Items

• 
  2021-02-24

  MY MOOD. MY MASK

  Will we miss them when we no longer need them? What will become of these scrappy, sometimes brightly-colored statement pieces? In many ways, a mask has become the sartorial equivalent of a tie. Men still wear ties, but really…why? They serve no purpose. Will we do the same without masks? A mask can reveal who the wearer is in a way that a bare face cannot. Study the mudroom collection in this photo reveals and you will know that someone loves Star Wars and the other is a feminist who adores penguins. After the Texas deep-freeze, and Ted Cruz’s air cruise to Mexico to escape the failure of the power grid, he returned to the U.S. hiding behind an enormous Lone-Star state face mask—as if donning it would make everyone forget his Marie-Antoinette moment. For future generations reading this: Cruz abandoned his constituents who were without power and water for days and flew to a Cancun resort with his family because they were cold. Did the mask hide his shame when he returned home after being caught? If so, maybe we should keep the mask in our wardrobes in our post-COVID futures. Perhaps the year of plague has given us a new fashion choice as well as a place to hide when necessary.
• 2021-07-18

  Vaccination #2

  Relief!!! That is the feeling I had when I drove away from the injection station after receiving my 2nd Covid shot. I just hoped that there would be no side effects since those who had gone before I had complained of side effects from the 2nd vaccination. I was lucky in that the next day after receiving the shot I only had a headache, stiff muscles and a queezy stomach - nothing that knocked me down and out. I just functioned at a slower pace. My entire household has been vaccinated and although exposure and contraction of a variant form of Covid is still a risk factor for everyone, at least I do not have to worry about the devastating effects of the illness for myself or family.
• 
  2021-02-22

  Mask trash #3

  Disposable mask spotted en route from the Tempe transit center to the Childhood Development (Psychology building) on Campus along Veteran's Way. 33°25'21.0"N 111°55'45.3"W
• 
  2021-02-19

  '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
• 
  2021-02-15

  COVAX Publication Feb 15

  COVAX - The initiative to help supply vaccines to poor countries FEB 15 publication.
• 2021-02-04

  IMF Myanmar Response

  Questions Reporter Asked IMF Gerry Rice [ Director, Communications Department, IMF ] concerning Myanmar COVID Relief Money QUESTIONER: In terms of Myanmar, recent developments in Myanmar. It seems that quite recently, just before the coup, that the IMF had given some $350 million and dedicated it toward it. I'm wondering what are your thoughts? First of all, what are the IMF's thoughts, obviously, on the coup? But also generally, how did the IMF react when there's a change of government in this way right after they've given money? Is there any -- how can you assure that the money goes, you know, for the intended purposes? That it doesn't actually support a now more military government? That's my question for today. MR. RICE: Thank you very much for that. We are, of course, very concerned about the impact of recent events and what they could have on the people of Myanmar, and we're watching it very closely, of course, like the rest of the world. Just to remind that, of course, Myanmar faced large economic and social costs as a result of the pandemic, and the IMF resources, our support was to help the people of Myanmar to meet these urgent humanitarian needs. That was the whole purpose. Again, just to set in context, the approval of this supports was back in January by our board and followed all standard procures for this kind of emergency financing. The same as we have done for another 84 countries in this crisis, and standard safeguards in place regarding the resources, including the repayment schedule. And as I think you know, the IMF's record over 75 years on repayment and safeguarding of IMF resources is very clear. In terms of the status of our engagement, we have had no communication at this point with the new regime, and that's about as much as I have at the moment on Myanmar. QUESTIONER: So I had a question to follow up on Myanmar. I'm just wondering, on what happens [next]? Do you have to wait until whatever government emerges to reach out to the IMF to see if there's going to be even a relationship with the IMF going forward? And, you know, some people that I've spoken with are suggesting that well, this is kind of a pitfall of these rapid disbursing instruments that have been used. The money goes out very quickly all at once with no or very few conditions attached to it. Is there any thought to changing that at this stage and, you know, just wondering what next steps are on this? Is it just waiting till the smoke clears to decide how we engage? Also, the military generals that were appointed, a new central bank chief who was the same guy that ran the central bank when they were in power. Is there some concern that the central bank will lose its independence? MR. RICE: Just on your last point, of course, the independence of central banks is one of the fundamental principles that the IMF believes in and supports so, you know, just to make that very clear. On your other points, clearly the situation is unfolding. In terms of recognition of the government as in other cases, we are guided by the international community, guided by the membership in terms of recognition of the government. So again, the situation is unfolding there but that's what guides us in terms of our relationship with countries. You know, what I'd say on how the resources that we approved back in January how they are used, clearly again, as I said, these resources were for a clear purpose, the crisis, the pandemic, the helping with the humanitarian needs there. And, of course, it would be in the interest of the government and certainly the people of Myanmar that those funds are indeed used accordingly. Under the arrangement that was agreed with the previous former government, there was indeed safeguards regarding how the funds would be used as is the case with all of our emergency financing. I've talked about it here before. That included audit and, you know, transparency of how the resources are used. And again, this is true for all of the emergency financing. So while there are few conditions, as you rightly say, there are safeguard provisions and it would be our expectation that, you know, regardless of the future that these commitments would be maintained. Because those resources need to go to support the people and especially vulnerable groups. So you asked finally where we’re thinking of changing. You know, again, we've been using these emergency financing instruments in 85 countries so far. I think they have been a huge help and assistance in the crisis especially to the poorest countries, to low income countries. And I think one of the reasons that they've been so effective and we've been able to get the support so quickly is the, you know, the conditions are relatively few. However, and again I stress, the safeguards and the governance of those resources is something that we give high priority to and each one of those has a set of safeguards. Whether it's audit or publishing of procurement contracts, you know, there's a whole series of governance related provisions that we have attached to these loans. These are very important and we're confident that the resources will be well used and for the purpose that they were intended in these emergency financing loans.
• 
  2021-02-21

  Mini oral history with Eva Ruth, 02/17/2021

  Transcript of Interview with Eva Ruth by Monica Ruth Interviewee: Eva Ruth Interviewer: Monica Ruth Date of Interview: 02/21/2021 Location of Interviewee: Sacramento, California Location of Interviewer: Sacramento, California (separate location) Transcriber: Monica Ruth Abstract: This is a mini oral history of Eva Ruth by Monica Ruth, about the silver lining of the pandemic experience. MR: Hi, my name’s Monica Ruth and I'm a graduate student intern with the COVID-19 archive at Arizona State University. Today's date is February 21st and it is 12:05 pm Pacific Standard Time and I'm speaking with Eva Ruth. I want to ask you a question about your pandemic experience. But before I do, I'd like to ask for your consent to record this response for the COVID-19 archive, a digital archive at ASU that is collecting pandemic experiences. Do I have your consent to record your response and add it to the archive with your name? ER: Yes, I do. You do. MR: Thank you. So first, can you tell me your name, age, race and where you live? ER: My name is Eva Ruth, I’m 75 years old, and I’m Mexican American. MR: And where do you Live? ER: Oh and I live in Sacramento, California. MR: Great, thank you. Now, I’m gonna ask you one quick question about the pandemic. So we've experienced a lot of changes in 2020. And many have been negative and disruptive. But maybe it's not all that bad. What is one positive thing you've experienced during the pandemic? ER: For me, it has confirmed my faith. Because the challenges that we faced in our church, closing, opening, closing, social distancing, and everything else. But we've been able to go with the flow and abide by all the rules or regulations and still maintain our faith in worshiping God in the church as one possible, outside or in the house. So it's just kind of confirmed for me that God is everywhere. And so I, I think for for that reason, this has been one of the silver linings in my life during this time. Also, I have also been able to do a lot of Zoom, which I'd never done before. And by a lot, I mean, I can communicate with, I communicated with people from South America, Central America, and then in the United States and the East Coast, here, West Coast a lot. And so it has kept me socially active, through Zoom, and maintained our friendships and increased my knowledge of technology. So it's, those are the plus things. Of course there are some negative things, but the plus pluses are strong and I know that other people my age have been able to overcome the challenges. MR: Yeah. Well, thank you very much. I appreciate your response. Thank you for your time. ER: Thank you.
• 
  2021-02-20

  Mask trash # 1

  Mask trash on the playground at the Kroc Center in Phoenix, AZ
• 
  2021-02-20

  8 Reasons Why BIPOC Are Not Getting Vaccinated Fast Enough

  The following social media post on Instagram by handle @lauraberthlima is an infographic of 8 reasons why BIPOC are not getting vaccinated fast enough. The original poster made it clear that it’s a myth how BIPOC aren’t getting vaccinated due to their distrust, and that it’s actually the difficulty in getting the vaccine. There are a few reasons that are easily guessed, such as inaccessibility and plain racism. However, the graphic and caption explain the reasons a bit more. That includes how the BIPOC-designated sites for vaccinations are being booked by non-BIPOC folks; leaving the BIPOC population without a place to get vaccinated. Many of the posts on this archive can tell you about the vaccine rollout, how there are goals for herd immunity, and that some people have been getting vaccinated by now. This social media post tells me that BIPOC are not being considered for vaccination, and that the system of vaccine rollout right now is less than ideal. It’s as if the people in charge of the rollout are actively assuring that BIPOC folks do not get the COVID-19 vaccine, and are keeping them at risk by doing so. It’s dangerous and irresponsible, and such posts should be shared to as many people as possible.
• 
  2021-02-19

  Vaccinations on campus

  ASU is now vaccinating people on campus. Members of the ASU community receive an email when they are eligible. I am eligible and have tried making an appointment twice, but the appointments are always full. After you get a vaccine, employees are supposed to upload a copy of their vacine to an ASU website.
• 
  2020

  COVID-19 - Racial Equity and Social Justice Resources

  The Fundamental Equity Tools website has resources and tools for people looking to get involved with social justice issues surrounding Covid-19.
• 
  2020-10-07

  COVID-19: A Barometer for Social Justice in New York City

  From the article: A recent study by researchers at Harvard University found that mortality ratios for Black and Latinx communities in the United States were 3.6 and 2.6 times higher, respectively, than the mortality ratio for non-Hispanic Whites,1 a stark gap also reported in New York City (NYC).2 Other similar patterns have been found in NYC over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mortality rates for the Latinx and Black populations are 242 per 100 000 and 226 per 100 000, respectively, both more than twice those for White and Asian American residents.3 Surveys conducted by the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy and others tell an even more alarming story. The gaps in mortality rates are just the tip of an iceberg of long-standing public health–related inequities among people of color in the United States. These discrepancies threaten all US citizens—wealthy and poor alike—and they have been exacerbated by the coronavirus.
• 
  2020-11-19

  Why America Gives 2020: How the COVID-19 Pandemic and Social Justice Movement Have Changed Giving [REPORT]

  From the article: In previous years, Classy’s Why America Gives report has focused on consumer giving trends, what motivates donors to give, and their plans for Giving Tuesday and year-end giving. In our third-annual edition of Why America Gives, the 2020 report measures these year-over-year changes in giving sentiments and behaviors; in addition, it also analyzes how current events—specifically the COVID-19 pandemic and the social justice movement—have altered giving trends.
• 
  2020-10-29

  Video Games to Pass Time

  2020 was a good time for video games, particularly those that I am interested in. Releasing in the middle of the year, games such as the highly anticipated Mount and Blade: Bannerlord and Crusader Kings III managed to provide time-wasting opportunities to many people. The latter, abbreviated CK3, is pictured here. CK3 is essentially a feudalism-simulator with role playing game mechanics, famous in the PC gaming sphere for both its complexity but also its ability to organically allow stories to form in the most Game of Thrones way possible. This was one of my earlier games, after I was more familiar with how the game differed from CK2. Starting as the Raja of the real-life Northern Indian dynasty of the Imperial Gurjara-Pratihara in 867 CE, through many generations of rulers I managed to consolidate the entire subcontinent through diplomacy, intrigue, and warfare. Around 1000 CE one of my rulers who had a more intellectual education rather than the usual military one, consolidated all imperially sanctioned Hindu beliefs into the Charvaka school, a real-life ancient Hindu belief based on materialism and empiricism. As this new consolidated Hinduism united the subcontinent at a more local level, regional governors along the Indus River took advantage of political fragmentation around the Indian Ocean and pushed west, taking over not just Persia and Central Asia but also establishing Hindu-Somali outposts in Africa and Yemen. By the 1300s the empire spread from Burma in the east all the way to modern day Libya and Greece, with Rome itself falling to a Pratihara expedition. Peace was maintained within the empire's vassals by a robust series of alliances, as well as the use of the "dread" mechanic to scare any more unruly subjects into submission via planned executions and threats. The most serious threats the Pratihara Empire faced was a series of crusades launched from Western Europe, and the Mongol Conquests which were ended by assassinating a few generations of Mongol Khans leading to political infighting and collapse. Beyond the fake history being made in game, this single play through gave me enjoyment for dozens of hours. While psychical entertainment was shut down, travel impossible, and the shadow of the pandemic hung over everything, games like CK3 allow people like me to immerse ourselves in what begins as real history and ends with an alternate history that we ourselves designed. Many people who don't usually play video games became engrossed in them, particularly early on in the likewise open-ended game Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The need to develop new hobbies as a way to cope with isolation was a boon for the video game industry, which despite its massive market was seen by many people as quaint at best, or worthless at worst. There is value in video games, especially during the pandemic.
• 2021-02-18

  Vaccinated

  I received my second vaccination earlier this week. I had minor symptoms (some fatigue and body aches), but otherwise it went well. I had some friends, both in exceptional shape, who experienced high fevers and other flu like symptoms, so I guess I lucked out on that front. The peace of mind is incredible. I plan to still take precautions, especially because even with the vaccine, it is believed you can still carry the virus, but it is wonderful to not have to worry about getting sick with COVID anymore.
• 2021-02-18

  One-time covid vaccine

  It is an article about an innovative vaccine from COVID that is not two-phased, but one-phased.
• 
  2021-02-16

  Recreation During Covid

  This is the creative project I've been working on in Minecraft to handle the stress of attending grad school during the Covid19 pandemic. Minecraft and other video games have been sources of stress release and social interaction since forced isolation/quarantine and restrictions on social gathering has resulted in more people playing games and joining online communities for the needed social interaction for the maintenance of their mental health.
• 2021-02-17

  Mourning Limbo

  It’s strange, losing someone during this pandemic. We saw grandma on her birthday last month and probably wouldn’t have planned to visit until Easter. Before the pandemic I would have taken her out a couple times a month and other relatives would make sure she had plans other weeks, even if it was just a trip to Walmart or the grocery store. But after nearly a year we had settled into this new normal. So I find myself checking Facebook to see if grandma liked a picture of my cat or picking up the phone to give her a call and then remembering. We haven’t had any sort of memorial, of course. My aunt wants to go to grandma’s favorite beach this summer, assuming we’re all vaccinated (and that seems less likely all the time). I’ve never been to that beach without grandma. Maybe then it will feel real.
• 
  2021-02-17

  THIS IS YOUR NECK ON ZOOM

  Many years ago, there was a public service ad that said ‘This is your brain on drugs.” It featured an egg cracking into a frying pan, sizzling crisply. I feel the same way about my neck on zoom. It is a horrifying sight. For many of us, ZOOM is the funhouse mirror we do not wish to look into. It has been suggested that staring at ourselves on ZOOM calls sucks the life out of our brains and that it might be better to simply not be able to see ourselves. Apparently, you can block yourself from being able to see your own face while allowing your fellow ZOOM-ers to gaze at you. Honestly, that seems worse to me. What if I look like a Salvador Dali painting? And what about my NECK? Chin high, neck elongated is my mantra. Channeling Audrey Hepburn helps. Otherwise, I look like a candidate for a Thanksgiving carving board. This is what COVID hath wrought. Not a fear of disease or death (although THAT is responsible for the extra furrows between my brows), but a conversation about inner beauty and wisdom vs. gravity and slackness of skin. For women of a certain age COVID has brought a dollop of fear, and a hefty helping of self-pity at the mere thought of newborn grandchildren we cannot hold. And it has also rendered us as insecure and self-conscious as a teenager with a pimple on the tip of the nose. The state of the skin beneath my chin should not matter, and yet it does.
• 
  2021-01-07

  How the Pandemic Has Affected Refugees

  In this episode, we at the Podcast of the Plague Year were granted the opportunity to record interviews with two organizations assisting refugees that have been relocated to Arizona- RICE and Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest. Refugees are those who have been forced to flee their country because of a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, or political opinion. Almost 3 quarters of a million refugees have been resettled in the United States since 2008; they often come with very little resources to begin life anew once resettled. Life for refugees during resettlement comes with hope, but also with struggles to learn a new language, navigate new employment and educational systems and integrate into a new society. It is easy to imagine how a pandemic could intensify already existing struggles.
• 
  2021-02-09

  Artists Reimagine How Covid-19 Will Shape the Art World

  In a time when people can't go to museums or concert halls, arts and musicians are improvising. Many are taking part in digital exhibitions and performances. Others are embracing the practice of street art, it always artists to continue creating art and have more exposure to the general population.
• 
  2021-02-16

  But Cellphones. . .

  A meme that questions one of the fears surrounding the Covid-19 vaccine.
• 
  2020-10

  How Tribal Communities Have Dealt with the Pandemic

  A cursory look into A Journal of the Plague Year reveals that the pandemic is nondiscriminatory, all of are affected. Yet, the reality is that Covid-19 is having more impact on certain populations in American communities. Arizona State University's Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict partnered with the Henry Luce Foundation to provide rapid relief funding to marginalized communities in the southwest. As part of the rapid relief program, the Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict is collaborating with A Journal of the Plague Year and the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication to raise awareness about the marginalized communities that were assisted via this grant. By joining this "Southwest Stories" project, we at the Podcast of the Plague Year were granted the opportunity to spotlight one Native American community in Arizona- the White Mountain Apache Tribe.
• 
  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.
• 
  2021-01-30

  Covid lockdowns turned buying plants into the next big pandemic trend — for good reason

  During lockdowns, people have taken to keeping houseplants as companions. These plants help people that live alone feel less lonely and ground them. People have had varied results with their plants, but plant influences have seen a surge in people asking for help with their plants.
• 
  2021-02-12

  Local man becomes victim of COVID-19-fueled spike in unemployment fraud

  Along with COVID-19 came a spike in identity theft. These thieves then use the stolen information to apply for COVID-19 unemployment benefits. In some cases, the states try to get the victims to pay back the money given to the thief.
• 
  2020-12-19

  Opportunity for street art

  The news story is both an interview with a street artist in New York and an exploration of how street art has taken off in New York as a result of the pandemic. The artist and the article report that many businesses have boarded up their windows and vacated, leaving a lot of unattended public space for artists to occupy, especially for illegal graffiti. Not everyone supports the increase in graffiti and street art, as other residents complain about the graffiti-related crime and vandalism.
• 
  2020

  Tom n Jerry: social distance!

  This post is a picture of paste up of well known cartoon characters Tom and Jerry. Both are wearing masks and Jerry is telling Tom, "That's one meter!" in Italian.
• 
  2020

  Baby it's covid outside

  This post was made by the street artist, Velvet Bandit, of their past up on a pole in Petaluma, California. The artwork is a cartoon virus with the message "Baby it's covid outside" over it.
• 
  2020

  Hide Yo Grandma

  This post is by the artist Velvet Bandit of their street art pasted on a pole. The work is a cartoon image of the virus with a text box reading, "Hide Yo Grandma."
• 
  2020

  Stencil of Nurse Hoax

  This is an Instagram post of street art in Bexhill, East Sussex. The street art is a stencil of US President Trump as a nurse with an oversized syringe and the phrase, "DONT TRY AT HOME." This is a reference to comments made by Trump to try injecting bleach as a remedy for the coronavirus.
• 
  2020-06-17

  Street Art - freedom, social justice

  This article explores how street art expresses community sentiment in a public arena, as expressions of emotion, desire, creativity, and human rights.
• 
  2020-04-20

  Street Art - commentary from the artists

  This article quotes several street artists about how the pandemic has impacted their art and their messages. The direct quotes amplify their messages, although the street art speaks volumes in its public arena.
• 
  2020-05-23

  Street Art - honoring frontline workers

  This article talks about street art around the world responding to the pandemic with satire, humor, political commentary, observation and expression. What stands out most with this article is the video interview of a street artist while he is completing a piece of art honoring frontline workers.
• 
  2020-05-28

  Street Art - political critique and social engagement

  This article, written by Jana Fedtke for PopMatters, describes instances of worldwide street art as political critique and social engagement during the pandemic. Examples of street art shown include stencil work. The author explores the ways in which street art relay information about how government agencies have handled spreading information and health care and in turn, how street artists depict social engagement with pandemic procedures.
• 
  2021-01-24

  Almost a Year of Virtual Girl Scout Meetings

  When our Girl Scout troop transitioned online in the spring, we never foresaw the entire year being online. When my best friend/co-leader and I made the calendar in the summer, we originally made it through the end of 2020, thinking that by January we’d be back in person. I guess that shows how short sighted humans can be, a virus doesn’t run on a calendar, so it was silly to think things would be dramatically different without widespread access to a vaccine. So here we are in 2021, pushing through every other week. It has been really great to maintain the normalcy of meeting together, though. All the girls are either going to school on a hybrid (half the week in person, half at home) schedule or a full distance learning schedule, so it’s just nice to have the regular interaction with each other just like they did before quarantine. This also was a perfect opportunity to give the girls increased ownership of the troop. Now that they’re in fourth grade, we have made leadership roles, so the girls are responsible for different parts of the meeting. This takes the pressure off me for having to fill two hours on Zoom in a way that is fun and meaningful and doesn’t feel like school! I absolutely love seeing their creativity in making up games, activities, snacks, and issues/problems in our community they want to help fix. There also are some girls who used to be passive who have really loved this platform and have really stepped into being leaders. I am, however, running low on badges they want to earn that are easy to do over Zoom. The one shared here ended up pretty fun. To earn the “Simple Meals” badge, the girls worked in virtual groups to make different breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals. Then they basically did their own cooking show by walking the other girls through making whatever the dish was. Bonus - everyone was nice and full by the end! I miss my girls terribly, but we are so fortunate to be able to have the girls continue to meet, share, and support each other while we patiently wait for the cases to decrease.
• 
  2021-01-29

  Apart for Eleven Months

  This year, my daughter’s Girl Scout troop, like every other troop in the country, has moved their cookie sales online. Even cookie pick up is strange this year. Instead of having families come by and pick up cookies to sell, I leave the cookies on the porch with the receipt and wave through the window. When my best friend (and co-leader) came with her daughter to pick up cookies, we chatted through the window and took a picture to save the bizarre moment. I mentioned that when another family from the troop came to get cookies, I almost didn’t recognize the girl because she had gotten so tall. My best friend then had the genius idea to take a picture of her daughter by my front door. She said I should take a picture of my daughter so we could compare their heights, as they have been the same size their entire lives. And then she said a statement that shocked me: “I mean, it’ll be a year next month since they’ve actually stood next to each other.” I guess since my best friend and I text almost every day, and have seen each other over Zoom, I hadn’t processed how truly long it has been since we’ve all been physically together. I met my best friend when I was 11, we were college roommates, married guys we were all in the same friend group with in college, had our first kids exactly six months apart from each other, our second kids two months apart from each other, and live 15 minutes away from each other. We have been lock step since we were kids, so not seeing each other for almost a year is insane. As the picture shows, our daughters are still basically the same height, so even apart, we're still lock step. Still, hoping we’ll be able to be together again before the girls grow anymore!
• 
  2021-02-12

  Mr. Carl is Always Watching

  An unexpected benefit of quarantining for the past eleven months is my son has become quite the pianist. Since we’re always home, he wanders to the piano often to play his pieces - during recess, lunch, waiting for his sister to be done with whatever she is working on. Honestly, because he has endless practice time he has advanced much quicker than he would have if life were normal. His teacher and he share a dry and quirky sense of humor. My son’s favorite part of the week is when "Mr. Carl" calls for their virtual lesson. Carl noticed early into quarantine that the way the phone sits on the piano makes his picture reflect in painting on the wall. He told my son he is always watching him, and it has become their inside joke. When we put up Christmas decorations, the painting was temporarily replaced. Being a creative and funny guy, Carl photoshopped himself into the decoration and texted it to me to share with my son. Now after every single lesson, Carl texts me a picture of where he is that week. Carl’s positivity, consistency, and continued high expectations have helped my son thrive and I am so thankful for him.
• 2021-02-12

  Pandemic Brand Reviews: Starbucks

  During the pandemic, I have noticed that my local Starbucks drive-thru lines are still long, maybe even longer than before. Even during odd hours, like 5-6pm, when people are usually eating dinner. This has been happening even before companies stopped doing work from home. I wonder if some of the people in the lines are bored teenagers like me who just want something to do, and maybe a little social interaction. It could also have to do with TikTok, where people share their favorite Starbucks orders. It seems like every week there is a new Starbucks trend that people have to try. It is interesting to see how the pandemic has affected consumer behavior.
• 2021-02-11

  Vaccinated!

  Relief was what I felt when I received my covid vaccine. I felt even more relief when my 21-year-old daughter was able to receive her vaccine since she would not have been able to have gotten vaccinated until early summer. My first vaccine appointment was at 12:30 in the morning, and my daughter rode along with me to keep me company since I had to drive to State Farm Stadium. As we exited the freeway to go to the stadium, the parking lot where the vaccines were being administered could be seen, and I was surprised that it looked relatively vacant of vehicles. When we reached the parking lot, we were directed to follow the signs and pull up to the first checkpoint, where a person verified I had an appointment. At the second checkpoint, a person scanned in my appointment and asked if my passenger had an appointment as well. I told the person “no,” and they said, “we have had a lot of people not show up tonight for their vaccination, so if your passenger would like to get vaccinated, they are welcome to do so.” I immediately accepted the offer for my daughter to get her vaccination, and we were directed to another spot where she could fill out her paperwork for getting a shot. Once my daughter completed her paperwork, we were sent to wait in a line where the vaccines were administered, and after a five-minute wait, we had our first vaccine. After we had our shots, we were directed to wait in a line of cars for fifteen minutes to ensure we did not have any adverse reactions to the vaccination. While waiting for the fifteen minutes, an individual came to our vehicle and scheduled our second vaccination appointment, which was a huge relief since going through the computer system the state had established was cumbersome. What was surprising to my daughter and me was that while we waited during that fifteen-minute time frame, a nurse came by to ask us how we were feeling. We both said we were okay and stated we were surprised that we could get through the vaccine process so quickly and how there were so few cars. The nurse told us that many people were skipping out of their appointsments out of fear of rumored side effects from the vaccine, which was why there was extra serum for individuals like my daughter, who had ridden along. So I had the right schedule for the right night for my daughter to ride along. And now my whole household has been inoculated, which is a relief after three times of being in quarantine. Whew!
• 
  2021-02-11

  Mini Oral History with Dianna Sundell, 02/11/2021

  This is an oral history of my mom, Dianna Sundell, sharing that being able to spend a lot more time with her grandkids (my kids) and having time to bake and make crafts have been positives of the pandemic. The picture is of cinnamon rolls she made based off a copycat Disneyland recipe.
• 2021-02-11

  Thoughts on vaccine hesitancy

  It feels like we are entering a new phase of the pandemic, one in which getting as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible in now the most important -- though not the only -- public health priority. Perhaps the biggest problem in getting people vaccinated is the on-going issue of vaccine hesitancy. One issue is that a significant portion of people in certain non-white communities seem hesitant to get the vaccine. On the one hand, this is understandable given the ugly history of scientific experiments being conducted on people of color. On the other hand, many of these communities have been hit disproportionately hard by the pandemic, and gaining herd immunity via vaccine is really the only viable way out. So I think it's imperative that a great effort is made to get these communities vaccinated. This should start with President Biden -- who won the presidency in large part because of support from the Black community -- and Vice-President Harris -- the first African American vice-president. Because both of them have a significant amount of credibility in this community, they really should prioritize a public campaign to convince people that the vaccine is both safe and absolutely necessary, and also that time is of the essence.
• 2021-02-11

  Vaccine Censorship 1: RFK

  RFK Jr has been censored for his opinions on vaccines. The secondary factor from this whole pandemic has been the evolution of social media and internet censorship of certain opinions and individuals.
• 2021-02-11

  Star Trek and the Pandemic

  Since its release in 1966, Star Trek has been an inspiring and comforting series to millions of people around the world. It is unapologetically utopian and hopeful, and throughout the pandemic it has been of incredible utility to people suffering from isolation and other stress in their lives. Even though the pandemic has had little real impact on my day to day life, Star Trek has still remained my favorite piece of media to immerse myself in to feel a little better about the future. Set hundreds or even a thousand years in the future, Star Trek is a setting where diseases like Covid-19 have been wiped from the Earth permanently, and even unknown alien diseases can be cured and eliminated in just hours of study and research. No one suffers from homelessness or poverty, as replicators have enabled extremely high quality of life for everyone. For me, in a time when not only is there uncertainty about disease but also high degrees of political and societal stress, Star Trek is a breath of fresh air whenever I sit down to watch it. For a time I no longer have to worry about Q-Anon cultists ransacking the capital or about catching the disease. I have seen Star Trek referred to as "competency porn," and indeed that is exactly one of the things that appeals so much in this time of strife and angst. Unlike most pieces of media, Star Trek doesn't rely on failures of communication and other frustratingly real issues to drive its conflict and stories. Instead, each show is focused on extremely competent and intelligent characters who are able to work together to quickly and efficiently solve issues using their pooled knowledge, despite their differences. Through this I can revel in the utopian ideal of the show and believe even for just a moment that we could reach that point ourselves one day, even if for now our society is plagued by the very issues Star Trek posits we can overcome. One could call it escapism, but I think many people would agree that escapism is exactly what people need and want right now due to the ever-present and overpowering feeling of doom surrounding everything else.
• 2021-02-11

  Zoom Birthday "party"

  For this journal entry I plan to discuss the changes this pandemic is bringing to children and parents, and continue to discuss how their voices are silenced in this archive. My son’s sixth birthday was the other day, and I decided to host a Zoom get-together for him with his closest friends from school. It was awkward for me to text some moms I have not seen in ages because we do not go to the park anymore for play dates. This group of moms and kids would meet up on Fridays at this park the kids fondly called the “fish park” because it had a play structure with a big fish designed into it. The group got to be quite large at the beginning of 2020 with around eight families participating. As I write this, I am feeling very sad and missing those days when we were all together. We often would each bring something to snack on and share as a group. We were all there to help each other and of course socialize. It was a nice social group. It was also a friendship formed based on our children’s connection to each other. So, when the pandemic hit and play dates were out of the question, some of us drifted apart for a while. I remember when we first started learning about COVID-19, this was the hot topic of discussion in our Friday meetups. We debated and discussed and worried. They all thought I was crazy, I am sure, for going out and stocking up on food back in February because an official from the CDC told people to even back then. Later, they started to realize I was right and followed my lead before it was too late and the grocery stores started emptying out. Four of us formed a text group and have kept in almost daily contact with each other this last year. A lot of our conversation is supportive while we try to get through these challenging times as moms of small children. We share our worries and fears. We share our joys and survival tips. There have been lots of laughs, too. It has been a blessing to have this support group this year. We even met up in a park one Sunday morning last fall and spent the morning catching up. We were of course masked and sitting in chairs well over six feet apart. All these moms have made the same decision to keep their children at home. One mom decided to home school her children because she could not get adequate resourcing for her son who has autism and as a former teacher, she decided to take it on herself. Being online for school has been especially hard for children on the spectrum, I have been told by a few moms with children who are, because mainly their routine is messed up. Two of us have our children in the flex program and one moved hers to a new completely online school our district created to serve families during the pandemic. The flex program was for parents who are wishy washy on deciding whether to send their kids back to school. It is for us parents who were too scared to send their kids back so early (and had the privilege to keep them home) and optimistic that the virus would fade away enough and our kids could return relatively safe. It is not looking good that our children will return at all this year. Every quarter we say, oh maybe next quarter, and then the virus spreads in our community and the numbers tick up and we keep them home again. Anyway, the point is that my two kids have been home this entire time, almost a year, out of a brick-and-mortar school and not socializing with other kids in person. It has been very hard for them. They miss seeing their friends desperately. Obviously, a birthday party was out of the question so I decided to set up a Zoom “party” for my son yesterday to celebrate his birthday and so he could see his friends’ faces for a little bit. It did not work well. First off, I muted everyone to announce the plans and then could not figure out how to unmute everyone and that lead to tears and frustration. Kids kept leaving and coming back. Some would not participate in the games I tried to arrange. We played charades, would you rather, and did a little scavenger hunt by sending them to find objects of the various colors of the rainbow. My kids were not having it. My son was out of sorts which is not like him, and my daughter was so upset with me because I would not let her interrupt the games to play a video from her screen. So, she was pouting, and my son was pouting for some unknown reason. I think he was overwhelmed and just fatigued by it all. This is not what he wanted for a birthday party; I am sure. But I tried. I did the best I could with the circumstances, and I know some of the kids had fun even if the birthday boy did not. The bottom-line is that Zoom birthday parties are hard—harder to facilitate than in-person birthdays and wow do I give props to teachers who are doing this every single day. My son’s kindergarten teacher makes it look so easy! But I know it is not. I already had tremendous respect for teachers, but my respect has grown even more after this experience. I am very thankful for all they do for our children. They should be honored. The problem with this archive is the potential for silences. As I discussed last week, children will be silenced in this archive unless an adult writes their experiences for them. I am writing this story about this Zoom party for the archive and it is getting included, but it is still from my perspective. My son is not sharing what he felt during the party and how he has felt this year collectively. We may never know what he was thinking during the party because little kids move on and forget. At the very least though I have shared this experience from my point-of-view, which I am sure is a replication of thousands of parents and children’s experiences all over the world—at least the ones who have access to the internet and Zoom.
• 
  2021-02-11

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

  I recorded a mini oral history with my mom about silver linings.
• 2021-02-04

  It Looks Like Its Not Just Me

  I came across this article about how many people are "hitting the wall" with COVID fatigue, and it helped me realize that my current state is not unique. Lately, I have been feeling the cumulative effects of the isolation that the pandemic has created. I feel less physically healthy, and mentally as well. Frankly, I do not think I am as mentally sharp as I was a year ago. It is at least comforting to know that I am not alone in this. There is also now hope that the pandemic will end and that life will return to some degree of its former normality, but it seems clear that this will take some time.
• 
  2021-02-10

  Resist COVID Take 6! public art campaign targets misinformation, encourages vaccination

  The grassroots public awareness campaign Take 6! has started an art-focused COVID-19 awareness campaign. Their goal is to raise awareness of COVID-19, the safety measures against it, and the importance of getting vaccinated.
• 2021-02

  Vaccine

  I feel like I am running out of ideas for JOTPY entries so I thought I would share my excitement for my second vaccine appointment next week. While I know we still have a long road ahead with COVID-19, I am excited to take this next step for myself. The peace of mind will be worth it alone. It will be nice when the "plague year" is a memory rather than a current event following herd immunity.