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May 24, 2021

Chronicles of the Plague Years

[From the Introduction] For the students, faculty, and staff at Bronx Community College, March 2020 was a sucker punch to the gut. Our vibrant campus, a beautiful haven filled with vitality and life, became a kind of petri dish—ground zero for the COVID 19 virus to make landfall. Not only were many students and staff sickened in those early days, but the City University system was forced to close, then transition to remote learning in the space of a single week. It was a challenge, to say the least: for faculty who needed to quickly learn the tools to make it possible, and even more so for the students, who—cut off from socialization and in person learning—had to adjust to this new reality. Stranded in their homes, some students were forced to continue working frontline jobs, while others lost jobs and income, facing financial devastation. Students were confronted with their own illness as well as that of family members. Online learning was fraught in those early days. As a community, we improvised our way forward, without the proper technology and knowhow to do it. But two years on, our students have proven their resilience. In time, we adapted to remote learning, to new ways of doing things, of coping. 2020 was harder, and in 2021, the challenges continued. But, somehow, we got through. These student books provide a glimpse into the minds of the talented BCC Digital Design students who persevered, strived, and thrived.

2020-05-29

The Unseen Harm of Western Spirituality

My friends and I had agreed that 2019 was one of the worst years we had experienced. As 2020 rolled in, we made the resolution that this year was going to make up for the last. I devoted myself to spiritual study, enrolled in college to study clinical psychology and went to every concert, show and party that I could get myself to. I intended to live as hard and as fast as I possibly could. That all changed in March of that year when lockdown went into effect. In late 2019 I had already lost much in my life. I was on my second failed marriage, homeless for the third time and was separated from my child, with no idea if or when I'd see her again. I took consolation in spirituality. I dug into Hindu mantras, Wiccan spellwork and Buddhist mindfulness practices without much concern of where they came from or their cultural contexts. I gave up on my spirituality because it didn't give any answers as to why life was becoming so difficult and didn't reconnect with my spirituality until the Black Lives Matter protests overtook Seattle. I initially joined the protests because I wanted to be part of something bigger and meaningful. After several days of getting tear gassed and almost getting arrested, I was determined to figure out what the movement was really about. Being in lockdown gave me the time to research. I learned about the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and just how far reaching the consequences of it were. I learned how nearly every industry in the Western world has its roots in the slave trade, how racism is still alive and powerful today, how there are no easy solutions to this problem that was started hundreds of years ago. The hardest lessons were the ones I learned about myself. My deep dive into spirituality didn't exist without some damage of its own. Much of the spellwork I had practiced had its own roots in various African traditions, many of which had been compiled and processed into a warped Westernized version of themselves. The vaguely Pagan practices I followed picked apart deities from various cultures to suit the needs of White people who couldn't care less what the actual practices were intended for. I had chanted those Hindu mantras without knowing their cultural context. I found it difficult to talk about my practices, not because I couldn't find a community that shared my values, but because I didn't understand what I was practicing or the harm I was doing by following a stripped down version of them. By failing to understand the cultural context of these practices, I wasn't honoring them and in turn, I wasn't honoring the people and cultures that they came from. The Trans-Atlantic slave trade took more than just people from their homelands. It took and often destroyed entire cultures. That which didn't disappear became watered down to suit white tastes as entertainment or a fad. It removed all of the context from many spiritual practices, leaving the cultures they belonged to stripped of autonomy and history. In the modern day, this continues to be a problem. White people continue to consume other cultures for their own gain, often by adopting and reshaping them in a strange attempt at virtue signaling. We are nowhere near finding justice for all of the people that colonialism damaged. A large majority of nations are still considered developing, primarily due to colonialism and capitalism determining that these nations and their people only have value if they can provide something to first world nations. The road to reparation is a long one but it has to start by no longer centering white people and the developed nations and listening to those that have been hurt.

2022-04-29

An ~Interesting~ Time to Say the Least

After living through it for the past two years, there is SO much to say about the COVID-19 pandemic, and I don’t even know where to begin. I guess the main takeaway is that it really forced everyone’s true colors to show. At the beginning in March of 2020, everyone was so uncertain of what was to come, and that alone made it so scary, that most people had no choice but to make light of the situation. I remember not only the grocery store shelves being empty because of everyone over-stocking their pantries and shortages in general, but also the hobby sections of Walmart and Target being empty, which was truly a really beautiful thing to witness. People were taking the time in quarantine to learn more about themselves whether that meant learning new skills or trying out new hobbies and spending time with their families doing puzzles and playing games as well. For me personally, I taught myself how to sew, which is depicted in the attached photo, as I needed to make face masks for my boyfriend and me (out of an old t-shirt) so we could safely go to the grocery store, before masks were widely available. I also learned how to bake really delicious treats, got back into reading, and even painted a few pictures here and there. Aside from these positives, it also brought out a lot of negatives as well including built up anxiety and anger that came out in the form of a new equal rights movement: Black Lives Matter after George Floyd's murder. It was scary at the time because protests and riots got very violent, but any movement for equal rights is a good movement, so it was a positive in the long run. I would say COVID-19 also played a role in the insurrection at the capitol on January 6th of 2021, and more division between political parties regarding vaccines and mandates. One could go on for hours listing all the positive and negative aspects that came about from the pandemic, but it's most important to recognize how resilient we as humans are. I'm proud of how far we've come.

2022-04-28

Reflection

During the pandemic, many people were able to see a huge shift in the public and the way we all interacted with one another. We saw huge changes in racism and power. One of the biggest examples was the Trump presidency. This was a huge shift in power when it came to the democratic and republican parties. We also saw much racism and violence regarding police brutality and the black community. Furthermore, we saw racism towards the Asian community as well when it came to COVID 19 and the backlash that surrounded its origin. We can all agree that the pandemic was not enjoyable for anyone involved. Many even lost multiple loved ones, or people they once knew. People were leaving jobs, schools were closed, parents had to work from home and teach their students simultaneously, while essential workers continued working in uncertain conditions. Any way we look back at it, those times during the pandemic were difficult. When It came to religion, I think it was a way for people to come together. Although churches were closed to the public for over a year, religious followers adapted. We saw many churches and other religious entities providing prayer or gatherings through streaming services online. People were able to participate in prayer, and even attend mass virtually from the comforts of their home without the risks. This goes to show that no matter what the world endures or changes that come, followers will always find their ways to their religions.

2022-04-26

HERMIT HERALD, ISSUE 140

Republican/ Democrat warfare

2022-04-25

Being Asian During COVID-19

I think many people in the US have similar experiences with the beginning of COVID-19. I worked at Walmart at the time, so I saw first hand the progression of seriousness that took place. Thinking back on it now, it was like a movie. It started out like a movie; rumors of some deadly virus in China was spreading rapidly, and everyone is in danger. The world could be affected by this sickness. Most didn't really take it seriously, but one day, everyone decided that it actually was that serious. Walmart has never seen busy like COVID-19. The shelves were emptied like an apocalypse. It really did feel like a movie. I do think that my experience during COVID-19 was different than others in a few ways. I am Asian, and COVID-19 reminded me of that constantly. Asian hate is underreported and normalized for many reasons, but COVID-19 was the biggest recent occurrence where Asian people were discriminated against brutally. News posts were going around where Asian Americans were attacked on the streets, even though they were born and raised in the United States and have never stepped foot in China. Many, like myself, weren't even Chinese. The ignorance was at an all time high, and typical racist comments were more prevalent than ever. “Go back to China” was used more than ever, and Donald Trump encouraged the hate with “Kong flu” and the “China virus.” Racist comments hurt, but the fact that people were being attacked sparked a new fear in the Asian community. It’s crazy to think about the day when my family gathered and talked about the violence that was going on; they told me to be careful and aware of my surroundings because people like this were everywhere, and anyone could be a victim. The Asian community was heavily impacted, but somehow, some people to this day still don't know that this kind of hate was occurring during COVID-19. Asian hate was still underreported and normalized, as it always is. It’s always sad to be reminded that no matter how American you are, and no matter if you were born and raised here or not, your race will always be the most signifying thing about you, and people will use it to segregate you whenever they want to.

2022-04-23

#rel101 covid reflection story

this is a short reflection about the changes that happened during the covid-19 pandemic and the divide that occurred amongst American people

2022-04-21

Effects of COVID - even in April 2022

This a screenshot of a Twitter post. In the post, @DrumUltimA describes how even in April 2022, COVID-19 is still having major effects on different aspects of his life. He also points out that he disagrees with so many precautionary measures being dropped. These viewpoints are important as it shows that even though many mandates, regulations, and laws meant to prevent COVID-19 have been lifted, COVID-19 is still around and causing many problems for people.

2022-03-31

Suicide Statistics Against Queer Youth

Suicide statistics against queer youth released by the CDC in the first half of 2021. According to the CDC, 1 in 4 queer children attempted suicide.

2021-11-05

HERMIT HERALD, ISSUE 131

Analyzing Democratic election

2020-06-11

Defund this

Covid and Yossarian Episode 8

2020-06-10

Protest Love

Covid and Yossarian Episode 8

2022-02-02

Engaged Couple Decide To Require All Wedding Guests To Be Vaccinated — Now Family Is Refusing To Comply

This is a news story from Your Tango by Dan O'Reilly. This is about a couple that required all family members attending their wedding to be vaccinated. The issue with this is that the family does not want to comply to those wishes. This story was originally found in r/wedding on Reddit. According to the bride, her fiancé's family was on board with imposing vaccines, but the bride's own family is 50% vaccinated, with the unvaccinated thinking this is a dumb idea. This has been part of a controversial issue on if vaccines should be imposed. Most of the Redditors had sympathies for the engaged couple and believe it is what was needed for a safe event.

2022-02-17

Elon Musk Compares Justin Trudeau To Hitler In Bizarre Response To Canadian Trucker Protests

This is a news story from Your Tango by Isaac Serna-Diez. This is about a Twitter rant, where Elon Musk, owner of Tesla, compares Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to Adolf Hitler over the Canadian Trucker Protests. In January, both the United States and Canada imposed vaccine mandates. According to the American Trucking Association, only 50-60% of all truckers are vaccinated. The truckers have created a convoy that blocks traffic across the US-Canada border in response to the mandates. Trudeau's response to this was to invoke the Emergencies Act, which has't been used since 1988. The Emergencies Act allows for freezing of bank accounts and funds in order to take money away from those protesting. These freezes would also impact things like GoFundMe and the ability to raise funds from that site. It also allows for military involvement, but Trudeau says that he has no plans of doing so. Musk's response to what Trudeau imposed economically on protesters prompted him to promote cryptocurrency more.

2022-03-07

There’s A ‘Vibe Shift’ On Reddit—People Are Sharing Heartfelt Stories Of Loneliness And Isolation Due To The Pandemic And Working From Home

This is a news story from Forbes by Jack Kelly. This story is about loneliness felt from isolation that people are discussing on Reddit. Subreddits like r/antiwork and r/wallstreetbets, a lot of these conversations are sharing details about their feelings they might not want to share elsewhere. Since Reddit allows people to submit anonymously, it gives others an environment they can give more details on subjects they maybe wouldn't tell to even their family members. Some of these discussions are about those that are single and work from home, which creates a very solitary experience. One woman, 27, on Reddit describes trying to join Facebook groups and do online dating to have more interaction during the pandemic. She says she felt a slight panic seeing her other friends get married, have kids, or engaged, which made her feel even lonelier. Others describe the challenges with finding remote work and needing support to help cope with that hardship. The lack of socialization has had massive effect on young adults just starting out in life, and it has given some worse mental health as a result. While some might thrive with being alone, others have suffered. Another woman, 32, says that prior to the pandemic, she was a 'social butterfly' and outgoing, but is now antisocial and a shut-in. She says that she lacks the motivation to go places like she used to. In addition to this, her place of employment is considering permanent work-from-home for employees, making some of those social struggles even worse. Some Redditors ended up giving advice for people that shared stories like these, such as smiling every day towards someone, or going outside for 15 minutes or longer. Simple things like this were common suggestions to help with some people's mental health issues induced because of the pandemic isolation. I think that this story helps show some of the negative effects young people have had with readjusting their entire lives, and then feeling lost once they get too used to it when things are starting to go back to "normal."

2022-02-03

Study: COVID Vaccination Rates Higher Among Gay, Lesbian Adults

This is a news story for US News by Steven Ross Johnson. This story is about a study on how LGBTQ+ people are more likely to have been vaccinated compared to the general population. In a survey published by the CDC, 85% of gay and lesbian adults received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine compared to just 76% of heterosexual adults. Within the LGBTQ+ community, gay men had the highest vaccination rates at 89%, compared to 81% of women. Nearly 76% of trans and nonbinary adults report having had at least one dose. This study also noted income disparities among LGBTQ+ adults. Those with a $75K income or above and LGBTQ+ had a 94% vaccination rate. For those LGBTQ+ adults below poverty level, the vaccination rate was 74%. Along racial lines, White LGBTQ+ individuals had a 92% vaccination rate. Black LGBTQ+ adults reported vaccination rates of 67%. Overall, this article shows that LGBTQ+ individuals are more likely to have less vaccine hesitancy compared to the general population, though income and race make a difference when those elements are combined.

2022-03-10

Why have women been so disproportionately affected by Covid-19? Experts explain

This is a news story from CNN by Alice McCool. This story talks about the inequalities women have faced during COVID-19. In a CNN poll, women in the G7 countries (US, UK, France, Germany, Canada, Japan, and Italy) felt less supported by their leaders than men did. Some of these inequalities include women being more likely to lose their jobs or take on more uncompensated care work. Other things, such as abortion services, were considered non-essential in some countries during COVID. Minority women and poor women were also more likely to work low-paying jobs and bear much of the economic strain. Additionally, trans healthcare was also viewed as non-essential in many places. In places like Uganda, many women lost their safety net provided from schools, resulting in rising teen pregnancies and early marriages. This article continues showing more examples of the hoops women had to jump through compared to men and demonstrates the social issues that got worse as a result from COVID lockdowns.

2020-12-10

Analysis of Racial Disparity in COVID by CDC

CDC page outlining racial disparity in the transmission and treatment of COVID-19. There are explanations given for the discrepancies pertaining to economic disparity as well. This illustrates the knowledge of the discrepancies in the transmission of COVID-19 across different racial backgrounds and social classes and possible solutions.

2021-04-08

Did COVID doubters' perspective get lumped in with deniers?

I believe we all know someone during the worst days of the pandemic who doubted that it was as serious as it really was. Perhaps they willingly discussed their perspective, reluctantly talked about it if pressed, or just did not even want to talk about it. I am not talking about the people seen in the attached article that were out protesting masks or vaccines, pushing conspiracy theories on 5G and Bill Gates' love of vaccines. I am thinking of the people we work with, are friends with, or very likely are in our families that just really just wanted life back to normal and did not think the global reaction was justified. A casual search of the internet for the perspectives of COVID doubters, or those who thought that the reaction to the pandemic was over-the-top, immediately sends you to articles and stories about the horrors and idiocy of the COVID deniers who pushed crazy theories about world dominance. Wouldn't it be nice to understand how the middle ground of the pandemic felt, lived, and reacted to the reality of the pandemic, if at all? We owe it to future generations to not only highlight the worst in the deniers, as seen in the attached article, but to also illustrate the everyday people who just were not sure who to believe, fake news or science. One thing is for sure, it is not fair to lump everyone in the middle into the far right. I would like to hear the stories of people who doubtfully lived in the pandemic, their trials, frustrations, and tribulations and if they had any change of heart or ideals. Their perspective will give a further understanding of the sociological impact of the pandemic.

2022-03-30

President Biden Pressures Congress for Emergency COVID funds

This is a news story written by Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Emily Cochrane and Noah Weiland for the New York Times. The article writes of how President Biden believes this is not a partisan issue, but a matter of health. President Biden is said to have received his second COVID booster prior to making this announcement. Another aspect this story brings up is how BA. 2, a new COVID variant, has made itself known, raising concerns for once it gets to the United States. President Biden has made it known that as these new variants pop up, we will be in our "Next Normal", where masks and other such requirements will be used when needed. In other words, there is no real "end" to the pandemic.

2021-06-27

Pandemic lockdown gives a new opportunity towards homeless mental health. A study from Spain

While the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically altered mental health, see https://covid-19archive.org/s/archive/page/mental-health, I hope that there could be benefits to mental health as COVID rates around the world drop. It is now more convenient than ever to partake in counseling services from the comfort of your room, especially if you have social anxiety or pandemic anxiety. Unfortunately, statistics are not out as of March 2022 that demonstrate that mental health is improving with waning COVID rates, instead counselors, psychiatrists, and psychologists seem busier than ever. While telehealth meetings are convenient, wait times and schedules are full of the backlog of people whose mental health was affected by the pandemic. I wanted to find an example of a positive outcome on mental health through COVID's global sweep, especially as COVID wanes. Attached is an example of a study in Spain that focused on a group of homeless in Spain that were in lockdown. "More than 60% of them presented mental disorders and within 8 weeks they were visited in person 2–3 times...Finally, 51.8% were linked to social and health care services and 37% to mental health resources, which can constitute a step forward in their reintegration and normalization." They argue that if it was not for COVID and these efforts, these homeless people may not have been diagnosed and helped. The paper concludes that this study is useful for the future because it shows how under immensely stressful situations, primary and secondary interventions worked. This can be repeated without a pandemic. While the pandemic was very stressful, it reaped some benefits such as a new focus on mental health, new methods of talking with trained professionals, and studied like this that show data of improving mental health in times of stress.

2020-11-17

Punawai Rest Stop For Homelessness

KHON2 News Story on the Punawai Facility. The facility aims to help the community combat homelessness and aid those experiencing homelessness bringing hope to everyone.

2022-03-26

Locked In and Locked Down: Surviving COVID-19 in FCI Edgefield BOP

The COVID-19 crisis has impacted mass incarcerated facilities at an exceeding rate, exacerbating existing staffing shortage and leaving those housed in large numbers increasingly vulnerable to COVID-19. The Federal Correctional Institution in Edgefield, South Carolina is no exception to this hardship. FCI Edgefield has be forced to expand its use of a practice called "augmentation" or allowing those in non-correctional roles at the prison to work in correctional officer roles. This is because staff members are getting sick an exceedingly high rate, causing some staff to have quarantine for several days while others have chosen to retire early out of the fear of high exposure and incentives losing way due to the crisis. Since the pandemic has taken off, only a small number of inmates have died from COVID-19, about 50 in total. Yet, due to less experienced staff on site due to shortages, one inmate died due to undermined symptoms on January 27, 2021. Overall, stories like these are important because they show how state officials, lawmakers, and policymakers have made little strides in reducing and slowing down the spread of the coronavirus in state and national prison systems. People like my mother, who works at FCI Edgefield, have preexisting medical conditions that put them at a heightened risk for complications if they were to catch COVID-19. Thus, we should make aware that these state officials have waited too long to make strides towards reducing the prison population, routinely rotating staff, and increasing social distance measures in the jail populations. As the pandemic wears on, much is still needed to be done in prioritizing staff and prison populations for vaccination matters. While this idea has generated some wide societal debate, I find it hard to argue that people who work and live in correctional facilities are at a major disadvantage in this crisis. Therefore, it is only fair to consider these high-risk groups first when prioritizing phases and measures of the vaccines and health and well-being.

2021-09-08

Robert E. Lee Statue Removed from Richmond, VA

The removal of the Robert E. Lee statue in Richmond, VA was removed because of the racist history of Lee and how he failed to represent the many people living in Richmond today. Richmond, VA was once the capital of the south, but today, it is an eclectic city full of rich history. The removal of the statue was because of the many BLM protests that took place during the summer of 2020 after the murder of George Floyd.

2022-03-21

In Hanover, the anti-LGBTQ school board needs discipline, not protesting students

This story is about the school board of Hanover County in Virginia needing discipline instead of letting it's students protest and participate in walk-outs during school hours because of the policies against their transgender students. The school board is accused of having no intentions of supporting the non-binary and transgender students of Hanover. This is important because it is once again showing discriminatory policies that the school board keeps bringing up against transgender students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

2022-02-16

Destruction of COVID signage/safety equipment

This email chain documents a series of incidents in my workplace where an anonymous individual has engaged in acts of vandalism against COVID safety signage.

2020-03-22

reverse life

Since the quarantine, my life has been completely turned upside down. I wake up later, eat irregularly, and am also much lazier. At that time, I was really lonely. I don't communicate with anyone and I don't want to do anything, I just lie in bed scrolling through my phone and playing games. I study superficially and have no interest in it at all. After a while, my sleep was completely reversed. I sleep during the day and stay awake at night. Every time I wake up I sit at the table and play games until morning, forgetting to eat and study. I have lost a lot of weight since then. Only when I play games do I feel happy because I get to meet my friends online. I got to know a lot of new people, even though we don't talk much now, but the time we spent together was really meaningful to me. Although I really enjoyed the quarantine, it also made me feel very weak. My lazy life ended when I went back to school but it took me a lot of time to get back to my normal life. I feel more positive and my life becomes more meaningful when the quarantine is over.

2021-09-13

Mental Health in the Eyes of a Pandemic

For years, I believed there was something wrong with me that wasn’t similar to anyone else. This “something” wasn’t easy to figure out. The pandemic consisted of trends, exercise, masks, and heavy cleaning. In high school, girls consistently made fun of me for my body, weight, and the way I looked. The bullying wouldn’t stop- I was fifteen. My mom took everything to the police. Things were dealt with. Things were okay, until they weren’t. On April 5th, 2020, while doing a heavy clean of some junk drawers, I found the red folder of printed screenshots. Sorrow began to creep up my spine as I began to cry. I couldn’t understand why people ever thought this was okay. I stopped eating. How does this happen? By choice? No, not really. By coincidence? Not that either. I kept my eating disorder hidden. I never told the doctors, friends, employers, and most regretfully, I hid it from my family. Beginning from April 5th, 2020, to approximately September of 2021, I was not okay. Within the duration of starving myself out, burning 800 calories a day at the gym, making myself throw up after every time I ate, and weighing myself four times a day, I didn’t see anything wrong with my lifestyle. It was June 11th, 2021, when I was at the doctor’s office. She asks, “Do you have any questions or concerns?” I didn’t. Well, I did. Words of anger went in and throughout my brain. I had been battling an eating disorder for well over a year and I wasn’t ready to admit it. I was always the perfect, angelic, do-no-wrong child in my family- I couldn’t let them know about this but, I also couldn’t stand to hate myself for another day. It came out… “I think I have an eating disorder”, I said as tears ran down my face. For the next few months, I was monitored. It was the hardest battle I’ve had to face. I came face to face with my parents and explained everything. They sobbed as they couldn’t understand why their first-born child refused to understand how beautiful she is. My heart shattered into a million pieces. Soon after that doctor’s appointment, I was on the road to recovery. Many people hate covid because they felt robbed of love, opportunity, and most importantly, time. If anything, Covid-19 saved my life. I finally ridded of those demon in which lived inside my precious thoughts. There’s no more “I look fat” or “I can’t eat that”. This wasn’t something that was wrong with just me- it affects millions. Covid taught me that there is no room for negativity in this world. Time moves too fast. The presence of eating disorders during the pandemic can help historians understand the impact of cyberbullying, food scarcity due to supply chain issues, etc. I don’t believe that researchers realize how many adults and children were affected by mental illness due to persistent lockdowns, isolation periods, restricted visitation, and new introductions to a virtual society. My experience offers intel to how mental and physical illnesses were underestimated throughout the entirety of the pandemic. Whether it be an eating disorder or a cancer patient, it’s difficult to watch because it seems like covid-19 patients are prioritized everywhere even if they choose not to be vaccinated. It’s a hard thing to watch in terms of priority because cancer patients, heart disease patients, etc. have less room in hospitals because people choose to not be vaccinated. With that being said, being vaccinated has no 100% guarantee of not being hospitalized but it lowers the rates substantially.

2020-03-06

Liberated Seas

I was working as a deck hand on a ship in the South Pacific at the threshold of the global pandemic lockdown. There are myriad sensations a sailor knows on any given day: the varying strength, temperature, and sound of the wind or the feel of the sun or its absence. Yet what struck me that day was an absence of the usual boat traffic and the distinctive sounds of powerful breaths punctuating the rush of sea on the hull. In the relative unusual scarcity of ships to threaten them with injuring or fatal collisions, migrating whales had gathered on the surface in unusual numbers. The usual dull roar of the maritime roar had been replaced by throaty deep breaths. The puffing sound of them exhaling in choir as they rose from the azure depths surrounded us, as the captain ordered for the ship to slow and halt. A pod rested on the waves, surrounding us. One can project human attributes on animals, but the whales are sentient beings and their breaths did sound like sighs of relief in the absence of any ships besides ours. The captain cursed at the delay but artificial sense of time of course was a human construct that seemed so dwarfed then by those giant breaths, a reminder of the primal rhythms of the sea and that we were ultimately an invasive species humbled by a virus and the natural power of the ocean.

2020-03-07

Liberated Seas

I was working as a deck hand on a ship in the South Pacific at the threshold of the global pandemic lockdown. There are myriad sensations a sailor knows on any given day: the varying strength, temperature, and sound of the wind or the feel of the sun or its absence. Yet what struck me that day was an absence of the usual boat traffic and the distinctive sounds of powerful breaths punctuating the rush of sea on the hull. In the relative unusual scarcity of ships to threaten them with injuring or fatal collisions, migrating whales had gathered on the surface in unusual numbers. The usual dull roar of the maritime roar had been replaced by throaty deep breaths. The puffing sound of them exhaling in choir as they rose from the azure depths surrounded us, as the captain ordered for the ship to slow and halt. A pod rested on the waves, surrounding us. One can project human attributes on animals, but the whales are sentient beings and their breaths did sound like sighs of relief in the absence of any ships besides ours. The captain cursed at the delay but artificial sense of time of course was a human construct that seemed so dwarfed then by those giant breaths, a reminder of the primal rhythms of the sea and that we were ultimately an invasive species humbled by a virus and the natural power of the ocean.

02/22/2021

Bryan Gilbert Oral HIstory, 2020/10/05

HIndiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis student Shanda Nicole Gladden interviews Bryan Gilbert for the COVID 19 project in hopes of collecting stories about racial justice movements in the context of COVID 19. In this interview they discuss noticeable changes in his neighborhood and work place. The reputation of the Eastside of Indianapolis and personal concerns surrounding COVID. The interviewee spoke about his personal concerns surrounding COVID as well as politics, the importance of voting and rising racial tensions. They spoke about the Black Lives Matter movements, protests and demonstrations and art installations that have followed that. They also spoke about hopes for the future, predictions on how COVID will impact the future. How COVID might change relationships (family, friends, community and society as a whole). The interviewee also touched topics of the LGBT+ community, getting married during a pandemic and the hopes he has for the progression of the community in the future.

11/04/2020

Nigel Long, Oral History, 2020/11/04

Oral History is an interview with and educator to discuss taking up initiatives to combat social justice and police injustice that has occurred during the pandemic.

2020-03-22

What Covid-19? I can do anything!

A comic strip about Covid-19 Yossarian: Everybody's panicking, but I consider this a great opportunity, Covid! Now I finally have the time to learn to cook, pick up a guitar, finish a book. ANYTHING! Covid: You literally didn't even finish this comic strip. Yossarian: Don't resilience-shame me!!

12/09/2020

Reed Engle Oral History, 2020/12/09

C19OH

03/30/2020

LaTonja Crowder Oral History, 2020/03/30

C19OH

11/30/2020

Dang Yang Oral History, 2020/11/30

Dang Yang is the Director for the Office of Multicultural Affairs at UW Eau Claire. He identifies as a Hmong American that was born and raised in the Midwest of the United States. Dang discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic affected his personal life as well as his professional life. In this discussion he emphasizes the challenges of operating an office at a higher learning institution as well as the issues of racism that came about with the onset of the Coronavirus and isolated racially charged events that happened during the pandemic. He focuses on equity in his discussion.

2021-12-16

Asian Lives Matter

When I went to summer camp, I spoke Chinese to my friends who could not speak english very well. However, we were constantly told that "this is America" and we needed to speak english so everyone could understand and didn't feel left out.

2021-12-10T11:53

COVID-19 Archive Interview Part II - Northeastern University

In this interview we discussed what we learned in our History of Global Pandemics class and how that has affected our perspective of pandemics, including COVID-19.

2021-12-07

Marc Carolla and Niccola Lutri Oral History, 2021/12/07

Marc & Niccola discuss their experiences with COVID-19 and relate it to past pandemics that they learned about in class

2020-05-20

Alex Osuji Oral History, 2020/05/05

In this monologue, Alex Osuji discusses his feelings on the social response to COVID 19. He reflects on the racism he is witnessing and connects it to past viruses.

2020-06-19

What Do You Do When the World Is Ending?

If you were around on May 30, 2020, you would know that it really did feel like the world was ending. Cities across the country were ablaze with rebellious fire, police and military covered the streets, bridges were lifted. All this during a global pandemic. To be there to be a part of it all, it felt like the world was ending. So, what do you do when the world is ending? There are many answers to this question and while I chose to answer it in multiple ways, one of the primary answers was this: documentation. I documented what felt like the end of the world. Through words, videos, photographs, tweets. Any way I could. But through documenting the end of the world, I encountered some of the most beautiful moments. Moments of peace, of beauty, of love, of collective and mutual care. One of those moments is pictured here.

2021-11-16

Hermit HERALD, ISSUE 132

Wokeness, big Democrat problem

2020-09-29

Is This the End of Contemporary Art As We Know It?

Artist Liam Gillick and a writer for ArtReview, J.J. Charlesworth talk about the changes brought by the pandemic and the many ways that everything will most likely remain the same. Interestingly, they examine the beginning and end of “contemporary art” and the complex web of economic, social, political and cultural factors that are shifting and breaking down in different ways from our current crises.   In the end, the feeling that art will survive but the idea that this particular period of art and the art world has reached its end is contemplated.

2020-06-30

What Might the Artworld’s ‘New Normal’ Look Like?

The ArtReview article comments on the new normal and the possible dangerous path we are propelling towards as a society with accelerated speed. The article specifically discusses the use and imminent fears on future reliance of technology in the art sector. Looking on the positive side, social justice and pressure from activism groups and the Black Lives Matter movement have spurred the beginning of greater reform within the art world including decolonization efforts in museums, diversity in collections, exhibitions, and staff.

2021-11-03

Oral History: Clare Acosta

Through this oral history, Clare Acosta and I develop a conversation about both the Community Engagement office work and the program of Empower: Ecuador. The conversation was specifically focused on the before and after of COVID-19 and also what was learned from the process. It is a very deep conversation that I really enjoyed and know that Clare also did.

2021-10-01

HIST30060: White Rose

I found this sticker while I was walking to pick up a click-and-collect order. I was struck by it because of its reference to 'The White Rose', an anti-Nazi movement begun by Sophie Scholl in 1942 Germany. The insensitivity and total misunderstanding of what constitutes oppression is a touchstone to the anti-lockdown and anti-vaxxer movements. It made me wonder how they could appropriate histories of discrimination - do they simply not understand the Holocaust, or do they genuinely believe that their situation is similar to it?

2020-05

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