election – arts, ink.

Study Hal: Week 26 – Refreshed

November 10, 2020November 10, 2020 Leila Mullison Leave a comment

Like much of the United States, Hal spent last week waiting for election results by constantly refreshing the vote map. When the news came in about our new president-elect, Hal actually felt relieved and refreshed… But it only lasted about 10 seconds. Then he realized how much work piled up while he was worrying about the election results.

It’s been really hard to balance schoolwork with the stress of modern issues. The fight for equal rights and a more democratic and unified country are far from over, but us students have 30 pages of reading and five essays due next week… Hal would like to remind you to be kind to yourself in the coming weeks. He’s working hard to get back on track, but even if it’s slow, it’s amazing to be doing any work at all in a time like this. To all of the students trying to hang in there: amazing job so far, and you’ve got this going forward!

In case this is your first time here, Hal is a U-M student who’s studying remotely for 2020. He’s back on Tuesdays with new adventures, but you can check out all of the previous weeks on the Study Hal tag.

A Song for a Step Forward

November 9, 2020November 9, 2020 Josie Faith 1 Comment

A song I wrote for election week and some of the emotions I’ve observed in the past few days:

Verse

Weatherman said the forecast was looking cloudy
and I think it’d be safe to say that that’s been true
every word said had we the people doubting
if this was a week which we could all get through

Verse

All got out of bed on Tuesday with a purpose
then the waiting began to see who’d win and lose
each woman, man, other identifying person
was holding their breath their eyes fixed to the news

Pre-Chorus

and it took a few more days than we’d have liked
had our fingers crossed that things would turn out right

Chorus

This is a song for a step forward
a song for brand new days
I know not everyone’s happy
with the decision that’s been made
but this is it, this is now
we’ve got a woman in the white house
history is being made in front of our eyes
what crazy times for us to be alive

Verse

for now the united states still stands pretty divided
but the president elect isn’t only just for blue
to stand for all America, he’s decided
red, blue, him, her, we, them, me, or you

Pre-Chorus

and it took a few more days than we’d have liked
to learn what we hoped to know last Tuesday night

Chorus

But this is a song for a step forward
a song for brand new days
I know not everyone’s happy
with the decision that’s been made
but this is it, this is now
we’ve got a woman in the white house
history is being made in front of our eyes
what crazy times for us to be alive

Bridge

we the people of this country
face the end of a 4 year age
it’s been educational
but we’re turning the page
raise the flag

Half-Chorus

This is a song for a step forward
a song for brand new days
I know not everyone’s happy
but the decision has been made

Chorus

Outro

what crazy times for us to be alive

Study Hal: Week 25 – Election Day

November 3, 2020November 3, 2020 Leila Mullison Leave a comment

Hello from the polls! Hal’s been pretty stressed about the election. But, that anxiety inspired him to be an election official, to help folks vote in person! It’s a good cause, but, like the rest of the election inspectors in Michigan, he had to get up early. (Early enough to be at his precinct at 6 AM!)

If you can vote and you haven’t already submitted an absentee ballot, please try to get out to the polls today! Folks like Hal are there to help you make your voice heard as quickly and safely as possible. Check out The Michigan Daily for info on in-person Ann Arbor precincts, and be sure to get in line before 8 PM in Michigan! On that note, please be kind to your election officials, too! They’ll probably be working until after 10 PM to ensure everything runs smoothly.

In case you’ve missed it, Hal is a U-M student studying remotely this semester! Check out the Study Hal tag to learn more, and see more clips here every Tuesday!

Study Hal: Week 22 – Absentee

October 13, 2020October 13, 2020 Leila Mullison 1 Comment

Just about everyone has been talking about the upcoming election, and for good reason! It’s important to make your voice heard, and during a pandemic, voting takes extra planning. Hal has had his absentee ballot for a while now. He decided to take a break from studying to fill it in, but he didn’t realize before opening the ballot that there were so many items to vote for!

Though he was tempted to skip the races he didn’t understand, Hal researched every race using the League of Women Voters nonpartisan voter guide. (They have different chapters all over the country! Hal highly recommends finding your local voting guide.) Hal was able to find candidates he agrees with and figure out what the proposals mean. It took him a while to get it all sorted out, but he did it! Tomorrow morning, he’s going to drop off his signed and sealed ballot in the official drop box in front of the city hall. Have you already voted, or do you have a voting plan? Better yet, do you have any voting uncertainties that Hal or I could help you with? Leave us a comment below!

If you’ve missed it, Hal is a student at U-M who’s staying remote for the semester. He’s around every week with a new video, so check out the Study Hal tag to see more!