Items

• 
  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.
• 
  2020-09-28

  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.
• 
  2020-10-17

  My New Co-Worker

  As a virtual school teacher, I have been working from home for almost seven years now. I was used to being the only other person in my home office, besides my dog Toto. But since the Covid-19 pandemic hit the United States in March, my husband has been working at home as well. We began working together side by side in my/our home office: however, once my husband stepped into a new role within his office, he began to have Zoom meetings and phone calls almost daily. That change coupled with my Zoom meetings and phone calls with students, our shared space was no longer feasible. He has moved to the kitchen table, where he and I can make calls without being in each other's background. During the day our house is filled with both of us talking on the phone, me to students and him to his clients. The space where I used to be free to make breakfast, listen to music, or make whatever noise I wanted, I now have a co-worker to think about (other than my pup). We both have to warn each other when our cameras are on for zoom meetings so we don't appear on camera or make some inappropriate noise in the background. Our home is now a real office, with Zoom meetings, talking, typing, lunch breaks, etc. I think I'll forever remember the sound of my husband's phone voice, as well as the "doorbell" sound chime when people enter a Zoom meeting. "Home office" has a new meaning to me now.
• 
  2020-07-07

  Part of the blog that is used to teach on the impact of COVID-19 on energy use of Brooklyn College

  This blog is used as part of the class that learn how to calculate the impacts of students on the energy use and carbon footprints of Brooklyn College.
• 
  2020-04

  Hickory Run State Park

  Since I work and go to school full time, it can be hard to find time to get out into nature. However, since the coronavirus caused my job to be furloughed for a time, it allowed my fiancé and I to use our newfound time to explore the amazing beauty of Pennsylvania's state parks.
• 
  2020-10-15

  The Magic Golden Pothos

  This is a Golden Pothos. It is one of many that I have in my home. This Pothos, though, is unique because I propagated and replanted it all during quarantine. Way back in March, I snipped a leaf off one of my other Pothos. Dropped it in a glass of water and waited for it to begin to sprout roots. Nothing incredible or out of the ordinary about this Pothos from all the other Pothos. But, I created this Pothos. I watered it, made sure it got enough, but not too much sun. I patiently sat by and watched this small little plant grow, undisturbed by the outside world. This small common little houseplant has, in essence, helped to keep me grounded during these challenging, unpredictable times. Every week as I watered my Pothos, I would be reminded that although so much has changed in everyone's daily lives and continues to change at an unfathomable rate, certain things will continue to be undisturbed. My little Pothos being one of them. By holding on to this way of thinking that there are things that are within my control that will move forward regardless of the outside world, I continue to find hope in today and, more importantly, tomorrow. There is no denying that this event has shaken every institution worldwide, doing irreparable damage to an untold amount of lives, families, cultures that will never be forgotten. But, there is always hope when there is life. I feel like these times a breeding ground for nihilistic thought, which can be very destructive. So, I have this daily reminder, through my Pothos, that there is still hope. Cheesy, I know. But, sometimes cheesy works (I know cheesy again)
• 2020-10-15

  Surviving the Apocalypse

  I live in nice town in the Eastbay about twenty miles from San Francisco. Its population is around 70,000 and its downtown is home to dozens of restaurants and high-end retail stores. On the afternoon of March 16th of this year Governor Gavin Newsom ordered all non-essential businesses shutdown and locked down. The next morning I took a walk downtown only to find that the normally busy streets were deserted. It felt like I was one of the last people on earth. The normal sounds were all but gone and it sort of felt like an episode from the Walking Dead. For the next couple weeks and eventually months I walked downtown every day and sat on a bench reading a book. The business that I used to work at was deemed non-essential, so I was initially furloughed. Over time people gradually began venturing out and some of the familiar sounds returned such as people talking and the noise of traffic. Two months into the pandemic almost all of the businesses in my town were still closed. On my daily walk one afternoon I noticed something odd. As I looked up from my book, I noticed a large convoy made up of dozens of vehicles racing into the retail shopping district. Once there the drivers parked their cars and people began pouring out. Within a few minutes there were a couple hundred people breaking into and looting the closed retail stores. The towns relatively small police force was caught by surprise and within a half an hour almost every high-end retail store in town was cleaned out. There was no protest involved it was simply a coordinated raid. The next day on my walk downtown I noticed that every business in town had been boarded up and all the people were gone again. A little later in the pandemic the California wildfires began. I continued my walks with the constant smell of smoke in the air. On many days the sun was completely blocked out by smoke. The massive fires created a weird atmospheric condition. The smoke hovered at about 5,000-10,000 feet and it was as dark as night on some days but there was relatively little smoke at ground level. Now about seven months after the lockdowns began things are returning to normal and I still walk downtown every day.
• 2020-10-12

  Waiting for My Next Breath of Fresh Air

  The magnitude of COVID-19 has certainly changed all of our lives forever, and I can absolutely discuss the greater magnitude of the issue. However, in this archive, I will submit a more specific story of how my wife, children and I have been affected and are still affected today. Living in Arizona, there is one thing every Arizonian knows, the summers are hot! After living in Arizona for almost a decade now, my wife and I have grown to appreciate Fall, Winter and Spring because the weather is spectacular, and we enjoy being able to take a walk. In Summer we quickly learned we could enjoy our walks by window shopping in any store or mall as the air conditioning was second to none. This all came to a screeching halt in March 2020 with the declaration of the COVID-19 Pandemic. We heeded all the orders, bypassing our Spring walks to stay indoors for our safety. My wife and children would stay in while I would make very sparse food runs to restock following every precautionary instruction given. I quickly realized what was said to be not important at first, later to be told it was necessary for basic safety measures, I would learn the “Mask” would be my greatest foe. Why? Because it makes it very difficult to breathe. As stores begun to open in early Summer, it was too hot to be outside as temperatures were topping 100 degrees in the valley of the sun. We would at least be able to enjoy our walks in stores after the stay at home orders were lifted. However, at this point mask orders were put into place making it mandatory indoors. Now faced with the choice of it being too hot outside or walking indoors with a mask where breathing is labored, gaining headaches and now lightheadedness while struggling for air. As the mask orders continue and seeing masks of every type, people wearing them incorrectly, people touching them, raising them and removing them. The more and more people I see out and about and no significant rise in deaths or hospitalizations, I wonder what the reason for these masks can be? Right now, the only thing I am waiting for is my next breath of fresh air.
• 2020-10-12

  A Covid-19 July 4th, 2020

  One of my favorite holiday rituals is to go to a park, lay a blanket down, enjoy a picnic with my circle of family and friends along with the many other groups who are also awaiting the start of the fireworks show. The aromas of barbecued items such as hot dogs, hamburgers, and corn wafting in the air mixing with other ethnic delights are reminders of the diversity of this country. I open the doors of my Jeep, connect my iPhone and select my July 4th playlist to share with the people around me. In the distance I hear other groups talking and commenting on the music; it's nice to have background music as the show begins. "What's a July 4th show without the good 'ole '1812 Overture'?" is a common remark. The attraction of the fireworks, at least to me, is being there to hear the reverberation and smell the sulphur as they explode in the air besides the visual display. Timing the music to the show, especially the finale, is my annual challenge; one that I've been somewhat successful several years in a row. This year's holiday was spent indoors, by myself. I just didn't have the energy or interest to go to the bother of barbecuing for just me. My friends and family were all hunkered down at their respective homes. To observe July 4th via TV was just not same. For me, there would be no physical sensation of the sounds or of the smells that are so closely associated with the holiday. So, I passed on recognizing July 4th as a holiday...it was just another Covid-19 day in the year 2020.
• 
  2020-10-12

  Sensory history contribution to COVID-19 Archive

  These are the instuctions posted in Canvas for HST 643. Students enrolled in Global History Fall B at Arizona State University will all submit a story related to the pandemic and senory history
• 
  2020-04

  The Silence of Moab

  Moab Utah is a lively tourist town normally filled with visitors from around the world. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has made it a ghost town.
• 
  2020-08-16

  Senior Pictures During Covid

  I took these photos of some of my family members during our time at a state park where we were taking my sister’s senior pictures. There were scarcely any other people around, and those that were had masks as well. While we were taking pictures at this park, I thought of how strange it is that years into the future, people in our family will look back on my sister’s senior pictures and will be reminded of the pandemic. Her picture will go up in our house next to ones of her from earlier years and will stand out due to that mask. It will be an interesting sight one day to look back on pictures of us with masks on and be reminded of what it was like to live through a global pandemic.
• 
  2020-09-09

  I Stood Beneath An Orange Sky

  Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, August 2020 brought devastating wildfires to the state of California. Many of the Northern California fires were started as a result of the lightning produced during a massive - and rare - summer thunderstorm. The week leading up to the storm, I questioned the reliability of weather information as I had never experienced a severe summer storm in California. The night of the storm, I lay awake in my bed in awe of the sound of the storm. The combination of wind, rain, thunder and lighting produced incredibly loud sounds that lasted throughout the night. My family stayed snug in our beds. But when the storm continued into the morning hours, we decided to sit on our porch to take in the moment. The smell of rain in the summer was oddly refreshing. My kids were jumpy as none of them remember ever hearing thunder before. During a pause in the rain, we were walking between our home and my in-law’s home about 500 yards away from ours. The thunder hit at that very moment. I turned to look at my son and he was completely jumping out of his skin from fear of the thunder. Following each bout of thunder, silent lighting bolts shot across the sky. In the moment, we soaked in the beauty of nature. Little did we know that these beautiful bolts of lightning would cause some of the largest fires in California history. Immediately following the storm, fires spread across the state of California. While COVID-19 has completely changed life as we know it, we have found joy in being able to enjoy the outdoors. At the onset of the fires, even that reprieve was taken from us. I live directly between the SCU Lightning Complex and the LNU Lighting Complex fires, two of the first fires that erupted following the storm. The days immediately following the start of the fires brought record breaking days of heat well over 100 degrees. The hottest I have ever experienced in the San Francisco Bay Area. The region experienced rolling blackouts and even functioning air conditioners were so taxed that they struggled to keep the insides of homes cool. In addition to the heat, the skies were filled with ash. The air was so thick with ash it was difficult to even take a breath when outside. The outdoors, our place of solace, quiet and escape during this pandemic, was no longer an option for us. On September 9, 2020, I woke up and opened my curtains to face a brilliant orange sky. The color of the sky was unlike anything I've ever seen in my life. It truly felt apocalyptic. The air smelled of an extinguished campfire. And the overall feeling was eerie. The weight of the COVID-19 pandemic hit me the day that I stood beneath an orange sky, breathing in the smell of the fires ravaging my beloved state. How did we get here? Will life ever feel normal again? It just can’t get worse, can it? While I stood frozen in place, I heard the sound of birds chirping in the distance. This simple sound gave me the reassurance that I needed. We can do hard things. This too shall pass. I just hope it passes quickly.
• 
  2020-10-08T06

  Pollution's Effect on Coronavirus

  Bad air quality could worsen the effects of the coronavirus pandemic
• 
  2020-10-08

  My Getaway

  Since the coronavirus outbreak, nothing has been the same. With all the lockdowns and stay at home orders, it has been very difficult for many people to maintain their livelihoods. It is crucial for us to do our part and practice social distancing in order to prevent the spread of the virus. Once the stay-at-home orders were lifted I immediately found myself heading up north to escape the 110+ degree heat in Phoenix, Arizona. Heading into the north’s beautiful wilderness has allowed me to cope with the pandemic’s situation. I have been traveling north consistently, which has become my ultimate getaway from everything, especially with the COVID situation. Exploring nature is something that I greatly enjoy doing and is one thing I would recommend to occupy your time in these situations. These pictures implemented here are some of the things I have done to cope with the situation of COVID 19. I hope you enjoy these photos I was able to take and upload here to ultimately share.
• 
  2020-07

  Finding Myself Through Walking

  During this pandemic, I begin to fall into depression and anxiety which I never faced before. I didn’t want to go to the hospital to see my provider to be put on pills for depression and anxiety because I was nervous due to the virus. I slowly begin to pray asking God to help me overcome this battle. I started to do different types of self-care, but nothing would help. I decided to go walking one morning and I knew right away this would help me. Every morning, I get out of bed to go walk the minimum of 3 miles, the maximum would be 6 miles. I enjoyed watching the sun rise and seen the difference it made while being up. I also enjoyed the different weather changes from being summer to beginning to get cold. It has helped me see another day, by making great healthy choices in my food intake. I enjoy the nature and the environment I am walking in. I love hearing the birds chirp, the quietness at times, the cars go by. When I listen to music and sing it helps me release my depression. As I begin to walk, I begin to pray to God and giving him thanks for another day, another day to see his creation and continuously praying. It's important to me because my health reflects my life. This not only helped me with my better living path in staying healthy but involving my son to my walk. Taking him along with me during the walks. I enjoy his presence as well as implementing games, so he doesn’t get bored during our walk. The thing that also helped me out is a great friend who also runs every morning. She gives me encouragement to have a better healthier lifestyle. In order to have life, we need to take care of our inner self. It has helped me physically, mentally and spiritually.
• 
  2020-09-29

  New life in the wetlands

  One of the good things that has occurred with the second stay-at-home lockdown in Melbourne, Victoria is that we are all out walking more regularly. This enforced 5km limit from home has meant that we are looking more closely at our environment. These Australasian Swamp Hen chicks were recently hatched and stumbling with their big feet through their reed nest. A couple of days later a big rainfall event swamped the nest but the chicks have survived as I have seen them on the ponds in the wetlands. A beautiful and hopeful reminder that the natural world cycle of birth is going on around us inspite of the Pandemic.
• 2020-10-05T08:49

  covid world map

  The article shows where their cases are globally and what trends they are following in different countries.
• 
  2020-09-27

  Walking Through the Neighborhood Again

  Prior to the pandemic, my friend and I would canvas neighborhoods for a local city council candidate here in Tempe. The election was held the week before the world shut down in March. Since then I haven’t done any canvassing. Local campaigns have adapted to the pandemic through no-contact lit dropping (and wearing a mask while doing it, of course). This is essentially just dropping off a flier at someones door with a candidates information on it. I used to take photos of the cool houses and things I would see when walking through the neighborhoods. This past weekend I stopped to take this photo in “The Lakes” neighborhood.
• 
  2020-09-29

  Bubble Holidays

  Are you a thrill seeker? Are you bored of sitting at home all day? Don’t worry we have a safe way to fulfil all your desires. Bubble holiday- The safest way to travel during a pandemic. The Inme-Yoreka group makes it possible for people like you to travel to different camps located in the wilderness, covered by forests and equipped with adventure activities. 60 miles away from the holy city of Rishikesh exists India's most exciting holiday destination. Atali ganga resorts offer comfortable accommodation, beautiful views of the valley, and go river rafting, rock climbing, hiking, inflatable kayaking and camping. Following all COVID-19 safety guidelines strictly we make sure that your experience is safe. Check the website for more information.
• 
  2020-03-31

  Unplugged

  This photograph was taken one day when I was out on a walk with my mother. I am in college, so we were forced to shut down and head home early for the semester. I live in Northern California, so it is very hilly and green in the springtime. Since we shut down before many other states did, we were forced to entertain ourselves at home for the majority of quarantine. My mom and I are both very into fitness, so we decided that we would take a two mile walk each day. I took this picture one day on our walk. I am calling this story “unplugged” because I feel that I may not have gone on these walks with my mom if we had other things to do. When on these walks, I was really able to take in nature and have great conversations with my mom. I feel that this was a super important time for me. I was not focused on anything that was going on around me besides the fact that I was spending time outside with my mom. This image is important to me for a number of reasons. This was a beautiful image of a landscape looking out into the hilly greenery of Northern California. I think that this picture is a representation of how we can find beauty even in the midst of a hard time. I took this picture at the start of the pandemic since it was taken late March. This was a time of lots of unknown and worry around the country. This is a time that everyone has to find happiness in each other, and learn to work with what we have. It is also important to take the time and spend time with the ones you love, as well as take time for yourself. These walks that I took with my mom allowed me to do both. I was able to take time for myself, as well as spend time with my mom after being away at school for a year.
• 
  2020-08-14

  When The News gets Bored.

  This is a weird moment I was able to get a picture of. My dad was in the front yard cleaning up a few branches that were blown off in a storm the previous night. Note; the storm was not monumental, in fact it was probably the most unimpressive rain storm we've ever had. The tree branches that fell were bound to fall with or without the storm. But I guess the news guys were so bored that day that they were driving around trying to find anything they could cover that would fill 5 minutes of air time. That 5 minutes became a few shots of my dad lazily picking up a few branches with the news anchor exaggerating the severity of the storm. It was hilarious and provided a much needed break for my family in this weird time.
• 
  2020-09-29

  The Reveal of True Colors Through Chaos

  This image represents the disruption that COVID-19 brought upon the daily lives of members in American society. Additionally, it could be used to symbolize the calm before the storm. The sudden outbreak of COVID-19 and almost immediate initiation of mandatory quarantine was chaotic enough. However, extended seclusion and cruel cops triggered a violent uproar within the hearts and actions of civilians. Within the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, American society has endured an almost complete shut down of businesses, initiation of new safety procedures, protests for black lives matter, protests for blue lives matter, anti-mask protestors, virtual school, the daily life of wearing a mask constantly while in public, toilet paper crises, the loss of loved ones, earthquakes, hurricanes, wildfires, and much more. *A photograph, from architecturaldigest.com
• 
  2020-09-06

  Karmic Retribution

  On September 6, 2020, I drove down to Boulder, Colorado to spend the day with a close friend of mine. Wildfires had been raging across the state of Colorado for a few weeks and this day, the reality of the natural disasters was especially apparent. The entire Front Range was shrouded in grey fog of smoke. A bright red sun loomed overhead as ash gently pirouetted down from the sky. The air was thick with the stench of burning forests. And it was hot. It was like something out of a movie. Apocalyptic. Ominous. Foretelling some impending doom. My friend and I started our day with a walk down by the Boulder Creek. It was unusually crowded that day and a majority of the park-goers were not wearing facial coverings. Masks were (and still are) mandatory in busy public places and my friend and I were definitely shocked to see a lack of responsibility among what we thought was a community of informed progressives. We chose to wear our masks, not necessarily because of COVID etiquette, but more so because we were worried about breathing in all the smoke and ash in the air. You could smell the smoke. You could see the smoke. And it was clear to us that we also ran the risk of breathing it in. We never checked the air quality index to verify if the air quality was indeed poor, but we didn’t have to. We both had itchy eyes and scratchy throats and that was evidence enough to wear our masks if we were going to be outside. We made our way around the area, trying to find a place to sit and relax. We passed through a tunnel that ran underneath the road. Spray painted on its walls, in red paint, was “Chief Niwot’s Curse” and “Stolen Landz.” My friend and I both took pictures of the graffiti because it “spoke” to us in a way that art or a well-timed coincidence often does. Our country was birthed in blood and forged in violence. This got us thinking about how the United States might quite literally be “cursed,” so long as Americans collectively refuse to acknowledge that fact that we stole the land from Native Americans. My friend and I found a picnic table and immediately pulled out a Tarot deck to do a reading. Whether or not divination is an accurate reflection of reality, does not matter. The subjective interpretation of a story, (and the symbols therein,) is subjectively real. It’s also fun. And sometimes, it’s scarily accurate. My friend and I brainstormed a theme for our reading and concluded on “the story of 2020.” We shuffled the deck a few times. And then drew. The first two cards we drew at random were Temperance and the Tower, both of which are Major Arcana cards. We interpret the Major Arcana cards as the narrative archetypes, or overarching themes, for our reading. So, in this reading, the overarching themes for 2020 were Temperance and the Tower. According to Golden Art Nouveau Tarot’s explanation, the Temperance card displays “An angel performing a mystical rite to restore spiritual harmony, pouring water from one cup to another.” The Tower card depicts, “A blast from the heavens” that “destroys a tower that seemed unconquerable, its magnificent crown-like dome tumbling to the ground. Two people fall helplessly from the heights. The tower was built with such a forbidding design that it imprisoned them in their own creation, with no easy exit.” Golden Art Nouveau Tarot continues, “Seek liberation on your own, or the universe may give it to you in unexpected ways.” My friend and I saw these cards and immediately locked eyes, sharing a mutual astonishment. Amidst the tumult of 2020 – a global pandemic that changed the way humans socially-interact and go about their daily lives, an urgent call for civil rights, widespread systemic frustration, climate change fueling natural disasters, ideological warfare fueled by misinformation and social media addiction – the themes of destruction and spiritual renewal seemed to bear an eerie resemblance to everything going on in the world. We then drew the King of Cups. The King of Cups “is a steady presence in a turbulent sea.” He is kind, peaceful, keeps his emotions in check, and offers comforting strength in times of trouble. As a king, he is who the people look to for guidance. My friend and I interpreted this as the need to practice detached compassion in order to navigate the waters of 2020. With an upcoming election, the United States is more divided than ever. That division could easily lead people to “drown” in their emotions and “wash away” their civility. The rest of the cards we drew were wands, representing the element of fire. Spiritually, fire is connected with creative energy, action, willpower and ambition. As our home literally “burned” before our eyes, my friend and I thought about the desire for change that seemed to be “fueling” transformation. After our Tarot reading, my friend and I drove up into the mountains. We noticed some Tibetan prayer flags flapping in the wind and pulled over to take a closer look. At a higher elevation, it was even easier to see the smoke settling down below in Boulder Canyon, enveloping the land in this impenetrable haze. We were on top of the world and had a “clear” view of everything. *Photographs taken in Boulder, Colorado boulder, colorado, wildfire, global warming, climate change, destruction, stolen land, chief niwots curse, karma, karmic retribution, cause and effect, tarot, spirituality, intuition, perception, logic, past, present, future
• 
  2020-03-30

  The Great Outdoors

  The pandemic continues to rage over the country and has changed the daily way of life for millions. However, sometimes change isn’t bad and might even be needed. Before the pandemic hit, I lived my life mostly stuck inside, only going out for school and necessities. Due to the lockdown and shutdown for most businesses, my parents decided that this was a great time to explore the great outdoors. They knew that my lack of activities already would lead to an even lazier demeanor if those ceased to exist with the pandemic. I absolutely am not an outdoors person, nor do I enjoy being under the hot sun, but my parents forced my siblings and I out of the house. The first few days weren’t great as it was quite hard to go from nonmobile all day to exercise under the blazing sun. As I got use to it, I actually began to love the daily routine of wandering for hours and leaving my stresses behind me. I also picked up some earbuds and began listening to music as I explored. Sometimes the music brought me great energy and a new bounce in my step and sometimes, it swayed me into dreaming about endless possibilities. However, as the days passed, I began to notice more than my just my thoughts and I begun to take more interest in the nature around me. I would often stop to stare at the various flowers, trees, and scenery in my neighborhood. Hence the picture of the green fern as I begun to take pictures of the plants that I thought had a special aura. The day I saw the fern, the sun happened to be at the perfect angle shining down upon it and the swaying wind made it look majestic. What I believe is that the pandemic may have completely flipped one’s life upside-down, but it doesn’t mean it has changed it for the worse. Rather it simply takes just a little effort to take notice that there is so much more to the world surrounding us. *Photograph, I took the picture. change, our, world, perspective
• 
  2020-09-09

  Smoke over the Pacific Northwest

  Flying from Portland to San Francisco on September 9th, the skies below were visibly smoky. It was hard to distinguish normal fog from smoke from the fires, but two huge plumes of smoke can be seen in the time-lapse. The air smelled like smoke when I took off from Portland, but was much worse in San Francisco- the sky was orange and visibility was greatly reduced.
• 2020-09-26

  The causes of COVID-19

  The COVID-19 pandemic was something I definitely did not expect. It was a shock to not only me, but also to everyone in this world. This pandemic completely shifted my life into something entirely different from what I’m used too. Pre-COVID-19, I did not have to think about leaving my house with a mask on. Now, while we are still in the pandemic, leaving the house with a mask on is part of my everyday essentials. Wearing a mask is currently part of my wardrobe. I bought reusable masks because they are not good for the environment. Global warming is a very big issue that many people do not believe in, but I do believe in. I try my best to help the environment as much as I can, so buying reusable masks is what I did. Also, those medical masks are so expensive now, it is something I cannot afford to keep buying. While on the topic of expensive, I was someone who always carried hand sanitizer with me wherever I went. Now that hand sanitizer is a necessity due to the virus, it was hard for me to find them in stores, and when I did find them, the cost was two times higher than it originally would be. Money became an issue for me due to the change of price in many things. I did not work during the start of the pandemic because I was scared to put my families lives at risk. I work now, but I practice social distancing as much as I can, I sanitize, and I wear a face mask at all times. The hardest part about being in quarantine would be remote learning, and it still is. I was someone who despised online classes. I always avoided taking them. However, due to the pandemic, I had no other choice but to take online classes. I appreciate the effort my professors put into trying to make everything work, but it will never be the same as being in class physically and learning. Taking online classes is so stressful because I am basically teaching myself. Depending on the professor, somethings are just not clearly explained so I am left confused very often. Trying to manage everything in my personal life on top of online classes is not easy. Working academically in the comfort of my own home, with my family was and still is a struggle. I need to be in a different environment other than my own home in order for me to fully concentrate and study for my classes. Another constant issue with remote learning is my horrible WIFI connection. My WIFI has been a mess since quarantine started. Having bad WIFI added on to more stress for my online classes because I needed the internet to finish my work and pass my classes. Nonetheless, the CDC is trying their best to stop the spread of COVID-19. This pandemic has caused a major shift to the world, especially mine. The best thing I can do is to continue to work hard and do the best that I can. We have been in a pandemic for 7 months now. Unfortunately, this is our new normal.
• 
  2020-05

  The reality after covid19

  This picture shows how is our life after the pandemic, from children to adult we need to wear mask. We are not able to breath fresh air and its sad that children's need to get used to mask.
• 
  2020-09-24

  Watching the Plants Grow

  I spent the summer working on a farm and tending to a little garden with my mom at home (to be fair it was her garden...I just helped out a bit)! It was a privilege to get to escape into the outdoors and work until I was tired on things that I thought were meaningful.
• 
  2020-03-06

  The Peruvian Experience

  So I am down in Peru with three fellow students from Wesleyan University. We are just beginning our spring break, and had recently united in Lima before flying together to Cusco the next morning. Our plan was ambitious, chaotic, and irresponsible in hindsight; we had decided to hike the Salkantay Trek from Soraypampa to Aguas Calientes. The evening of our arrival, we were out to dinner when at 9 pm, my friend receives an alarming text from his mother stating that the Salkantay Trek was closed because of a historic mudslide that had decimated the entire trail below the highest pass. This slide sent at least 12 to their death (many remain missing today) while simultaneously displacing 430 families living in the valley. At the time, we were unaware of these disturbing statistics and decided to find a tourist agency that would perhaps guide us part of the way. At 10 pm that evening, we located a random tourist shop that was lightly populated by two employees in the backroom of a jumbled building of interior storefronts. They assured us that not only is the trek impassible at multiple points, but that the Peruvian government was preventing travelers from setting out on the trail. We offered to pay a guide to take us even part of the way, but they turned our proposal down. They did, however, secure us seats on a bus leaving at 5 am the next morning to Soraypampa where tourists engrossed themselves in a heavily assisted day-hike to Lake Humantay. We waiting in the darkness of the Plaza de Armas while bus after bus went to various other locations around Cusco. We dizzily wavered around due to the 11,000 feet of altitude gain that we had assumed less than 24 hours ago until a bus finally came to pick us up. From there, we dangerously (or so we thought at the time) drove through one-lane mountain roads in a loaded bus for nearly five hours. At last, we unloaded and grabbed our packs. We were the only backpackers in sight, and we planned on doing this trek without guidance both geographically and physically. As the rest of the hikers walked packless with sticks to the lake, we lagged behind, destroyed by the sudden difficulty of what was supposed to be an easy first day of trekking. Even with mouths full of coca leaves, two of us required sips of the small oxygen canister we picked up the day before. Our bodies pulsed with symptoms of altitude sickness, but we pressed on. No other view could have made me smile as widely as that of glacial Lake Humantay as we crested the final ascent. At 14,500 feet of altitude, we laughed at the fantastic beauty before us. We had arrived in the early afternoon, and found ourselves almost totally alone beside this pool in the Andes Mountains. Our descent was horrible. Pulsing again were headaches, fatigue, shortness of breath, and swelled joints. In our divergence from the path most traveled, we entered a trail of horse, cow, and llama (domesticated guanaco as we kept on) crap; an uncomfortable rain began to fall, and we found ourselves walking through a mountain feed mist. Within all of our heads was the terrible thought of setting up camp in the rain. Our level of exhaustion was overly evident to any onlooker (there was no one), but as the rain let up and our camp became established, moods lifted and excitement spiked. We were observing the most beautiful sunset display any of us had ever seen. The sun, setting at around 4:00 pm because of the extreme prominence of the surrounding mountains, swirled its orange and pink on the snow-covered top of Mount Salkantay almost as a kind of sorbet is presented at an ice-cream shop. Our wide smiles disappeared as a frigid wind whipped through the valley that we were so exposedly staying in. Dinner in the dark was followed by an unmatched view of eye-contracting stars as we retreated to the chilled interior of our tents. Altitude sickness plagued any chance of a good night's sleep, and we awoke frozen and in a misty cloud. It was this day that we would trek through the Salkantay Pass at 15,220 feet of altitude. Endless switchbacks defined the first half of the day. We toiled over each step, our packs dragging each attempt to press on. After a few hours of extreme exertion and chill, we passed through the highest point of the trek. Once the clouds parted, an incredible view of the mudslide's decimation shocked us into the reality of our unguided trek. The slide refigured the landscape with a melting expanse of boulders climbing both sides of the valley and completely filling in the previous location of the Salkantay Lake. Armed with a compass and an enthusiastic "we can't turn back now" mindset, our trek took us through a few miles of trailless movement into the valley ahead. The rest of this day wasn't by any means forgiving. Passing through a newly abandoned town, over a sea of boudlers and deep, wet sand, and into the jungle valley brought set after set of challenges. Towards hour 11 of the day's hiking, a thunderstorm burdened the final steps we had to take. The valley was steep, and beneath us crept a barren section of forest where the river washed away all vegetation in existence (it rose over 130 feet in some sections). Once we had almost made it to the supposed location of the next town, we hopped another small waterfall and rounded another unpromising corner to see only a gap. For about the length of a track, a secondary mudslide caused by the huge forest laceration made by the river's rise opened up to an impassible section of an unstable dirt cliff-face. We spent the next hour cautiously pressing up and around the empty gap in the forest in the ongoing rain. From there, we very quickly arrived in the next town, populated but in a state of emergency. Their supply of food had been entirely cut off, and reserves were running dangerously low. The following day, we were shown to a couple of provisional bridges that the locals had erected just two days before with some fallen logs and sticks. More treacherous than anything any of us had done, we inched along the sloped, wet logs that stretched over the intersection of two overflowing rivers. Later that day, a mile long mudslide had taken out another part of the trail, but this one was dry and had experienced some local foot traffic (there were no roads for the first four days of trekking). We got ahead that evening, and camped on a man's land high in the valley steeps who informed us that we had been the only group to travel the Salkantay Trek route for the entirety of the year 2020 (this was in March mind you). The next day of trekking was far longer than we had expected, but traveling alone through an ancient village to a phenomenal viewpoint of Machu Picchu made it worth it. We ended in with a beat arrival in Aguas Calientes, but that evening was full of celebration and restaurant food. Two of us woke up with food poisoning, and we decided to travel back to Cusco midday rather than in the evening. Upon arriving at our hostel, President Vizcarra came on the television to announce that Peru would close its airports in 24 hours. At the time of our departure in Soraypampa, the coronavirus had only spread widely in China and Italy, but when we got out, the internet flooded our phones with the reality of online classes, the spread of the virus into a pandemic, and the global closing of boarders. Panic-ridden, we awoke at 5 am to escape the claim that hostels and hotels would be locked from the outside by the police to force a 15-day quarantine period set by the Peruvian Government. We waited outside in the rain until the last flight to Lima departed with us onboard (our ticket had coincided with the last day of open airports by sheer luck). In Lima, we were locked in our friend's house, prevented from going outside by the fear of getting arrested by the endless number of police and military stationed on the streets of the city. Day after day passed, we played chess, meditated, and hoped for an email from the U.S. Embassy of Peru. Weeks passed, and the panic of my family was calmed by my less-bothered conscience. After daily reminders pointing towards the extension of our visit to Peru to months, the housing situation ended for two of us, and we ventured to a nearby hotel to wait out the rest of our stay in Lima. By some miracle, we were then put in touch with a DEA agent helping at the embassy (the DEA helped out because the chair of the embassy and many of his employees all fled back to the U.S. leaving thousands of citizens stranded for much longer). The person who aided us brought us to the embassy to get on a departing repatriation flight as standby passengers. In a rare moment of animation, my friend and I flew on an unfilled flight directly to Washington, D.C. Our trip had ended, but our quarantine in a very strange new world had just begun. I want to note that I skipped large swaths of experience to fit this shortened story into a mildly digestable piece. I also did not read through it yet so forgive any mistakes or sections lacking flow.
• 
  2020-09-20

  Oral Interview of College Freshman Regarding COVID-19 Experiences

  This interview is conducted by a college freshman who interviews another college freshman about her experiences during lockdown. It covers how she dealt with isolation, how her high school experience had changed, and all the emotions and nuances that came with this strange new COVID-19 reality.
• 
  2020-08-30

  West Coast on Fire

  Even though the big story of the year is the Covid-19 pandemic, there is so much more going on behind the scenes of that story. The wildfire season continues to rage on. You hear the stories on the news, but unless you live in one of the areas affected, it can be hard for people to picture. This infographic illustrates just how widespread an area the wildfires affect.
• 
  2020-09-14

  Wildfire Sunrise

  I snapped this photo on the way to work on Sept 14th. The smoke from several wildfires burning had drifted into Arizona turning the sky into a hazy orange. Usually driving to work at that time of morning means the sun is right in my eyes, but this morning, the sun was a weak red dot, indicating just how thick the smoke was, and just how widespread the wildfires are along the west coast.
• 
  2020-08-08

  Day Trip to Wupatki National Monument / Sunset Crater

  After being cooped up basically all summer, trying to maintain social distance from everyone due to the pandemic, I decided that I needed to get out and get some fresh air. My cousin had never been to Flagstaff so I decided to go on a day trip with her to Flagstaff and Wupatki / Sunset Crater to get outdoors and get some fresh air and do some sightseeing. We spent the day being tourists and seeing some beautiful scenery. Even though the pandemic is still going strong, this was a safe, socially distanced adventure that we both thoroughly enjoyed.