The Lumberjack -- March 11, 2021

COVID-19: A YEAR IN REVIEW A SPECIAL ISSUE

THE LUMBER JACK MAR. 11, 2021 – MAR. 17, 2021

Online at JackCentral.org

From the Editor

M

arch 12 is my 21st birthday, and growing up, I always hated my birthday. No, it was not because I just hated the celebrations that stemmed from me turning a year older. I hated the fact that nothing historical happened on my birthday.

My parents share a birthday, which also shares a date with quite a plethora of historical events, such as the confirmation of the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor, and the bombing of Hiroshima during World War II. Sean, my oldest brother, shares a birthday with pop culture icon Taylor Swift. Now, I’ll admit that isn’t a historical event, but who doesn’t love Taylor Swift? My other brother’s birthday falls on Nov. 5, or otherwise known as Guy Fawkes Day, which ultimately inspired the classic 2005 film “V for Vendetta.”

The only reason I tell you this is because I hated how everyone in my family but me was born on a day with historical significance. Before last year, I boasted about sharing a birthday with CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, because my birthday wasn’t significant.

However, that all changed last March 11 when the world watched in MARK FABERY disbelief as the NBA indefinitely suspended its season, as I sat in a Chili’s booth ASSISTANT NEWS celebrating another birthday. This year, I’ll be spending another birthday during the COVID-19 pandemic wondering what will happen next. What will happen EDITOR in the next year? Will there finally be a sense of normalcy? Will I finally be able to not be so serious in my next letter from the editor this fall? Who knows what will happen, but I guess that is the beauty of what we call life.

Continuous local and campus covid-19 coverage available at jackcentral.org

Online at Issuu.com Latest Edition & Archive

Thank you for reading.

Phone: (928) 523-4921 Fax: (928) 523-9313 Lumberjack@nau.edu P.O. Box 6000 Flagstaff, AZ 86011

THE LUMBERJACK VOL. 111 ISSUE 9 Editor-in-Chief Scout Ehrler

Managing Editor Nathan Manni

Copy Chief Nayomi Garcia

Faculty Adviser David Harpster

Print Chief Jacob Meyer

Director of Digital Content Ash Lohmann

Social media

Media Innovation Center Editorial Board Director of Social Media Maddie Cohen

Op-Ed Editor Trinity Archie

Culture Editor Katelyn Rodriguez

Sports Adviser Rory Faust

News Editor Camille Sipple

Asst. Op-Ed Editor Kylie Soto

Asst. Culture Editor Kyler Edsitty

Director of Illustration Aleah Green

Asst. News Editor Mark Fabery

Features Editor Olivia Charlson

Sports Editor Brenden Martin

Asst. Dir. of Illustration Maddie Cohen

Online News Editor Kylie Soto

Asst. Features Editor Emily Gerdes

Asst. Sports Editor Will Hopkins

Senior Photographer Michael Patacsil

Senior Reporter Molly Brown

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Director of Photography & Multimedia Shawn Patti

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Senior Photographer Brian Burke

On the cover Illustration By TONESHA YAZZIE

Corrections & Clarifications The Lumberjack is committed to factual correctness and accuracy. If you find an error in our publication, please email Scout Ehrler at see86@nau.edu.

PoliceBeat March 1 At 7:14 a.m., an International Pavilion custodian reported the odor of natural gas. NAUPD and Flagstaff Fire Department (FFD) responded and determined the cause of the odor to be maintenance work on a heater.

At 8:15 a.m., a Health and Learning Center staff member reported the odor of gas.

NAUPD and FFD responded, but no odor was detected and the area was deemed safe.

At 5:14 p.m., Work Control requested assistance with an oven issue at McKay Village. NAUPD responded, but no gas leak was present and a work ticket was submitted to Work Control.

March 2 At 12:35 a.m., a student reported a subject loitering in lot 66A. NAUPD responded and determined the nonstudent was involved in an open case with Flagstaff Police Department (FPD). FPD responded and the nonstudent was arrested.

At 10:00 a.m., a post office employee reported a possible fake ID in a wallet found in the mail. NAUPD responded and referred the employee to the Postal Inspector.

March 3 At 12:47 p.m., a student reported suspicious activity near South Village Apartments.

NAUPD responded and information on personal safety was provided.

At 3:07 p.m., a staff member called with questions about reporting an off-campus family situation. NAUPD responded and information was provided.

Compiled by Mark fabery

At 6:38 p.m., a student March 6 reported suspicious activity At 12:34 p.m., a in a room in Sechrist Hall. nonstudent reported a subject NAUPD responded and hall chasing another subject in staff was notified. front of 1899 Bar & Grill.

NAUPD responded, but all March 4 involved parties were gone At 5:31 a.m., a upon arrival. nonstudent requested assistance for a nonstudent At 7:48 p.m., a Drury experiencing anxiety in Drury Inn & Suites employee Inn & Suites. NAUPD and requested an ambulance for Guardian Medical Transport a nonstudent who was dizzy (GMT) responded and the and had difficulty breathing. nonstudents were put in touch NAUPD, FFD and GMT with Terros Health. responded and the nonstudent was transported to FMC. At 6:18 a.m., Cline Library received an emergency At 11:29 p.m., an exit alarm. NAUPD responded, anonymous subject reported a but the subject was gone upon subject who had tried to jump arrival and the library was open in front of her moving vehicle for business. near the Health and Learning Center. NAUPD responded, At 7:04 a.m., a parent but no contact was made. requested a welfare check on a student off campus. NAUPD March 7 responded, and the student At 1:34 a.m., a Hilltop later contacted the parent and Townhomes resident reported advised they were sound asleep. a student with a head injury.

NAUPD, FFD and GMT At 6:12 p.m., a School responded and the student was of Nursing staff member transported to FMC. Later requested assistance with in the day, NAUPD reported locking a door. NAUPD conducting a follow-up and the responded and was unable to student was cited and released lock the door. Work Control for minor in consumption of was notified as communication alcohol. is the key.

At 12:13 p.m., a Hilltop March 5 Townhomes resident reported At 11:15 a.m., Flagstaff two nonstudents fighting.

Communications Center NAUPD responded and a reported a student had passed report was taken for domestic out in the School of Nursing. violence and disturbing the NAUPD, FFD and GMT peace, both nonstudents were responded and the student separated. was transported to Flagstaff Medical Center (FMC).

At 1:31 p.m., an employee reported a suspicious At 3:34 p.m., a student vehicle parked on the fields reported an open and at the South Fields Complex. unoccupied vehicle in lot 32. NAUPD responded and the NAUPD responded and the vehicle owner was told to move vehicle was secured, but no it. criminal activity was witnessed.

Coconino County COVID-19 Dashboard data

Community transmission Case rate Positivity percentage Cumulative cases

Substantial 154.7 per 100,000 pop.

8.8% 16,641

Flagstaff Medical Center COVID-19 Resources

In-house COVID-19 patients Hospital capacity Critical care capacity

Positive: 18 | Pending: 4 216/300 37/55

NAU Student Cases

Current student cases

63

NAU announces virtual spring 2021 commencement and fall 2021 plans Camille sipple

N

AU President Rita Cheng sent an email announcement to NAU students and faculty March 5 regarding the university’s plans for spring 2021 commencement, as well as the start of the upcoming fall 2021 semester.

Due to COVID-19, NAU’s class of 2021 will have a virtual commencement ceremony, similar to the spring 2020 ceremony, Cheng said in the email.

“While we are making great strides in vaccination rates and seeing infection rates decrease, we believe it is premature to gather in large groups for an indoor celebration,” Cheng said.

Within her announcement, Cheng also expressed how proud she and her colleagues are of the class of 2021’s achievements and resilience. She also stated more information regarding the spring 2021 commencement ceremony will be available in the coming weeks.

Cheng also announced NAU currently plans to return to campus fully in person for the fall 2021 semester. The university is also prepared to alter its plans if need be and is continuing to consult public health officials on the matter.

According to Cheng’s email, NAU has administered 3,221 first doses and 2,270 second doses of COVID-19 vaccines to date. As of March 5, the university is also currently managing 63 COVID-19 cases on campus. Updates of NAU’s statistics regarding the pandemic can be found on the university’s coronavirus web page.

Read more online at jackcentral.org

MARCH 11, 2021 – MARCH 17, 2021 | THE LUMBERJACK

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NEWS

12 Months Later: Looking b

Compiled by Mark Faber

The COVID-19 pandemic is turning one year old this month. Its impac the past year, countless responses and discussions occurre

COVID-19 spreads around the world | Trevor Skeen Washington State was the first to announce the death of a United States citizen infected by the coronavirus. At the time, there was not much known about the virus as the its symptoms and mortality rate remained unknown.

March 1, 2020

Nationwide responses to COV Skeen

Over the last few weeks, academic country have crafted careful responses to C

by The Lumberjack, NAU moved all course March 7, announcing that this system will weeks following spring break. Despite these services stay open and running.

March 4, 2020

Seven experts address COVID-19 | Trevor Skeen & Zeina Helmy While the U.S saw its first death from COVID-19, NAU President Rita Cheng’s annual campus forum was soon reclassified as a COVID-19 discussion, which featured a committee of seven experts from around the Flagstaff area. During the forum, Cheng announced NAU and its partners would actively collaborate and address the ever-changing situation.

Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press

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THE LUMBERJACK | JACKCENTRAL.ORG

March 12, 2020

Presumptive po Cocon

Coconino County co of COVID-19 in mid-M the spread of the corona at the time, the immediat minimal.

NEWS

back at a year of COVID-19

ry & Camille Sipple

cts on the Flagstaff and NAU communities have been numerous. Over ed within the community due to the pandemic’s effects.

VID-19 | Trevor

institutions around the COVID-19. As reported ework to online platforms l be used for at least two e adjustments, on-campus

ASNAU and administrators discuss COVID-19 | Trevor Skeen & Mark Fabery

City council unanimously approves economic recession plan | Mark Fabery

As the university continued online instruction, ASNAU hosted a Q&A session with students and administrators to address the changes surrounding COVID-19, and the university’s next steps regarding the fall semester’s mode of instruction.

As the Flagstaff City Council adapted to remote meetings in lieu of the pandemic, the city found ways to battle COVID-19 and its effects on to the city’s health and economy.

May 27, 2020 Trevor Skeen | The Lumberjack

March 18, 2020

ositive case of COVID-19 in nino | Brady Wheeler

onfirmed its first presumptive positive case March as the nation grappled with stopping avirus. According to public health officials te risk of infection in the county remained

April 16, 2020

April 21, 2020

The Navajo Nation combats COVID-19 | Molly Brown The Navajo Nation saw its fair share of complications associated with the COVID-19 pandemic as the nation faced challenges in acquiring personal protective equipment. Moreover, the nation experienced limited access to medical facilities and the lack of reliable transportation and general infrastructure.

A disposable surgical mask is left on the pedway between Raymond and McDonald halls, Oct. 2, 2020. Brian Burke| The Lumberjack

April 23, 2020

May 27, 2020

NAU community protests COVID-19 response | Trevor Skeen Peaceful protesters gathered outside Flagstaff City Hall in late May to voice concerns about the university’s lack of transparency regarding COVID-19 protocols. The university also estimated a potential loss of $30-100 million due to the pandemic.

NAU President Rita Cheng opened the Spring Campus Forum March 3, 2020 at High Country Conference Center. MacKenzie Brower | The Lumberjack

MARCH 11, 2021 – MARCH 17, 2021 | THE LUMBERJACK

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NEWS Phtoo Illustration By Shannon Swain

Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press

COVID-19 impacts international education as fall approaches | Camille Sipple

NAU confirms seven COVID-19 cases, prepares to implement random testing | Alliya Dulaney

University presidents discuss COV testing and future | Trevor Skeen

The beginning of summer 2020 brought countless questions to the concern of NAU’s administration regarding COVID-19.

International students’ concerns became increasingly dire as they questioned when they would be able to see their families again.

By Sept. 1, 2020 it had been confirmed that seven NAU students had tested positive for COVID-19, as Cheng announced via email that weekly mitigation testing would be implemented. Randomly chosen students, staff and faculty were required to be tested for COVID-19 regardless of exposure or symptoms.

The Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) held day meeting where the presidents of each Arizona had an opportunity to speak and provide a brief pre regarding their university and COVID-19.

June 30, 2020

July 9, 2020

Sept. 1, 2020

Faculty union states concerns over NAU’s reopening | Camille Sipple On July 8, 2020, the University Union of Northern Arizona in association with the American Federation of Teachers (UUNA-AFT) released a statement urging NAU to avoid reopening in-person learning in the fall. UUNA-AFT stressed that it would be irresponsible to open the campus amid the worsening health crisis.

Stickers on the sidewalk in front of Mountain Sports Flagstaff remind customers to maintain a six-foot distance from one another Sept. 23, 2020. Brian Burke | The Lumberjack

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Sept. 24, 2020

Oct. 3, 2020

Oct. 7, 2

The state of Arizona invests $8 million to NAU for COVID-19 testing | Mark Fabery

F posit

In late September 2020, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey announced the state had allocated $14 million to the state’s three universities to be used for COVID-19 response capabilities, such as testing. NAU received a total of $8 million dollars from the state funding to be used toward testing.

A semest in pos directl

Fort Tuthill County Park was transformed into a drive-thru COVID-19 testing center for local residents, Oct. 1, 2020. Madison Easton | The Lumberjack

NEWS

Drinks at various levels of completion are left on a table in Downtown Flagstaff during Tequila Sunrise, Oct. 27, 2018 Michael Patacsil | The Lumberjack

VID-19,

d a threeuniversity esentation

2020

Problems with partying during the pandemic | Tess Spinker Even as the rate of positive COVID-19 cases at NAU rose, college students continued to ignore health guidelines and attended parties, no matter the risk.

Oct. 7, 2020

Jan. 13, 2021

COVID-19 on a downward trend across the country | William Combs III As of late February, positive COVID-19 cases appeared to be moving on a downward trend across the country. Health and government officials believe the trend to be changing due to the mass distribution of vaccines that began occurring within most U.S. states in January.

Feb. 24, 2021

Flagstaff leading Coconino County in tive COVID-19 cases | Mark Fabery

COVID-19 vaccine makes its way to Coconino County | Kylie Soto

As NAU reached its halfway point in the fall 2020 ter, Flagstaff was confirmed to be leading the county sitive coronavirus cases. These cases were most ly linked to returning NAU students.

With the world ringing in 2021, Coconino County had another reason to jump for joy as the new year began. COVID-19 vaccines had finally arrived within the county and were being distributed to vaccination clinic locations within Flagstaff, including NAU’s Campus Health Center.

Katie Grigsby, assistant to the regional manager at Mountain Sports Flagstaff, processes an order behind a protective barrier, Sept. 23, 2020. The store has implemented safety procedures such as cleaning all hats and sunglasses after they are tried on and closing dressing rooms.

Brian Burke | The Lumberjack

MARCH 11, 2021 – MARCH 17, 2021 | THE LUMBERJACK

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NEWS

Fort Tuthill has been serving as a active vaccine location for the people in and around Flagstaff, March 4. Jonah Graham | The Lumberjack

Insight into the current US COVID-19 vaccines Camille Sipple

U

nited States citizens who work as first responders, educators or are immunocompromised began receiving COVID-19 vaccinations in January. With the opportunity for large segments of the U.S. population to be vaccinated having arrived, questions have been raised regarding the side effects, safety and efficacy of each vaccine.

Over the past several months, the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines have been mass produced and shipped across the U.S. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the two vaccines for emergency use against the coronavirus in December 2020.

Beginning in late January, NAU received its first shipments of the Moderna vaccine and began making appointment slots available for staff and faculty members to receive their first shot through the NAU Campus Health Center.

Naomi Lee is an assistant professor within NAU’s chemistry and biochemistry department who has also served as a panelist for the National Institute of Health’s COVID-19 Prevention Trials Network. Lee said she would describe the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines as new to the medical world and general population in the sense they are unlike any vaccine that’s ever been widely used.

“The first vaccines approved, Moderna and Pfizer, are both new types of vaccines,” Lee said.

“New in the fact there are not any other vaccines available on the market like them. However, the mRNA that makes up the vaccines were discovered decades ago.”

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Lee explained it has taken countless experiments and trials over decades for scientists to understand the true nature of mRNA vaccines. Once inside the human body, the mRNA does not necessarily create the virus, but instead creates a tiny part of it that the body is able to recognize as foreign, Lee said. This ultimately leads to the creation of antibodies against the virus protein.

Paul Keim, executive director of the Pathogen & Microbiome Institute at NAU, said this viral protein, also referred to as a “spike protein,” allows the virus to easily attach to human cells, enter them and cause the COVID-19 infection briefly.

“This is a critical step in the infection cycle and the vaccines stimulate an immune response that blocks it,” Keim said.

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are both two-dose vaccinations. Pfizer requires individuals to return for their second dose after three weeks whereas Moderna’s wait period is four weeks between doses.

Clinical trials have proven both vaccines to be extremely effective against COVID-19 with a prevention rate of greater than 90%, Keim said.

Mild side effects have been observed within individuals, typically after receiving their second dose. Harvard’s Health Publishing reported in an article the most common side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine include pain and swelling at the injection site, headache, nausea, drowsiness and fever.

“Mild side effects are common with the booster shot for both,” Keim said. “I took the Moderna vaccine and had flu-like symptoms

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with a slightly elevated temperature for one day after my second shot.”

On February 27, the FDA issued emergency authorization approval for Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine to be distributed within the U.S. to individuals 18 years or older.

This vaccine mainly differs from the first two in the fact that it does not require a second dose or booster shot. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, while at a lower efficacy of 66.3%, is highly effective at preventing hospitalization within those who did become infected with the coronavirus.

Christopher French, director of the COVID-19 Testing and Service Center within Pathogen & Microbiome Institute, explained Moderna and Pfizer have yet to publish statistics regarding the efficacy of the vaccines against the latest spike protein variants of the coronavirus.

Johnson & Johnson, however, have published numbers regarding the vaccine’s efficacy against these new variants, French said.

Both Lee and Keim said there are distinct similarities and differences between the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and the first two vaccines.

“The recent Johnson & Johnson vaccine approved for emergency use is similar, but different to the mRNA vaccines,” Lee said. “It also uses genetic material but instead it has DNA. It contains the necessary DNA to tell our body to make the spike protein similarly to the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.”

While the efficacies between the latest vaccine and the original ones differ, Keim explained Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine has the

advantage of only being one dose and does not require being kept at extremely low temperatures like the mRNA vaccines do. In this sense, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine would be the easiest to distribute to rural populations across the country, Lee said.

Despite their differences, the average efficacies of every vaccine currently available within the U.S are also significantly higher than the typical yearly flu vaccines are, Lee and Keim said.

“They all have their pros and cons,” Lee said. “The pros of the mRNA vaccines are the high efficacy. In addition, the advancements may allow for new mRNA vaccines for targeting various other diseases … the Johnson & Johnson vaccine offers an alternative that does not require the cold refrigeration. One reason is that DNA is much more stable than mRNA and can last longer at the warmer temperatures.”

Keim said the differences between the vaccines should not be a tipping point if an individual is considering getting vaccinated.

Anyone who is able to get vaccinated should take whichever vaccine is currently available to them, Keim said.

Lee also acknowledged that the difficulties of vaccinating the general public will lie within the differing perceptions and misconceptions that have begun circulating through social media. For those who have questions or concerns regarding the current COVID-19 vaccines, Lee said she urges individuals to reach out to her or other COVID-19 researchers to get accurate information and correct any harmful misconceptions about vaccination.

NEWS

COVID-19 compensation is just good business Molly Brown

W

ith many individuals facing hardships like the lack of income due to COVID-19 restrictions, contracted employees delivering for entities like goPuff and Amazon are getting benefits once reserved for company staff.

“To help ease the financial impact that you may have, you may receive earnings for up to three days to allow you to see or consult with your doctor, should that be necessary,” Bill McNeely, regional acquisition lead for goPuff, said in an email to employees.

“Driver partners or employees diagnosed with COVID-19 or placed under quarantine or otherwise directed by a medical professional to stay away from our facility will be provided with up to 14 days of financial assistance.”

Under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) signed into law March 18, 2020, certain employers are required to provide compensation for issues concerning COVID-19.

“FFCRA helps the United States combat the workplace effects of COVID-19 by reimbursing American private employers that have fewer than 500 employees with tax credits for the cost of providing employees with paid leave taken for specified reasons related to COVID-19,” the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) stated on its website in the Wage and Hour Division tab. “The law enables employers to keep their workers on their payrolls, while at the same time ensuring that workers are not forced to choose between their paychecks and the public health measures needed to combat the virus.”

According to the DOL, paid sick leave covers up to 80 hours of pay, and the paid expanded family and medical leave covers up to 10 weeks when caring for a dependent impacted by the virus.

The Amazon Relief Fund was created with $25 million donated by Amazon itself to primarily assist contracted employees who do not usually qualify under conventional benefit programs.

“Please note that initially the Amazon Relief Fund is focused on supporting Amazon Flex Delivery Partners, Delivery Service Partner Delivery Associates, Temporary Associates employed by eligible staffing agencies and drivers of eligible line haul partners under financial distress due to a COVID-19 diagnosis or quarantine,” Amazon stated on its website.

A big difference between the approach being taken by Amazon versus goPuff is the classification of the money issued.

Amazon is requiring employees to apply for a grant, which isn’t considered taxable income instead of a diagnosis qualifying its workers for taxable income assistance as with goPuff.

“Once the application is complete with all supporting documentation and has gone through the review process, you will receive an email letting you know if your application is approved or not approved,” as stated by documentation on the fund website.

“Approximately 2-3 business days after your award notification email, you will receive another email from Emergency Assistance Foundation, Inc. (EAF) confirming the grant award.”

Marychriz Tanglao, applicant support for the Amazon EAF, said this compensation will continue as long as funding is available and it is not limited to just those affected by COVID-19.

In a statement on its website, the DOL also gave an explanation about how long this compensation was required to last.

“The obligation to provide FFCRA leave applies from the law’s effective date of April 1, 2020, through December 31, 2020,” the DOL stated. “The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021,

extended employer tax credits for paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave voluntarily provided to employees until March 31, 2021. However, this Act did not extend an eligible employee’s entitlement to FFCRA leave beyond December 31, 2020.”

Companies like goPuff have been implementing safety measures in order to help minimize the possibility of its workforce being exposed to the virus and therefore needing compensation.

“In an effort to promote safe distancing, we developed a new tech feature that sends an SMS notification to Driver Partners when they are assigned orders by the dispatcher,” the goPuff website stated. “This means driver partners can wait in their vehicle while the order is being prepared and spend less time inside our facilities. We are also conducting regular temperature checks at our sites to ensure no employee or driver partner is working with a fever.”

Another consideration in place is how a contracted employee is considered safe to return to work. Even though there is no federal policy requiring release to work documentation from a medical professional, Dan Bohl, a goPuff driver onboarding lead, made mention of the possibility in an email.

“We will be able to reactivate your [employee] account once we have documentation from a medical professional that you are clear to return to work, or after a 14-day quarantine period if your symptoms have improved,” Bohl said.

As COVID-19 continues to change how job benefits are structured, those without traditional paid leave are still able to receive some assistance from companies not limited by federal mandates.

Left: Courtesy of goPuff. Center: Courtesy of the Associated Press. Right: Photo of Amazon Prime delivery driver courtesy of Forbes magazine.

MARCH 11, 2021 – MARCH 17, 2021 | THE LUMBERJACK

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OPINION-EDITORIAL

It is time we address insensitive films Hayley Bostian

A divided Congress helps no one

T

he month of March marks a year of the United States lockdowns and restrictions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite a new president and administration, U.S. citizens have seen very few solutions in terms of financial support to aid rent and bill payments.

T h e University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy reported that, as of May 2020 more than 20 million U.S. citizens had lost their jobs due to the pandemic. This wave of job loss brought the unemployment rate to 14.7% TYLER in April 2020. Rates have never reached LEE this high since the Great Depression.

WRITER In the past year, the government has issued two stimulus packages — one for $1,200 per person in April, and a second for $600 per person in December — claiming they were to help families pay for rent, bills and food during lockdown restrictions.

However, in 2019, Business Insider reported the average rent per month for a family of four in the U.S. ranges from $600 to $1,500, not taking utilities into account.

Both of these stimulus packages went into effect only after lengthy debates in both the House of Representatives and Senate and did little to help. A year later, sadly, nothing has really changed.

The House passed President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion relief package March 10 after a couple key elements were removed through various means. Now, in the Senate, the package is undergoing more changes in order to be passed. These changes include who will be eligible for the third stimulus check.

This long, drawn-out debate is unacceptable. Conflict over whether or not people deserve to afford to live in the middle of a pandemic should not be so divided. This topic should not be a debate at all.

The polarization and politicization of people’s right to lead a happy, comfortable life is not new.

This conversation has unfortunately been a key point in politics for decades, and the pandemic has simply made it more apparent.

This nation has seen this party polarization happen over and over again in the past five years, from LGBTQ+ rights bills to the decision to go into a lockdown. We are now seeing the familiar conflict yet again with the stimulus bill.

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I

n recent years, there has been more attention on movies and TV shows that contain politically incorrect and generally insensitive jokes and comments. This includes films and shows most of us grew up with and never thought about negatively before.

An example of these insensitivities is the racist history of “Peter Pan.” Disney’s adaptation includes the song “What Makes the Red Man Red’’ and portrays Native Americans in an offensive manner. They are depicted as wild with inaccurate representation of their culture and appearance. This promotes racial stereotypes.

Many people feel conflicted when it comes to films like “Peter Pan” because they find comfort and enjoyment in the stories. It can be difficult to imagine completely getting rid of such classics.

While it can be hard to let go of some of your favorite movies, it is time to clean up the film industry. This will be necessary for everyone to comfortably enjoy movies and shows.

The process has already started to take place at Walt Disney Studios. On the company’s recently launched streaming service Disney+, the platform removed movies such as “Aladdin,” “Swiss Family Robinson” and “Lady and the Tramp” for profiles set for kids, as reported by online Disney vacation planning guide All Ears.

On standard user profiles, a message appears before these films and others that reads: “This program includes negative depictions and/ or mistreatment of people or cultures.

These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it, and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.

Disney is committed to creating stories with inspirational and aspirational themes that reflect the rich diversity of the human experience around the globe.”

Disney’s actions to address insensitive films were effective and empathetic. Complete removal of all movies and shows would take away many films we grew up with, so this is a better solution.

Instead of removing everything, it would greatly help to update movies that can be updated and place advisories on ones that cannot. This change would allow everyone to enjoy classic movies and TV shows while remaining aware of the sensitive content they contain.

Even if the content is not perceived as offensive by the general public, the advisory would at least inform a viewer that what they are about to watch contains racist or otherwise insensitive material. Doing so would begin to normalize accepting other people’s struggles and not making them into jokes or content.

We cannot condone what has been said in these movies in the past, but we also cannot support complete removal of these classic films. To improve in the movie industry and as a society, it is important to make changes. These shows and films should be enjoyable for everyone.

We have already seen a huge improvement from Disney as the company now places muchneeded advisories before certain movies and TV series. This will prevent normalization of such content for young kids and all other viewers. Other streaming services need to follow that lead.

From now on, we can avoid highly insensitive content in movies and TV shows and stop allowing that content completely, but before that, I think it’s essential we first build up the range of new films that are appropriate for everyone and allow these to become “classics.”

Until then, an advisory and renovation of some films is a satisfactory step in the right direction. Slowly we can create an inclusive variety of movies and shows for e ve r yo n e to love.

Illustration By tonesha yazzie

OPINION-EDITORIAL

The age of post-truth goes on unabated Collin Vanderwerf

I

n 2016, post-truth was named Oxford Dictionaries’ word of the year. The same year a small town called Veles in Macedonia earned the strange notoriety of being a world capital for misinformation, its residents cashing in off the dissemination of mostly pro-Trump fake news articles.

That year fake news likely secured former President Donald Trump the election, but this year it nearly claimed our democracy.

During and after the 2016 election there was much talk of the foreboding nature of the posttruth era. There are at least four TED Talks from 2017 on the subject, along with a myriad articles.

The solution nearly all of them proposed, and the one that seems to have been the most widely accepted, was individual accountability. In the School of Communication, the impressions of this strategy are dispersed throughout the curriculum.

Classes ranging from communication studies, to photojournalism, to political science all warn of the dangers of fake news and extoll the virtue of media literacy.

This — like many of the attempted solutions of misinformation — is ostensibly good, but woefully insufficient.

Veles was certainly not alone in its promotion of pro-Trump propaganda, but it was an excellent portrait of the cold, hard economics driving it. A town deprived of most of its industry, Vele’s average monthly income, according to Wired, is $371, while its unemployment rate is around 24%.

Normally jobless individuals were suddenly able to pull down $1,000 per month for five or six hours of work per day.

Plus, the workflow was simple: Copy pro-Trump misinformation from far-right websites, post on their own site and then share the “article” widely in pro-Trump Facebook pages.

Before anyone goes off blaming impoverished people for the rise in misinformation, it’s worth noting that this is absolute peanuts compared to the true beneficiaries of the post-truth era: social media companies.

Facebook has 2.8 billion users. This is more than the populations of India and China combined. Its market value, according to Forbes, has doubled to $720 billion since 2016. It plays, by far, the largest role in the spread of falsehoods on matters of severe importance around the world.

In Myanmar, the military used the site to promote genocide of the country’s Rohingya minority. The propaganda led to tens of thousands of murders and rapes and caused a mass exodus of some 740,000 people, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs.

Facebook facilitated a genocide, but nothing happened to Facebook.

Nor was this a one-off. The site has been accused of facilitating anti-Muslim violence after terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka and allowing the spread of hate speech in India where Muslims are being stripped of their citizenship.

How can this be? Well, for one, United States citizens only care what Facebook does when it involves them.

In another Wired article, it compiles a list of the biggest Facebook scandals of 2018. After the entry on the Rohingya genocide, it lists the Cambridge Analytica scandal — one of a dozen or so revelations that Facebook is mining and selling people’s personal information — saying this is the big one.

To clarify, the incident when Americans were shocked that the information they surrendered to the whims of the internet and a private multinational corporation was being used against them is the big scandal. The murder and rape of tens of thousands of people? Just a bump in the road to the omnipotence of Mark Zuckerberg.

Remember “The Social Network”? That movie where Zuckerberg is just a broody, misunderstood genius? F**k that movie, and f**k Mark Zuckerberg.

Another more potent power preventing Facebook from suffering any substantial consequences for its complicity in the

worst things mankind has to offer, has to do with the structure of global capitalism.

Facebook can behave however it wants because there is not an institution that directly oversees Facebook. It is a multinational corporation and as such, it is hard to pin down if it is shut down in one place. Like the decapitation of a Hydra, it’ll just sprout up elsewhere.

Exorbitant sounding fines and dragging Zuckerberg in front of Congress, where he tries to do his best impression of Jesse Eisenberg doing his best impression of him, will not work.

The company’s net worth is $720 billion and being one of the most powerful people in the world necessitates you not having a conscience or shame.

The post-truth era goes on not because of Uncle Lester failing to verify his sources, but because we are allowing people to make billions of dollars off manipulating billions of Uncle Lesters across the world.

The best chance to get Facebook, and companies like it, to start functioning ethically is to heavily regulate it on a multinational front. Wealthy nations will have to lead this effort because they are where most ad revenue comes from.

Jail CEOs for noncompliance and companies will change their tunes. Put Zuckerberg on trial in the International Court of Justice in The Hague and suddenly Facebook will root out the misinformation problem.

MARCH 11, 2021 – MARCH 17, 2021 | THE LUMBERJACK

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FEATURES

A year-in review: Adjusting

Illustration By Aleah Green

Eleana Assimacopoulos

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he year 2020 threw curveballs in every direction, including up the mountain to Flagstaff. Many changes occurred in 2020 as a result of the pandemic that have gripped the nation. Some of the significant changes include the education system, maskwearing and isolation.

COVID-19 COVID-19 overtook the world and caused many to lose their jobs, reformed how education is administered and caused safety protocols and isolation to be the new normal. Social interactions have been kept limited, sporting events were put on hold, restaurants and bars closed and shopping online has increased.

There has been a new definition of normal in the United States with mental health being a considerable concern as most student and workers are staying home. Second-year master’s program student Patrice Timmons said that she had a sense of loneliness where everyone would be apprehensive, especially with all of the social opportunities closing down around them.

“Now I just feel like it’s normal to spend more time outside or at home and not to visit that many different restaurants or the museum

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Illustration By Aleah Green

or anything like that,” Timmons said.

COVID-19 impacted most of 2020 and safety has become a concern for many individuals. Sophomore Adrian Medina said there is nothing that anyone can do about it and all that people can do is to see fewer people and follow the rules.

Medina said hanging out in public with a group of friends was something he took for granted, but with COVID-19, he has not had those opportunities. He said he misses the freedom to do so without the impending thought of getting sick when stepping outside his door.

Junior Eliza Hagen said because of how fast news can spread nowadays, it made the pandemic even more overwhelming.

“People have been jumping to conclusions about things,” Hagen said. “That also contributes to the overall feeling of being overwhelmed, overall negativity of everything because everyone was just so quick to jump to conclusions. But fortunately, I think, in the end, things did work out. I am optimistic about the future of COVID-19 and how it’s been handled.”

During 2020, people developed their own sense of normal as a result of the changes the U.S. experienced. Each person’s experience may differ from others and it can be more challenging

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for others to stay motivated.

“My new sense of normality is being pretty socially distant,” Hagen said. “I’ve been pretty comfortable with that because I am an introvert and I am good at staying motivated and working independently.”

Education Education was hit hard in 2020. First, schools went online or closed starting in March 2020. Then, during the summer, many schools planned to conduct education remotely through various technologies like Zoom and Google Meet. All these changes limited social interaction.

According to the Arizona Daily Sun, Flagstaff Unified School District closed schools and went remote in mid-March 2020. This is an example of measures taken in order to mitigate the spread of the virus, but it meant that Flagstaff’s elementary, middle and high schools were completely remote for a majority of the school year.

Timmons said her main focus is to get as much done in this environment when it comes to her classes. She also said the changes have helped her appreciate whatever social interactions she does have, including talking to classmates on Zoom or even talking to her

co-workers and how it means more to her now than it did before COVID-19. Timmons is a teaching assistant in her master’s program for three sections of microbiology lab and said COVID-19 has changed how she teaches.

“I feel like it made teaching a lot less fun, honestly, because before COVID-19, we would always be cracking jokes and just talking about random things,” Timmons said. “It was more of a social environment, but since there’s a shorter amount of time and trying to, you know, stay six feet apart from each other, it’s kind of less socializing.”

Associate professor of psychological sciences Chad Woodruff said he misses the social aspect when it comes to teaching his classes and it is impacting his moods. He said he assumes the same for his students as well.

However, Woodruff said he found himself more focused when he is online, but he fears that is because students are not asking as many questions as they used to when they had inperson classes. He also said he is not sure that is what is best for the students.

“I think online education is great,” Woodruff said. “I would rather not see it become the dominant model. But COVID-19 may be pushing it in that way. So, I can see some give and take, some positives and some negatives.”

FEATURES

to a new sense of normalcy

Illustration By Aleah Green

There have also been some staffing changes regarding professors being laid off during 2020 due to funding being cut.

“I would say my only problem about the current education was because of COVID-19 there is a funding cut for teachers, so there are fewer teachers in the university,” Medina said.

“That was probably something that didn’t really need to happen because now I feel that I have suffered from this.”

Medina said some of his lower-level classes are now being taught by professors who usually teach the higher levels. He said it can make it harder to understand them sometimes as if there is a learning curve.

There has also been a surge in technology use in the classroom because of increased virtual communication. However, doing homework online can be difficult for some who are not as familiar with technology.

“There was definitely an adjustment for both students and professors getting used to how to switch to an online format, how to teach best, do assignments through an online format and how to administer exams as well because the way we’re so used to doing things traditionally just doesn’t work anymore,” Hagen said.

Hagen also said she thinks the new virtual environment will not harm students’ education

Illustration By Shelsey Braswell

in the long run because they will have access to the Internet. Many will be able to look up questions they need, as well as how technology will be around for a while so in a way it can be beneficial.

“I think people are starting to realize how many different ways we can learn and use technology for education,” Hagen said. “I think it’s definitely changed and I hope that it’s for the better.”

Masks A controversial topic throughout 2020 has been mandating the use of face masks. Reporting

by The New York Times gives a look into the anti-mask rallies throughout 2020, which were attended by people refusing to use face masks and groups who believed governments were overreaching with mask mandates. Woodruff said it is technically an infringement on rights, but that it is the kind of minimal infringement used for safety and how everyone should be happy to deal with it during a pandemic.

Woodruff supports the right to protest, but he said even if the protests are about maskwearing, there should be no case where these gatherings endanger other people.

During the start of 2020, mask-wearing was still relatively new and could have been

uncomfortable for some. Woodruff said the first few times he put a mask on, he kept looking around to make sure that others were wearing masks as well because otherwise he thought he would look silly.

Timmons said he thinks it is a waste of energy to get fired up over not wearing a mask.

People would be better off addressing tangible problems like social inequalities or climate change, he said. He also said wearing a mask effectively mitigates the spread of COVID-19 and that it is not a hard thing to do, especially during a pandemic.

“It does kind of seem weird at this point to go to the store or somewhere and not have a mask on, like they’re just normal to see everyone was covering half of their face at this point,” Timmons said. “It’s all for the greater good of our country to wear a mask or just to think about helping each other and helping our country by wearing a mask instead of debating about it.”

Hagen said ultimately wearing a mask is not just for the wearer’s protection but also for others’ protection.

“I think that wearing masks is something we should keep in the long run,” Hagen said. “If you’re feeling sick or something, it would be a good idea to wear a mask.”

Isolation The U.S. has had to face isolation and social distancing when exposed to COVID-19.

Isolation can take a toll on the human mind and body but was a part of the pandemic.

“I would say it’s been necessary,” Woodruff said. “I think we’ll slowly come out of that. But it looks like we still got a few more months, at least, to start coming completely out of isolation. That’s assuming that new variants of the virus don’t spread uncontrollably. I’d say it’s been useful, but also difficult.”

Woodruff also said if individuals kept staying home for hopefully just a little longer the U.S. could have this pandemic beat.

At the same point, this pandemic brought the need to be isolated. Medina said that COVID-19 has split the nation and created a gap within the U.S. He said it showed how divided the nation is and that the U.S. needs to work on that in the future.

Through a pandemic that has shaken the world, COVID-19 took over 2020 and continues to affect 2021. The new truths of the nation have led to new education systems, face coverings and isolation. The normal many people once knew has changed forever.

MONTH #, 2020 – MONTH #, 2020 | THE LUMBERJACK

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FEATURES

NAU and Flagstaff: When borders overlap, opinions clash Lauren Anderson

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AU creates a home for students of all backgrounds to learn and cultivate new skills. Through the years, the campus has continued to grow while the city of Flagstaff has had to change and adapt with that expansion. NAU policy not only affects the college, but the citizens who have been part of the Flagstaff community for a lifetime.

The city is home to two distinct communities — residents and students.

Although these two groups live in close proximity, there is a big difference between those who live and work in the city versus students who live in Flagstaff and use the city as their playground during their time as a Lumberjack.

The Lumberjack recently reported that Flagstaff is one of the worst job markets in the nation, which is a reason college kids seek employment elsewhere after graduation.

Sophomore Abigail Brown said she has seen and experienced this divide between campus and city. She said she has experienced the college town feel that Flagstaff offers, but also admitted that she sometimes overlooks the fact that families and nonstudents live in the city as well.

Many students’ knowledge of Flagstaff politics does not extend much farther than the campus limits, Brown said. She said she thinks students are fairly unaware of the city’s governance and its key leaders. ASNAU attempted to host various city and county candidates on campus to speak with students during the 2020 election, but it was too difficult due to the pandemic.

One of the biggest takeaways Brown has found is although there may be a divide, she is still able to find those businesses that support not only the campus, but the students as well.

Since Flagstaff is a college town, Brown said she enjoys seeing businesses that represent NAU by having its signs and logos on display. She said it makes her feel as if they support students.

Brown said she thinks a divide between students and Flagstaff may not be as much of a problem as it is made out to be. In the future, campus should capitalize on connections between the university and the city instead of creating possible resentment, she said.

“I would like to see the NAU community get a little more strengthened in the Flagstaff

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community because these businesses are willing to put our logo in their windows and I would want to see more students interacting with that,” Brown said. “As a community if these businesses are going to support us, we should support them.”

Nevertheless, just as the students of NAU feel a particular way about this relationship, the citizens of Flagstaff have formed their own opinions on the continued change in their community.

Longtime Flagstaff resident Janice Ribelin has been a member of the community, and has family and friends rooted in this city. She has lived in Flagstaff for 46 years and works in public relations. She said when she first moved to the mountain town, there was only about 24,000 people and it has changed from being the small town she once knew. As the campus has continued to expand, she said she has been able to see the effects with a clear picture of the past.

Ribelin pointed to changes in the layout of the city, but also those regarding the overall attitude of those living in the city.

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“The growth has been somewhat slow until recently,” Ribelin said. “I think that people with a lot of different views came in before we were a handshake town — if we made a promise we kept it. With growth, you lose integrity and honesty. People have come in and tried to make Flagstaff a big city, but I really loved the small town that it was.”

This growth is not confined to the infrastructure of Flagstaff, but also extends to the NAU campus. Ribelin said the growth of campus has benefits, but the complication results in the overflow of campus into the city and creates a lack of blend with the prior establishments.

Ribelin said the students add a different dynamic to the community, but do not fully integrate themselves as members of the general public. She said as a whole, the community of Flagstaff does not really interact with the students and maintains the separation.

“A lot of times we don’t interact with the campus people,” Ribelin said. “I think that they have such a vibrant life on campus

and they come and visit the restaurants, which is great. They will go skiing and that’s great, but I don’t think there is a definite interaction.”

Ribelin said that for many Flagstaff residents, the students do not pose a great problem to the community. Rather, she said, the planning and building of new NAU structures have led to many residents’ frustration. One of the big challenges that many Flagstaff residents face is the limited parking that comes with the students living off campus.

Ribelin said for many of the residents living around Flagstaff, the limited parking keeps them from having visitors and in extreme cases, prevents them from leaving their homes after being blocked in. Ribelin said one way to help ease the tension would be a new system for parking around Flagstaff like underground garages. She said parking on the streets can wreak havoc with snow-plowing and can create daily problems for citizens having to live with it.

Ribelin said she feels as though the campus has an important role in the city and does a lot of good, and with some changes could continue to create an atmosphere of community with Flagstaff residents.

With the recent announcement of new NAU President José Luis Cruz, Ph.D., one common question was what he may do to bridge the gap between the NAU community and the Flagstaff community.

Cruz, in a recent interview conducted by The Lumberjack editor-in-chief Scout Ehrler, said he hopes to strengthen this relationship by giving many different platforms for community members to speak and have an outlet for committees, nonprofits and organizations to create a structure for better communication between the campus and the community.

“What I heard when I last talked to community members is that they really just want to find their aspirations through ours and the work that they are doing,” Cruz said. “How can we help them and the work that they do and how can they help us?”

With an optimistic eye on the future of relations between the NAU and Flagstaff communities and a central focus on strengthened communication, Cruz said he hopes to create a relationship that inspires cooperation and community. With this new perspective, the citizens of Flagstaff and NAU can create a new era of cooperation and comradery.

Illustration By Diana Ortega

CULTURE

MARCH 11, 2021 – MARCH 17, 2021 | THE LUMBERJACK

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CULTURE

A COVID-19 thriller no one asked for

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s someone who has become frustrated with how long quarantine has lasted and with how people’s actions are prolonging the pandemic, the last thing I wanted to watch was an exaggeration of our current situation. “Songbird,” available on Apple TV, gives us that exaggeration without being compelling or even slightly entertaining.

Released in December 2020, this film is set in 2024 and COVID-19 has mutated into COVID-23, a deadlier and more contagious strain of the virus. After four years in quarantine, United States citizens are under harsher restrictions like daily temperature checks and must not leave their homes at all. Anyone who gets infected is taken to separate quarantine sectors, called KYLER EDSITTY the Q-zone, against their will where they will most ASSISTANT likely die.

CULTURE EDITOR However, there are people immune to the virus who are able to do whatever they want as long as they have a yellow bracelet that proves it. Protagonist Nico (KJ Apa) is immune and works as a courier delivering packages to people in quarantine. He must acquire an immunity bracelet for his quarantined lover before she is taken to the “Q-Zone.”

If the plot seems complicated, that’s because it is. The film is difficult to follow and there are too many characters, aside from the main character, that have their own story arcs. However, there are still many plot holes. How are people receiving income? How do they get their essentials?

I think great movies have a villain that is very likable and this film gives us the complete opposite. Antagonist and sanitation department leader Harland (Peter Stormare) is the most annoying character. Every time he was on screen, I found it hard to sit through the scene and was overjoyed when he was killed.

The film also has a huge editing issue. The mixture of handheld and regular footage is so hard to watch. Every scene has such quick cuts, which makes it a headache to see.

Now my biggest issue with this movie is the hopeful ending it tries to shove down our throats. As Nico and his partner enter their new life outside of quarantine, Nico said he was not just delivering packages, but he was delivering hope. These cheesy final words honestly felt like an Amazon ad and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.

After everything seems to work out for the characters, the film tries to create this narrative that hope is what gets people through quarantine and will eventually get them out of a pandemic. It says this while millions of people are still dying and unemployed. In reality, proactive government officials and mask mandates will help ease the pandemic, not just hope.

Honestly, “Songbird” is such an unnecessary movie. I don’t know anyone who wants to watch a COVID-19 thriller while they are dealing with the actual pandemic.

Amid all the product placement and aerial shots of Los Angeles that litter the movie, there are little to no redeeming qualities in this film. All I can say is to double-mask up so this inadequate movie doesn’t become a reality.

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Downtown Flagstaff provides an array of small businesses to visit, March 7. Cole Stewart| The Lumberjack

A year into COVID: Small business outcomes are mixed Caroline Travis

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t has been roughly a year since the pandemic led to a nationwide shutdown. Adults worked from home, businesses closed and kids did not return to school after spring break. Some people were scared to leave their homes no matter the amount of gloves and masks they could wear. They busied themselves at home trying to fill the time while hoping the virus would disappear soon.

Small businesses took a hit during the lockdown last year and some are still feeling the effects of COVID-19 restrictions. Some had to shut their doors, resulting in limited profits in March 2020, just like large corporations.

The only difference? They had a lot more to lose. A year later and these small businesses that make up Flagstaff have endured 12 months of ups and downs. It’s a case-tocase basis on the impacts the virus has had on different shops and restaurants. Some struggled to maintain sales while others flourished. Some felt the support of Flagstaff residents while others awaited support from their local community that never came.

Kay Yoo, who works downtown at the Fire on the Mountain art gallery, has noticed how life has changed in the last year.

“This time last year people didn’t come out to the shop,” Yoo said. “They were really scared and didn’t want to be anywhere near downtown because of it.”

Yoo also said a positive of shutting down was a lot of locals supported the gallery by purchasing pieces online.

She said people went out of their way to support local businesses, which was good because their store wasn’t open to the community.

Tourism is a big money-maker for downtown Flagstaff, while the downtown area is enjoyed by the local community all year long. Some people visit from Phoenix to enjoy the cool weather, others stop on their way to the Grand Canyon and some just come up to enjoy the

historic town on Route 66.

Downtown Diner manager Mark Jent shared that business has been hard since the beginning of last March.

Jent said tourists, and even locals, haven’t been coming out to the diner much. Foot traffic and the customer base has been cut in half, Jent said.

“There’s been so many ways that COVID has affected business, and we’ve definitely felt the effects,” Jent said.

“People are afraid to come out so we had to cut staffing.

It’s insane. We’ve fluctuated with the hours of business and cost and prices have inflated.”

On the other hand, some businesses have surprisingly benefited from the virus and have not suffered significant losses. The Sweet Shoppe Candy Store, which is located only a few doors down from the Downtown Diner, has had a completely different experience.

Sweet Shoppe Candy Store worker Lexy McKee said the business has actually become more successful since the beginning of the virus.

“We’ve actually tripled in sales,” McKee said. “The shop really relies on tourism and for some reason, our tourism levels haven’t been affected much. It might be because we’re a grab-and-go shop versus a restaurant, but either way we’ve been pleasantly surprised.”

Sweet Shoppe Candy Store worker Natalie Hansen said the biggest difference between current business and last year’s is the precautions the store takes. The workers wear gloves and masks, limit the amount of people allowed inside and have plastic shields protecting them from customers. On top of this, she said some employees have been out sick, which has been stressful.

This has been a weird and hard year for many small businesses that already deal with competition from bigbox stores and chains. Some businesses have been worse off due to the virus, others better off and a lot of them stuck somewhere in the middle.

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March 1 to 5: Exclusive interviews and movie previews Katelyn Rodriguez Monday, March 1 “Wonder Woman” actor Gal Gadot announced she’s pregnant with her third child with husband Jaron Varsano. Gadot announced the news on her Instagram and Twitter accounts Monday with the caption “Here we go again.”

HBO has teamed up with Oscar-winning director Spike Lee to produce a documentary for the 20th anniversary of 9/11.

San Diego Comic-Con announced via Twitter and Instagram that it’s postponing the 2021 convention until 2022. However, it will still be hosting its free-to-attend online version Comic-Con@Home, which will take place July 23-25, and is planning an in-person convention in San Diego for November.

Tuesday, March 2 Founding member of The Wailers, Neville Livingston, better known as Bunny Wailer, died Tuesday at the age of 73 from complications of a stroke. Wailer’s manager confirmed the news to the Jamaica Observer.

Producer and songwriter Finneas and singer Ashe released their new collaboration “Till Forever Falls Apart,” which was accompanied by a music video for the track. According to Rolling

Stone, the pair previously collaborated on Ashe’s EP’s “Moral of the Story: chapter 1” and “Moral of the Story: chapter 2.”

Nashville’s Country Music Association Fest has been canceled for the second year in a row due to COVID-19. In a statement released on its website, it was announced that although this year’s event was canceled, next year’s is already in the works and will take place June 9-12, 2022.

Actor Alec Baldwin and his wife Hilaria announced the birth of their daughter Lucia on Instagram. This marks the sixth child for the couple whose youngest is 6-months old and oldest is 7.

Actor Jennette McCurdy, best known for playing the role of Sam on Nickelodeon’s “iCarly,” announced she has quit acting.

McCurdy talked about her career on her podcast “Empty Inside” and explained she was ashamed of the roles she played in the past and that her decision to quit came after her mother died.

Actor Jahmil French, known for his role as Dave Turner on “Degrassi: The Next Generation,” died at 29. According to CNN, French’s agent Gabrielle Kachman confirmed the news in a statement, although no immediate cause of death was announced at the time.

Dr. Seuss Enterprises announced six of

the author’s books will no longer be published because they “portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong,” according to a statement on its website. Some of the books include “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street” and “If I Ran the Zoo.” Singer Dolly Parton received her first dose of the Moderna vaccine, which she helped fund, and shared photos and videos on her Instagram and Twitter accounts.

The Television Academy announced the Emmy Awards will take place Sunday, Sept.

19 on CBS and will be available for viewers to stream on Paramount+.

Wednesday, March 3 Vanessa Bryant, widow of former Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, is on the cover of People magazine’s “Women Changing the World” issue.

In an exclusive interview, Bryant opened up about life without Kobe and daughter Gianna more than a year after the helicopter crash that took their lives.

Thursday, March 4 Entertainment Weekly gave readers the first look at “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” the muchanticipated sequel to 1996’s “Space Jam,” which starred NBA legend Michael Jordan. The sequel stars Lakers forward LeBron James and is set to be released July 16.

Universal Pictures announced Thursday that the release date for “Fast & Furious 9” has yet again been pushed back. The film was originally slated for release May 21, 2020, but had to be postponed due to COVID-19. It is now set to be released June 25, which is the same day Marvel’s “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” is premiering.

Singer Miley Cyrus announced she signed a recording contract with Columbia Records with a black-and-white photo posted to Twitter and Instagram of her holding the blurred out contract.

Friday, March 5 Rapper Drake released his “Scary Hours 2” EP on Friday, which features three songs. This is the first new music Drake has released since his album “Dark Lane Demo Tapes” May 1, 2020.

California’s health and human services secretary, Mark Ghaly, announced Friday that all amusement parks, sports and concert venues can reopen at limited capacity beginning April 1. According to ABC 7 News, there will be time and capacity limitations. It was also announced that theme parks and events will only be open to California residents.

MARCH 11, 2021 – MARCH 17, 2021 | THE LUMBERJACK

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A blast from the past: 2020 quarantine trends Annika Beck

Illustration By Dominic Davies

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hile the world was under quarantine and safety measures, trends continued to take place while many were isolated. The pandemic took a toll on many businesses, lives and social events, but these trends reached the public and alleviated some boredom and uncertainty. Over the course of social distancing measures, bread-making, whipped coffee, “Tiger King,” Animal Crossing and Among Us captured the attention of many.

On March 13, former President Donald Trump declared COVID-19 a national emergency. As schools and workplaces shut down, everyone was confined in their homes. The effect of the pandemic opened up a wave of new and upcoming trends.

Whipped coffee was a trend that emerged during quarantine that blew up on TikTok. The recipe consisted of two tablespoons of instant coffee mixed with two tablespoons of sugar and hot water. The coffee from there had to be whipped with either a frother, hand or bowl mixer. Once the coffee turned fluffy and a light brown color, it was ready to be added to ice and any desired form of milk.

Another trend that took off during quarantine was the craft of baking bread. This cooking craze took the internet by storm.

NAU senior Libby Litten participated in bread-making during quarantine.

“During the lockdown I was very bored and after seeing a lot of people online baking bread, I decided to give it a go,” Litten said. “After watching some tutorial videos on YouTube and some TikToks, it seemed fairly easy. The bread was surprisingly really good and it was a fun activity to pass the time during quarantine.”

Litten had always enjoyed cooking and baking and was happy to get the chance to make a loaf of sourdough bread during quarantine.

Following the nationwide lockdown, “Tiger King” was released on Netflix March 20, 2020. The eight-episode limited series followed the “murder, mayhem and madness” of the life of zookeeper Joe Exotic. The true crime documentary took over television screens and landed an 86% on Rotten Tomatoes.

According to Nielsen ratings, the show was watched by 34.3 million people in the first 10 days of being released.

The documentary primarily revolves around Exotic’s life in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, where he owned Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park that displayed big cats for the public to see.

The series highlighted the craziness of Exotic’s personal life and long-term feud with big cat rights activist and founder of Big Cat Rescue, Carole Baskin.

She accused Exotic of abuse and mistreatment of the animals in the documentary. Baskin also gained attention due to the unsolved death of her husband.

Baskin was invited to be a part of the 2020 cast of “Dancing with the Stars.” The following month, social media influencers like Jade Roper, who was a contestant on “The Bachelor,” shared an Instagram post of her dressed as Baskin. Baskin would later become a TikTok trend as well.

Baking bread and “Tiger King” were not the only trends that swept the nation during quarantine. Games such as Animal

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Crossing and Among Us were also on the rise. According to CNBC news, Nintendo reported a “surging 428% increase in profit due to the lockdown.” Animal Crossing is a video game for the Nintendo Switch. The objective of the game is to collect, explore and transform a cartoon island into a five-star community.

Jennifer Hudson, who will pursue her master’s degree at NAU in the fall, was one of many who played Animal Crossing on her Nintendo Switch over quarantine.

“I had not played Animal Crossing prior to the pandemic, but many of my friends had,” Hudson said via email. “At the beginning of quarantine and when I first got the game, I definitely played a lot, but once I finished the game I stopped for a while and just recently picked it up again, making my island the best it can be. I enjoy playing this game because it allows me to not only play with my niece, but other family members and close friends.

It has been a great way to visit with others during this pandemic, even if it’s just through a game.”

Hudson said she didn’t think she would have played as much of the game if it wasn’t for the free time during quarantine. The game is an investment, Hudson added, and she felt a need to

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check on her village every day.

On the other hand, Among Us is a game that allows people to connect with friends without the feeling of having to play daily.

The game is available on all devices and later came out with a Nintendo Switch version. The game is set in an outer space setting, usually on a spaceship and the objective is for crew members to complete tasks and to figure out what players are the impostors trying to sabotage the spaceship.

In September 2020, Among Us had 60 million active players daily, according to data and analysis website Business of Apps.

The game’s revenue also jumped from $3.2 million in August 2020 to $50 million in November 2020, as reported by gaming news website Pocket Gamer.

At a certain point, trends are forgotten and are replaced with new ones. However, these quarantine trends from the beginning of 2020 are memorable because of this unprecedented time in history and that people experienced them together despite the distance.

CULTURE

MARCH 11, 2021 – MARCH 17, 2021 | THE LUMBERJACK

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Arizona Cardinals: New Super Bowl contenders

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ith the recent addition of defensive end JJ Watt, the Arizona Cardinals are going into next season with an incredible start.

After weeks of wondering where the former All-Pro Watt was going to take his talents after being released by the Houston Texans, he announced it on March 1 by posting an image of himself working out in Cardinals gear. Signing a two-year, $31 million deal, he will be a heavy contributor to the Cardinals. He will improve many NOAH DAKIN areas for the team, but most important is the leadership he brings to the table.

WRITER He was able to lead the Houston Texans defense for over 10 years and put up some absolutely incredible numbers. Coming off of a five-sack season, along with two forced fumbles and an interception returned for a touchdown, Watt is coming into an organization on the rise. Outside linebacker Chandler Jones and defensive end Zach Allen are two pieces to the puzzle, which Watt has now completed. With Allen as the left defensive tackle and Jones as a weak-side linebacker, the Cardinals now have a powerful front three with the addition of Watt.

At 31, Watt is coming into a position where he can mentor his younger teammates. With the Cardinals coming off a disappointing 8-8 season where they missed the playoffs, Watt is going to bring a spark to the defense and the team as a whole.

The offensive side of the ball has evolved over the past couple years, and we will finally see the team as well-put together as it has been in a long time. Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and quarterback Kyler Murray are entering their second year together after having a very solid first season. The duo will look to become even better next season. Free safety Budda Baker, along with a healthy Jones and returning cornerback Patrick Peterson, will join with Watt to help boost morale to an all-time high for this next season.

The only question comes when wondering about the performance of Watt over the past couple of seasons, as his production has been on a slight decline. Is that due to him playing for a team that didn’t seem like they wanted to win, or is Watt possibly feeling some of the effects of his many injuries and being in the league at the same position for 10 years? The bright side is that he is still the extremely gifted player who will always give his all while trying to teach and mentor the entire defense.

One thing is for sure: He is now the backbone of the Arizona Cardinals defense.

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Fans leave Chesapeake Energy Arena after the Oklahoma City Thunder-Utah Jazz game was postponed, March 11, 2020.

Photo courtesy of the Associated Press

March 11, 2020: The day sports were put on hold Sean Clark

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arch 11, 2020 is a day sports fans will never forget. Its memory will live in infamy as the day when sports as we knew them changed dramatically and even shut down for over two months. Before this day, COVID-19 was making its way across China, but it wasn’t until the preceding week that it started breaking out in Europe and the United States. Italy had announced a nationwide quarantine and the UEFA Champions League match between Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund took place in an empty stadium. It was also on this day that actor Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, tested positive for COVID-19 in Australia and went into quarantine, shocking many who heard the news.

Sports and daily life in the U.S. seemed normal until one positive test changed everything.

Around 5 p.m. Mountain Standard Time, news broke that the game between the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder had been postponed for unknown reasons. Many were confused until it was revealed that Jazz center Rudy Gobert had tested positive for COVID-19. This created a drastic snowball effect across the sports world, as the NBA regular season was postponed indefinitely, almost all college basketball conference tournaments were canceled and many sports either suspended their leagues or began the process of doing so that night.

For the next two months, everyone had to adjust with businesses closing everywhere, and live sports were no longer an escape from the harsh new reality. For entertainment, many focused on watching new television shows that were streaming on different platforms because films in theaters were no longer an option either. Binging shows became the new norm as people

waited for something in the sports world to resume.

From mid-May 2020 all the way to August, sports gradually came back. The Bundesliga returned on May 16, 2020 and NASCAR returned a day later, marking a new beginning in sports — events without fans. Major League Baseball returned for a 60-game season starting in July, and the NBA and NHL created their playoffs in bubbles and host cities. Formula 1 returned on a shortened schedule and the English Premier League introduced Restart, a six-week schedule to finish the Premier League season.

The Champions League shortened its tournament and played all matches in Lisbon, Portugal. The NFL grinded its way through a regular season with strict protocols and made it without a single cancellation, but not without postponements that altered schedules.

Like in all aspects of society, sports had to adjust with the times. The biggest games were played with limited to no fans and many financial difficulties arose without ticket revenue, such as minor league baseball being canceled in 2020. Salary caps did not increase and leagues had to find different ways to fund their seasons, such as the NHL gaining sponsorships for its four divisions in the 2021 season.

One of the biggest teaching moments from March 11, 2020 was to never take sports for granted again. They are not always guaranteed to be on television or playing in an arena nearby, so it has become that much important to appreciate when live sports are occurring. With March Madness returning after a year’s absence, it is good to remember that even if the event is underwhelming, it is much better than having nothing at all.

Just like with everything in life, be appreciative and do not take anything for granted. For sports fans, this day was the perfect reminder of this lesson.

SPORTS

NBA officials meet with Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Billy Donovan prior to the Thunder's game against the Utah Jazz being postponed, March 11, 2020.

Photo courtesy of Bryan Terry | The Oklahoman

Oklahoma City Thunder players walk back to their locker room after their scheduled game against the Utah Jazz is postponed, March 11, 2020. Photo courtesy of the Associated Press

Preview:

This week in NAU Athletics: NAU Soccer vs Weber State, Friday, March 12, 1 p.m.

NAU Football vs University of Idaho, (POSTPONED, TBD) NAU Volleyball @ Northern Colorado, Sun. March 14, 12 p.m. Pluto TV (Channel 1059) MARCH 11, 2021 – MARCH 17, 2021 | THE LUMBERJACK

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