October 2020 by Reporter Magazine

REPORTER OCTOBER 2020 // REPORTER.RIT.EDU

GOFUNDME DIRECT RELIEF THE SALVATION ARMY MENTAL HEALTH AMERICA WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN THE CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION’S WILDLIFE RELIEF FUND THE CALIFORNIA FIRE FOUNDATION GLOBAL GIVING’S WILDLIFE RELIEF FUND VOLUNTEERS FOR THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OF ANIMALS NETWORK

THE GREENEST GROVES ALWAYS COME AFTER THE HARSHEST FLAMES. THE ABOVE SOURCES ARE A FEW PLACES YOU CAN DONATE TO GIVE SUPPORT DURING THIS UNPRECEDENTED FIRE SEASON.

EDITOR IN CHIEF Kasey Mathews PRINT MANAGING EDITOR Tyler English ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR Victoria Sebastian COPY EDITOR Mimi Lee NEWS EDITOR Morgan LaMere TECHNOLOGY EDITOR Tommy Delp LEISURE EDITOR Karina Le FEATURES EDITOR Jessica Sides WELLNESS EDITOR Brooke Wolfenbarger VIEWS EDITOR Marilyn Wolbert WRITERS Tommy Delp, Morgan LaMere, Kasey Mathews, Victoria Sebastian, Karina Le, Marilyn Wolbert, Brooke Wolfenbarger, Ali Johnston, Tyler English

ART ART DIRECTOR Neil Williamson ONLINE ART MANAGER Sara Calhoun SENIOR DESIGNER Pallavi Singh DESIGNERS Neil Williamson, Jubilee Newton, Pallavi Singh, Jiayi Zheng, Nicholas Bober, Adrianna Petrus ILLUSTRATORS Lisa Zhou, TingYu Chang, Neil Williasmon, Quamae Newsome, Pallavi Singh, Adrianna Petrus

PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO EDITOR Diana Spencer PHOTOGRAPHERS Diana Spencer, Madi Watson

EDITOR’S NOTE

REPORTER

didn’t vote in 2016. I can give you excuses. I have plenty. Polls showed my preferred candidate winning by a landslide. My state was set to back that candidate, too. The absentee voting process was too complicated. My schedule was too busy to take the time to learn how to navigate it. Honestly, though, I just didn’t care. I was in denial of how bad things could become. The country was doing pretty well from my point of view. Gay marriage was legalized, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) — despite its flaws — was at least a step in the right direction and the economy was booming. No matter who won, there was no way things would get significantly worse. There are some that would say all the above are still true. To some extent, they are. Gay marriage is still legal (though discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community has been upheld over and over), the ACA is still around (though most of the good parts have been stripped and defunded) and the stock market is doing well (even if we’re seeing unemplyoment numbers reminiscent of the Great Depression). I’m not going to list all the things that have gone wrong. Maybe the process is too complicated. Maybe I just don’t care. But I want to emphasize that regardless of your point of view, you still need to vote. If you have an opinion, you need to express it. Trump won the state of Michigan by an average of two votes per precinct in 2016. Your vote matters. My vote matters. It’s 2020, and now I’m exhausted. I’m tired of seeing those I love have their rights stripped from them. I’m tired of seeing my peers and mentors objectified and dehumanized by wide swathes of the country. I’m tired of seeing people filled with hate and bigotry, making exceptions for the people they know. Request your absentee ballot. If you live nearby, get to your polling place. If you’re not registered, then get registered. You can give me excuses. You probably have plenty. But none of them are good enough to excuse four more years of this.

BUSINESS BUSINESS MANAGER Lucy Brown AD / PR MANAGER Ali Johnston ONLINE SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR Will Nilges ONLINE SERVICES MANAGER Efe Ozturkoglu VIDEO EDITOR Trisha Pickelhaupt PODCAST PRODUCER Maximilian Thoburn PODCAST HOST Wyatt Kinsey ADVISOR Rudy Pugliese PRINTING Sutherland Printing CONTACT +1 (585) 475–2212 KASEY MATHEWS | EDITOR IN CHIEF Letters to the Editor should be sent to rpteic@rit.edu. No letters will be published unless signed. All letters received become the property of REPORTER.

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October 3

IN T HI S I S S UE

NEWS 6

CODE ORANGE: A CHANGING CAMPUS DURING COVID-19

How did RIT implement various COVID-related changes this semester?

T E C H 8

BREAKING BARRIERS DIGITALLY

Are new financial tech apps breaking barriers or gamifying the investing world?

L E I S U R E 10

@ R EP O R T ER M A G 4 October

STRINGS TO BEATS; A MOVE IN MUSIC

Gone are the days of large instrumental songs, and it’s all due to a common trend

ONCE IN A BLUE MOON

A blue moon will appear this Halloween

AYL: DRESS THAT RITCHIE

Help Ritchie dress his best for the autumn season!

cover and TOC illustration by Sara Calhoun

F E A T U R E S 16

TRUMP AND BIDEN, THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

A look at the policies and personalities of presidential candidates Trump and Biden

INTERPRETING COVID-19

How does a pandemic influence access services on and off campus?

A NEW NORMAL

Applications such as Zoom have impacted our society and culture

W E L L N E S S 24

MANUEVERING THE UNKOWN

The world is changing, we need to adapt, but what exactly does that entail?

V I E W S 26

CHANGING MAJORS

Changing your major in college is okay — it doesn’t define your life

W.O.T.S.

What hobby did you start during quarantine?

RINGS

RIT’s only digital confessional. Text or call (585) 672-4840

R E P ORTER.R IT.EDU October 5

CODE ORANGE:

A CHANGING CAMPUS DURING

COVID-19 by Tommy Delp | photography by Diana Spencer design by Neil Williamson

INTRODUCING POLICIES

he COVID-19 pandemic brought the Spring 2020 semester to a screeching halt. The sudden change led to many students experiencing a fair amount of pressure in finishing their school year. Most were hoping things will be different during the Fall semester though, as RIT and other campus organizations have had more time to prepare for this new environment.

ENACTING CHANGES Dr. Wendy Gelbard is the associate vice president of Wellness in Student Affairs. She is also a member of RIT’s Fall Planning Task Force. The task force, set up by RIT, was in charge of developing creative ways to safely reopen campus in the fall. When making these decisions, the task force made sure it heard varied voices and opinions. Gelbard specifically led the Community Readiness Committee which held a special role within the overall structure of the task force. “Our job was to do a pulse check of how different groups on campus felt about our readiness. We were involved in testing their impressions of our plans,” Gelbard said.

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The committee was the most diverse of all the groups involved. It consisted of students, parents, faculty, staff and medical professionals. These members discussed and gave feedback on RIT’s proposed policies. The collaboration between all these groups was very important in creating a varied, albeit different, Fall semester. And with students back on campus, their work is finally paying off.

Before students even arrived, RIT wanted safety to be a priority. They mandated COVID-19 tests for all returning students, staff and faculty. Over 60 members of the community were stopped from circulating on campus due to this requirement. Now that students are back, the approach has shifted from preventative actions to active prevention. Policy-wise, RIT has implemented a campus-wide social distancing and indoor mask mandate. RIT has introduced two main avenues of enforcement for these policies.

We’v tryi e been just ng to We plug not thin have b holes. wha king aeen the t will bout a w campu benefi hol t e. s as

The more hardline approach involves a new COVID-19 violation form on the RIT website. The form encourages community accountability from students, staff and faculty. Enter details of the perceived incident involving either student, faculty or staff, and the form will be sent directly to RIT. “Our HR department and student conduct team have committed to processing these allegations in a timely manner,” Gelbard stated. More light-heartedly though, the task force is in the process of setting up something they’re calling the RIT Ready Crew. Hoping to bring a respectful and educational approach to enforcing guidelines, the crew will consist of 20 or so students tasked with circulating campus and reminding people about RIT’s COVID-19 policies.

INTRODUCING INFRASTRUCTURE While social distancing and masks are obvious indicators of the changes on campus, you may also see some new equipment on campus this semester. The university’s biggest investment has been into ionic air purifiers. Over 2,000 have been installed this summer throughout residential areas, gathering spaces and educational spaces. These devices work by shooting ions into the air. These ions then attach to things such as viruses, mold and other organic compounds. When the two types of particles combine, the dangerous ones are rendered neutral. RIT, along with other universities, have also been pioneering various virus-tracking techniques. The university was recently mentioned in The New York Times for an innovative wastewater testing procedure. Individuals can shed the virus days prior to showing symptoms. Because of this, 15 residence halls and on-campus apartment complexes will have their sewage tested twice weekly. “It’s a leading indicator rather than a lagging indicator. It allows us to acknowledge and identify people who have the illness before they even realize they have it,” Gelbard stated. Preparing all this new equipment over the summer was a hectic process, and while we can thank the task force for their brainstorming, there is one main group to thank for implementation. Facilities Management Services has been working non-stop to keep campus clean and safe. RIT’s 118 custodians are being aided by 57 contract workers to handle their increased workload.

Most of these changes will most likely stick around long after COVID-19. Longevity was not an afterthought for the task force. “We’ve been trying to not just plug holes. We have been thinking about what will benefit the campus as a whole,” Gelbard said.

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ion llaborat o c s i h t ch need ea I hope e W . d n rou gs sticks a ugh thin o r h t t e g other to s. like thi

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KEEPING THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY VIBRANT While keeping things safe and healthy is this semester’s top priority, students are also still looking for the on-campus experience they’re used to. Cameron Glynn, student director of the College Activity Board (CAB), is doing his best to oblige. “We knew we would have to do more virtual events. In terms of in-person though, we’re doing almost all of our events outside,” Glynn stated. CAB has had to shake their organization up to get things off the ground, but they’ve been rather quick about it. Fall Fest still debuted on time and still had movies and build-a-buddy. The events were just handled in a unique way suited to the current situation. The movie events were held outside on two brand-new outdoor screens, while things like build-a-buddy were scheduled over an extended period of time to allow more people to participate. “We usually envision Fall Fest, as a way for a lot of students to congregate in a single area,” Glynn explained. “The event had a different energy this year, but it was still great.” CAB is also open to new ideas for this semester though. Many clubs have been reaching out to them, trying to find ways to hold events in this new environment. While things are tough now, there’s always a bit of excitement that comes with new changes and challenges. Luckily, RIT has a strong and supportive community to guide the way. “I hope this collaboration sticks around,” Glynn said. “We need each other to get through things like this.” News 7

BREAKINGBARRIERS

D I G I TA L LY by Morgan LaMere| illustration and design by Jubilee Newton

ou’ve finally managed to save a few thousand and now you’re ready to invest.

Now you just have to go to a financial

management firm to deal with a broker and an analyst, all of whom will charge a commission fee from whatever you earn. But what if you didn’t have to wait to invest thousands to start or pay out fees from your earnings? Apps like Robinhood are making this dream a reality.

INVESTING ON CAMPUS Nick Renzoni is a fourth year Management Information Systems major and the president of the Financial Management Association (FMA) club on campus. While he does not use Robinhood personally, many within the club do. Many students have chosen to go further than apps and have also joined the FMA, whose main purpose is trading in a $250,000 stock portfolio consisting of stocks and equity trade funds. “The portfolio we manage is an umbrella underneath the RIT endowment portfolio,” Renzoni said. “They gave us a sliver of that, around $65 to $70 thousand dollars at some point.”

The club meets every week, and members make pitches to either buy a stock or sell an existing one. Their goal is to make as much money as possible on those investments. To do this, FMA works with an expensive proprietary software called the Bloomberg Terminal. It features more advanced data and analytics than those found on Robinhood but costs $24,000 a year. While this works for a large club handling RIT investments, your everyday investor is likely to gravitate toward apps that are easier to use and cheaper.

FINANCIAL TECH APPS One of the things holding potential investors back from jumping right in is the traditionally high amount required to start.

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Not only is it free, it’s easy to download on your phone and it’s really opened up the challenge and the field for anyone ... to start investing.

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“If you were opening a traditional account, you’d need several thousand dollars lying around to invest,” Renzoni said. “With Robinhood, you can start off with ten dollars.” Featuring simple requirements and a low starting cost, Robinhood makes investing much easier for any tech-savvy college student with a few dollars lying around. “Robinhood is a very good platform,” Renzoni stated. “I like that it exists because it has opened up the field for people who beforehand could not get into stock investing unless they went to a family finance or opened up an account with an investment firm.” Investment firms have several requirements starting off, depending on the firm. Financial tech apps reduce those barriers, only requiring an easy-to-make account and a small starting investment. To attract new users, Robinhood even offers a random free stock on signup. “Not only is it free, it’s easy to download on your phone and it’s really opened up the challenge and the field for anyone ... to start investing,” Renzoni said.

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Those who dismiss retail investors as gamblers or gamers perpetuate the myth that investing is only for the wealthy and highly educated.

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New investors are usually drawn to the no minimum investment requirement and commission-free trading that Robinhood offers. Traditionally, when opening an account, a broker and analyst would take a slice of what you’re trading. This is because they facilitate and offer advice on where and what to trade on to avoid big losses. “Robinhood was the first to revolutionize because you don’t have a broker and you’re doing all the trading yourself,” Renzoni explained, “That has forced all the big guys to say we need to seriously consider commission-free trading.” Besides basic data showing which stocks are up and which are down, Robinhood does not offer analysis services. This ease of access and lack of analysis can open a new investor to make insecure investments. “[Robinhood] has allowed a lot more people to start investing, but it has also brought in people who don’t really know what they’re doing,” Renzoni stated.

ARE INVESTMENT APPS FOR YOU? Despite the potential risk associated with investment apps, they have only grown more popular in the past years. Robinhood has grown to over 14 million users, creating a new influx of investments. “We’ve seen over the last six months that a lot of people have opened stock trading accounts because it gives them something to do,” Renzoni said. “Taking stocks like Tesla and the bio-pharmaceuticals companies that are really hot right now because of coronavirus, everyone’s out to make a quick buck essentially.”

Considering the availability created by COVID-19 and stocks like Tesla exploding in price, there have been reasons for new users to pick up apps like Robinhood and its competitors. However, users must be cautious; easy accessibility does not remove personal responsibility. “I believe that if you have extra money, it’s important to invest it and do your research and I think Robinhood is the perfect place to start,” Renzoni said. “You can walk in and throw your money around, [but] that’s how you lose it.”

Additionally, Robinhood now allows for investors to trade auctions, which can be expensive and risky if you don’t know what you’re getting into. According to a Wall Street Journal article, behavioral researchers indicated that Robinhood’s simplicity is turning investing into a game, all the while encouraging investors to take bigger risks utilizing digital confetti and large, bright buttons for buying stocks. They contend that Robinhood uses behavioral incentives including giving users a trial run, vivid colors and cues that encourage repeated behaviors. Meanwhile, Robinhood Chief Operating Officer Gretchen Howard denied that they gamified trading or encouraged risky behavior. “We believe that broader participation in the markets is more democratic and can bring opportunities to many,” she said. “Those who dismiss retail investors as gamblers or gamers perpetuate the myth that investing is only for the wealthy and highly educated.” A New York Times article also references behavioral nudges as potentially gamifying investing and drawing in inexperienced investors. The article references several times the app has proven unreliable, including when it accidentally reversed the direction of options trades, giving customers opposite outcomes from expected. Another time, it mistakenly allowed people to borrow infinite money to multiply their bets. Robinhood’s website has also gone down around 47 times in a several month period, creating uncertainty for customers.

$ Technology Technology99 Technology

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by Kasey Mathews | photography by Madi Watson | design by Neil Williamson

usic has, for millennia, been achieved through the acoustic sounds of instruments. Yet, as technology has changed, so too have the sounds we listen to. Artists from Dua Lipa to Taylor Swift have made extensive use of electronic beats to provide a consistent, energetic sound to their music. But what fueled this shift from studio instruments to electronic beats?

I M P A C T S of

TECHNOLOGY

Historically, music has been an expensive thing to create, produce and successfully market. As such, the music industry tended to be very exclusive. In fact, this was a common theme right up until fairly recently. “Fifty years ago if you wanted to have a career in music you had to have a band and you had to play instruments, which were expensive to buy,” said Karl Stabnau, visiting lecturer in the Department of Performing Arts and Visual Culture. He continued by saying, “You had to practice with a number of people around you, somebody had to write a song — and that’s as far as most people’s careers went.” 10 Leisure

; BE TS A A Move in Music TO

That was pricey enough as it was, and it got people to a point in their careers in which they could have local or regional acclaim. But according to Stabnau, to go further came with extra costs. This led to record labels having an iron grip over the music industry, and why securing a record deal was always the biggest goal of any musician. Record labels would sponsor musicians by paying for their time in an expensive recording studio, hiring backup vocalists and securing audio engineers to mix and produce the music professionally. They’d also manage an artist’s image and all marketing and distribution efforts to get their music heard by millions. As with all things, technology has shaken up this status quo. The tools needed to produce a song — or even a full album — are much more affordable than they’ve been in the past. This makes music a far more accessible industry than ever before. “I can buy a digital recording platform and microphone ... for $150 or $200 and be able to produce my own beats and put music out there,” Stabnau said. This has opened up the production side of music, allowing musicians to create a full sound without having to spend as much time or money on the additional costs that came with traditional music production. “Now if you produce your own music, you have an advertising outlet for it. You can get it to people really, really easily. There’s no

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The biggest benefit is accessibility

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“Historically the record labels decided who it is that you get to hear,” Stabnau said. “Now ... I can connect with people I know in Los Angeles and Chicago and hear what they’re working on, whereas geographic location ... would have been a huge barrier before.”

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I can connect

with people I know in Los Angeles and

Chicago and hear

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what they’re working on.

THE POSITIVES

As Stabnau mentioned, this trend comes with a lot of benefits. “The biggest benefit is accessibility,” Stabnau said, “and also data-driven decisions.” This accessibility comes in two waves: the increased access listeners have to wide varieties of music as well as the access artists and producers have to get their music out there. There’s both a push and pull factor.

“Before you had internet connectivity — especially social media platforms — if you wanted to advertise your music you had to take out radio advertisements ... TV advertisements, print media,” he explained. “All of those traditionally are very, very expensive ways to advertise. You could be relatively certain you’d spend five digits trying to get your music out on a regional level, even in the ‘90s or ‘80s.” With social media, musicians are able to connect directly with their audience, and no longer rely on those traditional forms of advertising. They’re able to market themselves in creative and unique ways that, comparatively, are far less expensive and have far quicker turnaround times. Through these closer ties between musician and listener, marketers are able to collect more accurate data on trends both at the micro and macro levels. Individual artists can adapt to trends within their own fanbase and produce content — whether that be new music or simply social media content — to cater to these trends.

THE

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physical costs of CD delivery or vinyl printing,” he explained further. Spotify and Apple Music have allowed artists to upload their music within a matter of minutes, making it instantly available across the globe. But why beats? Well, as Stabnau pointed out, we no longer require a full band and recording session to produce music. These beats are a cheaper alternative to hiring multiple musicians or acquiring multiple instruments; and the lower the costs of producing a song, the more profit that artist can make from it.

Yet, so much accessibility has led to some difficulties as well. As with any long-standing industry, it takes time to adjust to foundational changes such as the sudden drop in barriers to entry.

Because of this, as Stabnau put it, consumers are “inundated with music.” In the past, music was a luxury item. You would purchase an album, listen to it and that was your entertainment. Now, it’s faded into background noise. We listen to music while we run, while we study, sometimes while we sleep. It’s become commoditized, and commodities are always less valuable than luxuries. This is what has led to drops in profit margins. No one wants to pay $10 for an album anymore; instead, we expect $5 per month for limitless musical access. This again fuels the need for artists to cut costs wherever they can, giving rise to a sound with fewer individual instruments and a higher focus on beats and rhythms. Overall, accessibility is and will always be a positive factor in any industry. But it often leads to a period of change in ways many might not expect. Sometimes this manifests as changes in communication or ways in which we obtain a certain good or service. Other times, like in the music industry, it comes about in the form of a newly pronounced trend. Leisure 11

by Victoria Sebastian | illustration by Liza Zhou | design by Pallavi Singh

hen it’s dark out, take a step outside and look at the sky. If you are lucky enough to catch a cloudless day in Rochester, you will see the gray moon shining bright. Now take a step outside on Oct. 31, 2020. A rare blue moon will be shining down on you this Halloween.

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WHAT IS A BLUE MOON? Before I get your hopes up, the moon will not actually be blue this Halloween. Literal blue moons only happen on very rare occasions.

As Professor Michael Richmond in RIT’s

School of Physics and Astronomy explained, the moon sometimes appears a different color because of particles in the air. The size of these particles will affect what color of light becomes scattered.

A very specific type of dust is needed to scatter red light that will let blue light shine through. This very specific dust is volcanic ash. Richmond stated, “If you happen to be looking at the moon through a layer of dust that’s been thrown up into the atmosphere by a volcano, and it’s the right kind of volcano and the right kind of dust, and you’re looking through the right amount of it, then the moon can actually look blue.” This is where the saying “once in a blue moon” originated from. It is used to refer to a situation that is as rare and unlikely as the moon turning blue. The blue moon we will see this Halloween has another, less literal definition. It is the second full moon in a singular month. “The time between one full moon to the next full moon is about 29 days ... The fact that we have a full moon on October first ... means we get another full moon on Halloween,” explained Richmond. Therefore, the moon on Halloween will sadly look like any regular full moon. However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t special.

MAGIC IN THE MOON For many pagans, the full moon is associated with powerful energy. Chaplain Rauncie Ryan and her group, the RIT Pagans, regularly participate in rituals that harness the energy of the full moon. “The full moon is a powerful time to do any kind of magical working,” Ryan said. Pagan rituals are about creating a connection between themselves and the divine. The divine is any particular god or goddess that a pagan worships. Ryan joked that there is no sacrificing of cats or other crazy happenings that some people tend to think. For example, a full moon ritual can include chanting, drumming or singing to raise energy within the group. Sometimes sigils are created that encompass your goals or aspirations. It’s also a time where people can share their experiences and knowledge with others. As Ryan explained, no matter if you are pagan or not, seeing the full moon can have an effect on us and the surrounding nature. “The moon affects the tides and we as human beings are made up of quite a bit of water,” she stated.

MAGIC IN THE NIGHT October 31 is also a sacred night for pagans. Although we call it Halloween, many pagans know this night as Samhain.

Ryan explained, “On Samhain we are remembering those who have passed through the veil. For us at this time, it is when the veil between the living and the dead is the thinnest.” Rituals will also be performed on Samhain that usually focus on death. For example, many members will bring photos or other significant objects from those who have went through the veil, and place them on an altar in remembrance. “[As] we say in our tradition,’those who are remembered live’ ... Someday I will die, we will all die. And we don’t need to be afraid of it,” Ryan explained. The fact that these two significant high energy events – a full moon and Halloween – fall on the same day, is quite exciting for this community. Ryan explained, “It’s only a full moon on Halloween about every 18 to 19 years. So, depending on how long you live, you may get to see four or five.”

mends listening to music or lighting candles while running a bath. Think about what you want to put out to the universe and manifest it in your life. As Ryan explained, “That is the thing about being a pagan – spirituality comes within you ... if you look outside of yourself, you won’t find it.”

BLUE MOON RITUALS Ryan and the RIT Pagans plan to take full advantage of this rare event while still abiding by the social distancing that has become the norm. Ryan plans on bringing the group to a beach where the moon will be the most visible. “The centerpiece of it [the ritual] will focus on two things this year because of the blue moon,” Ryan explained. The first centerpiece will be honoring their ancestors, the typical focus of a Samhain ritual. Everyone will speak the names of those who have passed this year, repeat the knowledge that those who are remembered live and provide some type of offering, such as food. The second focus of the ritual will be about setting intentions. Pagans will write down any goals that they may have on a scroll and will stuff it into a blue Christmas ornament. The blue ornament is supposed to represent the moon. When the next blue moon comes around, they will come together again to break open the ornament and read their previous intentions. It is important to note that there are many different pagans, who worship many different things, and there is no specific nor wrong way to perform a ritual. For those who do not practice paganism but still want to be involved, there are other ways you can harness the energy of the blue moon. As huge parties will be off limits this year, take some time to recharge. Ryan recom-

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illustration by TingYu Chang | design by Jiayi Zheng

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MORE STORIES ONLINE REPORTER.RIT.

October 15

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USA USA USA USA USA USA USA

Introduced and continued to support Violence Against Women Act in 1990.

Canceled Indefinitely Canceled Indefinitely Canceled Indefinitely Canceled Indefinitely Canceled Indefinitely Canceled Indefinitely Canceled Indefinitely Signed travel ban that restricted citizens from a specific list of countries from crossing American borders on Jan. 27, 2017.

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2017

by Karina Le | design by Nick Bober

Signed Executive Order 13767 in 2017 to begin building border wall between southern USA and Mexico.

CAMPAIGN STOP DOMESTIC B VIOLENCE! Y NO E DON’T

1990

he presidential election is looming closer with each day. Many people have been contemplating who they should vote for. There is a ton of information about what each presidential campaign is focusing on, but what policies have the presidential candidates supported during their time in office in the past? Do knowing these policies help decide your vote this coming November?

Helped pass the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act in 1994.

1994

Helped Obama administration pass several acts to help resolve economic problems during recession and alleviate debt from Jan. 2009 to Jan. 2017.

Launched Biden Foundation on Feb. 1, 2017 to further his work in foreign policy, his cancer initiative, community colleges and military families, protecting children, equality, ending violence against women and strengthening the middle class.

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Signed executive order on business regulations to cut number of regulations on American businesses on Jan. 30, 2017.

“President Trump is more of a ‘big picture president’ and tends to paint broad strokes leading the nation,” Gerald Gamm, professor of Political Science and History at the University of Rochester, said. This is similar in his stances on national policy. President Trump generally adopts a very isolationist mindset in placing America first and promoted nationalistic policies throughout his time as president, as well as currently in his re-election campaign. Biden has been known to shift on his former stances. In the past, when Biden was the senator of Delaware from 1973 until 2009, he was much more reserved on his policies. During this presidential campaign, however, his stances on past topics have become more progressive. During Roe v. Wade decisions, he had expressed his disapproval of abortion procedures and even voted to reverse the decision in his support to a constitutional amendment. This has since changed to cautioning a limit to abortions later in pregnancy. “[Biden’s] past policies do not match up with his current ones, but it’s certainly in line with the modifications he’s had to make in a year of more progressive Democrats,” said Kneeland. Furthermore, it’s a bit difficult to uncover what Biden explicitly helped pass during his time as vice president. Most of his role during his time in the Obama administration was being sent in place of the president when the president was unable to go to certain events. Examples of this can be seen when Biden was sent to negotiate with the Republican Party for bills such as the economic stimulus bill. In spite of information we might not know of the presidential candidates, seeing how they interact with the public might help fill in some gaps when we decide who to vote for.

Firstly, Reuters offers, an informative graphic about the stances that the presidential candidates have. Some of the biggest points the candidates are split upon, but not all, are: foreign policy, climate change, economic policy, the possibility of reforming the police system and the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The trend generally shows that presidential candidate Trump is more conservative on these topics, Timothy Kneeland, professor of History and Political Science at Nazareth College, described. He wants to protect industries from certain regulations, and has tendencies toward trickle-down economics. Trump wishes to put America first in terms of international relations and desires to restart the economy during COVID-19. Biden, on the other hand, reflects much of the Democratic Party in terms of his policies. He has expressed his desires to be more involved with international affairs, further research alternatives to combat climate change and build a national test and trace program to combat COVID-19.

2017

Passed a bill that lifts restrictions on coal mining companies that previously regulated them to protect waterways from coal mining waste on Feb. 16, 2017.

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18 Features

Mueller Report was released and finds possible obstructions by the Trump administration on March 2019.

Both presidential candidates have a certain charisma to them. Holding a high position in government requires a lot of that in a person. However, both presidential candidates use their charisma differently. Kneeland discussed Biden’s trait of being a glad-hander. “A glad-hander is someone who comes into the room all smiles. [They] come right up to you and shake your hand and pat you on the back,” said Kneeland. Presidential candidate Biden is proactive - the type of person to approach you first. Trump on the other hand is reserved, and the kind of person who will wait for you to approach him before talking with you. Even more, the way both candidates conduct themselves during their speeches and how that conduct is received by the public differs as well. For Biden, there are a lot of canned speeches - speeches that are written and recorded beforehand. He usually speaks in small gatherings, if there is a gathering at all with social distancing. However, Biden is also reactionary, and can lose his temper quickly. For some of his followers, it’s one of his lesser qualities. Trump on the other hand, tends to host very lively speeches. As seen from the Republican National Convention hosted on Aug. 24 to Aug. 27, 2020, it was on the standard of a sports game, noted Kneeland. Trump allows himself to show his anger and is often reactionary himself, but his audience tend to enjoy his reactions, and sees it as him being someone who is honest with the public. It begs the question where the middle stands between two polarized candidates.

2019

WITH THE PEOPLE

Was accused of multiple counts of inappropriate touching in April 2019.

2019

Trump’s impeachment began on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of congress on Dec. 18, 2019.

Proposed possible alternatives on police training; “shoot unarmed people who have knives in the legs” in June 1, 2020.

Withdrew from Paris Agreement, which focused on climate change and dedicating an effort to learn and address the negative effects of climate change in reducing and regulating pollution in mass production on Nov. 4, 2019.

2020

Supreme Court splits on subpoenas for Trump’s tax returns on July 8, 2020 and proposes to hold trial until after Nov. election.

2019

T EXIT

2020

“Which candidate maintains the basic institutions of our democracy?... Where do [you] stand?”

Publicly apologized to Anita Hill in regards to her testimony against Clarence Thomas’s Supreme Court confirmation (1991) on April 26, 2019.

2019

Vowed to be more respectful of people’s personal space in April 2019.

“ I Promise, I Swear.”

VOTING There are two basic questions voters should ask themselves when ultimately deciding on a candidate to support, both Gamm and Kneeland explained. “Which candidate maintains the basic institutions of our democracy? ... Where do [you] stand?” asked Gamm. For some voters, they already decided as soon as the candidates were nominated. For people still deciding, there are a lot of sources available that may help decide your choice. News sources like The New York Times offer sources on their sites regarding updates on the election in terms of news headlines. However, popular publications are prone to bias; RealClear Politics is another source to fact check potentially biased publications. “All campaigns are retrospective. Are you better off now than four years ago?” said Kneeland. “What do you think will happen with either candidate as president?” For people who want to know more indepth information about the money that goes into politics, from Political Action Committees to some donors to presidential campaigns, OpenSecrets is a resource in helping people understand the economic aspects of political races. Kneeland ultimately said, “This will be one of the most interesting elections of our time ... be informed.”

“This will be one of the most interesting elections of our time ... be informed.”

2019 Features 19

INTERPRETING

COVID-19 by Marilyn Wolbert| photography by Diana Spencer| illustration and design by Neil Williamson

ver and over again, we talk about

for the Science Core Team at RIT, discussed

the cataclysmic shifts we have all

some of the pressures interpreters are expe-

had to make due to the COVID-19

riencing with this switch.

pandemic. The need to adapt is inevitable,

“When we work online, we are working in

and RIT is no exception. With NTID and the

a 2-D venue, it’s a lot different than 3-D, in

Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities on

person. You can’t see the depth of the move-

and off campus, how does this unfamiliar

ments. Also Zoom was never designed to be

territory translate into our access services?

used for interpreters,” Spencer said.

“

We have to adjust to these challenges no matter what they may be. Z(D)OOM

“

The overall problem interpreters are

Spencer went on to explain the difficulties of moving to an online learning environment; there is a lot more confusion on scheduling and difficulty for individuals to adjust to all of these scenarios as they come. For example, a certain class may be online one day and in person the next day. One student that needs services may be quarantining while the other one is in class, causing a lot of anxiety for interpreters and the program itself. This extreme variability isn’t only for the location of the students and classes, but also the reliability of the equipment — faulty WiFi

facing with Zoom right now is the loss

could lead to periods of time where a student

of control they normally have over the

is without translation.

environment by using a software that is designed for hearing people. In a classroom, interpreters can direct their services to a student or students

Amanda Dole, sign language interpreter for the Art and Design Team at RIT, agreed with Spencer. “The platform and this technology is not

within the classroom, adjust off of their

conducive for signing [people who sign], or

feedback and assist in the most effective

use a non-spoken language; it’s all auditory,”

way for that individual or group. Zoom

Dole said. “It’s a limitation.”

does not provide options to pin multiple

M(AH)SKS

people on the call at once, which limits the amount of exposure an interpreter has

During this time in the U.S. where every-

to the students. Not to mention, taking a

one must wear masks in public spaces, sign

3-D language and converting it to a screen

language — which relies heavily on

makes it difficult at times for getting mes-

non-manual markers for conveying a

sages across.

message — struggles.

20 Features

Hilary Maag, an interpreter working primarily in Video Remote Interpreting and university environments, spoke about the changes she made to her signing to address the deficit. “I had to interpret the structure differently, using as much emphasis as possible, and a lot of different eyebrow movements so that she (the deaf student) could get the message,” Maag explained. Maag sees this pandemic as less of an obstacle and more of an opportunity to adapt to the new access services that are needed for these unprecedented times. She stated that interpreters should not just be interpreting the words, but providing access to this

to receive feedback, and adjusting their signing based on said feedback. However, this becomes increasingly difficult when, as stated earlier, interpreters aren’t always able to see the students they are assisting over Zoom. So, they need to adjust. “How I interpret over the computer is different than how I interpret in person,” she explained. “How I interpret with a mask is different than without a mask.” Another point was brought up, however, about the challenges faced by students who rely heavily on lip reading during class. With all professors and interpreters wearing masks, the access for these students diminishes. In an effort to avoid this issue, RIT has provided masks with a clear window to all students and NTID faculty, but they are still very far from perfect. While some have shaving cream or dish soap, there is still the struggle of using them for students who are not sitting directly in front of you.

Mari Gillum, sign language interpreter for the College of Art and Design Team at RIT, stated that in a social distancing situation,

How I interpret over the computer is different than how I interpret in person.

“

avoided the issue of fogging up by using

“

message — reading the deaf person enough

you may have one student sitting in front

This field has been hit with constant adaptations and adjustments in order to cope with the degradation of accessibility that came with COVID-19. Some, like Maag, have even stopped taking interpreting jobs in hospitals in order to protect themselves and their families from infection. “All of us always have different challenges that pop up,“ Maag said. “We have to adjust to these challenges no matter what they may be.” It is important to pay attention to the amount of work and stress that goes into the roles within access services, and in the words of Mari Gillum, “understanding what interpreters and captionists do every day is more than what meets the eye.” However, even with all of these extra

of you and two others sitting six feet apart

points of anxiety, Gillum, Dole and

on either side. This causes all but the center

Spencer all expressed how impressed and

student to miss these non-manual markers,

grateful they were for the NTID Interpret-

even with the clear mask.

ing Program throughout this huge shift. There seems to be a lot of support within

THE BOTTOM SIGN

the department and reliable communication throughout.

With a pandemic comes new anxieties and

“We’re in it together,” Gillum said.

pressures for everyone in the workplace. Many interpreters are finding it difficult to trust the students they are working with — how can they be sure they haven’t come into contact with COVID-19? It’s hard to be in such

DISCLAIMER: THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER

a vulnerable situation when you can only

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PHOTOGRAPHER

control and trust your own health.

AND INTERVIEWEE DID NOT AFFECT THE OPINIONS OF THIS ESSAY BUT RATHER ALLOWED FOR PHOTOS TO BE SAFELY TAKEN.

Features 21

uring this pandemic, we have all at one point or another logged on to Zoom. We use Zoom in a lot of different ways, but where did it start and how did it grow to as big of a company as it is today?

@HUMBLE BEGINNINGS:

N E W

NORMAL by Brooke Wolfenbarger | design by Neil Williamson

One of the most common applications that people have been using recently is Zoom. Since March 2020, Zoom has been skyrocketing in popularity as many schools and companies have been using its features. At the beginning of the year, according to a CNN report, Zoom was getting 56,000 downloads globally per day. By March, this number reached two million downloads per day. Even though Zoom has been increasing in demand, the forum has been around since 2011. In the last few months, Zoom has gained traction and become a vital part of our culture today — it has gone from something we used sparingly to something that is a necessity to daily living. So, why Zoom? There are a lot of people that are very familiar with apps like Whatsapp and Facetime that offer similar features as Zoom: they allow you to video chat with people around the world.

@BENEFITS: For some people like Bernadette Lanciaux, a lecturer in RIT’s School of Mathematical Sciences, navigating Zoom wasn’t easy at first. “I was very intimidated by it [Zoom],” stated Lanciaux. Even though Zoom might have a large audience now, it was a new tool for many and has taken time to grow as big as it is today. One way Zoom has grown as large as it has is because Zoom offers a lot of benefits and features that many other video chatting tools don’t have. For Vivek Narayanan, a senior lecturer in the School of Physics and Astronomy, learning what Zoom has to offer was enjoyable and he caught on fast.

22 Features

Zoom has so many different elements and for Narayanan it was important to “learn some of the newer [features.]”. According to Business Insider, Zoom’s biggest advantage is that other video chatting applications don’t have the high quality video Zoom provides. Zoom has features such as the ability to record, screen share and create transcripts and breakout rooms that are very beneficial in work and school settings. Even if you are using Zoom to meet up with friends virtually, you have the ability to change your background which can keep people engaged. The biggest thing Zoom has brought to the table though is the cultural impact that it has had around the world.

@CULTURAL IMPACTS: Whether it’s your first day of school, happy hour with your friends from across the country or being able to see a loved one in the hospital, Zoom has many important roles to a lot of different people. In the age of social distancing, one of the biggest things on people’s mind is safety. Having to be socially distanced from people and staying healthy are very important. Zoom offers people a way to stay safe, while also making sure people aren’t missing out on important opportunities and life events over a video call. For Narayanan, “it opens up what it means to be in a classroom.”

“It opens up what it means to be in a classroom.”

@FUTURE IS BRIGHT:

Narayanan teaches a hybrid class and has noticed a difference between the kids in Zoom and the ones that come to class. “[For] the ones in class, it’s almost as though the air has been sucked dry and there’s no oxygen in the room,” he stated. Being in a room with less than half a class and socially distanced, while wearing a mask can be very uncomfortable for many people. Zoom is giving teachers and students a platform to continue education, while also keeping them safe. For many people, especially parents, it’s a very important aspect. It was no surprise when schools announced either a hybrid method or remote option for Fall classes. At the forefront of this stood Zoom. Zoom has also made small cultural impacts for society. For Lanciaux, it is as simple as being more familiar working with video and being on camera, which most of us are not used to in a daily setting. She stated, “I think we are all more comfortable doing video than we were before.” She continued by saying, “It has allowed people to get together who wouldn’t otherwise.” Zoom has allowed us to continue being a part of communities such as church, or just being able to have dinner and a drink with a close friend in a socially distanced environment. Zoom has become a necessity in today’s culture to be familiar with.

Even in the darkest of days, Zoom brings us some light. Zoom has made such an impact on our culture and our society that it probably won’t go away even when COVID-19 does. Both Narayanan and Lanciaux see the impact of Zoom leading to more opportunities for schools and universities to grow. The ability to reach a more global and diverse audience is something Narayanan hopes to see more of. Reaching out to a wider audience will be beneficial to students all over the world. “Pushing online classes especially with their presence in Croatia and Dubai ... you can simply stream these classes,” Narayanan stated. For Lanciaux, it is being able to create new online classes and have them more available to students. This allows students to take more opportunities outside of school, while still keeping up with curriculum. “I had taught an online class many years ago. I hated it. There was no synchronous component to it ... but now I feel like I would be willing to do that,” Lanciaux said. The possibilities are endless with Zoom, whether it be teaching more online classes, being able to reach a wider audience or as simple as having the ability to Zoom during a snowstorm or dangerous weather. Zoom and online platforms have transformed how we go about our days as a society. Our mindsets have changed and applications like Zoom have become a necessity. Our society will continue to adapt, and Zoom will likely play a large part in that. But how exactly this will affect our culture moving forward remains a mystery.

“I think we are all more comfortable doing video than we were before.” Features 23

MANEUVERING THE

UNKNOWN

by Ali Johnston | illustration by Neil Williamson | design by Adrianna Petrus

ears from now, we will tell our children about life during a pandemic. We will tell them about the time when we ran out of toilet paper and hand sanitizer. We will tell them about wearing face masks in the heat of the summer and having to stand six feet away from your best friend. We can inform them of all of these changes, but every story is different. There is more to this pandemic than what will fit in a textbook. COVID-19 has sparked a new way of life that will continue to affect us for a long time, according to a Business Insider article titled “13 potential long-term effects the coronavirus pandemic could have on mental health.” In this article, Matthew Wilson unpacks the stress, anxiety and even PTSD that can follow those who grew up in the era of COVID-19. He mentions that one of the biggest issues with living in this time is the lack of control that many feel. There are no answers to when this will end or what the world will be like afterward, leaving many people scrambling with feelings of stress and uncertainty.

STUDENT LIFE

Like the rest of the population, college students are also facing extreme uncertainty. Barry Strauber, a professor in the School of Communication, sympathizes with those students trying to build a future during this time. “It’s a lot to deal with. It would’ve been enough to explore and discover something to do postgraduate; now you have to think about all of these other variables ... Thank goodness [your generation] is so smart. I think my generation would’ve fallen apart.” The amount of unknowns that students are facing this year is unprecedented. What changes are students facing? How are the rules being enforced? An RIT News article titled “RIT faculty look ahead to classroom instruction this fall” mentions what safety protocols RIT has taken on to ensure a safe semester. Author Vienna McGrain mentions the need for face masks, lower classroom capacities, and the completion of the daily health screening. In practice, this changes campus life quite a bit. “Because of the circumstances, you’re not seeing a campus life like it was before ... Between the library and the COLA building, you

used to see droves of people in between classes, and I kind of liked it. Now, you look around and think, ‘Where is everybody?’ It’s quiet,” Strauber said. While some students are getting used to a new campus life, others may be completely virtual.

ONLINE VERSUS FACE-TO-FACE

In addition to navigating their careers, students are also learning a completely new way of attending classes. Zoom classes present a whole new set of challenges. Students now have the ability to completely tune out, while being marked as present. Edmon Rober, a fourth year Management Information Systems student offered his take on online classes.

“It’s a lot to deal with. It would’ve been enough to explore and discover something to do postgraduate; now you have to think about all of these other variables .”

24 Wellness

“I think the most difficult aspect of this, the thing that made me the most uncomfortable, was school,” Rober said. “Even though we’re hybrid, it’s tempting to turn off your video and go do something else entirely.” With all of the distraction potentials, many are finding themselves disengaged or even separated from the classroom. Rober mentioned that it’s easy to forget that all of these classes are legitimate and that the money for them is coming out of his pocket. Not everyone finds Zoom to be a negative change — just something else that they need to adapt to. While Rober may struggle with distractions, he believes that online schooling could level the playing field. “Before, it was the students sitting in the front of a classroom who were the first to participate and the easiest to hear,” Rober said. “Zoom kind of removes the human error of classrooms. Everyone is on one plane, so the first to speak can participate, it’s actually pretty efficient. The only problem is that it’s uninspiring.” There is no argument that online classes required a massive shift in focus for students, but they now need to keep track of two different school schedules: online and face-to-face. Everything about this school year looks different than in the past, leaving many wondering if these changes are permanent.

LOOKING FORWARD

Earlier this semester, Strauber helped his students generate speech ideas by having them pick a phrase out of a hat and finish the sentence. A sentence that came out of the activity read: “As I look into the future, the one thing I’ll always question is the idea of normal.” Is this the new normal? Should we be viewing this as temporary? Nothing is certain. The one thing that everyone can agree on is moving on from this is an increasingly difficult task and nobody seems to know how to do it. Seniors are finding themselves thrown into the working world without an idea of where to go. Strauber’s piece of advice would be to follow your passion, as nothing else is certain. Nobody knows what the world is going to look like even five years from now.

Dealing with this level of uncertainty is something that many have never experienced before and yet everyone is having to adapt and change who they were before the pandemic. Rober believes that this adaptation may be the key to making it out of this. “One of the best skills to have, that no class can teach, is adaptability. If you can’t have adaptability in a time like this, then you won’t be able to handle everything that comes after school,” Rober said. “There are going to be plenty of times when there is going to be a huge tectonic shift, and if you don’t have an unconditional motivation, none of this is going to work.”

“Even though we’re hybrid, it’s tempting to turn off your video and go do something else entirely.”

Wellness 25

Life Lasts Longer Than Four Years by co-written by Tyler English and Brooke Wolfenbarger | illustration by Quamae Newsome | design by Jiayi Zheng

“ Changing your major should be viewed like finding your group of friends, or better yet — buying a car.”

eciding what you want to study in college can be a daunting decision, but it is not one that you are trapped in. Countless students have changed their majors, but the fear and stress is not affected by its commonality — it is managed by the shared experiences of those who have gone through the process. Two students, who have both changed their major and transferred schools, came together to write this piece. Here, they share their stories and help break down what they went through and what it is like on the other side.

TRIAL AND ERROR

(Tyler)

Growing up, my family gave me the urge to pursue medicine. They did not force me to pursue it, but my family simply existed in the medical world my whole life. My mother works at a pediatrician’s office. When I was young, I would play in the break room while I waited for my mother to finish her work. My brother and I liked to joke around and say it was our second home given how much time we spent there. Later, my mother and I started watching medical dramas together and medicine became our daily bread and butter. In high school I was a member of a Health Science Academy where my curriculum centered around anatomy, medical terminology and emergency medical technician training. Needless to say, it was a pretty obvious choice

26 Views

for me to choose Biology as my first major when entering college. I began at St. John Fisher College and quickly became bored and irritated by the coursework. I realized that my passion lay in writing. I switched majors in the first week to English Education and then a month into the program I switched yet again to English. My first year of college was nothing from what I expected it to be, so much so that I transferred schools and changed my major yet again. It took me two schools, three majors

and three semesters to finally find a major that I wished to pursue. Now here I sit writing this as a Journalism major and I am yet again unsure if I enjoy what I am studying.

CLOSE ENOUGH (Brooke) In high school and growing up, there was never one clear career path that I wanted to

pursue. At one point I wanted to be a teacher, at another point a marine biologist and at another an astrophysicist. I was never pushed into a career path by my parents, so when it came to my senior year I had to pick something — so why not space? I started my college career down in Florida studying Astronomy and Astrophysics. I wasn’t enjoying my classes and the only one that I was excited to attend was my English class. At the end of my first semester, I looked into switching my major. I had to decide between Communications or Journalism. People around me, specifically my parents, thought it was a better idea to go with Communications, since it was more broad. This could lead to a lot of different career options, so that’s what I went with. Then, in the middle of my second semester, I decided to transfer colleges and I found myself up north at RIT, still pursuing my Communications degree. The next couple of years I liked what I was doing, but I wanted to learn more about journalism. I joined Reporter, which was the first club I had been a part of at RIT and it opened my eyes up to the world of writing and editing. This semester I am a part of an internship called the VSFS Virtual Internship Program, which has also allowed me to grow as an editor. My passion was starting to grow because of these opportunities.

Changing majors again just didn’t feel right because as much as I wanted to be more focused on journalism, I also wanted to be done with school. I thought that even though I wasn’t specifically a Journalism major, I was still in a close enough field of study that would suffice.

COMING TOGETHER Nothing is set in stone when you start college. Over the course of a year you may form a completely new group of friends, and that transition of finding where you belong is normal. However, finding where you belong in terms of a major can have added pressures that make the process appear more daunting than at first thought. Changing your major should be viewed like finding your group of friends, or better yet — buying a car. You try out different makes and models and see what feels right to you. When I started to think about changing my major and transferring schools, I was terrified. Now I realize that it’s okay! Nobody expects you to have all the answers all of the time. Entering college at 18 years old, your interests may change by the time you’re 25. Most college students barely know what they want to get for dinner. There is a pressure in college that students put on themselves. We think that adults and

those who have graduated college loved their major or program and are still working in that field. In reality, adults are just as clueless as we are when it comes to knowing what to do with their lives. The best we can all say is that we are trying. Life plans come about over time and through experiences. College is designed to give you a variety of these experiences to assist you in finding what you are passionate about and what makes you happy. It’s about finding the right field you have an interest in and then maneuvering from there. College is stressful — that’s a fact. But it shouldn’t be scary, and switching majors is not something that should be taken lightly or ignored. If you feel that your major is not right for you, listen to those thoughts. Figuring out what doesn’t make you happy is just another step in finding out what does.

“If you feel that your major is not right for you, listen to those thoughts.”

ASTRONOMY

W.O.T.S

“What hobby did you start during quarantine?” compiled by Madi Watson | illustration and design by Pallavi Singh

“Over quarantine I learned how to develop black and white film so I shot a lot of photos in black and white in this style.” Elizabeth Mack, Third Year, Photographic and Imagine Arts

“During quarantine I picked up roller skating. It was something I was fond of before but never really dived deep into. This summer, and during quarantine, I really threw myself into learning how to roller skate. I went to skate parks, learned how to skate on one leg, go backward, and I can actually jump now which is pretty fun.”

Keanu Pagano, Third Year, Photographic and Imaging Arts

28 Views

“During quarantine me and my roommate tried to stay creative and a way we did that was to give ourselves weekly assignments. So we’d put these little papers into a jar and we’d pick one out every week. Maybe one week it would be ‘make a new dish you’ve never made before’ or ‘try to up-cycle something’ or ‘create a photo story.’ It was an interesting way to keep us on our feet and prepared us for when the school year would start again. I did get to up-cycle a dress. I didn’t keep it because it didn’t fit but I did it. Marili Vaga, Third Year Photojournalism

“Over quarantine I started learning a new instrument called the kalimba. It originated in Africa and recently got a lot of popularity because of the show Avatar the Last Air Bender. People started looking at the soundtrack and started hearing the kalimba and they all thought it was really pretty so it was coming back into fashion. It was really fun to learn. It sounds a lot like a music box chime and you can play really relaxing melodies on it so it really helped relax me over quarantine.”

Crystal McFarlane, Third Year, Computer Engineering Technology

“Something new that I tried over quarantine was buying plants. I’ve always wanted to buy plants, and I have kind of a stuffy upper room and it’s wonderful having fresh oxygen and I guess I just love the look of them. And it’s become kind of a trend with Gen Z to have plants. I purchased two from Wegmans. One was a snake plant and one was a zebra cactus, and from what I’ve heard they thrive off neglect which I thought was perfect.” Lauren McNeill, Second Year, Mechanical Engineering Technologies

“Be careful where you’re aiming your ham.” All calls and texts may be subject to editing and truncation. Statements do not reflect the views of Reporter.

OCTOBER 2020 compiled by Marilyn Wolbert | illustration and design by Adrianna Petrus

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