Items

2022-07-06

In the Future When All's Well

The pandemic kept my mom, my stepdad, and I at home a lot longer than other families. My mom is immune-compromised so our vigilance was at an all-time high and our urge to resume a somewhat normal schedule was at an all time low. Though, as we became more familiarized with the pandemic’s nature, impact, and the possible consequences it could have on our livelihoods, we decided to branch out and seize the day for my mom’s birthday in July of 2022. Naturally, my mom and I share a love for a defunct British 80s band called The Smiths. The former lead singer and front man of The Smiths, Morrissey, was booked for a five night residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. We picked the third show of the residency, scheduled for July 6, 2022, since it was a mellow weekday and still part of my mom’s birthday week. In the end, our decision was made on spontaneity and the desire to see our favorite artist for the first time before it was too late. While Morrissey’s opinions are always up for debate, his resolute nature, willingness to always speak his mind, and his disregard for what others think of him, are venerable traits in my opinion. The ways in which The Smiths and Morrissey have defined, helped, and steered my life, and my mom's, forged a unique bond between us. These factors alone made our pilgrimage worth it. The usual processions before a concert took place; we bought the tickets in March, waited with bated breath, and on the day of the road trip, a new type of anticipation took hold. Concert going was one of my favorite personal pastimes in the pre-pandemic era, so missing many concerts during the first two years was a drag. Driving from Southern California to Las Vegas on the I-15 is a ritualistic occurrence for many Californians, but this time, it felt different. The feeling primarily stemmed, not from the concert, but from the fact that we were returning to the world in such a drastic way. Is there a better way to rip the Band-Aid off? We would not want it any other way. Immediately, we knew that this journey was a triumphant return into what is mistakenly called ‘real’ life. I have fond memories of this trip as it was a big step forward in terms of regaining our livelihoods and in terms of enjoying something that we both loved. Myself, along with my family, were strongly pro-mask during and shortly after the pandemic. I still agree today, that, if one is sick and needs to go out in public, that one should mask for everyone’s safety. Though, being in a family that is immune-compromised, the concern on my behalf was obviously much greater than average. The freedom and fear associated with traveling in such a grand fashion for our first big trip since the pandemic’s restrictions lifted definitely occupied our minds whilst traveling, but in the moment, when the destination was met, we felt relieved and our hearts felt free. In saying this, there were no COVID-19 restrictions in place when we went to the event and crossed the state line, rather, restrictions were lifted, both in our minds and spirits.

2021-06-15

First Time Traveling In The Post Covid Era Evan Walker ASU HST. 643

The first trip I took when travel restrictions were beginning to ease was a trip to Las Vegas in June 2021. Every year, my family visits Vegas to visit my mom's niece, who lives in Nevada. At first, we were very hesitant to travel because, though we were vaccinated, we were still uncertain what post-COVID travel would be like, so we juggled the decision. Finally, we decided to bite the bullet and go. We decided to drive to avoid air travel as we weren't ready to make that big of a jump. Everything was very cheap, including the rental car and the hotel. We stayed for 5 days at Treasure Island for only 100 dollars per night, and that hotel was right on the strip. When we arrived, the strip was pretty empty, which was surprising considering it was the middle of June. Most hotels still had safety protocols, which we didn't mind. We still did not want to get COVID-19 even when vaccinated because we still had jobs and school to attend when we returned. Compared to Las Vegas pre-COVID COVID-19, it was a lot different as many attractions were permanently closed, buffets were gone, and the overall atmosphere was slower than usual. Overall, we had a good trip, but I can't lie and say it wasn't scary to travel to another state after being in the house for an entire year.

2021-11-21

A Weekend In Vegas

This was November 2021, a time when the coronavirus was still very much an everyday threat to human lives, but also when some sense of peace and ease had returned to travel. The mask was commonplace, only to be withdrawn to take a photo or to eat, and in many cases to make a fashion statement (i.e., stocking several of different colors and varieties to match any outfit).

2023-04-15

Las Vegas Wedding April 2023

The weekend of April 15, 2023, I flew to Las Vegas, Nevada to attend the wedding of one of my best friends from college, Anthony Dramisino and his soon to be wife, Amy Menegay. I realized I was attending my first post-Covid wedding after the government lifted CDC recommendations and restrictions. I flew United Airlines in economy that Friday afternoon and touched down around eight in the evening due to the time zone difference from Washington DC. The airline did not force us to wear masks but recommended we do so due to confinement in a small space with a lot of people. Other than the presence of a lot more hand sanitizer stations around the airport, Harry Reid Airport in Las Vegas bustled with the activity of people enjoying Las Vegas to its fullest. The first thing I saw when I deplaned was a group of slot machines. I ubered to the hotel, the Flamingo Resort, a Las Vegas icon since the mob sponsored its initial construction in the 1940s. Renovated in the 1990s, it stood as one of the oldest still running hotels in the city and this is where the wedding party reserved a venue for the ceremony. Overall, one could not tell there was ever a pandemic by how the hotels and casinos functioned. People strolled in and out of the building at all hours and the Strip pulsed with noise, lights, and activity. I met up with the wedding party and we stayed up till 3 in the morning on the casino floor socializing unimpeded. The next day, I got lunch with Anthony and some of the wedding party. We went to a Yard House restaurant on the Strip. Like many restaurants, it converted to a QR code menu or optional touch pad ordering system. The server still took our drink order and brought out the food. I had a steak frite bowl over quinoa to steel myself for the wedding day. The ceremony took place in a private outdoor garden grotto that somehow blocked out the noise from the surrounding resort. The moment stood out as strange but beautiful as an Elvis impersonator married my two good friends to each other. Afterwards, the reception dinner lasted well into the night. The balcony at the Caesar's Palace stood isolated from everyone, but overlooked the Vegas Strip glowering in its nightly desert beauty. The venue let us stick around well past the end of the reservation. I went back to my hotel room at midnight to pack for my six am flight back to Washington DC. I took a picture of the new massive globe telescreen built during the pandemic. It danced in a complex light show at night, but apparently it can play full videos as well. I would say my first major post COVID trip was a rousing success and an excellent first time experience in Las Vegas. I would definitely go back again.

2022-06-04

My 21st Birthday in Las Vegas

During the pandemic, I didn't get the chance to celebrate my birthday through a party or the drive-by birthdays that became common. My Grandma was high risk and because of this I was out of work and could not go anywhere aside from the grocery store or her house to bring her groceries. This caused me to feel sheltered in our home for almost two full years until I returned to work late in 2021. Even whilst working I tended to keep a mask on and gloves just to be cautious and protect my family. Despite the difficulties we still ended up getting sick several times, but we kept our time away from the house minimal. This changed with my twenty-first birthday which took place in June 2022 when the restrictions were much lighter. We decided to take a trip to Las Vegas as I could do many things that come with being 21, including gambling, drinking, and the sort. Even though this was long after things had reopened, I still felt very uncomfortable to be in public. The idea of staying in a hotel felt as if I was begging to catch COVID again. This is because it looked as if there had never been a pandemic to most of the people walking around, since nobody was wearing masks or trying to be overly clean (myself included). It looked the same as it had many years prior when I had last visited the city. I did not think about it at the moment but it felt as if we had achieved a level of normalcy that I had taken for granted for so long. It made me understand how grateful I should be for having the luxury of travel or being outside for that matter. Some people will never have that type of luxury again, much like my grandma who I still have to wear a mask around. As she is in her late 90's we still cannot take the risk of exposure, this makes me remember the pandemic and how tired I was of being at home. She is still living through that and this is years after we have left lockdown.

2020

Continuous Travels Throughout The Pandemic

As an Active Duty Soldier during the COVID-19 pandemic I was able to travel; albeit my movements were extremely controlled and job-related and not for leisure. On 13 March 2020, when the entire Country literally reacted to and shut down due to COVID-19, I was out of town and hours away from traveling back to my duty station. The sudden reality we were all faced with felt like The Twilight Zone, especially since it was also a Friday. In May of 2020, I drove to my hometown of San Antonio, TX. My mother was a COVID patient in the ICU, and I needed to get home to help take care of my father. Thankfully, my mother recovered, and I returned to Tennessee, where I was stationed at the time. The COVID restrictions from Tennessee and Texas could not have been more different; whereas Clarksville, Tennessee treated public separation and mask-wearing with a laissez-faire attitude, San Antonio was very strict with its public safety ordinances. A few months later, I deployed to Iraq; transiting to and from the Combat Zone was extremely restrictive. Prior to the Pandemic, we could enjoy local sightseeing if we had a layover in Spain or Germany; naturally, during COVID we were confined to our lodging. However, in January of 2021, as travel restrictions began to lift ever-so slightly, I participated in a unit training exercise in California. To my surprise, we had to fly commercially to Las Vegas, NV. To ensure 6-foot separation, we were each allowed our own rental vehicles, and our own hotel rooms while we trained in the California desert. In all my years in the military, that was the only time I wasn’t required to share a rental or hotel room with anyone. After we had concluded our training, we commuted back to Las Vegas. The original plan was to use military lodging on Nellis Air Force Base, however our Commander allowed us to find our own hotels in Las Vegas, as our flights would not depart for Nashville for another 36 hours or so. At that time of course, no one was traveling or booking rooms; I was able to find a room at the 4 Queens Casino on Fremont Street for forty dollars a night. This turned out to be far more cost-effective to the US Government, as we would have paid around ninety dollars a night had we stayed on Nellis AFB. Restaurants in Las Vegas during the Pandemic opened no earlier than noon, so we had a lot of time to kill in the morning. We walked up and down Fremont Street, the Strip, and it felt as though we were the only group of people in the city. Casinos were empty throughout the day and remained empty well into the night. Being thirsty Soldiers, we visited a Speakeasy and a couple of restaurants; again, with the eerie feeling like we were the only “tourists” there. We even visited the Mob Museum and enjoyed all the history and Prohibition artifacts at our leisure! Between multiple quarantines, working remotely, COVID tests, memorandums clearing us to leave the country, and the eventual vaccination, we continued military travel. It was impossible for my unit to cease all operations due to the Pandemic; we adjusted on the spot and continued to learn throughout the entire experience. It was impossible for me to narrow my travels during COVID to just one single memory; rather it felt like one continuous surreal dream. Today if anyone asks where or how I spent Lockdown, I have to ask, “When during the Pandemic are you referring to?”

2021-06-16

Golden Knights vs Canadiens Game 2

I am a huge hockey fan and going to games was definitely something that I really missed during the pandemic. Once my family and I were fully vaccinated we were able to travel to Las Vegas and see playoff game. As a result of Covid-19, the NHL only had a 56 game season in 2021 and teams were placed in new divisions and the playoffs had some changes to its formatting, hence the weird matchup of Golden Knights/Canadiens in the Stanley Cup "Semifinals." The Golden Knights lost 3-0 but overall, it was still a really fun experience because I had never been to a Stanley Cup Playoff game before. There was still many Covid-19 restrictions in place during this time, but if I'm remembering correctly these restrictions were more prominent when I returned in December, especially at the arena.

2020-03-05

The Sounds of a Casino

Living in Las Vegas and working in a hotel and casino, I got used to a few things; the sounds of the slot machines and the (albeit unpleasant) aroma of cigarettes and cigars. After being brought back to work after the shutdown, what I immediately noticed was how much quieter the casino floor was with all of the restrictions in place. There was a limit to how many guests we could have in, and social distancing meant only every other machine could be used. While wearing a mask and having plexiglass in front of my station, I had to get used to projecting my voice so that guests could hear me while I was trying to help them. Even now, I still wear a mask and have to actively make an effort to be heard.

2022-03-20

Working in a Casino Post-Covid

Living in Las Vegas, it was quite noticeable when Covid hit. The city that always seemed to have something going on suddenly ground to a halt. Working at a casino, I noticed as our usual volume of guests and tourists started to lessen until we were shut down altogether. So, getting back to work after the shutdown was a bit of an adjustment. My workstation, usually with 6 of us working together now had half that amount. Hotel and casino floor capacity had to be kept low. I also remember the temperature checks that both guests and employees were required to do at the entrances. Enforcing the mask mandates with guests would also prove to be a hassle at times as some guests were more receptive than others. As travel restrictions and mask mandates started being lifted, it didn't take long for many of our regular guests to start showing up again. We recently started having live music performances at our property that guests had been inquiring about quite regularly beforehand. As of now, we're basically operating at full guest capacity again with a full casino floor and regular events. While there are still people wearing masks, myself included, there is a sense that the worst is behind us.

2020-01-22

Blinding Lights, The Song of 2020

If there is one song that defined the 2020 experience, it was Blinding Lights by the Weeknd. It was the most-streamed song of the year and achieved widespread commercial and critical success. Despite being released at the end of January before Covid had shut down North America, the imagery of empty Las Vegas streets and abandoned roads in the music video became an iconic part of lockdown life- the feeling of being alone and disoriented in a place that feels almost familiar. The frantic pace general insanity of the video was also a key part of this song's success as the world spiralled into the pandemic at a breakneck speed.

2021-10-14

When Silence took over Las Vegas

I live in a city bursting with lights, music, wonder, excitement, tourists, and opportunity – Las Vegas, known throughout the world for its casinos and world-class entertainment. Two of its most popular attractions are the Las Vegas Strip and the Fremont Street Experience. The Las Vegas Strip, an almost 5-mile section of Las Vegas Boulevard, is filled with an array of sparkling and neon lights showcasing casinos, hotels with thousands of rooms, restaurants, and entertainment venues -- always bustling with people. My absolute favorite sight and sound along this part of the drive is the spectacular Bellagio Fountains. As you continue on a couple of miles past The Strat, you are introduced to the sights, sounds, and smells of the Fremont Street Experience in historic downtown Las Vegas. Whether I am driving by or enjoying a night out, I love to hear the sounds of the Fremont Street Experience, where crowds of locals and tourists enjoy music along with its famous unique experiences. The Slotzilla Zipline zips laughing and screaming people above the noisy crowds looking up to see them glide under the world's largest digital display while presenting light and sound shows. It is a carnival-like atmosphere within a 6-block street party. Free bands play simultaneously on several stages along the street, while people sing and dance in the streets and have a good time. All ages find it perfect for date nights, parties, or hanging out. Then along came the dark shadow of COVID, shutting down Las Vegas, and the music stopped. The Fremont Street Experience became quiet. It was no longer a place where you could hear different kinds of music coming from multiple areas. No bands were playing your favorite dance songs or rock and roll. Fremont just became a regular street with noiseless empty hotels and restaurants. The stages were silent and bare, and the crowds' shouting, laughter, and singing disappeared. Fremont was quiet for the first time in its history. The excitement and joy were gone. It was no longer a fun place to go, and the silence felt eerie and hauntingly incongruent. Fremont, like much of Las Vegas, felt, looked, and sounded like a ghost town. Now, as we open back up to the public and the crowds return, I once again hear the laughter, the bustle of people, and live music when I drive past or show up. Fremont is back, and now there is only a memory of when the sound of silence was all that filled the air.

2021-08-01

Get Vaccinated

"A Las Vegas father who contracted COVID-19 while on vacation texted his finance from the hospital, "I should have gotten the damn vaccine" This sad story came across my social media feed, I took a screenshot and then found an article which I attached to this item for the full story.

2021-02-04

Exotic Birds Rescued During the Pandemic

As a parrot owner myself, this story is near and dear to my heart. Amid the national news headlines of dog and cat adoptions sweeping the nation during the pandemic, the opposite is true for our feathered friends. Parrots require a great deal of time, care, money, and space. Most birds easily outlive dogs and cats, and the larger ones often outlive their owners. Parrots can be loud, demanding and messy. They don't respect that you are in a zoom meeting with the CEO or that your neighbor's baby is asleep in the apartment on the other side of the wall. With people working from home, losing income, and/or being hospitalized or passing away from COVID-19, many parrots have been surrendered to rescues.

2020-11-07

The Year We Were Quarantined

I've lived in Las Vegas for almost my entire life, and this picture is extremely shocking to me because of how barren it is. Las Vegas is known for the Strip, and both tourists and locals know that this place is always hustling and bustling. There's always flashing lights, traffic, and tons of people everywhere, so seeing this place looking like a ghost town is unbelievable.

2020-11-07

COVID Took Over My Life

This photo screenshot is from a clip of the LAs Vegas Strip taken on March 30th of 2020, by Michael Quine. When this photo was first released on social media, I could feel my heart sink. This is the photo that made me realize how serious COVID was getting. My city. The city that never sleeps. Being silent. Out of the seven years that I’ve lived in Las Vegas, this was the first time where I had seen a street completely empty. When I look at this photo today, it reminds me of the day all of our lives changed, but I also think of how this is now considered the norm. Everyone wears masks and hand sanitizers every way you look.

2020-11-07

Coronavirus in Las Vegas

Covid-19 has affected everyone in the world, and the city of Las Vegas is not an exception. Las Vegas is considered to be a major tourism spot yet no one is here. Coronavirus did not just impact tourists, but locals as well. Seeing our city empty and looking like a ghost town is sad and it feels like our sparkle is gone. Although they are being empty because it is for our good to remain distant from others during these harsh times, it is still terrible to see our city empty and eerie. When we think of Las Vegas we think about the huge crowds at the strip, the casinos filled with people gambling or watching shows. Now the city that never sleeps is now an empty place that does not look like the city we know and love. Fichtel, C. (2020, April 22). Las Vegas workers push back after mayor's call to reopen casinos and hotels. Retrieved November 07, 2020, from https://news.yahoo.com/las-vegas-workers-push-back-022132572.html?guccounter=1

2020-11-06

Closed for Business

On the Las Vegas Strip, this image could normally be captured at the oddly specific time of never. Downtown Las Vegas normally is teeming with life, creepy people dressed in raggedy, unwashed costumes, bachelor and bachelorette parties gone and going wrong and overall people having a wonderful time. As the Covid-19 outbreak was beginning to hit its crescendo, everything in the state of Nevada was shutdown, making all in person operations cease to prevent the spread of this disease. This lead a town based around its overall tourism and wild nightlife in disarray, many people lost jobs and businesses struggled, leading some to never open again. The image here, to me, is something sad, T-Mobile Arena is a very nostalgic place for me, it is the place where I was able to see one of my favorite bands for the first time, and when me and my brother decided to drive the strip in the midst of isolation we had to stop and take the picture. T-Mobile Arena was an extremely lively place that always had live music and sporting events, as heartbreaking as it was to see it dormant, it had to be closed, the spread of Covid-19 had to be prevented. In my opinion, Governor Sisolak handled the crisis well, despite how painful it was for many citizens, I know we as a city will recover and the city will live once again.

Side by side comparison of three different fashionable face masks.

2020-02-28

Don't take it(fashion) away from me!

I chose this piece of media because this shows the intertwining of the government's edict to wear masks and fashion. This made me realize two things- first was that even in a pandemic like this, people still do want to improvise and try to earn money and secondly, beauty and fashion is what makes life worth living, as even in such a tumultuous time such as now, we find a way to overcome and make the world a brighter place;people will always find a way to put fashion and style in everything even in such a dangerous time as this. We see people even taking advantage of this new business venture, as when I was strolling around in Caesar's Palace, I saw a store selling Covid-19 related fashion clothes such as those in the picture above. This seems to be a compromise of the people and the government- "ok, we'll wear masks, but don't take it(the fashion) away from me!".

2020-03-19

The Las Vegas strip

What it does means to me is that our bright and beautiful city which was active was dead, it was a ghost town. It showed that at that time the Governor Steve Sisolak needed to make a very difficult decision and shut down our country in order to protect the Nevadans. But it came at a risk of shutting down our economy many Nevadans have been hurt recently, When it came to the federal government barely anything has been done. There are still millions of Americans who are struggling to put food on the table for their children and Congress can't put politics aside for the betterment of the American people. I was one of the lucky ones and I have been negatively affected so I don't know how it must of felt for the Americans who are struggling but I know it must be painful.

2020-03-18

Las Vegas Quarantine

The photo is when Las Vegas went into lockdown for COVID-19 in March 2020. This photo has much significance considering this was the first time in my life I witnessed Las Vegas actually shutdown all the casinos (which it’s infamously known for). This also shows how the government took action by having a quarantine/ shutdown of nonessential businesses. Being that casinos are the main source of income for many residents of Las Vegas, the virus undoubtedly affected locals daily lives, as well as billions of lives globally.

2020-10-20

Coronavirus, Las Vegas, Archives and Me

This video I took while riding near the strip really reminded me of the impact coronavirus has and is having on the Las Vegas community. This impact has been huge on Las Vegas being that it is coined “the city that never sleeps” and has a large population. This video to me shows the importance of community involvement. Despite the strip hotels being vacant the lights remained on with a message of love instead of off making the hotels completely dark. This video involves the decision of the government to “enforce” quarantine and isolation laws which involved many recreational activities and places to be shut down and stopped.

2020-10-20

Sunshine [DUPLICATE]

These lyrics are from the song “Sunshine” by rapper Young Dolph. This song was released near the beginning of the coronavirus era in April. During this time, I was longing for these difficult times to come to an end, despite them just beginning. I wondered when the sunshine would come back, when all the anxiety and grief would be replaced with relief and glee. The sunshine I had been longing for didn’t come as soon as I expected, but that doesn’t mean I’m giving up hope just yet.

2020-09-06

Family Outing Gone Wrong

This picture was taken at Seven Magic Mountains in Las Vegas, Nevada. You would think that this tourist attraction would have a sign informing the people to wear their masks. However, the location lacks enforcement of CDC guidelines which demonstrates how the government hasn’t put their foot down. This issue made it an uncomfortable family outing due to the fact that the majority of the people there didn’t have a mask nor complied with social distancing rules.

2020-10-20

The Empty Strip

This picture was taken while my family and I were driving on the empty strip. It was such an eerie feeling that there was no people on the streets and barely any cars. All of the signs said something along the lines of stay safe, we’ll be back soon. In the picture you can see that the sign says “Stay safe and we’ll get through this together”. All the casinos were closed because the government had to take leadership and try to prevent the spread of corona.

2020-10-20

Life with Corona

school assignment

2020-10-20T20:17

The effect of a Pandemic

The photo I chose for this assignment is a picture of an empty hockey arena. Covid-19 really effected not only my decision to play hockey this year but the hockey season in general. Due to underlying conditions, in June I decided it was a smart decision to not continue playing junior hockey this year. The decision to not play junior hockey this year, has led me to start my academic career at UNLV. Not only did Covid-19 effect my decision to continue to play hockey, it also effected all junior hockey season around the world, most leagues are not starting their season until January and some aren’t even playing at all.

2020-06-02

COVOD19

This is a video I recorded from my balcony across the street from UNLV’s campus. This media is pretty significant to me. My 7 year old sister was in town and we were in the peak of quarantine. Majority of the city was still closed and riots had just begun. My sister being oblivious to everything going on the only thing she understood is we can’t go outside. One night we were sitting in my living room and my sister goes out on the balcony. She calls me out there and all I hear is loud chants down Maryland parkway and the street I resided on. Nothing violent was happening just a ton of people chanting. All of a sudden a brigade of police officers comes racing down our street and streets surrounding to box in this crowd of people. Big trucks with armed and guarded men screeching for people to “back up!” My sister kept asking why the police were here and who was in trouble. I didn’t really know how to answer because “ I don’t know” and “no ones in trouble” wouldn’t really explain what was going on. That was the truth though. Nothing had happened. A group of people were peacefully exercising their American rights and getting in trouble for it. I didn’t know why the police had arrived. No trouble had been caused. It seemed like everyone was in trouble but I wasn’t sure why and I definitely didn’t know how to break that down to a kid. Once I pulled my phone out to record she seem to draw her own conclusion from the situation. She ran up to my boyfriend and said “the police are outside being mean to people.” I knew then if my incredibly sheltered 7 year old sister could watch a scenario unfold and draw that conclusion without any media persuasion or even family persuasion that the adults who say otherwise blatantly choose to ignore.. and say otherwise.

2020-08

Give Me Liberty, Or Give Me Discounts

The lone student riding the scooter through the desolate campus represents most students this school year attending UNLV, including me. On June 24, 2020 Governor Sisolak issued a mask mandate that would affect all Nevadans until and was to be followed until notified otherwise. Many of my classes that I was supposed to be in person have been transferred online. As a student, I find it interesting how businesses and organizations must comply with these mandates or they will be heavily fined. I also find it interesting, that UNLV does not lower the attendance cost during a year where almost all classes are solely online. Are these protections from this virus worth sacrificing our liberties pertaining to our education?

2020-10-20

Mask Mandate

In this picture, we see a gym employee wearing a mask and cleaning their equipment. I like to go to my local 24 Hour Fitness and you are required to wear a mask which is an example of government action. This is all due to the mandatory face covering policy that was announced by Governor Sisolak caring for the health of the public. This is extremely important and meaningful to me because I know this extra protection is for me and others when going outside or going to the gym.

2020-03-18

The Las Vegas Strip Shuts Down

I remember the first day the strip closed I ran into a guy at the gas statio who had to clear out the treasure island casino. He told me it was a very eerie feeling. This was March 17th or 18th I believe. This is importtant to me becuase of what it represents. For example, Nevada had an unemployemnt rate of nearly 25% due to the shutdown. This not only hurt 25% of the population, but all of the surrounding businesses as well that rely on the strip to bring in customers. *Photograph of the Las Vegas Strip taken by CBS local news

2020-04-07

There's Still Hope

The picture was taken April 7, 2020, about a month into quarantine in Las Vegas, Nevada. This was a time when the only human interaction you would get is at grocery store when you were scrambling to get supplies for your home not knowing if you or a loved one could be the next victim of this pandemic. My household and I were scared, not knowing what to do besides stay quarantined in our home and not try to get tired of each other. We decided we wanted to change up our routine of just staying in the house, and drive down to get a view of the strip to see how it looked with no people. We drove by the electrified city with usually hundreds of people walking the streets partying, to only see the streets empty and all the buildings lights shut off. However, as we drove by the casinos and hotels by Aria Casino, there were two buildings with lights lit up in the shape of a heart. This showed me, despite all the trouble and heartache this pandemic has brought, there was still hope in our city. That one day we will overcome this pandemic together, and in the mean time we just need appreciate what we have, show our loved ones that we love them, and quarantine to help preserve the lives of others. The hearts gave me a sign of hope, that my family and I were not in this alone. *A picture taken by me driving down the strip.

2020-10-18

A life we never thought of

Since everything with the corona virus has happened everything in the world has changed. We now have to wear masks everywhere we go and oftentimes not go out due to the virus, our classes are now online causing no socialization between the students. For once in my 13 years of school I hardly know any of my fellow classmates. I have twin little sisters who mean the absolute world to me and my family. My 12 year old sister has diabetes and as soon as everything went into lockdown my mom wouldn't allow my twin sisters to go out. Her immune system is very poor and she gets sick very easy and very fast. They didn't leave the house for months and my mom hardly let me leave as well, even when things slowly started to open back up. After months of doing nothing and being stuck inside I finally took them out just to the grocery store for our 15 minutes of things we needed to gather. Finally we went to Michaels to look at all of the upcoming holiday decorations and crafts that we could get, so I had to snap a picture of our big moment. * I took the picture

2020-03-26

Emptiness & Unknown By Alexandria Bucy

I created this powem after a video I took during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. The Las Vegas Strip was desolate of travelers from all over the country. This was something our city hasn't seen in years- possibly since September 11, 2001? Even then, I am not sure it was as silent as it was that night. I based a couple of the lines on the soft breeze in the background of the video I shot. *Poem, and I created it myself

2020-09-05T22:48:00

A Very Long Lonely Saturday Night

The photo I presented captures two major events that affects my personal experience. First, the presence of human beings is not seen on a lovely Saturday night reveals how the government has implemented safety precautions of the use of masks and social distancing that involves quarantining in your home. This is a method the government is utilizing to substaint the coronavirus until a vaccine has been released to the public. This photo also captures something very significant to our atmosphere and that is the lack of air pollution. For those who are unaware of what air pollution is, air pollution is many different substances in the atmosphere that are harmful/dangerous to the health of humans and other living beings.This is significant because my health including all people who live in my community are not being poisoned from the air. Although the coronavirus has negatively affected my personal experience, I believe that the required safety precaution and lack of air pollution is for our good until we figure out a solution to the problem.

2020-03-30T19:47

Virus Problems

This photo showcases the strip being empty and the casinos' vacancy. The governor shutdown the city to make sure the spread of the virus was limited. The residents were to be in their house the only time you could leave is with a mask. Visitors were prevented from coming to the strip and the region was quiet for a while.

2020-05-16

Boss Gave a Private Prom

This was when I worked at a cafe throughout the pandemic, and at the time I worked there with my boyfriend. The cafe was located on the edge of a lake, with lots of other nice resteraunts surrounding it along with wedding and party venues. Our boss felt bad that the pandemic took away basically everything from us, so she decided to do something really kind for us, which was throw us our own private prom. The room was very large and reserved for the two of us, and there were really great decorations, lights, and food. We had access to the side of the lake next to the water and the entire room was only open for us. It was one of the kindest gestures anybody has ever done for us, and it was one of the best moments that I had throughout the pandemic.

2020-10-14

Las Vegas Lockdown - March 29

These two photos were taken on the strip at the beginning of lockdown in Las Vegas. Both photos show the government in action as they were taken during lockdown when the strip basically shut down. These photos show empty streets and billboards telling everyone to stay home and stay safe. The billboards provided a sort of unity within the city since it encouraged everyone to “be kind from a distance” and were small reminders that we were all in this together.

2020-06-12

A Vegas-ish 40th Quarantine Style Birthday

At the start of 2020, my group of college friends planned a trip to Las Vegas to celebrate a dear friend's 40th birthday. As we all live in different areas of the country, it was clear by the start of April that the trip would not be happening due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After 20 years of friendship, we couldn't let a milestone like this pass us by. We decided to throw her an over the top Zoom birthday party. I put together party packs, complete with colorful wigs, dessert plates, confetti and cocktail stirrers, and sent to each party guest. The birthday girl's package had strict instructions directing her to wait to open right before the start of the party. Together, the guests made a photo slideshow that included the top 40 things that we love about our friend and read it to the guest of honor during the party. We also decided to make a cocktail together and brought our own desserts and candles so that we could sing to her. The group coordinated with her husband to make sure that she had the cocktail supplies and a dessert to join in the fun. It certainly wasn't what she had imagined for her 40th birthday. But it was unique, thoughtful, a lot of fun, and definitely a memory to last a life time.

2020-04-07

Viva Las Vegas! CANCELLED

Contra Costa County COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders were announced on March 13, 2020. As is typical for me, my calendar was full of various activities in the summer months. I love summer! And, as a teacher, I have more freedom during the summer months to travel and to spend times with loved ones. One of the upcoming events I was most looking forward to was a trip to Las Vegas to celebrate one of my best friend from college's 40th birthday. Somewhere between college and now, life began to move at warp speed and we don't get as much time together as we would like. So, for many reasons, this was a major trip for us all. In early April, it was clear that the trip would no longer happen. We all received a text from the birthday girl letting us know the trip was officially cancelled. While I am sad, it is definitely the right decision. I am hopeful that 2021 will give us the opportunity to reschedule! It is hard to imagine that it could possibly be an entire year before we can all comfortably travel and be together once again.

05/08/2020

KNPR Paper

Short paper on the State of Nevada program on 88.9fm *Original text in "Crreator" and "Contributor:" I wrote the paper on the state of Nevada KNPR hosted by Joe Schoenmann.

2020-05-17

State of Nevada

#unlv #psc100 #mlphelps

05/03/2020

Governor Sisolak's response to Mayor Goodman's CNN interview

A summary on Governor Sisolak's response to Mayor Goodman's CNN interview #unlv #psc100 #mlphelps

2020-05-11

Questioning the leadership in Las Vegas and the economic future of it.

Governer Sisolak response to Mayor Goodman's statement about reopening the city of Las Vegas.

05/09/2020

Las Vegas: COVID-19 Control Group

It is a recap/review of Las Vegas City's reaction to the pandemic. #KNPR #StateofNevada #unlv #mlphelps #psc100

05/16/2020

Clark County Responds To Mayor Comments And Concerns About Reopening KNPR

How to reopen the Las Vegas Strip

2020-04-25

knpr's state of nevada

this is one of many online assignments i had to do after classes moved to remote instruction *i am personally responsible for the creation of the document * https://knpr.org/knpr/2020-04/governor-says-resorts-worried-mayors-comments-will-hurt-vegas host joe schoemann guest gov steve sisolak * a radio broadcast summarized in a word document

2020-05-05

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