The usually bustling New York Public Library is completely deserted. Date: Mon, 3/16 This is the other admin, D. Looking back at the first week, I have found that the workload will definitely vary for everyone. It’s up to the teachers’ discretion of whether or not they want to host a Zoom, assign regular homework or essays, or continue their old learning format. Right now, I am only getting homework from a few teachers. The rest are not posting anything, which is relieving but also worrisome because idk how our grades will be calculated. Date: Tues, 3/17 (D) My language teacher only just started assigning things because the whole language department hadn’t gotten any instructions until today. By the way, we were notified earlier in the week that our snow days would be used up for 3/11-3/16, meaning that these would be our "break" days. :/ Also, one of my teachers posted videos covering the topic we were learning but that way people won’t be held accountable. Date: Thur, 3/19 (A) Happy first day of spring! It’s felt like spring for a while here, the weather is consistently a pretty nice temperature; 50 - 60 degrees or so. I’m honestly pretty sad that we’ll have to spend our spring season mostly indoors though. Even though it seems like we’d have more time during this break, my sister and I are both finding that it’s a lot harder for us to be productive at home. We’ve spent much more time on our phones than we intended to, just because it’s so easy to get distracted. In addition to having a lack of authority to enforce productivity, there’s just so much more to do at home. But because the teachers assume that we have more time at home, they don’t hesitate to pile on the homework. This creates problems for us because more work & less productivity is not a great combination. The transition to online school is harder than expected, but I think we can figure it out. Date: Sun, 3/22 Over the past week and a half, we’ve settled into quite a comfortable routine, so blog posts have become less frequent since there’s not much to say. The days feel the same, punctuated by walks and brief social interactions (over FaceTime or Zoom). Even the weekends have their steady routine. Today is Sunday, and that means Zoom Chinese school. This is a pretty normal occurrence, since we’ve been having Chinese school on Zoom since the first few outbreaks in the US. These weekly meetings used to seem relatively “exciting”, but since normal school has also adopted this online learning format, these Zoom meetings are beginning to get monotonous. I guess that's our weekly reflection, hopefully we won't have too many more.
Initially, I had hoped that the spread of the coronavirus would never reach this far. Upon first hearing of the virus in China, I sympathized with those who were affected, but like many other ignorant Americans, I didn’t believe the virus would spread to its extent. However, unlike many members of society, I continually supported China’s victims, rather than mocking them with rude, unnecessary, and often racist remarks. However, this virus has spread, becoming a global pandemic rather than merely a countrywide disease. As the virus spread, my thoughts and sympathies reached out to the rest of the world. As schools, businesses and many public services close in the wake of this pandemic, I’m hoping humanity can stay strong and power through. The body content of your post goes here. As an Asian-American in these trying times, I am filled with a bundle of confused feelings and muddled emotions. Although this virus has had an obvious impact on my personal life, with everything being shifted to a home-based system, I’ve been thinking more about the virus’s effect on the community as a whole. Especially being someone of Asian descent, I’ve paid careful attention to the way this has affected Asian communities. As the coronavirus has spread, crimes against members of Asian communities have spread as well. When news of this virus first surfaced, hate crimes began immediately, starting from racist and hateful comments, and then stemming into physical violence. Abuse against Asians is rising rapidly as cases of the coronavirus continue to climb, and although citizens have been banding together to counter the virus, I think that this is proof of the virus bringing out both the best and worst of humanity. On one hand is the spike in hate crimes, combined with the insensitivity of certain groups, are examples of humanity’s flaws. Almost every day, while scrolling through the news, I see reports of discrimination and violence toward Asian-Americans throughout the nation. These horrific reports used to startle and anger me, and although the anger is stronger than ever, I’ve been so desensitized to these reports of violence that I am no longer surprised when a new report surfaces. Additionally, this virus brings out the insensitivity of certain groups, from those who constantly hoard supplies and food, to the inconsiderate “spring break partiers” in Florida, who ignored pleas to stop. Due to their insensitivity, along with that of certain government officials who choose to refer to the virus using a more colloquial term, people are inherently inclined to take on a racist and xenophobic mindset. Even though the use of the term “China Virus” or “Wuhan Virus” may be accurate, since the virus did stem from Wuhan, China, these terms promote an undeniably anti-Chinese mindset that will not only deteriorate the US-China relationship politically but also promote discrimination and division between the citizens of the US, whether or not they are of Asian descent. This Anti-China “red scare” mindset adopted by the government often encourages violent and xenophobic behavior, as the Western world has much to gain if China falls. The underlying xenophobia of the public has made itself prevalent throughout the months of the virus’ spread, and this xenophobia angers me like no other. However, on the other hand, on the news every day, there are reports of ordinary civilians creating fundraisers, organizing donation drives, or ordering food for healthcare workers who risk their lives during their professions. These members of society somehow find it within themselves to not only do their part in social distancing but also organize events to give back to society, supporting those who need it most. Celebrities such as Elton John are also hosting events to keep America entertained, such as at-home concerts given by artists. Certain celebrities are also joining forces to promote and host positive virtual events, such as weekly storytimes for younger children, thus easing the burden of parents who are forced to homeschool. Additionally, teachers, who have been forced to adapt their curriculums to that of an online school, continue to educate the future generation despite these unusual circumstances. And of course, the healthcare workers who continually go into work every day, treating the sick and preventing the spread of the disease, are truly the backbone of today’s society, and the effects of their actions reverberate throughout the world. Despite the virus having revealed the worst of society, the actions and perseverance of these people truly highlight the best as well, convincing the world that humanity will re-emerge stronger than ever.
Date: Wed, 3/11 Day 1 of coronavirus break. Honestly, quarantine isn’t too bad so far. We woke up at 11, which is a lot later than normal school days, so we’re far more refreshed than usual. Since it’s still the beginning, our teachers are probably navigating this new setup, so the workload is relatively light. It’s early evening right now, and we’ve just about finished our school homework. It’s still light outside, so we even have time to go for a walk or go outside for a bit. Honestly, if today were a school day, I wouldn’t even be halfway through my homework. If this continues, quarantine will be really enjoyable! We might even be able to pick up some new hobbies because we have so much free time. Date: Wed, 3/12 Oops, we just missed our piano lesson! Because our school was canceled, our parents assumed that our music school would be on a “break” as well, even though this clearly isn’t the case. However, since our family is a bit concerned about this virus, we contacted our piano teacher and scheduled a few online lessons through FaceTime, starting tomorrow. Honestly, we’re a bit skeptical about the effectiveness of these lessons; technical errors could get in the way. We’ll see though, hopefully everything will work out well. In terms of homework workload, today was a relatively light day again, although this light workload probably won’t last too long. However, although we're writing about our experiences with this break, we know that not everyone is having such an easy time being home. Our hearts go out to everyone who's struggling to adapt to this new situation. Date: Thur, 3/12 A: My art teacher has been assigning consistent homework on Google Classroom, the platform that most of our teachers use. However, in these two days of quarantine, she’s already assigned four assignments, one of which is a sustained observation still life drawing. Even though this still life assignment is relatively appropriate for an art class, the rest are just writing assignments, which seem a bit unnecessary. Since I also have her for photography, I’m receiving double the workload. Honestly, these assignments are more work than we do in class, and I’m not sure how to feel. As for my other teachers, they’re either beginning to create videos of themselves teaching the material, or providing online resources for us to teach ourselves. Also, today was our first online piano lesson, and I think it was relatively successful, even though it took a while to figure out the best setup for optimal communication. But honestly, in the grand scheme of things in this time, I know that these problems are considered super privileged. A post has been going around on Instagram, documenting a nurse's experience on the front lines. The conditions they work through must be unimaginable, and I honestly have so much respect and admiration for the healthcare workers that risk their lives every day. Date: Fri, 3/13 A: Today, I got up relatively “early” (honestly, not that early, since it was already 8:30) to finish an assignment that was due at 9 am. When I got on Google Classroom to turn it in (around 8:57), a notification that said “Phew, just in time!” popped up. I honestly really appreciated this hidden easter egg. It’s later in the day, and there’s not much to say; basically, we just went about our daily routine. Get up, eat breakfast, do homework, FaceTime friends, write blog posts, practice piano, draw/make art, etc. To be honest, I can already feel the boredom setting in, I’m already deprived of the outside world (kidding, maybe that was a tad overdramatic). As a weekly reflection, I'd say that quarantine isn't so bad for us right now. We're so incredibly lucky to have access to essential resources such as fresh food and water, and incredibly fortunate that our parents are able to work from home. This may sound cliche, but I truly am grateful for the healthcare workers who are keeping our country running. In the coming week, D and I hope to brainstorm ideas to support them.