Items
Mediator is exactly
Language & Communication
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2021-08-28
hermit HERALD, ISSUE 126
U.S. biometric database in hands of Taliban -
2021-08-27
hermit HERALD, ISSUE 125
Afghanistan, "None of this had to happen." -
2020-12-01
How history got me through lockdown
A story I wrote about using history to keep a sense of perspective and gratitude through Melbourne's long lockdown in 2020. Coming against a background of university job losses and policies disfavouring humanities degrees I also wanted to let historians know that their work is important and has relevance. -
2021-07-28
The spread of Covid-19
"cnn Covid-19 cases have jumped as the Delta variant gains in prominence across the US. Every state saw more Covid-19 cases reported in the past week than the week previous, according to John Hopkins University data." -
2021-07-13
Brian Harvey, Oral History, 2021/07/07
Brian Harvey, a Managing Director at Deloitte and Touche, discusses the changes the pandemic has caused to his job as an auditor. He provides insights into the various industries he has interacted with over the past year. -
2020-05-24
Why We've Created New Language for Coronavirus
Language is ever evolving, and an event such as the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly led to new words and phrases in the English language and to new definitions for existing words and phrases. It remains to be seen which words that were coined during the pandemic will survive long-term and which ones will remain in a dictionary rather than in regular usage. This article, describing the English language from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), describes changes in British, Indian, Canadian, and Australian English during these pandemic times. It discusses the speed of the linguistic change brought about by the pandemic and the coining of new words and phrases and new definitions of existing words and phrases. -
2021-07-22
CDC Resources in Languages Other Than English
Information on COVID-19 must be available to all individuals if the US as a society and as a country are to successfully deal with this virus and prevent deaths and illness. This information must be available in a variety of languages other than English to meet the needs of those who are not proficient in the English language. The CDC created a website with a wealth of information and materials for individuals in languages other than English, including materials for migrants and refugees. The CDC also has a website for Spanish-speaking individuals. -
2020-04-07
Our New COVID-19 Vocabulary—What Does It All Mean?
Before the pandemic, most people didn't know many of the terms associated with epidemic diseases and SARS-type viruses. In order to understand what was happening, people had to quickly acquire a whole new vocabulary. This article from Yale Medicine helps define some of the most critical and widely used terms. -
2021-07-14
Pop star Olivia Rodrigo visits White House to urge young people to get vaccinated against Covid-19
"I am beyond honored and humbled to be here today to help spread the message about the importance of youth vaccination," Rodrigo said from the White House press briefing room podium. Youth vaccination rates continue to lag significantly behind the general American population. Rodrigo continued: "I'm in awe of the work President Biden and Dr. Fauci have done and was happy to help lend my support to this important initiative. It's important to have conversations with friends and family members encouraging all communities to get vaccinated, and actually get to a vaccination site, which you can do more easily than ever before, given how many sites we have and how easy it is to find them at vaccines.gov." The videos will be featured on the 18-year-old's social media channels as well as the White House's accounts. Rodrigo is the singer of hits "Drivers License," and "good 4 u," and has more than 28 million followers across her channels. -
2021-03-18
Oakland clinic offers Mayan interpreter for COVID-19 vaccinations
Oakland clinic offers Mayan interpreter for COVID-19 vaccinations La Clinica de La Raza is targeting Latin Mam or Mayan-speaking community with translation service Thursdays OAKLAND — A new COVID-19 vaccination clinic in the Fruitvale neighborhood is offering interpreter services for the Latin Mam or Mayan-speaking community. This month, La Clinica de La Raza began offering the community-targeted vaccination service at 32 locations across the Bay Area, including ASCEND Elementary School on East 12th Street, where Latinos who speak Mam, K’iche ‘and Q’eqchi’ can get translation help from appointment to inoculation on Thursdays. There are over 22 different Mam dialects spoken primarily by people of Guatemalan and Mexican descent. According to a recent UC San Francisco study, Mayan people with Guatemalan roots are the fastest-growing ethnic group in Oakland. “I’m here to support my community, getting them the service that they deserve,” Brenda Sucely Perez, the on-site interpreter at ASCEND, said last week while about 450 eligible people were vaccinated. Staff at the Fruitvale site have administered roughly 2,000 Moderna vaccines per week since opening on March 4, according to La Clinica officials. Salvador Garcia, an Oakland firefighter, volunteered at the vaccination clinic. “Coming to get the vaccination is a good thing because it would help prevent the spread,” Garcia said, adding that it’s especially important given how close relatives in the Latino community live. “When you’re around people in such tight quarters around here, the way the families live with each other, it’s just good to have the preventative measure of the vaccination.” It’s also one of the reasons the nation’s first and strictest stay-at-home orders proved ill-suited for the hard-hit Latino community, a four-month Bay Area News Group investigation found. That analysis showed case rates for the region’s Latino residents are nearly four times higher than White residents, while the Latino population has fared worse against the virus across California. During the fall case surge, economic pressure to keep working outside the home became another major factor in the Latino community’s higher COVID-19 positivity rate in the Fruitvale neighborhood than the rest of the state, according to a UCSF study conducted in September. The results of that study found that antibody-positive prevalence was 9.8% overall among people who live and work in Fruitvale, a predominantly Latino neighborhood. The number spiked to 26.8% among the Latin Mam, or Mayan, speaking community, USCF [sic] researchers noted. The COVID-antibody test shows that someone once had coronavirus. -
2020-07-05
Painted rocks on Iron Horse Regional Trail
These are a series of photos I took on July 5, 2020, of a set of painted rocks I found on the Iron Horse Trail in Danville. The rocks say: "BE KIND" "STRONGER TOGETHER" "DANVILLE GOT HEART" "WHEN THERE'S NO PEACE ON EARTH THERE IS PEACE IN CHRIST" "SRV '20" (in reference to nearby San Ramon Valley High School) "SMILE! 🙂" "EMBRACE THE PAUSE!" "count your BLESSINGS" "Learn from Yesterday" "LOVE has many COLORS" (with a painted Pride flag in the background) "TOGETHER we will PERSEVERE" The rocks are all positive in tone, with a rock celebrating the recently-graduated seniors at the local high school, a rock advocating for queer people, a variety of rocks with generic inspirational messages, and a message urging others to find solace in religion. There is also one rock that references Danville's community explicitly. -
2021-06-25
English, Spanish, Mandarin, Tagalog COVID signs in SF
On June 25th, I saw this set of posters next to a bathroom in Japan Center, a Japanese shopping center in San Francisco. The posters are in English, Spanish, Mandarin, and Tagalog. -
2020-09
The Sound of Learning - Teaching During the Pandemic
On March 12th, 2020, all of the teachers and support staff in the high school where I work in Stafford, Virginia (A suburb of Washington DC) were called down to the auditorium and told by the head principal that our school would be shut down for the next two weeks as a result of Covid-19. Long story short, I did not return into that building until January of 2021. Even though I did not enter the building, between September and December of 2020, I toiled away teaching virtually via Google Meet from my basement. Teaching online was difficult - due to privacy concerns, students were not required to turn their cameras on - and none did. For the first time, I was teaching to a class of thirty without seeing anyone other than myself. Many students did not want to ask questions by unmuting their microphones, so instead they would type out questions, make comments, tell jokes, etc through the chat feature. Each time a student would send a message, my computer would make a small beeping noise. I learned to love this noise as it was the only reminder I had that there was someone listening to me. As a teacher, forming relationships is so central to the profession. At first, it seemed impossible to be a meaningful teacher when I had no clue what my students even looked like. But every time I heard that beep, I was delighted to know that someone was on the other side of that screen. Without the fear of immediate judgement of their peers, many of my students provided commentary on the lesson and made teaching fun. When teaching in person, I hate when a student tries to talk over me, so only dealing with a tiny beep was much more manageable and it was nice to see these kids communicate with one another while separated by the pandemic. Many articles that I have read have been incredibly critical of online learning, and some with good cause. I did not reach every student. Some fell back asleep, logged in then walked away, played video games, and even one of my students admitted to me that he was taking his dog on a walk during class. But hearing that beep reminded me that there are students out there that can make connections even when it seems impossible. -
2020-08-15
Laughter is a Girl's Best Friend
The image I included shows the sense of sound. In the picture submitted my two close friends and I are laughing in a picture together. The story I am regarding with this is the fact the pandemic deprived me of hearing not only their voices in person but also their laughter. In my state we started the lockdown by late March, so all of us were not quarantining together, so the time when the pandemic was the worst was the longest, we went without seeing each other in person. Of course, like other people, we would use technology, like Facetime and Zoom. Like most other people know, Zoom is not the same as in person. So this picture shows us laughing and for the first time in a really long time to hear us all laughing was musical. I think this particular sensory history shows the importance of what a person hears from day to day, or on a regular basis. It becomes clear in times of global pandemics what gets taken for granted until it is taken away. I think when this history gets studied in years to come, historians are going to see a recharge in what people think is important. Those simple things, like a friend's laugh, were lost in the time of quarantine. -
2020-06-28
Distant Friendship
Through the start of the pandemic, in America, my state shut down by late March. I was fortunate enough to have been able to quarantine with my parents, after a fall my grandma joined us as well. The hard part was though to be totally honest not seeing my friend. My two best friends and I are super close and that period between March through June was the longest time since we became friends ten plus years ago, that we were apart. My birthday was during that time, which again was weird and sad not to have them as part of my actual day. I think sound was a sensory that I missed during the pandemic. Hearing my friends in person, was completely different than hearing them over Facetime, or Zoom. The laughter that normally flows, online was broken up by bad connections. -
2021-03-10
#KeepOurLanguagesStrong: Indigenous Language Revitalization on Social Media during the Early COVID-19 Pandemic
This is a paper by Kari A. B. Chew at the University of Oklahoma that reviews language revitalization efforts during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper focuses on revitalization efforts among Indigenous groups in the United States and Canada. -
2021-06-27
virALLanguages
virALLanguages is a volunteer-led project that creates COVID safety content in different endangered languages. The project runs a YouTube channel and Facebook page where they post videos with information about COVID in rare languages, and their website also has a collection of downloadable materials in those languages. Beyond translating material, the project also seeks to tailor awareness materials to members of a community to be in touch with the speakers of those languages by using culturally-aware vocabulary and figures of speech. The attached URIs contain, in order: 1: The main page of the website 2: All of the videos the project has made, including YouTube links and downloadable videos, on the project website 3: An Internet Archive page with the videos the project has made -
2021-06-18
A Linguistic Tour through Arthur Avenue
I traveled to New York this summer, and one of the places I visited was Arthur Avenue, located in the Belmont neighborhood of the Bronx and the main artery of the Bronx's Little Italy. Arthur Avenue provided a unique insight into the function of immigrant languages during the pandemic. Most of the people I heard talking as I walked down Arthur Avenue and went into the stores were speaking English, as would be expected in most of the United States. Some had an accent similar to a "standard" American accent/my Californian accent, while others spoke in New Yorker accents. I heard some people speaking Italian, mostly if not entirely elderly people, in several stores, including Cerini Coffee and Gifts. I also heard expression of language through music, in the form of a speaker in front of Mario's Restaurant playing "Tu vuò fà l'Americano" ("You Want to Be an American") and "O Sarracino" ("The Saracen"), two famous Neapolitan language songs. I didn't expect to hear music in Italian "dialect" (called so even though Neapolitan is a proper stand-alone language). However, Belmont is no longer just Little Italy. It also has a large Albanian presence. I saw a flyer on a street pole in Albanian which I presume to either be a missing sign or a flyer for a funeral. I have no idea what the flyer said because I don't know Albanian, but among the text were two pictures of an elderly man. In front of Randazzo's Seafood, I also saw a sign advertising some type of shellfish (I can't remember which) in Albanian and English, though not in Italian, which I thought was interesting since the store is owned by the grandchildren of immigrants from Sicily. There was also an Albanian television provider called TV ALB, which indicated to me that there are enough Albanian speakers in the area to sustain an Albanian-language cable or broadcast provider, even during the pandemic. I didn't hear any spoken Albanian. This could be a purely anecdotal observation, but I saw Italian primarily as a spoken language and Albanian primarily in writing. There was some writing in Italian, but most of it was either names of food items that couldn't be translated into English or sayings like "mangia bene vivi bene" ("eat well, live well", as a command; the picture of which is attached to this story) for promotional purposes. There was no actual communication occurring in written Italian. On a non-linguistic note, most of the restaurants also had outdoor seating under canopies, a consequence of COVID. -
2021-03-21
Section 11004 of H.R.1319 - American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
Section 11004 of H.R.1319 - American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 reads: SEC. 11004. COVID–19 RESPONSE RESOURCES FOR THE PRESERVATION AND MAINTENANCE OF NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGES. (a) Section 816 of the Native American Programs Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 2992d) is amended by adding at the end the following: “(f) In addition to amounts otherwise available, there is appropriated for fiscal year 2021, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $20,000,000 to remain available until expended, to carry out section 803C(g) of this Act.”. (b) Section 803C of the Native American Programs Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 2991b–3) is amended by adding at the end the following: “(g) Emergency Grants For Native American Language Preservation And Maintenance.—Not later than 180 days after the effective date of this subsection, the Secretary shall award grants to entities eligible to receive assistance under subsection (a)(1) to ensure the survival and continuing vitality of Native American languages during and after the public health emergency declared by the Secretary pursuant to section 319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) with respect to the COVID–19 pandemic.”. -
-2021-06-20
Losing Connections with Older Relatives and with Their Life Knowledge
I am an individual over 60, which means that my aunts, uncles, and cousins are also over 60, and several are in their 80s and 90s. Luckily I haven’t been separated from family members younger than me, but because of the health and safety concerns for older individuals, I haven’t been able to meet with these older family members during the pandemic. I’ve found that my older family members don’t enjoy connecting through technology, as they know that doing so, although better than not connecting at all, is a poor substitute for face-to-face connections. Trying to communicate over Zoom results in frustration and dissatisfaction for people who are used to another way of communicating, a way where body language, touch, and energy are important components of the conversation. So the level of connection with these individuals has declined greatly during the pandemic, as we haven’t been able to meet in person and our technology-driven connections have been unsatisfactory or infrequent. The lack of connection is particularly sad as this demographic is more likely to fall ill with the virus or suffer another illness, or even death, and I may not have another chance to see them. I’ve lost an uncle to the virus this past year already. I’ve gone without seeing friends this past year, but I fully expect to be able to see them again in the future; with my older family members, this connection in the future is far less certain. The lack of connection is also sad because these individuals have lived long lives and encountered hardships, including diseases and public health scares, and their advice and history would be sources of comfort and knowledge for these times. -
2021-05-25
Stephanie Oral History, 2021/05/25
I am a victim of online pedophilia. My experience discusses how that has effected the switch to online school. -
2003
Indigenous POV: Indigenous Rights Radio discusses COVID-19 in 145 languages
Indigenous Rights Radio has posted interviews with Indigenous Peoples around the globe discussing COVID-19. -
2021-04-12
Corona Vocabulary
This is a comprehensive (but not exhaustive) list of the most common Corona themed vocabulary used by in the U.S. While a definition of each term is not provided, linked websites provide context and explanations of many of the words. Culled from a variety of real world sources, what is most important about these terms is what their use says about the culture they created/were used in. From the use of everyday pandemic language, researchers can gain a window into the COVID experience in a way that is inaccessible even in photographs. These terms also show the United States was undergoing dramatic social and cultural change and some terms highlight the political conflict that was often meshed with Corona in the U.S. The vocabulary also shows a degree of conformity in U.S. culture as all of these terms became part of most Americans' vocabulary. The case of the work "healthcare worker" and "virtual" are two examples of this. Before medical staff, nurse doctor, EMT, online, distance learning, etc. were used to refer to these things, but now Americans have dropped them for the COVID versions. This shows how powerful Corona vocabulary has become. -
2021-04-07
Sacramento: vaccination efforts opening up
Sacramento City Councilmember Mai Vang distributes information about vaccination opportunities in her district. The notice contains information about registering in various languages including English, Spanish, Arabic, Hmong, and Vietnamese. Vaccination clinics have just begun to offer vaccinations to everyone aged 16 and up in Sacramento. -
2021-01-25
An American Sign Language interpreter will now appear at all White House press briefings
The Biden administration will have an American Sign Language interpreter at every White House briefing, press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday. "As a part of this administration's accessibility and inclusion efforts, starting today we will have an ASL, an American Sign Language interpreter for our daily press briefings," Psaki said at Monday's briefing. "The President is committed to building an America that is more inclusive, more just and more accessible for every American, including Americans with disabilities and their families." The first interpreter was identified only as Heather and appeared virtually at the bottom of the screen while Psaki gave her remarks. The administration was praised for having the Pledge of Allegiance signed simultaneously with its recitation at the inauguration last Wednesday. The move set a different tone from the previous administration, which was sued in August by the National Association of the Deaf and five deaf Americans for not providing ASL interpreters at Covid-19 briefings. A federal judge ordered the Trump administration in September to provide ASL interpreters at the briefings beginning October 1, whether in person or via video. -
2020-03-22
ASL Covid-19 Video Series
The Washington State Department of Health releases a ASL Covid-19 Series. -
2020-04-19
New Vocabulary Related to the Covid-19 Pandemic in ASL
A lot of us were exposed to new vocabulary at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. This video was helpful to me when everything first started. From ASL Meredith: Full COVID-19 PLAYLIST: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... This video teaches the American Sign Language (ASL) signs for related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Signs and timestamps below... 0:39 CORONAVIRUS 1:28 VIRUS intro (short), again slower at 3:47 after the parts that make it up: 1:43 SICK 2:25 DISEASE 2:49 SPREAD 3:47 VIRUS 4:31 PANDEMIC 5:15 WORLD 5:35 SLOW 6:01 "Flatten the curve" 6:27 STAY 6:49 HOME Learn how to sign SOCIAL DISTANCING or PHYSICAL DISTANCING: https://youtu.be/z974LyRWeEQ LEARN SIGN LANGUAGE REMOTELY: Here's the page with my tips and resources for learning ASL from home: https://aslmeredith.com/learn-from-home Here's my free email newsletter with learning tips and practice exercises: https://aslmeredith.com/newsletter Here's my online, self-paced ASL vocab + grammar beginner course: https://courses.aslmeredith.com/ -
2020-03-11
Minnesota Department of Health Travel, and Covid-19 Information in ASL
This video covers the basic information of the 2020 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. For more information on COVID-19 visit: https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseas... ASL talent - James Paul Beldon III, Keystone Interpreting Solutions Video Transcript - Hello. This is a message from the Minnesota Department of Health. Lately we’re hearing a lot about an outbreak associated with novel coronavirus. This outbreak started in China, and now has spread to other countries including the United States. The novel coronavirus causes respiratory illness in people and can spread from person to person. Symptoms of infection include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. While most people recover, it has led to serious illnesses and death in some cases. Minnesota’s public health community is working hard to protect you, and we’re asking for your help by following the same precautions we all use to prevent colds and flu: ▪ Wash your hands often and well with soap and water. ▪ Cover your cough every time. ▪ Stay home when you are sick. Also, if you’ve recently traveled where novel coronavirus is spreading and have symptoms, be sure to call your doctor or health care provider to let them know of your symptoms and your travel history. They will work with you to assess your condition and take appropriate steps to get any needed treatment while limiting the risk of passing along an infection to others. We are learning more about this outbreak and will share key information as it continues. You can stay up to date by visiting the Minnesota Department of Health’s website at health.state.mn.us. -
2020-10-20
Communication
One of the things many of us may not realize is that there are a lot of hearing impaired individuals out there who have difficulty reading lips due mask wearing. It’s important that everyone be patient with others and realize that some people may be unable to understand you. Maintaining a safe distance while pulling your mask down might be necessary for effective communication. . . Special thanks my patient of mine who gave me permission to share this post. . #hearing #hearingloss #hearinglossawareness #hearingimpaired #deafandcovid #deafandmasks #covid_19 -
2021-02-05
Jamaica Introduces Sign Language In Education Curriculum
Awesome!! Way to go Jamaica!! 🇯🇲💪🎉 #instagood #igers #love #accomplishments #signlanguage #signlanguageawareness #waytogo #jamaica #jamaica🇯🇲 #deaf #deafcommunity #national -
2020-07-20
Sign for Covid-19 in ASL
This is the sign for COVID-19 (Corona Virus) . . . #ASLizeyourlife #inspiration #visual #asl #deaf #deafworld #deafculture #signlanguage #deafeducation #americansignlanguage #deafpeople #deafpride #deafaccess #deafness #deaftalent #learn #motivation #teaching #language #learning #learningisfun #learningeveryday #learningathome -
2021-01-20
Native Nations Lose Elders, Maintain Hope
Scrolling through social media, I have been bombarded with innumerous posts that tell the now familiar tale of the passing of tribal elders due to COVID-19. Angry, sad…crushed – My entire being is blitzed with many emotions as I sit here reflecting on the recent news of the death of yet another elder from my own Nation, the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California. Being made up of just over 1400 enrolled tribal members, the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, like many other Native Nations, has come upon a time of extreme crisis. It has been stated by many that losing a tribal elder is the equivalent of burning down a library. This analogy is sufficient for many Native Nations although when considering the current state of language and culture for “smaller” Nations, this does not suffice. Every Washoe tribal elder that is taken from this world prematurely could be equated to the burning down of an entire country as our language has been designated as an extinct language by linguistic anthropologists because of the low percentage of fluent speakers remaining. This catastrophe has called for champions, for warriors. Warriors are those who sacrifice for the greater good, for the betterment of the collective. Washoe warriors have once again become numerous. Women and men, younger and older have taken up our positions to defend what we have left. This mobilization is reflective of the wide variety of skills and experiences Washoe people maintain. A foundational principle in Washoe culture, yeyelu, demands that we stand together. Seeing many Washoe upholding our traditions of protection offers me hope. Scrolling has become a task, one wrought with trauma and heart ache but more importantly of hope. HOPE. In prayer, Patrick DéɁileligi Burtt (Red Burtt from Wa She Shu St) -
2020-10-27
Social Distancing reminders in Joshua Tree National Park
This sign caught my eye because of the last item on the list “Still don’t use slower friends as bear bait” made me laugh. This could be of interest to future historians because it demonstrates how different places try to use humor to spread some positivity, while also reminding people how to hike while staying COVID safe. I was reminded of “the strange lives of objects in the coronavirus era” article, and the way simple objects can tell stories. The information outlined on this poster is not new, it outlines the same practices the CDC has advocated for nine months, but the way it is presented gives insight into how national parks are handling the pandemic. -
2020-12-13
About Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)
Infographic created by the Government of Nunavut to inform citizens on what COVID-19 is, symptoms, and prevention. Written in English and Inuktitut. -
2020-11-29
International Businessman Oral History, 2020/11/29
IMPORTANT NOTE: My professor, Dr. Blake Jones, approved of the anonymity of my interview subject. My subject is highly private and wishes to maintain that anonymity for business and personal reasons. Max is a businessman from the United States. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Business and holds an M.B.A. He has been conducting business in the electronics industry for over 40 years. He has a wife, adult children, and dogs. Max has been heavily involved in Asian markets in his business for multiple decades. He was a vital part of the explosion of Japanese electronics onto the American market in the 1980's, the rapid introduction of the Internet in the 1990's, and has most recently been working to implement the next generation of lighting displays for consumer electronics. Max’s life and work has been one that has been vital to the development of the world’s technological progress in the past 40 years, although he is not a household name. Max has lived through multiple important events and has a unique perspective on all of them as a businessman, agent of free enterprise, and average American providing for his family. He holds several unique opinions on current events and is not afraid to state them plainly. In this interview, he reflects on the difficulties and silver linings that COVID-19 has thrown at him in his work and personal life. -
2020-07-07
Learning Auslan during Covid-19, via Zoom
HIST30060 -
2020-04-23
Pandemic Poetry
When I read this poem by Don Arbor called “For Better or Worse”, I instantly felt connected because we all are facing the same problems throughout this pandemic. We feel the need to stay home and stay away from others but are able to still virtually be there for one another. We might not be able to experience life in the same aspect as we use to, but we have to expect for better days to come. One thing that stuck out was how he was still able to appreciate what he has in this exact moment instead of being negative. He states that he is grateful and lucky, but he will never be able to forget something so disheartening. In the fourth stanza all the way to the end, he starts to get into politics and describes how things were a few yeas ago when Obama was president. Don Arbor discusses how Obama cared about the American people just as much as he cared about himself. He was willing to stick to his morals and be active within the government compared to what is happening right now. Don believes that most individuals feel how he is feeling and that the possibility of better days are yet to come. -
2020-10-11
In the Pandemic Journey
I am an international student from Colombia. I was in the middle of my fourth semester as a sophomore in college when I heard that the pandemic hitting the world just entered the U.S. I was excited at the time because my girlfriend and I bought tickets to go to New York City during spring break. I thought we were going until I heard that New York City was a hot spot for COVID-19. We did not want to risk anything, especially if we were going to encounter a virus that was completely unknown to us, so we cancelled the trip, but the airline still gave us the tickets to fly anytime between then and the end of 2022. After that, spring break came, and it was announced that the university was closed after spring break and we would have to go completely online. I live with my girlfriend since I first came to the U.S., so I stayed with her at her home that is two hours from the university we are enrolled in. We finished the rest of the semester there at her home. We then stayed for another month there and while we were in complete isolation we took advantage of that to go running together to be healthy, we did not let ourselves get bored, we were always doing something, we would do zoom video calls with our friends, watch movies, play video games, etc. After that we came back to Stevens Point to work on campus for the summer (with the required restrictions) so we could make some money to pay for our tuition. Though this is considered by many one of the worst years they’ve lived in, I had the most fun summer since I first came to the U.S – me, my girlfriend, and our friends had a blast; we hung out almost every day, we went to isolated beaches and went on boat rides, we had bonfires, we partied amongst ourselves, we went hiking, we went biking, we played soccer, etc. When the summer was over, we went back to classes and I got also got interested in learning new languages, so I downloaded the app called Duolingo to learn Portuguese and practice some other languages. Since Spanish and Portuguese are so similar, I am quickly picking up the language. I started my junior year in college, and I could not be happier with the classes I picked. My girlfriend and I thought that since we have classes online and more time at home, it would be the perfect time to get a dog, so we adopted a Doxiepoo, the combination of a Dachshund and a miniature poodle. She is 4 months and we have had a lot of time to train her and we couldn’t be happier with her. Everyone has their ways of coping, and with this ongoing journey through a global pandemic, I have learned that my way of coping is not only adjusting to the situation but also taking advantage of the variety of opportunities that arrive and make the best out of it. This pandemic has taught me in a way that just because we are adjusting, we should not stop living in the moment and while I understand that for some people this pandemic might be harder, it is up to us to either make it a living hell or make it one of the most memorable experiences of our life. -
2020-08-21
A Brief Comparison of COVID-19 and Spanish Flu News' Composition and Purpose
While it does not delve into my personal life and experiences, it does compare two points in time and how specifically the news has approached two flu pandemics. As expected, there are some major similarities. The essay specifically analyzes the structure for a short 1918 news article written about the Spanish flu. -
2020-07-20
Métis artist creates 'wash your hands' posters in 21 Indigenous languages
"The Métis artist decided to take two of her pieces and, using translations she found on an Indigenous Services Canada website, add the recommendation to 'wash your hands' in 21 Indigenous languages." "There's a lot of elders that don't speak the English language fluently, so to see something in their own language would be comforting, just knowing that somebody cares enough to take the time to give you something in the language of your own upbringing." - Colleen Gray -
2020-06-16
Evenki class opens in one of the schools in Yakutsk
"In the new academic year, the first class with the teaching of the Evenki language will open in secondary school number 26 in Yakutsk. As the Evenki Association of RS (Y) told SakhaNews, this was made possible thanks to the decision of the district administration of the capital and the readiness of the school director and teaching staff to innovate." -
2020-07-03
In Yakutia, proposed to establish an award for the best material in the media in the languages of the indigenous peoples
"During the discussions, a proposal was made to the Ministry of Arctic Development from the chairman of the Association of Yukagirs of Yakutia, Vyacheslav Shadrin, to create an award for the best material published in the languages of the indigenous peoples." -
2020-06-29
Love and the Pandemic
Trying to keep a relationship together-- let alone happy or healthy-- during this pandemic has been tough. I had to move out of my home and back in with my parents in March, and that meant my partner and I didn't get to see each other for almost six weeks, the longest we had ever been apart. We decided to move in together in May, even though we'd only been seriously dating for less than six months, and three of those months we had been separated due to COVID. Spending 24/7 with another human being, no matter how much you love that other human being, can also be an adventure, as toes are unavoidably stepped on. Still, most days I think we're doing pretty okay. One of the things my partner and I are doing to maintain a sense of normalcy is modifying our old hobby of playing Pokemon GO. Before the pandemic, we used pick a restaurant on Mill for dinner and then catch Pokemon in the surrounding area after. You would think that Pokemon GO would be safe to play right now-- because you can play outdoors and also it's easy to play while maintaining social distancing-- but we've actually really struggled to find places to play where people are wearing masks and respecting social distancing protocols. Mill Avenue, for example, is a literal cesspool with packed bars and no face masks in sight. At Kiwanis Park a few weeks ago, I heard a woman loudly complaining about having to wear a mask. Everything feels dangerous because it seems like people don't care if others get sick. Luckily, with some patience and persistence, we've found places to play that are both safe and allow us small moments of joy. Yesterday, we headed to ASU's campus, which has been mostly empty and requires face masks. We kept our masks on the whole time and saw less than five people. Normally, even picking up groceries from Fry's feels like a terrifying experience to me, and last night was probably the first time I've been out in this entire pandemic and not been paralyzed with fear the whole time. It was nice. Probably about as nice as things can be in a pandemic? I included this video from the end of our Pokemon adventure as we went back to the car. I like the video because it bears the obvious signs of Summer (sweat, traces of sunscreen smudges on my glasses, tank tops), the obvious signs of the pandemic (face masks, empty campus), and the obvious signs of two people dating (smiles, jokes, joy). -
2020-04-06
How to Communicate with Those Who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Communication is difficult for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people. -
2020-06-25
Resources for First Nations, Inuit and Métis Community Members
A collection of resources regarding covid-19 produced by various government and community associations across the country specifically for indigenous people. It was produced by Ottawa Public Health. The resources are in a variety of indigenous languages including Cree, Ojibwe, Mi'kmaq, Inuktitut, and Algonquin, which touch on a variety of issues, including those which have uniquely cultural significance such as tobacco use. -
2020-06-25
"Protect Elders by staying away. Visit through the window instead." Poster in English and Inuktitut
One of a series of informational posters/infographics produced by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), an Inuit organization, to educate Inuit/Inuk individuals on and to promote health precautions which prevent the spread of the virus. The ITK's resources are among those linked to a resource page created by Ottawa Public Health specifically for Indigenous residents in several indigenous languages and with cultural practices and values in mind. Ottawa has a significant Inuit population (the largest outside the North). The population is further bolstered by the fact that Ottawa is the closest major medical centre for much of the North, particularly Nunavut. As such, many come down to receive significant medical treatment and are therefore placed at a greater risk due to their medical vulnerability, on top of being in more densely populated areas with greater chances of contact with an infected person than they would at home up north. The poster itself shows a figure in traditional dress standing in the foreground with a cane, next to a window through which is peering a second person in traditional dress with a speech bubble which says "Ai!" The text along the top is Inuktitut, in both its own alphabet and roman letters. The text along the bottom is in English and reads "Protect Elders by staying away. / Call or visit through the window instead." -
2020-05-21
Indigenous Peoples Finding Solutions in Own Communities in Response to COVID-19
"Indigenous communities are resilient, and, empowered with ancestral knowledge, organized communities, Indigenous languages, and their own forms of communication and media, they are taking action." -
2020-06-03
Information on Covid in Both English and Spanish
This is a photograph of informational signage outside of the Civic Center in Clinton, North Carolina. The sign is written in both English and Spanish, illustrating how the Clinton was making information accessible to its diverse population. -
2020-05-01
Tribe Curates Memes as Part of Communication Encouraging Social Distancing
Public notice to tribal members uses popular memes to encourage people to remain six feet apart. -
2020-04-07
At Least Wear Facemasks
A J-Cast News article on a campaign by Taketomi Island, a small island in southern Japan, to encourage tourists/visitors to at least wear facemasks if they're going to visit the island. This article highlights the difficult position so many places and businesses are in - they need tourists for their economic well-being, but they also need to block the spread of the virus. A dilemma. While many islands are discouraging tourism altogether, Taketomi has apparently decided it's too vital for the economy of the tiny community.