Author: MAGGIE WONG

 

After watching the film Extremis, it really shined light on how difficult the life of an intensive care worker can be on a regular basis. Usually patients take the opinion from the physician since they believe whatever the doctors says is the best option. That’s why watching the documentary was so moving, everyone in that situation doesn’t have the stable mentality to make such a huge decision. With the introduction of Donna, her family saw that being connected to all those tubes was making her miserable, but if she wasn’t, her life would be in fatal risk. Families have to determine how long they want life to linger on, and question would their sick ones feel more pain than relief. 

The filming captured by Dan Krauss was remarkable, even in a short period of 24 minutes, the film packed in so much about such a sensitive topic. Before taking this class, I never really focused on the different angles that directors use when filming, but now I see a significant impact. The close up shots on the face showed the true remorse each person was going through whether it be the patient, family member or Dr. Zitter herself. Even the background music and side shots added an extra depth to the story, since the environment inside the ICU is rarely documented on such a large scale. 

 

 

Host Intro (NOT RECORDED): 2020 marks a year like no other. Events meant to bring people together, such as sports events and concerts, have all been eliminated indefinitely. As professional athletes take a pause in the game, so do those in college. Maggie Wong visits Long Island University, in order to get an insight of how football players and head coaches are adjusting their agenda. 

TRACK: Joey Motto is a junior studying Health Sciences and plays on the defensive line. Following an ankle surgery freshman year, COVID hit last season which delayed his playing progress. LIU hopes that daily testing is one step closer to normality. 

ACT-Joey: I’m a commuter to LIU from Queens, and this is my third year doing so. COVID changed a lot of things for me. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, now I have to be here at 6am for a COVID test, which is basically every other day. Another thing is having to fill out a daily health self-assessment online and I fill it out with everything in order to enter campus for practice. 

TRACK: Even with the increasing number of cases, coaches and players were determined to get back into action. He explains how vigilant a morning of practices can be especially throughout the pandemic.

ACT-Joey: When COVID first started in Spring 2020, all practices were canceled up until fall. This was only possible because coaches made a plan for us. We were put in small pods(groups) based on our position. We have to stick throughout the whole practice with our pods and they’ll start either on the field or the weight room which rotates everyday. In the weight room, they have hand sanitizer stations and cleaning stations to clean equipment after use. 

AMBI: Large crowd cheering during a game. 

TRACK: That’s a sound all the players on the team love and miss. The athletic director has prohibited fans during the game and that takes a massive toll on athletes. Fans and loved ones are forced to support outside the stadium or virtually. 

ACT-Joseph: On a regular season, there’s about 10 games, maybe a little more for playoffs, but due to COVID, this year there’s only 4 games. Before everyone would’ve traveled for away games, now it’s only two-deep. The games are very different because there’s no spectators, the only life is your team and the opponents. You have to bring the hype and motivate your team. It starts very slow in the beginning until the start of action and movement which is life of the game. 

TRACK: Joseph Griggs is a freshman studying finance and also plays on the defensive line. After catching COVID and as a person who dorms, he reveals the real side of how LIU is helping students who are dealing with the virus. 

ACT-Joseph: I currently live in upstate New York, and I dorm at Kings Hall in LIU. I got COVID around February 10th of this year, and I got it from helping a family member who was ill, but wasn’t from COVID. We didn’t know he had COVID at the time, so when I helped him, he infected me. The quarantine process basically is where they remove you from everyone else, and put you in an isolation room, lock you in there, expect you not to go anywhere.

TRACK: Along with other complications, homesick being a major one, COVID became an extra bundle of stress. Similar to the rest of society, quarantine hasn’t been a pleasant time. 

ACT-Joseph: Considering that my mom passed away and a lot of other issues, quarantine felt pretty bad. They locked you in there with no social interaction along with nothing else in the room, so you stare at walls all day. For me, quarantine felt like hell, like prison, pretty trash. They didn’t provide water or food to the level you wish, or it wasn’t good. 

TRACK: Like many others, Joseph has an athletic scholarship from LIU but it might be at risk if the virus excels. He feels a buildup of pressure mainly as a freshman and worries he won’t be able to show his talent on the field. 

ACT-Joseph: Missing 10 days of football is not ideal because, during that time, the season is going so you’re missing a lot of development and important practice time to where in a few years they might not give you another scholarship because you’re not making an impact with the time you’re missing. 

AMBI: Sound of drills during practice

TRACK: Bryan Collins is head coach of the LIU Sharks and along with other coaches, have taken significant measures making sure the team can workout safely. Being labeled a division 1 school brings an overwhelming amount of pressure aiming for the best. 

ACT-Collins: I’ve been head coach at LIU for over 20 seasons and In all my life of coaching I have never seen anything like this happen. We were fortunately lucky enough to even hold practices, but of course serious precautions are in place. Our main goal is to contain the virus and those who fail to follow instructions will face accountability. It would be taking the time to come in earlier or staying behind while everyone else is gone doing 100 burpees. Personally I know how hard this has been for my boys, I have a daughter who plays field hockey and I can’t be there to support her. Everyone’s trying their best to get through the season. 

TRACK: Collin’s main fear is getting back positive results, unsure of how much of the team has been exposed. Having changes to online has thrown off the balance of his plans claimed to be successful during previous years. 

ACT-Collins: I would say the most difficult part about the pandemic is the distance created amongst the players physically and mentally. Football is a close contact sport, and even with regular testings, we don’t know for sure who might contract the virus yet be asymptomatic. A number of our players and fellow coaches have been positive which creates a null in the schedule. Our meetings are normally held in the Pratt Recreation Center, but now we’re forced to do so all on Zoom. I have guys who are freshmen and those who got injured in previous seasons, so it lacks time to build a strong relationship which is needed to defeat other teams. 

TRACK: COVID has posed a major threat to all of our student athletes, leaving them with an uncertain future. Testing and vaccines is the only way that we can enjoy and support sports games again. For Baruch College, I’m Maggie Wong.

Script

INTRO: Technology comes in many forms and has made our lives high-powered and sophisticated as can be, but how has it really affected mankind? It changed the way people communicate, think, and learn but isn’t always positive. Maggie Wong discusses with her brother the influences of technology on a daily basis. 

AMBI: Students saying bye after a Zoom conference

TRACK: I’m here today with Louis, at home in Queens, NY as he’s finishing up an online class. He is a master’s student at Queens College pursuing a degree in history education with the job of a group leader for teenagers. With working from home recently and taking classes through Zoom, he has a strong opinion on the influences of technology in society. 

ACT:LOUIS: Computers became so convenient that people forgot how life was before all this advancement. I didn’t have my first phone till I was in the 8th grade, now toddlers are using these devices. Anything can be done at the comfort of our homes with the touch of the button. Movies appear on websites shortly after being released, shopping is shipped right outside your door, and people don’t even hang out much anymore with online communication. Technology is slowly isolating people from common activities once done together. 

TRACK: With a rise in social media usage among teenagers these days, Louis acknowledges the negative effects brought forward that can be threatening for upcoming generations. 

ACT:LOUIS: I never expected people to be so toxic tho, constantly comparing ourselves with everyone, even friends and peers. Many students I work with suffer from anxiety and depression since cyberbullying is becoming a serious issue. Human nature has a mindset that popularity and money creates happiness. However, that’s completely false. I see people doing bizarre stunts just for views knowing they’ll end up hurt but believe it’s worth their 15 minutes of fame.

TRACK: Technology has helped strengthen the medical field, education purposes, businesses and the overall population. If people were deprived of phones, we would practically be lost on the streets and have a higher risk of being in danger. 

ACT:LOUIS: Technology has practically shifted everyone’s lives. Phones have become so sophisticated people can track sleep schedules, research other treatment options and monitor heart rate at home. Doctors can store their patient’s information all in a website along with using advanced machines in diagnosing problems. People have become smarter with the addition of the internet. Before, you would have to read a book to learn something, now you just search the web. It also provides safer neighborhoods with camera surveillance as well as GPS on phones navigating routes. 

TRACK: Technology will continue to transform humanity without doubt in ways we’ll never see coming. Individuals must understand the internet is forever, and taking something back isn’t as easy as the first time being sent. For Baruch College, I’m Maggie Wong. 

 

1. A story about how my boyfriend’s college football has been affected since the start of covid in particular practice routines and games.
2. A story about the day in the life of a close friend who works as a nurse aide in a rehabilitation center with high stress levels.

https://maggiew8.medium.com/shopping-giant-causes-division-in-long-island-eb143adb028e

For my photo essay, I plan on discussing how COVID has affected celebrations during the Lunar New Year. As many holidays, it is filled with fun festivities and spending time with family members celebrating the new year. Due to the virus, big gathering have been permitted in fear of someone getting sick and increasing the possibility of getting sick. Now people are forced to celebrate in small groups and since it only happens once a year, the older generation want to spend time with relatives as much as they can. In previous years, people get together to feast and distribute red envelopes in hope for a prosperous year ahead.

Another difference that’s happening this year is the change in outdoor celebrations as people can’t gather to watch in person. Some of these events included lion dances that bring good luck and fortune. Now events will be held online and don’t bring as much happiness to those since there’s a loss of connection. I want to document the comparison of lunar year celebrations based on previous years and 2021 where coronavirus is still very present.