Items

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  2020-10-29

  Election Week Anxiety

  Due to the massive number of American voters who decided to cast mail-in ballots, coupled with the unprecedented voter turnout, American’s did not get an answer on Wednesday morning as to who the next POTUS was going to be. This uncertainty, along with the climbing covid-19 numbers, meant a lot of citizens were feeling overwhelmed and anxious about what the next few days, and perhaps weeks, would entail. Crisis hotlines in the US saw a spike in calls related to election anxiety. This political cartoon created by Bruce Plante shows the anxiety that the hotline workers themselves might have been experiencing. With call after call coming into these centers, hotline workers do their best to ease the minds of those on the other side of the phone call. This is significant to 2020 because it illustrates the collective emotions voters were facing in the first week of November 2020.
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  2020-08-06

  Covid-19, Homelessness and Voters Rights

  For many American’s, the financial impact of covid-19 has been at the forefront of their minds. With sky-rocketing unemployment rates and working hours cut due to state restrictions to help stop the spread of the virus, some American’s have been forced out of their residencies and into homelessness. Even more troubling, many shelters were unable to house the homeless due to capacity restrictions. For those who do not know, homeless citizens in all 50 states have the right to vote, but some states encouraged mail-in voting for the 2020 election to limit the spread of covid-19. Without a permanent address, many homeless citizens were forced to vote in person because they had no other alternative.
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  2020-10-30

  CDC Tips for Voters

  In 2020 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been a pivotal organization in educating the public on how to protect themselves, and others, during the covid-19 pandemic. The CDC periodically releases guidance and updates on how to safely navigate everything from grocery shopping to voting. The CDC released an article titled “Tips for Voters to Reduce Spread of COVID-19”. In the article they encourage voters to know their voter’s rights, even if they are quarantined for covid. With a lot of voter misinformation circulating, the CDC took the proper steps to help voters understand their rights, whilst encouraging measures that help prevent the spread of this rapidly spreading virus.
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  2020-10-27

  Suffolk Votes 2020

  Many colleges and universities around the United States encourage students to be politically active and to exercise their right to vote, but Suffolk University decided to go a step further. Throughout all SU’s social media during the election we saw posts sharing information from deadlines, to social distancing practices while voting in 2020. This screenshot from Suffolk Universities Instagram account shows one example of how the university encouraged voting. What is not shown here is the fact that Suffolk University took the initiative to cancel classes on Election Day, November 3rd, 2020, so that faculty and students could volunteer at polling places and/or vote in-person. After the election, Suffolk University continues to encourage students to engage with the political process both locally and federally.
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  2020-12-15

  Political Face Masks

  As the CDC released guidelines for how citizens could help stop the spread of covid-19, many American’s started to wear masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) before leaving their homes. Masks quickly went from simply being a means of protection to a way of expressing themselves. Much like wearing a campaign t-shirt to show political affiliations, people started to wear masks adorned with slogans from the presidential campaigns. The Trump campaign, and others, released MAGA masks for purchase on their campaign shop. Only during a pandemic in tandem with a presidential election would we see something like this. As the pandemic continues on, it is safe to assume that masks will continue to be a way for people to display their personalities.
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  2020-12-15

  Vote For Them

  As the covid-19 pandemic began, many American’s found themselves glued to the news more than ever before. A result of this news consumption brought to light the atrocities committed against BIPOC in the United States. On March 13th, 2020, Breonna Taylor was fatally shot 6 times in her home by a plainclothes officer. Two months later, on May 25th, 2020, George Floyd was suffocated and killed during an arrest over a counterfeit $20 bill. Rightfully, many were outraged and so began protests in cities and towns across the United States. As the election drew closer a movement began to encourage voters to reflect on how their vote can impact historically marginalized individuals within their communities. What will the candidate you vote for do for the communities currently facing social justice issues at large?
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  2020-12-15

  Campaigning Through Video Games

  As covid-19 continued, many political campaigns were forced to be more creative in their approach when it came to engaging with audiences. Some campaigns held virtual events and rallies. The Biden-Harris campaign decided to take advantage of the cultural phenomenon that is Animal Crossing: New Horizons to engage with younger voters. In the Nintendo game, players curate their islands and can create their own personal designs to share and use. This game has been significant to many millennials during covid, because it has been a place for young people to “hang-out” virtually and show off their creativity. The Biden-Harris campaign took advantage of this massively successful game and created their own island, Biden HQ. They created t-shirts and designs that other players could utilize. Players can still visit Biden HQ using the in-game dream code DA-7286-5710-7478.
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  2020-10-29

  Mask Storage Solution

  I submitted this image because it is a solution to a problem I thought I would never have. When Covid-19 started, my partner and I immediately started wearing masks. We felt it was something we could control during an uncertain time. As the months went on, and our cloth mask collection grew, we needed a place to keep them without being in the way. We purchased some adhesive hooks and placed them near our front door. Every time we leave the house our routine is to check for phone, wallet, keys, and mask. We have adapted quite well to our masks and by purchasing options that display our personalities, it feels as if we are making the best out of a bad situation. This image is meaningful to me because it represents our new routine. Masks are now just part of our daily checklist before leaving for work or to run errands. I do not mind wearing a mask, but I sometimes look at our collection and wonder how long it might be until we can retire our collection of masks.
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  2020-08-18

  Crafting to Keep Sane! - Suffolk University

  Every New Year, I make a promise to myself to try my hand at a new skill. In 2020 I was eager to learn how to embroider. Of course, only a few months into this year, we were slammed with the reality of Covid-19. Many of us felt depressed and isolated. I know that I was feeling especially guilty about all the extra time I had at home but felt no motivation to try and achieve goals that I had set earlier in the year. One day in April I was scrolling Reddit and came across an embroidery group. Suddenly it dawned on me that I had not even attempted to try my hand at embroidery! Lucky for me, I already had the supplies. I sat there a while wondering what to stich. Then the image, we all know so well by now, of the Coronavirus molecule popped up on the Nightly News. I knew that would be my pattern for my first ever attempt at needlepoint. It quickly became a small project that I am very proud of and it is my little souvenir from this crazy year.
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  2020-05-14

  Writing During Covid

  How the Covid 19 pandemic has affected my writing and education *Original entry in for "Creator": Professor Estella Gonzalez and Pima Community College