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2020-12-07
History Final Paper
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2020-09-24
The article reports that Native Americans have been historically unacknowledged in census data and other demographic studies. The author claims there has been a long suppression of Native American mortality rates and medical reports to systematically deprive them of medical access. According to the author, “American Indians and Alaska Natives are 3.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19." This shows us that some of the communities hit hardest by the pandemic are some that are receiving the least amount of support.
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2020-11-04
As college student studying architecture, it has been quite hard for me to adapt to this new reality of Covid-19. I would like to talk about is a picture that I received from a friend, of the current state of our studio space that we had last year. To put you in context, I have not been at school since December 2019, therefore I have not seen the measures put place by the school to allow students to use the architecture studio space. I was shocked and sad when I saw the picture because with all the preventions that the school put in place, I realized that the studio does not have the same feel and energy that it had before. I found it very sad because most of what made studio classes so fun was the fact that you could interact with people and talk about different projects and ideas. I can see most of this good energy is now gone and being at home is beginning to take its toll on everyone. This contact that we all cherished is now gone and it is getting harder to keep pushing forward.
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2020-12-07
A few questions that show how Nolan's thoughts of the pandemic have changed.
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2020-12-07
Analysis of recent memes that use historic events to critique or comment on current issues.
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2020-11-16
Covid-19 has put a severe dent into the learning ability of those studying for a design major here at Wentworth Institute of Technology. We as a collective group loved having the interactions within our studio space and sharing the ideas and progress of our projects. Being able to have in-person critiques of our projects with people coming from all over Boston just to show us how our project works or does not work. With the pandemic, this all has been lost due to us having to prevent the spread of Covid through walled-off workspaces. Don’t get me wrong, I want it out of our lives as much as the next guy, but also I don’t want to be paying an arm and a leg to be getting a second-rate education. The experience that we all received from an in-person studio is something that cannot be found over a Zoom call. Getting to see everyone's reactions to your final project is one of the greatest parts of becoming an architect. The freshman architecture student cannot get to experience that for their first year on campus and it deeply saddens me. On top of that, with Covid still playing such a heavy role within our lives, I don’t foresee anyone being able to have those in-person experiences any time soon.
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2020-11-16
What you are seeing in this picture is what a Beatty cafeteria attendant has to sit behind all day to be able to read people's IDs and sell them the “delicious” meals. It is a different situation compared to what we all used to know. The world is having to live behind plexiglass shields 24/7 just to be able to slow down the spread of this terrible virus. We are in such drastic times that our best option is to wall others off and create as little interaction as possible. Yes, the glass is clear but it is not the same as being able to walk up to them and just ask them how their day is going while they sell you an overpriced cheeseburger. Seeing this for the first time opened my eyes to what our lives may look like if this goes on for much longer. People will no longer have the in-person conversations that helped to turn their day from bad to good.
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2020-11-19
When the pandemic was starting to cause lockdowns, masks were often talked about. One thing that drastically changed with COVID-19 was that in order to slow the spread of the disease, masks were being mandatory to enter businesses. Carrying around a mask in my car became a habit, one thing I never would have ever expected to happen here. At first, I would sometimes forget to bring my mask somewhere or I would have to go back in to get it if I was going out. Eventually that habit stopped and a new one formed, I was always carrying a mask around, and sometimes I would even forget I had one with me. I always make sure to have a backup in my car in case of an emergency. I do miss being able to walk around freely with people without wearing a mask, again, another thing we all most likely took for granted, as it was swiftly taken away from us. I do not think in the future we will go back to exactly how things were, but rather, there will now always be people wearing masks to keep hygienic and healthy.
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2020-12-07
The problems of 2020 started from historical events.
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/reports/2020/06/18/486480/covid-19-response-indian-country/
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2020-12-07
A friend shared this on her Facebook page. I wanted to share it, but this type of imagery is so polarizing that it's sometimes exhausting to get into a social media battle. I do think about unfriending people who don't think COVID is real and don't want to wear masts. The truth is, one only need to look at Australia to see that strong public health restrictions actually do stop/slow community spread. Anyway, if there were a Santa he'd say put your mask on and be jolly about it.
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2020-12-06
When I go to malls, I usually take buses and sky trains and I can see all the people in buses and trains are wearing their masks. Including children and seniors. When I get any malls, every single person is wearing a mask and getting social distancing. And if there are lots of people in a shop and there is a limitation of capacity of people, and the shop is full, then others who want to go in have to wait for it until the people in the store get out. This thing is one of stressful things for everybody. And when I go to the school, we only take 1 to 2 blocks for a day, and we have to clean our desks and chairs before the classes begin, or after the classes end. This one is really inconvenient. Of course all the students wear their masks for the whole time in the school. We have our cohort zone which makes me and my friends separate. And everyone cannot expect there will be the school next month because the school can be closed whenever if COVID spreads so quickly.
Some restaurants take reservations, and some of them don’t. If I get in a restaurant, I have to write my first and last name, the number of people will join together, the time I came in, and the date on a paper. Also all the people (also me) in restaurants have to sanitize their hands before they sit. And people cannot sit before any table is sanitized. People can order by online by taking a code on desks, or order to waiters or waitresses. If I look at the online menu, that is the same as the offline menu. And when I finished to order, I can see what I ordered and the total amount to pay on the online menu. They also appear when I ordered foods offline. I can pay them online. When I park my car on the side of roads, I can pay the time for parking online, also I can add more time online whenever I want. I don’t need to go back to the spot where my car was parked when I need to add more time. Online payment is developed by COVID and it’s convenient!
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2020-12
Tech Giant Adobe announced a while back that flash would end on December of this year. By 2021, it will be sink or swim with any sites that are slow to update and change from flash.
God Speed Adobe Flash, as much as I hate Adobe as an artist, Flash games did make part of my childhood.
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2020-12-07
The Phenomenon our group is providing insight into is the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on workers in the service industry. We will discuss the number of jobs lost/created and look into the workers’ treatment in the service industry. We are focusing on the personal experiences of some of the members of our group and others who are working during COVID 19. Some of our group members work in the service industry and have to work during this difficult time. The essay will provide first-hand insight and shed light on the issues that essential works are currently facing.
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2020-11-17
The main part of my life and any 20 year old college student's life is their school work. Every major has taken a serious impact on the way their courses are taught, the way they are absorbing information and especially the way they are collaborating with their peers. I am studying Interior Design and personally my hands on collaborative classes are now all taught virtually. Typically I would spend hours with my classmates talking about projects and brainstorming new ideas together. Now I have turned to opening my creative conversations with my roommates, who are not in design majors, but it gives me a different point of view. I believe I am benefiting from this type of learning, but of course I am constantly missing out on what this typical semester should look like. My four roommates and I are sitting at our desks for 8 hours a day logging in and out of virtual meetings trying to create a new sense of normal. Typically we all would be gone throughout the whole day and hardly see one another, but now we are all constantly together in our individual rooms trying to continue our education.
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2020-09-05
My older sister Rose got engaged in March of 2019 with the intent to not be engaged for a long period of time, her and her soon to be husband Ben, decided on their wedding date and venue shortly after their engagement; April 18, 2020 at Plimoth Plantation. Rose and Ben are the first cousins from either family to get married.The wedding was going to have an estimated amount of 230 people. Only a short 11 months away my whole family began the wedding planning, trying to cover all bases for what would be the most anticipated day for the next year. From wedding dress shopping to sign making to endless phone calls with the venue coordinator, it really was never ending. The whole summer was spent making sure everything would be perfect for their big day. Fast forward exactly one year after their engagement the world shutdown began. Governor Baker of Massachusetts announced the stay at home order, where he limited all outdoor gatherings to 5 people. With this announcement we had to replan and rethink my sister's entire wedding day. Many tears and phone calls later the April 18th wedding was canceled due to the worldwide pandemic. She was able to pick a new date in October and had taken her 230 person wedding down to a 100 person wedding, in hopes that things would be settled after a few months. Due to the spike of cases in July, it became a 50 person wedding in September. It was held in my parents backyard on Labor day weekend. This was truly something that could not have been planned for, nor did we ever imagine impacting the wedding. Although my sister had gone through a rollercoaster of emotions, and 3 wedding dates later, it was a beautiful celebration of love and coming together during this socially-distanced unknown time.
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2020-12-07
I wrote this paper for my final project for HIS103 at Niagara University in 2020.
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2020-12-07
Everyday life seems to change with every month of the development of COVID, and a good chunk of the population needs to continue learning and educating during this time. Universities and colleges as well as high schools and other education facilities are being greatly impacted by the spread of COVID. At Wentworth, and other campuses, mobile testing hubs expect students to participate in weekly to twice weekly testing to contain any outbreaks as well as to ensure everyone is acting safely while on campus. College friends understand the reality of not seeing each other outside of class or beyond a face shield or zoom screen; it is the ‘new normal’. For some who do not believe in the virus’s effects, parties and extracurricular activities still go on to the dismay of others. For many students, especially those on campus, it is important to be cautious, to see loved ones during the holidays but also to keep those more at risk safe.
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2020-12-07
With the rise of COVID infections, local stores and restaurants became cautious with their employees to flatten the curve while continuing to operate. Il Mundos pizzeria, on Huntington Avenue near Brigham Circle in Roxbury, is one of the small businesses that could not afford to stay closed or only deliver during a spike in COVID cases. Local businesses that once were so memorable to the neighborhood are forced to adapt to be safer in 2020. As places began opening back up, plexiglass barriers became commonplace in restaurants big and small, and with the addition of a ‘remember to social distance’ sign, this is the common image of what ordering food in 2020 looks like. A lot of places, like Il Mundos, do not allow customers to eat inside of the restaurant, but still allow people to grab-and-go with their food. This is the ‘new normal’ of going anywhere to get food. Some places are a bit different but everywhere has made accommodations for everyone’s safety.
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2020-11-04
This is a picture of one of the most popular and bustling tourist spots in Boston. Here is a picture of it during Covid-19 pandemic. A once busy street packed full of residents and tourists going to get food at the many restaurants inside Quincy Market and people walking along the Freedom Trail packed this destination full of people. The sea of people that one would see here is a huge contrast to what is seen now, which is an almost eerie image of the empty plaza. Once this year is over and this virus is gone, this historic plaza will return to its former glory.
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2020-11-13
When the spring semester of 2020 ended early on account to the ever-spreading virus known as Covid-19, I thought everything would be back to normal in a couple months’ time of quarantine. I assume most people during this time had this optimistic outlook on what the future held; however, we were wrong. I am now writing this at my desk in my dorm room where I now spend the majority of my time. All of my classes are online with the exception of an in-person lab that I have every two weeks. The only time my roommates or I leave this solitary space is usually to get groceries. I decided to use this picture because this has been my view of the outside world for almost two and a half months, while I wait impatiently for the year to be over and this quarantine to be relieved.
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2020-12-07
Going to college is fun, but because of COVID I will not be able to experience the full definition of college. I will never be able to experience freshman orientation or experience the touching of the thresher framing instrument. But I am still glad that my college still puts out great things for me and my friends to do to experience somewhat of what college is supposed to be.
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12/07/2020
Interview with a college student studying historical diseases about how COVID-19 compares to past pandemics. Comparison to 1918 Influenza pandemic and Black Death.
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2020-12-07
I have always been acutely aware of how poetry connects people across places and time. Today, more so than ever before, humans are grasping for a connection as intimate as physicality without having to be in the same room. This poem speaks to that struggle. I hope it helps others out there, suffering from isolation, to feel a bond across the deep chasms COVID-19 has cultivated in our new world.
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2020-12-07
Because of COVID-19 I have not been able to see my family in the last five moths since I moved into college. I would have probably seen them on Thanksgiving but my sister started to get sick. So my parents decided not to come which is probably the best decision. Even though it has been very hard to live without the on the plus side, it has made me become a better man. It has made me make more responsible decisions with money, life, school and basketball.
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2020-04
This is story like many others during this time. The work of a parent with kids sent home for e-learning. Though I had a background in education, having an M.A. in Education, this was a task that was a difficult one that my education and years of teaching could not help me.
The first task is explaining to younger children why they have to stay home. Especially when we as adults are unable to truly grasp what is going on. The second part is trying to motivate students to learn when the school was not ready for this type of teaching. Though the teachers tried, the manner of teaching was a difficult one that led great stress during this time. To add to it, the consistency and norm for the children was shattered which required me to try to recreate that same standard, yet another difficult task. Added onto that, is a child that struggles with reading, which most of the assignments were backed by, instead of the lecture they were used to.
The first step was trying to set the norm for them. Breakfast, work, break, work, lunch, work, done. Though it sounds simple, with two separate students with different educational abilities, and drive for success, keeping one on task while the other was done or finishing faster was a task.
Aiding them was truly difficult. Some of the difficulties came from my teaching experience being middle and high school not elementary. The next being understanding some of the finer points of the material being taught, I found myself having to learn the material to then teach the material to my children.
To compound it further, there is the social aspect of being stuck at home with out the interaction they needed for their peers. Though I fancy myself a “cool” dad, I will never measure up to my kids’ friends. Attempting to fill this void was significantly more difficult than being their teacher.
Though my kids did not have near the growth they would have received academically while being in school, they did not lose intelligence and picked up some knowledge along the way. Though it took tears, patience, drive and resilience, it was a time that we can all reflect on and hope it never happens again, which it did, 5 months later, but everyone was better prepared and the lessons learned from the springs allowed for greater success on the second go. Here is to hoping it doesn’t happen again!!!
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2020-12-07
The objects ive uploaded basically takes into context both history and the present time to explain how we can make predictions about the current COVID-19 crisis.
https://time.com/5837393/paris-cholera-lessons/
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2020-12-07
This is the assignment instructions for the final project for HIS 103 (United States History to 1877) at Niagara University. Students have written essays about how contemporary people use early American history to influence their interpretations of 2020- The Plague Year.
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2020-12-07
I wrote this exam for my History 103 class at Niagara University as my final project.
https://www.un.org/en/chronicle/article/learning-slavery-legacy-slave-trade-modern-society
https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5323/jafriamerhist.97.1-2.0110?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents
https://digpodcast.org/2020/01/26/slave-contraband-refugee-the-end-of-slavery-in-the-united-states/
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2020-11-19
The submission of this photo is to show the “new normal” while driving around. Thinking back to the year 2019, if I saw someone with a mask hanging on their rearview mirror I would have been slightly confused and intrigued as to why. However, in 2020, many have begun to hang masks on their rearview mirrors as it is a convenient spot. COVID-19 has had some of the biggest impacts on society, with masks being close to the top. Ever since the mask mandates went into effect, a mask being hung on a rearview mirror became a regular occurrence while traveling. Currently, there is a statewide mandate in Massachusetts enforcing the wearing of masks in all public spaces. Although it is still odd or awkward to some, mask wearing is the current way of life and there is no way around it. Even though there is opposition to wearing masks and they hinder the feel of real conversation, the safety provided by the mask outweighs it. My hopes are that the mask can help in the present so we can return to the “old norm” in the future.
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2020-08-31
As a city, Boston has known many championships from the Bruins, Celtics, Red Sox, and Patriots. Each of these teams has brought the city together at one moment or another. Prior to 2020, The Fours was home to many meals prior to the Bruins and Celtics games and for those who may not have been able to buy scalped tickets for that night’s game. On occasion, I would find myself eating there minutes before a Bruins game, because of Boston traffic, trying to eat as quickly as I could. Inside, the Boston atmosphere was lively, with history hanging on every wall and a menu consisting of iconic Boston sports legends. That lively feel of The Fours faded away in August of 2020 as I learned that The Fours closed its doors. The Fours was not the only restaurant in the city of Boston affected by the pandemic of 2020. Many large- and small-scale restaurants, unable to sit to their normal capacity began suffering. Many sought after restaurants like The Fours helped shape Boston’s historic sports teams’ atmosphere, but the power of the pandemic showed that even the legends can fall.
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2020-12-06
I wrote this essay for my History 103 class at Niagara University for my final exam
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2020-12-05
This was submitted to reveal the parallels throughout history between past and present events, it focuses on detailed evidence that gives a plethora of evidence into Early American History
https://www.deseret.com/indepth/2020/4/14/21221205/coronavirus-covid-19-utah-religion-church-closures-william-barr-department-of-justice-constitution
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12/06/2020
I interview a fellow student at Northeastern University about her experience with the pandemic and we reflect how learning about past pandemics have given us a better perspective with Covid-19.
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2020-08-29
The pandemic has lasted a lot longer than initially expected and has consumed the entire summer while putting restrictions on many summertime activities. One of the few summertime activities to be preserved despite the pandemic is boating. Many people wanted to get their hands on a boat as it was one of the few things you could do. I have been working at my dad’s boatyard for countless summers, and this past year, 2020, was one of the busiest I’ve seen. To start, we were set back by a few weeks as in late March and early April, businesses that weren’t deemed essential were closed. When we did open up, there was a high demand. Every customer wants their boat serviced first; this year there was an extra-long waiting list. Not every customer of ours uses their boat every year, but this year most did. Due to the social distancing restrictions, many saw this year as the perfect time to get their own boat. The place I work does not sell boats, we only service, fix, and store for the winter, but when driving by and there are countless boats parked in the yard, occasionally people will stop to inquire about purchasing a boat. Unfortunately, we have to direct them elsewhere. This year, I felt these visits were more frequent, reflecting the nationwide demand. Lastly, there were a few parts and products we used that were hard to get hold of this year. Our dealers had less stock, and often parts took longer to arrive. COVID-19 has affected a multitude of industries, some for the better.
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2020-11-09
When COVID-19 was initially declared a global pandemic, there were many precautionary measures put in place to contain the virus. People began covering their nose and mouth at all times with face shields and masks to prevent the spread. The idea was that when someone needed to leave their house for groceries or work, they would wear a mask. It became a normal thing to cover your nose and mouth by wearing a mask. It became one of the things you couldn’t leave your house without. Before you always had to remember your phone, wallet, and keys, but now your mask was just as important. Stores and restaurants had big signs on their windows and doors reminding you to keep your face covered. Often it was required before you could enter. There was a greater chance of the virus spread when in enclosed buildings with little space and inadequate airflow. The rule of masks was much more relaxed when outside. There was less of a risk due to the open space for proper social distancing and open air. When summer rolled around and COVID-19 was still as big of a threat as it ever was, people looked for places to go outside to enjoy the summer weather. A hot spot, as it usually is in the summer, was the waterfront area of my hometown, Plymouth, MA. Positive COVID cases were still rising, so the measures to limit the spread of the virus had to be increased. Town officials made the entire waterfront a “mandatory mask zone,” even when outside. Signs were placed on nearly every street sign to remind people to cover their face.
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2020-10-03
Being under an extreme amount of stress from trying to switch to online school or working from home fulltime, you were under more stress if you were in a relationship. If you lived with your significant other, it started off amazing. You finally got to spend more quality time and try new things. But soon after it started to take a toll on the relationship by being with only them for four months straight and not seeing other people. On the other hand, if you and your significant other did live together, the beginning was the hardest. You had no idea when you were going to see them next and your relationship mostly consisted of Facetimes. As time went on it became the new norm of dating and seeing each other in person became a once-in-a-lifetime moment. No matter what situation you were in, it really pushed your relationship to the next level.
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2019-12-16
With the outbreak of COVID-19 you never really understood how much it was going to change things. Everyone assumed we were going to be locked down for a couple of weeks then it will all be over. Now, it has been eight months and we are still under strict rules. One thing that we all took for granted was our birthdays. The younger kids did not understand why they could not have their friends over and the elderly were terrified to even leave their houses because they are more prone to catching COVID-19. So, the only people you could celebrate with were the people you were locked down with and depending when your birthday was, you were really not too fond of those people. Thankfully, someone came up with the idea of a drive by parade. That is when everyone jazzed up their cars with balloons and signs and drove by your house screaming “happy birthday,” making your day a little bit better.
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2020-12-06
These two photos have been taken within a Fire Lookout tower in the National Forests surrounding Los Angeles. The text document portrays the experience and difficulties of a Fire Lookout operating a lookout tower during both the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020 and one of California's worst fire seasons. Photos taken August 31, 2020.
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2020-11-03
In New York City, people gathered on street corners after the 2020 election was called to celebrate the President-Elect, Joe Biden. This video was shot by my sister, Catherine Sweeney. The pandemic made this year’s election a very important one for many people, as their jobs, relationships, school, and health were all affected by the decisions of the new president. As a relief to many, the candidate with a solid COVID and public health plan was elected. Joe Biden wants to find a unified coronavirus strategy and create a Medicare-like public insurance plan. Over the last few months leading up to the election, many celebrities and influencers have been urging people to get registered to vote, educate themselves on the candidates and issues at large, and take part in democracy. This year, many Americans, including myself, voted using mail-in ballots. Others showed up in masks on voting day and waited in socially distanced lines, to make sure their vote was counted. It took several days longer than usual to announce the winner because states had to process so many mail-in ballots. This goes to show that democracy carries on in a pandemic.
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2020-06-06
On June 6, 2020, “Salem Stands with Black Lives,” a Black Lives Matter peaceful protest, was held in Salem, Massachusetts. Hundreds of masked individuals gathered in Salem Commons, wearing all black, with signs in support of George Floyd and all those who came before him. Attendants were required to wear a mask, keep physical distance from others, stay home if sick, and self-isolate or quarantine after the event. There were multiple speakers, a moment of silence for the deceased, and music. I attended the protest with my mother and sister. We saw people of all ages and ethnicities coming together in support yet staying physically apart. As we moved through the crowd in the Commons, we passed two young African American children playing in the grass. While walking close to them to avoid other people, we heard their mother say, “pull up your mask girls, these people are here for you, you want to make them feel safe too.” The video attached is from the event. You can see people masked, physically distanced, showing up during a public health emergency to support a cause they believe in. Not even a pandemic can stop democracy.
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2020-11-12
Back in March when we all went into quarantine as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak, I immediately got a call from work saying that they needed people to work because the elder staff had called out. I work as a Pharmacy Technician at a family-owned local pharmacy called Keyes Drug. I have been working here for almost four years, but at the time I had stopped because of living in the city at my college dorm. Once we got sent home, it was all the more reason to step up and work. So I started working at the pharmacy again almost full time every day when this craziness was going on. I got used to the routine of cleansing and wearing a mask, and the life of an essential worker during a pandemic. It was an absolute nightmare. We had no staff and I had to manage three people’s jobs. People were rude and angry all the time, but it wasn’t surprising considering they were stuck at home for weeks that would turn into months. I wasn’t able to take breaks most days, which caused me to lose a lot of weight in 3-4 months. At the end of the day, I knew I was doing service for the people of my community by providing them with medical care and their prescriptions. On the bright side, I was making money while my mom was unemployed, so I was able to help out a little. In times like these, we young people have to step up and take responsibility when the elderly can’t.
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2020-06-28
Before COVID-19 had hit the US as hard it did, a couple of friends and I had talked about going camping in Saco River once the semester was over. However, once we all went into quarantine this plan felt far from reality and we all forgot about it. It was the beginning of July and things had calmed down a little bit. I remember being out of quarantine and businesses had started to open up. The topic of camping came up again when we were thinking of ways to see each other in an open land where we can have a good time considering social distancing. Once we thought through the logistics, a couple of friends and I decided to hit the road and drive up to Saco, Maine, and spend two nights by the river in our tent. This ended up being the experience of a lifetime and just what we needed to get away from the pandemic for just a little while. We were restricted from using our phones and all sorts of social media because there was no service. We cooked, swam, played games, and tanned by the water with no worries of what was to come. We also went tubing down the river one of those days and breathed in the fresh air. We truly lived in moment and cherished the beauty of nature which allowed us to escape the reality of the world and take some time to clear our minds.
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2020-12-06
This is an essay on how Americans use memes to explain ideas and how they use them to explain better with people.
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2020-03
These are some of the healthcare workers who went to Wuhan in February as volunteers to help out. The Dalian city government posted their pictures as a way of praising and appreciation. These healthcare workers are treated as hero’s, they can enjoy free transportations, restaurants invited them to have meals for free with identifications, etc.
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2020-12-07
For my HIS 103 final project, I wrote an essay about how Americans utilize media platforms to draw connections between American history and current events. The similarities that contemporary Americans create reveal that while much has changed legally, our country continues to remain divided on the same topics.
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2020-12-04
This is an instruction on how to retrieve your health code post in Dalian Metro. First, scan the code on the poster, then enter your phone number to retrieve the code. You could only enter the metro if your code is green.
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2020-09-23
This is a photo of my best friend and his bride during their wedding in Spartanburg, SC
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2020
Masconomo Park is a place where family and friends spend most time of their afternoon to interact with the public and have a healthy social environment.
During the summer, the park would host bands, ice cream tables, face painting and a movie night for everyone. Many tourists would come to town to experience socially the interactions and activities offered by the town and appreciate the beauty of the harbor. During the Tuesday movie nights, a projection screen would be placed in the center of the park and everyone would bring their chairs, blankets, and snacks for a cozy movie night with family and friends. The Park was one of the most populated point of the town until the outbreak happened.
Masconomo has not been the same since the outbreak of COVID-19. As you can see in the photos below of before and after the pandemic, the contrasts are enormous. The silence of Masconomo Park is louder than the fun summer nights the citizens used to have. Now the emptiness has taken over and no one can interact in the public space anymore. The park has been closed for a long period of time and citizens were not allowed to share the field for their own health safety.
Once everything goes back to normal as we all hope, we cannot wait to spend engaging times at the park as we used to. For now, we just have to remain social distancing and virtually connecting for mental and physical health of the citizens.
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2020
Manchester Essex High School is a place where students have the opportunity to learn by having hands-on interactions with academic resources such as art, music, technology, science labs, debate, sports, and even how to take care of the environment. Manchester was filled with students ready to engage with a shared goal of academic success.
Students would meet in the library to do homework, complete research, and chat with friends. The teachers would find time after class to assist students with homework questions and help them improve academically. In particular, I loved to stay after my math and art classes to discuss ideas, strategies for learning, and even creative brainstorming with teachers. They helped me solve math problems and even envision how a piece of art can be “read.” Sadly, the physical human interaction has been switched to virtual. Now students do all of their classes online and are not allowed to practice sports, clubs, after school band and other activities offered by the school, in person. Like myself, I imagine many other students find it hard to connect with teachers and keep up with a good academic year, something we’ve only ever experienced in person. However, the necessity of virtual learning in 2020 and the foreseeable future presents an opportunity to learn to adapt and challenge oneself to thrive in a new environment. All we can do is hope, hope that when COVID is conquered, and history is made, students like the ones at Manchester Essex High School will have become more adaptive, and even more eager to interact in person and engage in intellectual discourse.
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2020-12-04
It is important to know that even during a pandemic mass incarceration is still going on.
