotel and had an agenda for the next two days. We went to Harbor Shore Beach in Tahoe and we were able to swim in the water. The water was cold but our bodies got used to it. It was so clear, we were able to see the floor, the fishes, and everything else in the water. The whole trip was so amazing it is something definitely worth writing about. I am so blessed to be able to escape the ashes and poor air quality. I was able to have a relaxing weekend while making memorable memories. While I was there I also watched two baseball games on a huge tv and was able to socialize with different parents and families. It was a great experience to be able to catch up with parents I hadn’t truly been able to talk to. The whole trip was super fun and I’m glad I made the memories I did this weekend. Corona has definitely held back many traveling opportunities for me and it was remarkable to be able to do something fun while social distancing. I have learned and this experience definitely emphasized that no matter what is in the way, you can always overcome it and find something fun to do. You must live with what you are given, and make the best of every situation.
• 
  2020-10-08

  Over half of Canadians embracing the joy of pandemic gardening

  One study from Dalhousie University reported that "pandemic gardens" became a thing this past summer as thousands of Canadians across the country spent more time outside growing their own food. This article also reveals the reasoning behind why people took to gardening as one of their main sources of entertainment during lockdown and even afterwards. The study shows that Canadians gardened for a multitude of purposes. Not only did they want to spend more time outside, but some were also concerned about food affordability due to the shortage of produce. This article will further illuminate how Canadians viewed gardening as one of their favourite pastimes during COVID-19 through an informative survey.
• 
  2020-06-28

  Camping During a Pandemic

  Before COVID-19 had hit the US as hard it did, a couple of friends and I had talked about going camping in Saco River once the semester was over. However, once we all went into quarantine this plan felt far from reality and we all forgot about it. It was the beginning of July and things had calmed down a little bit. I remember being out of quarantine and businesses had started to open up. The topic of camping came up again when we were thinking of ways to see each other in an open land where we can have a good time considering social distancing. Once we thought through the logistics, a couple of friends and I decided to hit the road and drive up to Saco, Maine, and spend two nights by the river in our tent. This ended up being the experience of a lifetime and just what we needed to get away from the pandemic for just a little while. We were restricted from using our phones and all sorts of social media because there was no service. We cooked, swam, played games, and tanned by the water with no worries of what was to come. We also went tubing down the river one of those days and breathed in the fresh air. We truly lived in moment and cherished the beauty of nature which allowed us to escape the reality of the world and take some time to clear our minds.
• 
  2020-11-19

  God in Captivity

  A drawing made of the God from Princess Mononoke, a classic Studio Ghibli film about environmentalism and industrialism.
• 
  2020-11-14

  Andrea Avilés: Coping Amongst Crisis

  Andrea Avilés is an International Student from Tegucigalpa, Honduras. From borders closing in March to Hurricane Eta causing catastrophic damage, Andrea shares about how she copes, stays connected to her family, and above all, positive through such difficult times.
• 
  2020-05-10

  Learning How to Orienteer in Finland

  This picture is a picture of my friend, Linda, orienteering. Now if you're confused about what orienteering is, you are not alone. When I first reached out to her to see if she had picked up any new hobbies while in quarantine, I was also very confused by her response. It turns out, orienteering is the sport of navigation; you are given a compass and a map and are tasked with trying to find your way. I had never heard of orienteering before I asked Linda about it, but it turns out it is not exclusive to Finland and is also a competitive sport in some places in the United States. Linda told me that she picked up orienteering as a way to get outside and enjoy nature while fulfilling her competitive drive. If it weren't for the pandemic, she wouldn't have been inspired to try out this new favorite hobby of hers and now new favorite competition. Covid-19 has introduced not only her, but me as well to the sport of orienteering.
• 
  2020-11-16

  Campus Adds Socially Distanced Seating

  With campus dining switching to only offering to-go options, St. Mary's added numerous picnic tables throughout campus. These picnic tables are made of rough wood but they allow students socially distanced seating options, instead of having them return all the way back to their dorms to ear.
• 
  2020-11-16

  Pandemic Hiking, Guadalupe River State Park

  I had not gone hiking since before the pandemic so I was nervous about this first trek out. I had to wear a mask when entering any buildings but other than that things were the same. I chose to go to the Guadalupe River State Park since it was one I had not previously visited. I was surprised at how many people were at the park on a weekday but it was easy to be away from people the farther you were from the water. I had a mask on anytime I had to walk near someone, but hiking on the Barred Owl and Bauer Trail I didn't run into anyone. Attached are photos from an isolated pocket I found where I could spend time with my feet in the cold river. For the first time in months, I felt a sense of normalcy. Besides the mask and the need to make reservations beforehand, nothing about this hiking experience was exceptional, and yet I felt completely renewed as I huffed and puffed back to my car. I hope that people still take precautions when they can.
• 
  2020-07-05

  The Life-Giving Locale

  This is the Moonee Ponds Drain. Concrete behemouth. Primary function: transport storm water to the Bay via the Maribyrnong River. Secondary functions (that came to light under lockdown): bike path, rollerblading circuit, mushroom foraging field, freeway viewing platform, late night extension of the lounge room during household parties, study break spot, skate park, graffiti canvas, shortcut to nearby suburbs, and shopping cart disposal pit. This place truly brings the community together. HIST 30060
• 
  2020-06-19

  Division is no cure

  HIST30060. This is a screenshot of anti-tourism postcards that were published when Melbourne went back into stage 3 lockdown. Their purpose was to deter Melbournians from travelling to regional Victoria. I selected this source as I believed this campaign was promoting the wrong behaviour of which we should all treat each other. During COVID, being caring, kind and empathetic to one another is needed in order to get through each day, and I felt these postcards were seeking to do the opposite of what we needed.
• 
  2020-08

  Beach walks - HIST30060

  I spent lockdown on the Mornington Peninsula; when the 5km radius restriction was put in place my family and I couldn't help but laugh - most of our 5km was in the water...While there were absolutely days where I felt that my world had shrunk immensely, I was always so appreciative to have the ocean less than a ten minute walk away. I probably visited the back beach four or five times a week, finding that the enormity of the ocean put things in perspective for me and helped me to ground myself when things were overwhelming.
• 
  2020-08-03

  Pandemic and Social Justice Movement in the workplace

  This article is explaining how work environments will be changing, and for the better. The author explains how not only has the pandemic shown how flexible a work environment can be as far as working digitally and from home. The author also explains how the management of most workplaces need to be more flexible and diverse. The author also explains how we can better the work environment for social justice and lists a few ways.
• 
  2020-09-28

  Noticing the little things

  Like many people, I've been spending a lot more time in my back yard this year. Once the weather started getting nice enough our household and the neighbours all seemed to have the idea to start barbequing, just for something different to do, and we often had barbeques going in three back yards along at the same time. One such day I spotted two baby wattlebirds in the tree. I spent a good few hours that day, and the next few, just watching them and their parents feeding them, I even saw their first flight. It's something I never could have imagined spending so long doing before the pandemic, so I guess you could call that a positive of the experience. (HIST30060)
• 
  2020-11-05

  Lethargic Lockdown

  HIST30060 - In reviewing this 'plague' year, I feel that there can be no simple way of explaining the whirlwind of emotions that seemed to fluctuate just as readily and sporadically as our daily covid- case numbers did back in April and May. My first uploaded image is a photograph I took of a note that was found in our letterbox in Balwyn, which we received on the 7th of April. Later we discovered it was made by two younger girls who lived at the bottom of our street, who had been writing similar letters for all our neighbours too! I felt it was very important in this unprecedented time to cherish the small acts of kindness, particularly given the emotional state of lockdown. Despite their relative insignificance, it is these small communal acts which I will cherish, which keep us connected to those around us, while ironically social distancing at the same time. Similarly, the young sisters who made the card are the same age as my niece, 9 years old. I often look at this card and think of how their youth has been irrevocably changed in this pandemic. My second image is a photo I took of Mills beach in Mornington on the 31st of July. I think it will always remind me of the occasion where I snuck down to the Beach, on the premise of doing some 'maintenance' at a family property, which was what I explained to the police who were patrolling the highway. My father has had his bouts with pneumonia in the past, so the family decided that if he could conduct his work from home, then it would be best to get of Melbourne. So my mum and dad were staying down the in Mornington from late March and came back to Melbourne around the start of November. Although we would routinely call eachother on zoom, this photo in a way commemorates the time where I had to sneak down to the beach in order to see them. Though a beautiful sunset at mills beach, there also is a sense of morbid beauty and unease to the photo. It was the only time I think I have ever seen such beautiful weather and calm water, with no boats or people in sight. The third image is a screenshot from a facebook invitation to a party which was created in early March. The guys that made the group event had originally planned to host a get together by December. I think in a sense this does give some explanation in regards to the expectations of corona, and the hysteria that was surrounding it in early March. I think as explained in the screenshot, although we didn't know what to expect, all we did know was that "the next few months are gonna be very long." Recently they updated the invitation from a party that will maybe happen in March next year. Although it may be some form of normality to look forward to, I think that this year more than any other we have learnt to prepare for the worst. Though it is currently listed to go ahead around March next year, part of me thinks it will be delayed again. My fourth image is a screenshot I took from an instagram page called "melb_lockdown," which was created in early April this year. It is an instagram page that features many artful collections of the Melbourne CBD area in black and white photographs. As one who often indulges in photography myself, I think the artist behind the instagram page is always trying to send a message with his work. I think what strikes me most is naturally seeing images of one of the 'most liveable' cities in the world, which is now devoid of the very things that have have given the city it's -claim-to-fame.' The once frenetic energy and vibrancy of the busy Melbourne CBD is now lifeless, colourless, and painfully mundane. My last image, is a meme that a friend of mine sent me. Similarly it is a an Instagram page called 'Covid 19 Funny Memes.' Though very funny, it also highlights a lot of the communal attitudes that have fluctuated and changed through out the pandemic. In late February/ early March, I believe that because it the pandemic was largely still a distant story that was affecting Europe more readily and Australia, it was something we really engaged in a kind of hysteria with. Because we hadn't experienced it, it was something we couldn't truly understand. Certainly these sought of humorous memes were not being created back then. But now I feel having lived with the pandemic for the last 8-9 months, people's attitudes have altered so much. I think because we are now more prepared to satirise, mock or create humorous memes is not to suggest that we have become apathetic towards the pandemic, but I think it shows that we are 'over it.' I think now living with this shadow over our lives for 8 months has taken its toll, and humour may be one way we can attempt to disassociate ourselves from this monotonous cycle.
• 
  2020-03-28

  Bass Coast: Beaches Closed

  For part of the pandemic I spent time living in the Bass Coast Shire in South Gippsland. My friends and I often like to go for walks on the beach or go swimming. When the first announcement was made on March 28, we were still allowed to do these things. However, by the time Easter came, the shire was worried about visitors and social distancing, so they closed the beaches to all people for every purpose. As much as I understood the necessity of these actions, to me the beach is a good way to get some exercise and take care of my mental health. So, naturally I was quite disappointed when the beaches were closed. HIST30060
• 
  2020-07-23

  HIST30060: 12 Apostles Great Ocean Road

  HIST30060: This photo is remarkable because of the tranquility it boasts, in contrast to the usual palooza of tourist buses and clicking cameras. Taken a few days before the second hard lockdown in Victoria, this photo is a tribute to how different this year really was. As my friend and are marveled at the rock formations for 30 minutes, we did not see a single other person. The car park built for hundreds was empty, visitors center closed indefinitely and the sound of our footsteps echoing as we passed under the multi-million dollar underground walkway. This year has been a major challenge for everyone, however has granted (or forced) a new perspective on life which perhaps makes every experience more impressive.
• 
  2020-08-17

  Alone in Mordor

  I remember being home alone with my Dog and doing online school. I just sat there for about 5 minutes straight staring at the sky thinking i'm in a movie.
• 
  2020

  Inside and Outside, At Home, Spring 2020 Semester, Brooklyn

  This submission interweaves the personal and professional experiences of an associate professor in the Brooklyn College Library with references to events happening in the larger society during the months of the COVID-19 pandemic through early October 2020.
• 
  2020-09-06

  Family Outing Gone Wrong

  This picture was taken at Seven Magic Mountains in Las Vegas, Nevada. You would think that this tourist attraction would have a sign informing the people to wear their masks. However, the location lacks enforcement of CDC guidelines which demonstrates how the government hasn’t put their foot down. This issue made it an uncomfortable family outing due to the fact that the majority of the people there didn’t have a mask nor complied with social distancing rules.
• 
  2020-10-20

  Strip of emptiness

  Ive always loved my city, I loved how busy it was with all the people admiring it. Now it has lost some of its charm because of the pandemic and I want to show how different it is now.
• 
  2020-06-08

  Masks save human, affect animals

  In the past weeks, I've been reading about posthumanism, according to Rosi Braidotti is "the possibility of a serious de-centering of ‘Man', the former measure of all things". Having this in mind, since the pandemic the relation between human/animal has been suffering more. The idea that the animal was the culprit of the pandemic helped to mark our superiority over other species, once more. We never thought about our relationship with the animal, the lack of harmony between different species, our footprint in nature, etc. Human survival is the center of the pandemic, and preventive care a major necessity, but the massive production of disposable masks and latex gloves has become a plastic waste problem. I chose a video from The Guardian to prove how ocean pollution from the pandemic is imminent, but you may find many sources regarding this "Covid waste". Joffrey Peltier said that “plastic isn’t the solution to protect us from Covid.” A mask has a lifespan of 450 years! We might find other alternatives like reusable masks, the reinforcement of social distancing, and leave the disposable material for doctors. We must think about how our own survival is affecting other species, we must decenter ourselves from the main discourse.
• 
  2020-09-05T22:48:00

  A Very Long Lonely Saturday Night

  The photo I presented captures two major events that affects my personal experience. First, the presence of human beings is not seen on a lovely Saturday night reveals how the government has implemented safety precautions of the use of masks and social distancing that involves quarantining in your home. This is a method the government is utilizing to substaint the coronavirus until a vaccine has been released to the public. This photo also captures something very significant to our atmosphere and that is the lack of air pollution. For those who are unaware of what air pollution is, air pollution is many different substances in the atmosphere that are harmful/dangerous to the health of humans and other living beings.This is significant because my health including all people who live in my community are not being poisoned from the air. Although the coronavirus has negatively affected my personal experience, I believe that the required safety precaution and lack of air pollution is for our good until we figure out a solution to the problem.
• 
  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.
• 
  2020-08-07

  More outdoor time

  We had to find ways to beat cabin fever, and that was hard because it was the hottest summer on record in Arizona. We took mini trips to Sedona, Tucson, and Camp Verde. We hiked and did as much outside as we could on cooler days. The kids enjoyed taking trips, because they couldn't see their friends or play with them during the lockdown.
• 
  2020-10-18

  Smoke During Covid-19

  For me much of the pandemic has been an abstract concept. Our senses cannot really alert us to the presence of Covi-19. The exception I suppose would be the presence of masks but that is not a constant reminder. I have only worn masks when going in and out of stores. My sensory memory of the pandemic is four months of the smell of smoke. I noticed the smoke yesterday and again this morning. Since the California wildfires started in June there has been an almost constant smell of smoke in the air. We also get large grass fires in this area as well so there is usually some type of fire burning. I believe that the sense of smell can at times be a much more powerful sense than sight. I will remember the smoke long after Covid-19 is gone.