Items

• 
  2021-08-25

  Love is Not Tourism

  While some nations around the world have adopted "sweetheart visas" to allow unmarried partners who live separately to visit each other through the pandemic, such a measure has been denied to foreign nationals who want to travel to the United States since the travel ban was extended to its current form in March 2020. Love is not Tourism is a grassroots movement working to respond to this global phenomenon. Specifically, the movement is "dedicated to reuniting binational couples and families who have been forcibly separated by travel bans and border closures during the COVID-19 pandemic." While there's a petition for the adoption of a sweetheart clause in the U.S., there's no indication that this will occur in the coming months as the Delta variant spreads.
• 
  2020

  Humorous Memes

  During quarantine I collected many humorous memes about staying at home and the problems that brought. All sorts of subjects were covered: cooking, getting along with your spouse/roommates, homeschooling the kids, learning to bake bread, being stuck at home, sanitizing, facemasks, people hoarding toilet paper, boredom, effects of isolation, etc. Here are a few of those memes.
• 
  2020-06-26

  From Noise to Silence

  The Pandemic impacted everyone in different ways. Everyone's life changed in one way or another. For me, my life went from hustling and bustling to peace, silence, and alone time. Before the Pandemic, my daily routine was driving 45 minutes to work daily, frequent trips to Mexico, and I was constantly on the move. A full-time student, and part-time tutor, I was continually helping students and finding study time at my local Community College. Also, I would frequent local Starbucks often to work on my reading and writing assignments. However, when the Pandemic hit, everything changed for me. Now, instead of driving to work daily and visiting Mexico, I found myself working online, studying in my room, and not seeing anyone face to face except for immediate relatives. For the majority of the Pandemic, I did not go anywhere as I previously did. In other words, the hustling and bustling of the highway now turned into silence, the continued camaraderie between students and cow-workers now turned into silence, and just like that, my life altered to a new dimension of silence like have never experienced.
• 
  2020-05-29

  Working Remote Internship

  Everyday, in theory, I wake up around 7:30am to prepare for my 8am meetings. Most days I wake up 10 minutes before, roll over and turn on my company-issued computer. If my internship were to be in person, I would have to drive 20 minutes to the office building in a different city. I honestly would prefer to attend my internship in person, but I admit online internships have their advantages. For one, no one knows that I am lying down on my bed eating during meetings. I never have to excuse myself to use the restroom. I can grab a snack anytime I want and wear my pajamas. On the other hand, I like dressing up in business casual and making an effort to look good. I was even looking forward to waking up early to commute. I wanted to explore the big beautiful office and meet other interns. So while I do not mind a remote internship, part of me is constantly thinking about what could've been.
• 
  2020-05-20

  LaGuardia’s Ghost Town

  For my primary source, I selected a photograph I took of the gate house area in LaGuardia Airport in mid March of 2020. In the picture it shows several employees, sitting around doing nothing at all, the whole airport was a “ghost town”, meaning there were no passengers to assist with there tickets and gate claims, or any questions in general. During this time we were all nervous, not just nervous about COVID-19 and from the horrific scenes in the news, but also as an 11 year veteran in the airline industry, our jobs were on the line because of the decrease in flying, fear of flying, and the travel restrictions of no flying. With the airline burning 35 million dollars a day how can they pay 80,000 employees system wide I told myself. The airline soon told us system wide that it’s recommended we take a leave of absence at least a year with no pay to save the company or else there would be cuts, not including the 25% cut in our salary we took already. All week I was on the phone with my work partner talking everyday trying to figure what’s the plan. All these thoughts came racing three my head. What are we going to do? Do you think we will be fired or let go since we have seniority? Why I didn’t finish college 13 years ago and became lawyer or something. My job made us an offer, hey said take the year off with no pay, and your still have flying benefits for you and your family as always, and you will still have full medical benefits and we will pay your medical as well. After talking with my family, my fiancé, my partner from work, I decided on March 26th 2020, I was going to take the leave of absence. A whole year later April 26th of 2021 I finally came back to work full time, and the airport passenger count is starting to increase. The reason why I seated this primary source is because I would like historians to know the insides that us airline employees faced during these challenging times. I know many airline companies asked Congress for help in payroll support for the employees which majority of them did get including us, but we never saw that payroll support, nor did they call us back Early to work since they got some kind of support from the government, instead that money went in the stock market, and for bonuses to the CEO, and managers in the company. While I am happy and very fortunate to be back at work, it was very challenging as I’m sure it was for everyone, but one good thing that came out of it, 13 years later, a year ago from today. I was able to join the family of bronx community college, and focus on my education while I was off.
• 
  2021-03-12

  Life in a Needle

  Throughout medical history vaccinations have been imperative in order to fight diseases and viruses. As a child these vaccinations start at two months and tend to continue through our lives. Most vaccines are mandatory but there are some that are voluntary which leaves us contemplating our decision. The contemplation on getting a vaccine is why I chose a picture of my COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card to be submitted as my primary source. When COVID first hit the United States, we weren’t really prepared for the devastation that it brought right along with it. When I first heard about COVID it still hadn’t reached the United States and that was around January but then around March New York started going into lockdown. The lockdown period was pretty difficult to deal with as the way of life completely changed. Mentally, emotionally and physically it took a toll on me. As a person that was barely at home because of school and work the lock down caused great anxiety. From the moment the world heard about the first case it went into creating a vaccine that could prevent the number of cases of deaths and hospitalizations from increasing. As pharmaceutical companies started the research to create a vaccine, I was pretty skeptical about it. I was refusing to get the vaccine if they succeeded in creating it because there was just so much doubt going through my head. I was unsure what the vaccine contained and if it would work in the prevention of catching COVID. But long behold a vaccine was created but of course there were so many side effects that came with the shot. With everything that was going wrong with the vaccine during the experimentation period it just strengthened my decision to decline the shot. My views started to change once I started to hear that many people weren’t getting any symptoms from the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. These vaccines required the person to receive two doses in order to be “immune” to COVID. Another reason that caused me to change my views on receiving the shot was the fact that I wanted to travel, and the government was requiring a vaccination passport in order to do so. The first dose of vaccines was only available to the elderly and to the healthcare workers who were risking their lives coming into contact with COVID patients. Then they started extending the qualifications needed for someone to receive the shot which included: preexisting conditions, obesity, high risk conditions, and many other qualifications. These are just of the few qualifications that was asked for in order for someone to be eligible to receive a vaccination. Because I have a preexisting condition, I was eligible to receive the COVID 19 vaccine. It was pretty difficult trying to get an appointment due to the high volume of people who wanted to receive the shot. After multiple attempts in trying to secure my appointment, I succeed with Walmart. I received my first Moderna vaccination on March 12, 2021 and my second vaccination on April 23, 2021. I was content on receiving the Moderna vaccine because it wasn’t recalled for causing health problems like the rest of the vaccinations from other pharmaceutical companies were causing. After a few hours of receiving my first shot I started to feel dizzy and very lightheaded to the point that I couldn’t drive at work. With the second shot my symptoms were: dizziness, fever, body aches, chills, change of smell and taste and nausea. The second shot was stronger than the first one but I’m glad that those were the only symptoms I experienced. But the one thing that both shots had in common after receiving them was the soreness of the arm for multiple days. Now that is has been almost a month that I received my second shot almost all the symptoms have vanished except for my change of smell and taste. Because the shot as altered my sense of smell and taste it has made it unbearable for me to smell or eat meat but I’m hoping that it will subside soon. The decision on receiving the COVID 19 vaccine is a daunting one to make as there can be many factors that can influence you. I received the vaccine as a precaution to myself and others. I also took it in order to travel and not worry about being prevented from boarding a flight because I can’t provide proof of the vaccination record card. I think this new vaccine is going to be a lot like the Flu shot as it comes in seasons and its up to the person to decide whether or not they’re going to get it. I’m just happy that the government hasn’t made it mandatory because there is still a lot of people who are pretty skeptical about it. The decision of our life is in a needle.
• 
  2020-08-03

  The Pandemic that Changed It All

  I think we all should take this as an experience to be prepare for the next major event.
• 
  2020-07-25

  Even Bigfoot wears a mask

  Even the Bigfoot inside Saturday's discount store/gas station in Leadville, Colorado wears a mask. I took this photo while getting gas and snacks over the summer. It made me smile after a hard week- if Bigfoot can do it, so can I.
• 
  2021-03-18

  Indonesia's Foreign Travel Restrictions [March 2021]

  This article shines some light on the travel restrictions in Indonesia at the moment. It reports that Indonesian citizens are urged to come back into the country if they are travelling abroad. This is to limit the distance, and to assure that citizens can come back before travel becomes more difficult. However, they listed eight foreign countries (Iran, Italy, Vatican City, Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland and Great Britain) in which they would ban arrivals from. If any person had travel records that showed that they were in the listed countries in the past 14 days, they would be banned from entering the country. This article was personally translated.
• 
  2021-03-27

  hermit HERALD, ISSUE 106

  Biden $3 trillion Build Back Better plan
• 
  2021

  “Catching the 8am train”

  I love the colors in the piece. It also reminds me when it was safe to ride public transportation. This piece is by @uzo.art titled “Catching the 8am train”.
• 
  2020-05-01

  COVID19 and wildlife

  This website gives more insight on how cover 19 has effected wildlife and how humans can help the cause.
• 
  2020-06-22

  Human effects on wildlife in a pandemic

  This article is telling readers about how cover-19 has allowed researchers to figure out more on how humans have an effect on wildlife. With less humans going out there may be a change to see.
• 
  2021-03-19

  Wait, Do I Remember How to Drive?

  As I was making my list of things to have for going back to work in person for the first time in over a year, I asked myself “wait, do I remember how to drive?” On March 16, 2020, I drove to my classroom under the impression we would be working from school without our students until school reopened for the kids after spring break. By the time I got there, everything had changed. We had a quick full staff meeting telling us to take everything we need home, check our email later, and that everyone was to stay home indefinitely. I have not worked from my school site since. So, I drove home, showered, and put my keys where I always do. They remained there for 368 days. Tonight at dusk, realizing that my commute is coming back in two days, I grabbed my keys and made my husband ride shotgun. I was actually really nervous, because what if you can forget to drive at age 40? I also realized I did not drive a single day of my 39th year, which is sort of a cool statistic. I timed my drive for dusk because I teach zero period, and due to daylight savings it will still be dark when I begin my commute Monday morning. I am extremely happy to report that driving is a skill that sticks with you - especially important in Southern CA, where we drive EVERYWHERE. I’m still a little anxious for Monday morning. Not only will I be back to work in person for the first time, but my commute will be the first time I have been completely alone in over a year. Sure, when I teach remotely, I am upstairs alone in the room, but everyone else is home doing similar things in other rooms. When I run on the treadmill, though I have my headphones in, people mill in and out. I have not been totally alone this entire quarantine. I imagine my 30 minute commute will be either completely anxiety inducing or end up being the most relaxing and best part of my day! *Disclaimer: I am NOT flipping off the camera, that’s my pinky, I’m throwing a Shaka.
• 
  2021-03-18

  Peru waves quarantine restrictions

  Peru, which continues to suffer from high COVID-19 transmission rates, has lifted quarantine restrictions for international travelers. The Peruvian economy has been undermined by a loss of tourism, its affected restaurants, hotels, guides, transportation, and other facets that depend on foreign capital. The only catch is that you have to have a negative COVID-19 test 72 hours prior to arrival. All of this hints at the importance of money and influence after all-it's mostly wealthier travelers who would have the money to travel for leisure and access to COVID testing. But...what about everyone else on the plane?
• 
  2021-03-14

  Oral Interview with a healthcare provider-nurse

  Abstract: Michael Levesque was a paramedic working on an ambulance at the start of the pandemic. He had a pregnant wife at home and was in the process of switching his career into nursing. He recalls the memories of working on the ambulance and taking care of Covid patients, as well as how Covid impacted the EMS services overall. He also discusses how it felt to be starting his career as an Emergency Room nurse during a global pandemic. In both cases, his job put him directly on the front lines of medicine. He discusses the early problems of lack of knowledge and equipment to properly handle this pandemic. He also explains the mindset of an expecting father, working in a high risk environment, and then coming home to his pregnant wife. Michael’s unique life circumstances and career path gives his interview a perspective that few people experienced.
• 
  2021-02-19

  'You just gave me life': Groups help seniors get COVID-19 vaccine appointments

  The elderly of Arizona are having difficulty sign-up for a COVID-19 vaccine. Issues with the state website and difficulty accessing technology seem to be the main causes. The ADHS is working on making the website more functional and is using an appointment hotline to combat the issue. Local groups are also assisting the elderly with making appointments.
• 
  2021-01-24

  Container Crisis

  Container Crisis Brought About By COVID The US imports 3 containers of Chinese goods whilst exporting only 1 container of goods
• 
  2021-02-21

  Mini oral history with George Carter, 2/21/2021

  Abstract: This is a mini oral history that I did with George Carter, my dad, about silver linings
• 
  2020-04-05

  New York Through the Pandemic

  I am uploading pictures during the pandemic that I took. It shows how empty the streets/bridge were that are normally crowded with thousands of people and cars.
• 
  2021-02-16

  None of Ottawa's new travel rules apply to the largest group of people entering Canada — truckers

  Truckers are not being tested or facing restrictions like other cross-border travelers. This has led to some push back as they likely see more interactions with others than other travelers, including non-essential travel such as recreation. There are talks to either require quarantine and possibility to prioritize truckers for the Covid-19 vaccine.
• 2020-03

  COVID- College Freshman Edition

  My introduction to COVID-19 was something I will probably never forget. March of 2020 I was in my freshman year of college halfway through spring semester. It was being rumored that COVID was taking over the US and people were dying from this virus. I was uncertain, as the rest of the country, as to how many more people were gonna die and truly how contagious this virus was. I had some knowledge on the virus because I actually did an informative speech on COVID back in the Fall of 2019 in my public speaking class. At the time of my speech there were about 10 possible cases within the US. That number today is about 27.3 million in our country alone. Everyday became uncertain with health and travel which both played a major role in my life. I attend my university in Pennsylvania, and I live in Florida, leaving me 900+ miles away from my family. Being 18 at the time, having rumors of our university closing down scared me. I became afraid of how I was supposed to pack up everything on my own, find somewhere to keep it or a way to ship it home, and be on an airplane, and finish my freshman year of college during a global pandemic. There were then rumors of states shutting down and people being unable to travel in and out which made my situation even worse and my stress levels to increase. Spring break was approaching, and many schools developed the same plan- close schools and universities down for a few days and go from there. This turned into schools remaining online for the remainder of the school year (3 months). This is where my story gets fun (heavy on the sarcasm ). Before I flew home for spring break my mother called my school and specifically asked if the university planned on shutting down so that way, I could properly plan out my flight, pack up my room and put everything in storage. The university said that they did not plan on doing so and if plans changed, they would notify us. Well….. I flew home two days later on a Sunday and once I landed, I got an email from the school that we would be remote for the rest of the spring, fall 2020 was uncertain and that all residents needed to move out within week time. I was filled with anxiety and anger. I now had to find a storage place, figure out how I was going to transport everything because I didn’t have my license, and if Florida and Pennsylvania would let me travel. This also meant that I had to pay for another flight to school and back home as well as a hotel. I was able to book my flight, work with Res Life on a timeframe to move my stuff out and a storage place with a way to transform. My main issue once I landed was a place to stay. Everything in the country began to close including hotels. I did not book a hotel in advance because I was told that I could stay on campus, but of course when I arrived, I was told otherwise and had to find a hotel. Once again, my mother made a phone call and was able to get me a two night stay at a hotel. In the end I was able to pack up everything and fly home without getting the virus, it just took a lot of hoops to jump through to get there.
• 
  2021-01-28

  ASU COVID Saliva test

  I took my employee mandated COVID-19 test at 7:20 in the morning and recorded the process. Test result was negative. Transcript: Katy: All right, I’m taking my COVID test because ASU said that I needed to do it. It’s basically a saliva test. They give you a vile to spit into and a line that you have to meet. When I came in, somebody gave me the vile and wrote down my date of birth. I’ve got a straw. I’m just gonna fill this sucker up with saliva.
• 
  2021-01-28

  State expands access to COVID-19 vaccinations in rural areas

  In Tennessee, the state has announced new partnerships with rural pharmacies to more effectively reach the elderly outside of urban areas. This particular article focuses on East Tennessee and the rural counties surrounding the Knoxville metropolitan area. This is great news to those who do not live in cities as Tennessee is a mostly rural state. For some elderly people, they would potentially have to drive two hours to get to the city to get a vaccine. However, because of this new partnership, it will make it far easier for those in rural areas to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
• 
  2021-02-05

  Antibody test in 5 cities nationwide 0.91% antibody possession in Tokyo (February 5, 2021)

  This news covers the antibody rate in Japan, specifically in main cities like Tokyo, Osaka, etc. Because the rate of COVID-19 increased A LOT because people are still outside not taking social distance rules, I did expect the percentage to be higher, and it was. In trains, it is packed with people, and Japan is very analog in terms of remote working. A lot of companies still do not allow remote working plus do not change the time that the employees need to clock in and thus everyone commutes around the same time. Plus, because its winter and its cold, the trains and just local restaurants cannot open windows the whole time. Video translated by me. The antibody test conducted by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in five cities nationwide to check the infection history of the new coronavirus found that 0.9% of people in Tokyo have the antibodies. It has increased nine times from half a year ago. Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Tamura: "There is considerable variation in numbers among local governments. Many people are infected and there is no herd immunity." Last December, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare conducted antibody tests on approximately 15,000 people in Tokyo, Osaka, Miyagi, Aichi, and Fukuoka. Using two types of tests, those who are confirmed to have the antibodies in both tests are judged as "positive". As a result, it was found that 0.91% in Tokyo, 0.58% in Osaka, 0.14% in Miyagi, 0.54% in Aichi, and 0.19% in Fukuoka had antibodies. In the survey conducted in June last year, Tokyo was 0.1%. 厚生労働省が全国の5都市で新型コロナウイルスの感染歴を調べる抗体検査をした結果、東京都では0.9％の人が抗体を持っていることが分かりました。半年前の9倍に増えています。 　田村厚労大臣：「かなり自治体でばらつきが出ている。多くの方がかかって集団免疫という話では全然ない」 　厚労省は去年12月、東京・大阪・宮城・愛知・福岡で約1万5000人を対象に抗体検査を実施しました。 　2種類の試薬を使い、両方で陽性が確認された人を「陽性」と判定しています。 　その結果、東京で0.91％、大阪で0.58％、宮城で0.14％、愛知で0.54％、福岡で0.19％の人が抗体を持っていたことが分かりました。 　去年6月の調査では東京は0.1％でした。
• 2021-01-26

  Covid has ruined many trips for many different people

  Covid is a terrible way to not go on a trip that you have been waiting to go on. if you wanted to go. what if you were going to visit family and than your flight is canceled due to COVID 19.
• 2020-10-21

  Spend time doing what matters to you most.

  During the COVID-19 pandemic I have had to surmount multiple extremely challenging situations that were only made even more difficult by the pandemic, including the death of my last grandparent. As someone with pre-existing conditions, I usually have to be very careful about not just protecting myself when I leave my house in Chandler, Arizona, but making sure I don't spread any disease to my family. When I got the news that my Grandmother probably didn't have much time left due to her cancer, it was extremely distressing for several reasons. The main reason was the fact that I was losing my grandmother, but one factor that was just as, if not more distressing, was the question of how to be able to best safely spend time with her. After a long discussion with my family, I made it clear that just being on video chat or on the phone with my grandmother was not enough; I wanted to find a way to travel to her house in Kansas, and physically be there for her. It was not an easy decision to make, especially when one takes into account that my method of transportation was to fly, which made me very nervous as someone with pre-existing conditions. Fortunately, I was able to take a safe flight to Kansas, but I was shocked to find family visiting my grandmother from out of state that not only refused to wear masks around her, even though she had virtually no immune system left. Despite such stressful conditions, I was able to spend a week with my grandmother just before she passed away, even though COVID-19 made it very hard. The fact that I was able to do such a thing is striking to me, especially when compared to the vast amount of people around the world who aren't able to spend time with loved ones infected with COVID-19 before they pass away. Looking back, I am very lucky I did not get sick, and I was even more lucky that flights were beginning to become regularly available again after they had been shut down earlier in the year. Most of all, I feel very grateful that I was able to spend time with my grandmother, especially when so many people are dying alone all over the world, leaving families distraught, and without closure.
• 2021-01-17

  Homesick Holidays

  This past Thanksgiving, I was unable to return home for the holidays. Despite being a busy university student, usually I take the Flix bus from Tempe, AZ to Tucson, AZ so that I can spend the short break with my family before returning to school for finals. However, despite all the precautions that I and my roommates had taken, my father still recommended that I stay at my apartment, seeing that he is a first responder and goes outside almost every day. That, combined with a recent COVID-19 scare on my end meant that for Thanksgiving, I decided that it was my first holidays spent alone.
• 2021-01-14

  The Silencing of Industry

  The sensory experience that overwhelmed me the most as the United States, and the world, came to an abrupt halt when it was realized that we were in a pandemic virus outbreak was an aural experience—it was the overwhelming silence that came with the world stopping. I live in a heavy industrial town on the Pacific coast Of Washington. While I live about fifty miles from the cities and one hundred miles from Seattle the economy of this area is based around heavy industry and there is constant noise that comes with this. There is a port a mile from my house that is said to be the busiest deep-water port on the northwest coast. At this port soybeans, wheat, oil and lumber are shipped out and German cars built in Mexico are brought in, among other commodities. In my neighborhood there are four train tracks. The closest one is about five hundred feet from my house, the next three are another three hundred feet further. Those train tracks bring goods into the port like soybeans and wheat from the farm fields west of the Cascade mountains and fuel and oil for the ships and for the operations at the port. The train tracks also ship out the cars that come in from Mexico to car dealerships throughout the Northwest. Across from the four train tracks there are lumber mills. The lumber mills load up chip trucks (trucks that carry sawdust from the sawmills to paper mills) and the chip trucks roll in and out of town on a constant basis. The log trucks also roll through town on a constant basis and the log truck drivers as well as chip truck drivers live in the area and park their trucks at their houses. All of this leads to a very noisy area for such a small population. This has never bothered me as the only thing that I really miss about living in cities is the noise. This is the reason why the first thing I noticed as the Covid-19 shut down occurred was how much silence there was. No longer were there log trucks and chip trucks rolling through town. No longer was the rumbling and squelch of the train heard in the early morning and the late afternoon throughout the town. No longer were the airhorns and warning sirens heard from the port. It was just pure silence.
• 
  2021-01-16

  Fewer people are crossing back to the United States, and less noise.

  The story I uploaded is about people crossing the United States Calexico CA port of entry before and after the pandemic.
• 2020-01-12

  Covid-19

  The first time I heard about the Corona Virus I was on a train with my whole school. A few kids at my school found some people in a car ahead of us wearing masks and started making jokes that they had Covid. At the time I didn't know what the Corona Virus was and all I found out was that it came from China. I didn't think anything of it because it hadn't begun to spread in the US. A few weeks later I was told that it came from bats and I am still not sure if that is true or not. When I first heard about the virus I though it would be just like the flu, I never expected it to spread so rapidly and for school to be cancelled for almost a year.
• 2021-01-08

  Covid over winter break

  Over Winter Break my family and I drove in our Black SUV Ford Explorer Sedan 1200 miles or 18 hours to Cheyenne, Wyoming to visit my Grandparents. Along the way we stopped at the local Starbucks' to pick up a coffee for my coffee obsessed mother and we were on our way. When driving through Los Angeles, California you should always expect to be caught in traffic which was a minor setback, but we still made it through. The rest of California is very ugly being that its just Desert for 200 miles. During this time my sister spends her time spreading her nasty feet across the seat onto my body and refuses to move them for at least an hour. When I attempt to do this I am immediately yelled at and pushed off within 3 minutes. My dog which is completely lazy lays his little butt down between my sister and I and sleeps 3 quarters of the trip. My dad drives the whole time because my mom throughs a fit and refuses to drive even a single mile. And I sit down under my sister's legs under her super hot grey blanket in a cramped SUV in the desert and despite all that the car ride was pretty nice. When we finely arrived at our hotel in Grand Junction, Colorado we went out to Applebee's which I got to say is pretty good. I got the rib plate and a kiwi lemonade which I got to say is really good. At around 7:00 we arrived back at our hotel where we all collapsed and went to bed. At 5:00 we got back up, got dressed, brushed our teeth, and walked out of our hotel in to 20 degrees ferenheit. I made a mistake and decided to do it in sweat pants and a T-shirt. The rest of the drive was much shorter and a lot more scenic with the beautiful Colorado mountains and snow on the ground. we stopped at a local Maverick Gas Station to fill up and we all got out and used the facilities, even the dog. and the rest of the trip was nice. When we finally arrived we hugged our Grandparents and went inside. They have a enormous beefy Black Labrador named Hatti that for some reason liked to lick my dogs ears. Around 5:00 my aunt, uncle, and cousins came over and once again we hugged and visited for the rest of the night. over the next few days we went over to our cousins house to hang out and have a ping pong tournament, I lost badly. Over that time we went to my cousin's friend house to look through a telescope and witness something that only happens once every 400 years. Jupiter and Saturn join together in the sky and and create a bright light known as the Christmas Star. After that we went back to our Grandparents house to spend the night. the next day we went ice scating at the local arena and I swear I spent more time hitting and bruising my body parts on the ice then on my scates. The next day we spent most of the time playing pingpong with our cousin's. The next day we went to an escape room which we successfully completed and the next day it was Christmas Eve. That day was absolutely amazing. It started with launching a potato with a potato cannon across the ranch my grandparents own. After that we went to the shop and we did our own scavenger hunt which is our tradition. And then we went back to our Grandparents house to have our Christmas dinner with our great Grandma who is 92 and had our annual lemon cake. We went to bed and woke up and it was christmas. I got a lot of good stuff. like clothes a new football and a new build your own remote control rock crawler jeep. and then it was time to leave and go to our other Grandparents in Colorado Springs, Colorado. There we had a second Christmas Where I got New Airpods and a lego set. we hung around the house for mostof the days but we went to our other aunt and uncle's house and visited them for 2 days. And then it was time to leave to go back home the way we came marking the end of our trip.
• 2020-12-25

  My COVID-19 Christmas

  My 2020 Christmas was different but some things stayed the same. I started out my Christmas break finishing online school for the semester. After I took my finals I started packing my suitcase to go to Colorado. I was born there and I have my whole family there. My mom and I go every year to visit my grandparents on their farm. My sister is in college in Arizona so she meets us in Colorado for Christmas. This year was different because she couldn't come to our grandparents house. She had to work. So on Christmas day we face-timed her to open presents and it was very fun. Another thing that changed this year was was the plane. We flew on United airlines and the plane was only half full. My mom and I wore masks and got our temperature taken before we entered the plane. We stayed in Colorado for a week and it was super cold, but there was no snow. After we flew home to California I spent the rest of my break playing volleyball at the beach and binge watching TV shows.
• 2021-01-07

  Covid Christmas

  Ever since I was little I have always done the same thing every Christmas. Although the pandemic was raging everywhere, my family had the opportunity to travel and see relatives in our favorite place on earth Wisconsin. We were seeing older relatives so it was crucial that we got tested for the virus before we left. After getting our negative results back we hopped on a plane and flew to Wisconsin. The airport was empty and everyone was heavily masked and distanced. It was a ghost town. Thankfully, we were able to see everyone and still be safe during these crazy times.
• 2020-12-05

  How Christmas was like for me this year.

  This year Christmas wasn't exactly normal with covid ragging everywhere and in a few places getting worse. Normally For Christmas, we travel out of state but without being able to get on a plane, as it would put us in danger of getting Covid. So instead we drove up to Lake Tahoe to see our grandparents, aunt, and uncles, as well as cousins. However, we didn't stay up there very long as we wanted to be home for Christmas. Besides that, we were home all of the time and I and my family had a little case of cabin fever so we spent some time with friends that we had been previously been exposed to. All in all Christmas this year was very different.
• 
  2020-12-29

  Along for the Ride

  Getting to free food pick up has been difficult, but I am so thankful. I have to use Ubers because public transportation is even more difficult. As I am riding in my Uber I draw my city. This has been adding to how I sketch and create while moving so I can capture the purest essence of my people and my city.
• 
  2020-12-10

  First Flight in 9 Months

  I took a flight today for the first time in 9 months home to Colorado. My protection was a mask and a face shield, but this person I saw had a full suit of protection on. The flight I was on turned out to be full, and almost every row had all three passengers filled. I was not expecting this, and it was incredibly anxiety provoking. Nevertheless, I made it home to my family and I will wait to see my grandma and friends until I get tested.
• 2020-12-10

  Covid 19

  In February I was doing what I usually do. I go to school and I play sports with my friends. The first time I looked at the news I saw something called the coronavirus. I didn't know what this was. It was new to me. The news showed that it was an illness in China. I didn't think it was going to be so big. It was just a normal illness in China. Until it spread to other countries. Then continents. It spread to Europe, then Australia, then eventually the USA. They started shutting everything down. I got a little scared but not as much. I still got together with my friends to play sports and hung out with them. Then they shut down the school. We had to do online school, but I got used to it after the first couple of weeks. Instead of doing sports in leagues, my friends and I would play in the park instead. The thing that affected me the most was I couldn't travel to Europe this year. If you wanted to travel in airplanes, there would be a lot of precautions and we would have to wear masks the whole time, so we figured out that it wasn't worth it to go and we would have to wait until next year. In conclusion, the coronavirus was scary at first, but after a month or two, everything went back to normal for me and wasn't as scary.
• 
  2020-12-08

  Sight at a metro station

  People were lining up at the metro station waiting for the next train. They strictly followed the social distance and wore face masks
• 2020-12-06

  The ways how Covid-19 is annoying and helping us [ANONYMOUS]

  When I go to malls, I usually take buses and sky trains and I can see all the people in buses and trains are wearing their masks. Including children and seniors. When I get any malls, every single person is wearing a mask and getting social distancing. And if there are lots of people in a shop and there is a limitation of capacity of people, and the shop is full, then others who want to go in have to wait for it until the people in the store get out. This thing is one of stressful things for everybody. And when I go to the school, we only take 1 to 2 blocks for a day, and we have to clean our desks and chairs before the classes begin, or after the classes end. This one is really inconvenient. Of course all the students wear their masks for the whole time in the school. We have our cohort zone which makes me and my friends separate. And everyone cannot expect there will be the school next month because the school can be closed whenever if COVID spreads so quickly. Some restaurants take reservations, and some of them don’t. If I get in a restaurant, I have to write my first and last name, the number of people will join together, the time I came in, and the date on a paper. Also all the people (also me) in restaurants have to sanitize their hands before they sit. And people cannot sit before any table is sanitized. People can order by online by taking a code on desks, or order to waiters or waitresses. If I look at the online menu, that is the same as the offline menu. And when I finished to order, I can see what I ordered and the total amount to pay on the online menu. They also appear when I ordered foods offline. I can pay them online. When I park my car on the side of roads, I can pay the time for parking online, also I can add more time online whenever I want. I don’t need to go back to the spot where my car was parked when I need to add more time. Online payment is developed by COVID and it’s convenient!
• 
  2020-11-19

  The "New Normal"

  The submission of this photo is to show the “new normal” while driving around. Thinking back to the year 2019, if I saw someone with a mask hanging on their rearview mirror I would have been slightly confused and intrigued as to why. However, in 2020, many have begun to hang masks on their rearview mirrors as it is a convenient spot. COVID-19 has had some of the biggest impacts on society, with masks being close to the top. Ever since the mask mandates went into effect, a mask being hung on a rearview mirror became a regular occurrence while traveling. Currently, there is a statewide mandate in Massachusetts enforcing the wearing of masks in all public spaces. Although it is still odd or awkward to some, mask wearing is the current way of life and there is no way around it. Even though there is opposition to wearing masks and they hinder the feel of real conversation, the safety provided by the mask outweighs it. My hopes are that the mask can help in the present so we can return to the “old norm” in the future.
• 
  2020-12-04

  How to retrieve your pass code

  This is an instruction on how to retrieve your health code post in Dalian Metro. First, scan the code on the poster, then enter your phone number to retrieve the code. You could only enter the metro if your code is green.
• 
  2020-12-03

  Metro with warning signs

  The metro post signs warning that a social distance of 1 meter must be kept and a face mask must be worn all-time in the metro.
• 2020-06-23

  An Emptied COVID Border

  Being a dual-citizen has its perks under normal circumstances, but was incredibly useful when the United States-Canada border was closed amidst the pandemic. Every summer, my family and I do the road trip from Denver, Colorado, all the way to my grandparents' cottage in northern Ontario. However, this year, all unnecessary travel was completely restricted to non-citizens. Since we are all dual-citizens, we were allowed to enter, given we complete a 14-day quarantine before seeing anyone. It had been almost a year since my Granpa had a massive heart attack, and then survived triple-bypass surgery. Thus, my family and I thought traveling and completing the quarantine would be worth the risk if it meant we got to see them. Masked up, we drove across the Blue Water Bridge between Sarnia Ont. and Port Huron, Michigan. Normally, this bridge would be filled with cars and trucks, backed up in a 30-45 minute long line. COVID changed that. As we approached the border station, there were no other cars or trucks in sight. We slowly entered the only open crossing lane, and eerily, everything proceeded relatively normally. The pandemic killed travel, especially international movement; but I never would have expected to be the only vehicle crossing into Canada. It felt so unnatural and was an abnormal experience I hope I never see again.
• 
  2020-12-01

  Transportation Troubles

  The decision to stay safe or risk quarantine has always been available to people, however with the small-scale reopening of schools among Boston's Colleges of the Fenway bordering the green line it is made more apparent. With the increase of people returning to some semblance of normal by using public transit, there has been discussion of an increase in prices for using such services due to the lack of financial stability. With this, there has been no massive shift yet, but there are noticeable increases being made that the public is wary of. Interestingly enough, this is restarting another conversation in the practicality of marketing public transportation. This in part references the lesson I was made aware of in my Boston History class, which talked of the backlash the greenline originally faced as it made its way into the unknown and potentially dangerous waters of underground transit. There was also discourse over charging for using such means of travel as it seemingly only affected the lower class that it served in majority as the middle to upper classes could travel independently.
• 
  2020-12-01

  From Lively to Eerie

  When I think of Boston, I think of a bustling, never silent city. I picture many people walking on sidewalks, the T packed full, and stores and restaurants filled. Since COVID hit the city, it has completely changed. The city is much quieter than it used to be. The sidewalks are scattered with few pedestrians. The stores have fewer shoppers and close earlier, fewer people ride the T, and restaurants serve fewer sit-down meals. People just grab a meal and go back home. When my mom and I were driving through the city to drop me back off at school one day, she said how ghostly the city was now. I completely agree. The city is a ghost of itself; nobody was out that day. Nobody is out a lot of days. We saw nobody walking on the sidewalk. There was no car traffic, and all the restaurants were empty. The definition of a ghost is “a faint shadowy trace.” Boston right now seems like a faint shadowy trace of the city I met as a freshman.
• 2020-11-30

  The year things changes

  before covid my life was pretty normal i drove to school and work. i was usually a person who was somewhat athletic but not completely. but assoon as covid hit i started to realizes a change. this change was in my travel habits. i used to drive to places with other or be with crowedroom of people but due to covid i had to rethink my ways of tranportation. and that is where biking became a new hobby and mode of transportation. with biking i was able to keep my distance and not be near people in large groups. as i picked up biking i discover i was having more fun and was a lot happier. biking suddenly gave me the chance to see the would in a slower view and i could focus more on that. with al the horrible thing happening this year i was able to escape it almost by biking and at the same time be safe. biking gave me a new view of the would and a new mind set of taking thing slower not rushing. now i biking nearly every where I go and I enjoy it and it has giving me a new activity to due during covid.
• 
  2020-11-24

  England Allowing Visitors To Come After Taking Covid Test

  The UK is setting plans to allow visitors to come to the UK after taking a Covid-19 test. This is a huge step considering the country has been under a major travel ban and had been requiring individuals to partake in a 14-day quarantine. This new testing protocol is great for those wanting to see family and loved ones in the UK.
• 2020-11-20

  My experience with airplane travel

  Flying during Covid I have needed to fly for family emergencies four different times since the pandemic began. The first time I felt uneasy but the fact that they seated us with an empty seat between each person and the requirement of face masks made me feel more comfortable. The second flight, however, was crowded with a woman sitting right next to me and turning her fact to talk to me 6 inches away – without her mask on!!!! That was nerve racking. But the last two flights were spaced out and everyone wore a mask. EXCEPT – the irony is that when they pass out the snack bags everyone on the plane removes their mask at the same time to eat. I simply choose to hold off on eating my snack bag for a half hour and wait until I see that people are done eating. There hasn’t been a big outbreak traced back to airplanes so I will continue to fly when my aging parents need help. And to keep others safe, each time I return from a trip, I quarantine and get tested.
• 
  2020-05-03

  " The man feeding a remote Alaska town with a Costco card and a ship " - The Hustle

  The advent of COVID-19 has made it more difficult for isolated, rural communities to maintain access to basic necessities such as food, water, and personal care products. In an article for the Hustle, journalist Zachary Crokett recounts the story of a Gustavus, Alaska grocer named Toshua Parker, who has taken it upon himself to supply the needs of his fellow townspeople in a time of crisis. Through the use of a shipping freighter, business connections, and a trusty Costco membership card, Parker has mostly succeeded in supplying the community's consumer needs and has made his business, Toshco, an economic pillar of Gustavus. The success of Parker's small, rural business in the face of COVID-19, according to Crockett, is representative of a "renaissance" of rural businesses, which are an important component of supplying a town's consumer needs. Without these businesses, isolated rural communities such as Gustavus would have a harder time enduring the pandemic relative to communities with robust economic centers.