Eva O’Leary published a piece in Time Magazine about life at Penn State during the pandemic. It reflects on the experiences of students mostly through photos. As a freshman at Penn State during the pandemic I have to say that the photos connect to me a lot. They show kids sitting in grass on Old Main with masks, or someone sitting in their bed alone, or signs of online worship from a church. I think that this shows some of what the culture is like at Penn State right now. Coming to college was something that I was always told would be some of the best years of my life. Stories of late-night study sessions and walks with friends, and ordering food at two in the morning always seemed enticing, but a lot of that was ruined by this pandemic. Everything felt so much more distant than I thought it would be. For 18 years I thought about what it would be like to go to college, and in none of my wildest dreams did I imagine this.  

Coming to a new place is hard enough, but when you have to stand six feet away from everyone you meet it become infinitely harder. I remember feeling lonely the first few weeks. Classes online meant no faces and black squares. I could not meet my classmates and I could not say hi. Class discussion became a jumbled mess of sound and bad internet to the point where I did not want to try. Penn State did their best to change this situation. They held outdoor events like movies, had events on the Hub Lawn, but every time something happened all I heard from other people was how much better it usually was. I think that the way that these pictures in the article are taken show how people are trying to make the best out of a terrible situation, something that no one ever imagined. But in the photos, everyone seems a little sad, too. Sad that this happened at all, sad that they wasted a year of college staring at a screen.  

In many ways I feel lucky to be able to have a freshman year at all – to be able to meet people, no matter how weird it is, and to be able to experience some of what it is like to be on my own. But I cannot say I am happy to have missed all of the things freshmen usually do. To have everyone hang out in dorm halls, to go to football games, and to just experience life on my own how I wanted to. While we work towards the future and look past the pandemic, everyone seems to be excited for what’s next, and I am trying to be. But in some ways, it feels like I am going to be a freshman again, like I am going to experience everything for the first time. If I am right, I hope that it is amazing, but I cannot imagine my life outside of that Zoom box just yet.  

President Joseph R. Biden’s entire campaign was run on the concept of bridging the divide between parties, classes, countries, and even racial disparities. In a time of polarity in many aspects of the country, his goal was to create a campaign focused on bringing everyone together. He largely did this and was successful as he was elected the 46th President of The United States of America. That is why it was so important for him to stress unity in his inaugural address. Under Donald Trump’s presidency, we saw divides grow further. Politics became more polarizing and more than once the entire government ground to a halt. When the COVID-19 Pandemic started to emerge, Trump handled it poorly and with little to no competence. Getting America back on track was to many a goal that seemed too good to be true. But uniting behind the other candidate gave others more hope than anything else.  

I believe that the main goal of President Biden’s inaugural address was to establish that feeling of hope and unity in the country. After a long race he had the goal of uniting even those who did not vote for him. He stated time and time again that he would be a president for all, not just those who voted for him, and I think that this is the backbone of his speech. Many did not like him, and even the election itself was controversial due to claims of fraud. But he aimed to put that all behind him and make himself the one legitimate president of the United States. I think that he continued to hit on this point throughout the speech, bringing it up every once in a while, as a reminder. The goal seemed to be to make everyone relax and breathe a sigh of relief. That he would begin the long road of fixing the cracks in our democracy. No matter what happens over the next four years, this speech was meant to instill hope that it would be better than the years before.  

I also think that a goal of President Biden’s speech was actually to be boring, regular, and non-controversial. Donald Trump was arguably one of the most controversial presidents in American history, and this was something that Biden wanted to avoid. Americans have this idea that the president is supposed to be a levelheaded, smart, thoughtful person who can make the best decisions for the people of the country. That is the air Biden was trying to have with his speech. I think he did this well, too. Many said he seemed presidential, and although that term will always be determined by the person speaking it, many were relieved to see this. One day without something controversial happening felt like a relief to those who were tired of the news cycle being what it was. That is why I feel Biden succeeded in what he set out to do. He wanted to calm the American people and let everyone know that the time of division was over. Although his actions will determine if this statement was true, for a minute, his speech allowed many to think it was.  

Groundhog Day is one of those movies that is redone every so often with a fresh take. What seems like a simple concept is, in fact, not. The movie itself focuses on what someone would do if there were no consequences for their actions. It follows Bill Murray’s character as he goes through the same day over and over again and does different things. After living many unsatisfying days, he realizes that he wants more and helps everyone around him. This eventually ends the cycle. The large part of this movie focuses on the importance of positive actions and how they affect others. It asks the question of how someone would live their life if they thought about every second of every day and the consequences that their actions would have. That is why I really like this movie, because it is much deeper when you look into the meaning of it.  

I often think that people spend too much time looking ahead to what’s next and just brush past what’s happening in the moment. It is important to think about your actions, but it is also very important to realize that what is happening now may affect those around you and even yourself dramatically. Because of this, it is important for people to think more in the moment instead of ten minutes ahead. This directly correlates to living a civic life. A civic life is one that has a positive effect on the community, a meaningful one. One that does not only benefit the person, but also the people in the community who live with the person. As we see Bill Murray’s character run rampant across a town, we can see how important one person’s actions are on the lives of countless others. He successfully leaves the dreaded time loop only when he makes positive change. Does this mean that the people who made the movie are trying to say that living a civic life is someone’s most important job?  

I think that living in the moment and mindfulness are often overlooked, and so I think that this movie really highlights the importance of it. It makes you think what would I do if I were stuck in this same day over and over again? How would I act? How would I treat those around me? Although I would like to think I would do the right thing, it is hard to know what would happen after a while. One thing I do know is that it is important to treat others how you would want to be treated. How Bill Murray’s character treats other characters throughout the movie plays a large part in the movie and the plot. The world is forever changed by each action each person takes, and those who think they do not matter are often those who make a bigger impact. Being mindful of one’s surroundings can be the key to a positive life, and I think that’s what the movie does best. It puts each day in perspective. Each day is special, and we should live it as such.  

As the new semester starts, a new blog starts as well. There are a few differences and a few similarities to last semester. One of these similarities is the Passion Blog. The Passion Blog from last semester that I wrote centered on my travels through the National Park system. I did not actually say all I wanted to say about it, and I think that continuing the topic would be awesome. I have at least one more park to get to, and I also want to talk about the history of the parks and their conservation. I can also talk about some national monuments, as well as historical landmarks. By broadening the subject while staying within the boundaries of the Department of the Interior, I can really highlight the work that the department does and how important it is to the country and the world. If I were to switch up my topic, I would talk about my newfound love for running. I have been running now for almost a year and I love it. I would talk about how I got into running and what I like to wear when I run. I could also talk about how I got to where I am, and where I want to get to as far as conditioning. Although I love that topic, I think that I have more to say by continuing to talk about the country’s national landmarks and parks.  

The Civic Issue blog on the other hand is new. This blog is focused on an issue that is prevalent to the country and our society now, something that I can explore and share about. The obvious idea to me is to talk about sustainability and the environment. I think that there is a lot for me to talk about there. Last semester I did a project on the state of the energy industry, and I think I could use that information as a steppingstone to a larger blog. I could talk about energy, such as how the future of the industry might work, the government’s new environmental policies under the Biden administration and more. I think that this is a topic that is very important to talk about, and that I would be very interested to do more research on it. The other topic that I could talk about would be foreign policy. The United States is in a very strange place right now on the world stage due to the former president, Donald Trump. Over the next few months, we will see President Biden try to work to fix the relationships that have been fractured. I can also look at how the pandemic has affected international relations. These two subjects have a lot to unpack and would be fun to write about, I think. 

Finally, there is the, “This I Believe,” project. Looking at this project I realized that I needed to look at my passions. I had to look at where I got these passions from and the events and relationships that shaped them. One idea that I had would be to talk about the environment. I talked about this in the Civic Issue blog section but if I chose to go another way then this would be a perfect place to write about my passion for sustainability. It may even work if I chose to write about this subject for both. I can trace my interest in sustainability through specific events in my life, and I think this would make a great podcast. My final idea is my struggle with religious identity. Although I am not a very religious person, I was born into a Jewish household. I had a Bar Mitzvah when I came of age as well. Exploring the family that I came from and what I believe could be an interesting topic for me to explore.  

The pandemic has created a new identity for the food, entertainment, and health industries. The way that these places have tried to combat the restrictions and changes have created a new world for these owners and workers. Along with all of this change is new advertising and new methods of delivery of the product that people buy. One thing that I do not see struggling as much as other industries is the coffee industry. As a college student coffee has become a daily necessity and the way that people deliver the coffee is changing. Starbucks now is pushing online delivery. At the front of every store, they now have the words, “order ahead online.” They push this so that when you come into the store you have minimal contact. Other coffee shops around the city have changed as well. Those that don’t have the resources that Starbucks does have put ordering on their website instead of an app and have windows outside the shops to order from.  

Over the past two weeks, since I got home from school, I have been exploring the different coffee shops and roasteries around the city. I was able to see the different methods that shops have used. The coffee shop Ultimo, a neighborhood spot, has a window where you can order and pick up the coffee. They have a chalk board outside encouraging you to order online and a link. Although not as easy as the Starbucks app, they offer something that Starbucks doesn’t, something personal. Another shop has a better system online. The Rival Bros Coffee Company has a website that sends you directly to their different locations’ menus. They have a system of two windows, one for ordering and one for picking up. Unlike Starbucks where you have to go into the stores, these locations allow you to get coffee without ever stepping inside.  

The coffee industry has changed, and the change is based on the resources that each company and store have. The Starbucks app has a menu and records all of the orders that you have had so that you can go back to them easily. The new holiday cups came with an encouragement to order online and they ask your name when you come inside. Although this method is more seamless, I have to wonder if the other method of staying outside the whole time, which gives you less of a chance of contracting the virus, is more effective. In a world where the easiest method has become the optimal method, companies have begun to try to advertise their safety, that is the best method of advertising. By looking at coffee companies we can see how an industry has adapted to the new norms. How long this will last is hard to say, but I wonder if these online methods will become the more popular method even after the restrictions are lifted. Will the money being invested in these new methods of delivery change the industry forever? We will have to wait and see.  

The Pandemic has created a world that until a few months ago seemed dystopian. In a world where human contact is limited, so much has happened and changed not just politically, but personally. I started college, which was much different from what I ever thought it would be. I had to wear a mask, things were closed, and football games were only on the television. Penn State worked hard to make it work as did other schools, though some not as successfully, and a strange routine became commonplace. I would have class online when the classrooms where siting empty not a five-minute walk from my room. But everyone did their best, and in a world that seemed to stand still for me the larger scheme of things kept moving. An already polarized political society began to crack at the seams, with protests and riots and a questioning of the political system that the country has relied upon for so long. I feel like the world that we knew before the pandemic will not return.  

When I say this, I don’t mean that I think we won’t return to in person activities, because I do, but I mean that the problems that the pandemic has   uncovered will not go away. The struggles of the working class, the distrust of the political system, and the corrupt healthcare network that let so many falls through the cracks will be at the front of everyone’s minds. This leads me to question where we go next. I believe that under the new administration things can change for the better. With the appearance of a vaccine there is hope of returning to activities that we took for granted, but that is just the beginning. The reforms that need to happen start with a government that can push for change, and to do this we as a people must continue to protest and make our voices heard. We must push for climate justice, a reform of the justice system, and so much more. The funny thing to me is the change we have seen during this pandemic has been greater than the past few years. I truly believe that large scale change is on the horizon and I hope it is for the better.  

So, when I am asked what civic activities have come up during the pandemic, I think of the political and societal change that everyone has been pushing for. It is important to remember that much of this has happened before the pandemic, a push for change is not new but it has been in the front of everyone’s minds in a way that it hasn’t in a very long time. I have hope for the future. The Biden administration has many promises, and I would like to think that they can keep all of them, but I will have to see what the future holds. For now, I think it is important for all of us to keep speaking up, change won’t happen without that. The pandemic has changed lives forever, but how we deal with the repercussion will be very important to the identity of the country.  

Writing a speech about something from my hometown that seemed so commonplace was a strange experience. In everyday life we see things and begin to take them for granted. It is hard to imagine the work and thought that goes into the things we see when we pass them by on the way to our destination. Advertising is definitely one of those things for me. The cheesesteak is a sandwich known around the world, and it is known as a Philly thing. Something we created, and something that we continue to do the best. I do not go to Pats or Genos often, but it is an attraction that many tourists come to see. My English teacher in high school once said to take a day every once in a while, to be a tourist in your hometown. That you would see where you live in a totally different light. That’s what it felt like for me to look at this infamous rivalry. Pats and Genos, pancakes and waffles, how good is Carson Wentz really? These endless debates are things that fascinate me, so I decided to look into how they advertise against each other.  

Showing my group my speech felt weird. I don’t love hearing my own voice and it felt very vulnerable. But the response I got surprised me. They seemed to really like my speech. They all agreed that my pacing was good and that I spoked clearly. The one main criticism that I got was that I paused for too long in some places or stumbled over my own words for a second. These are all things that to me come with practice. The uncomfortable truth of public speaking is that the only way to get good at it, is to do it. I think this really helped me gain confidence in my own words and feel like I can speak at a pace that I think affects the crowd the best. Overall, I like where my speech went, and I am proud of it.  

When we left off Hill Billy Golf and a cinnamon bun had taken over the night. As fun as the town itself was, it was time to see the national park itself. The Great Smoky Mountains are unlike anything I have ever seen. Lush green forests, valleys, waterfalls, all teeming with life. It is hard to completely understand how large the park actually is. It can feel crowded at times, but it is big enough to feel lost in if you want to. The more you explore, the more you understand that this park protects 522,419 acres of land. As a mountain range it has plenty of uphill hikes to explore. I remember a very specific, very steep hike. Straight out of the car we started towards the trail head. It was somewhat busy which I didn’t love, but I understood that the farther we went the fewer people we would see. The packed dirt path was covered in rocks and a canopy of trees. As we walked, we started to see this specific spider, as it turns out I hate spiders. Though I didn’t like it, I pushed forward a bit more and came to a stream that cut straight through the path horizontally. There was a rock path through it. For some reason this specific stream stuck with me. There was not anything special about it. It was just a pure, clean, natural stream. Moss covered rocks guided the crystal-clear water down the mountain to a place I couldn’t follow. Moments like this, one where nature just hits you, are the moments that I think make national parks so special to so many people.  

I may love national parks, and my family may love hiking, but I am not sure I would describe ourselves as outdoors people. Because of that I was shocked when my parents wanted to have a picnic for lunch on a campground in the park. There was a sandy patch of woods next to a large stream with benches. I remember that there was a small store for the campers to get stuff and inside the store was a deli. I got a barbeque pulled pork sandwich. I have said before that food is a focal point for my family. Maybe that is why I remember so vividly a lunch we had when I can’t remember other moments, but it was one of the few times I can remember my family going on a picnic. For these moments alone The Great Smoky Mountains will always hold a special place in my heart.