March 21, 2020
Did you change your spring break plans because of the virus? From what to what?
Not really, I did not any major plans, but because of social distancing I haven’t seen my friends that live in the same town as me.
How did you feel when you were informed the remainder of the semester would be held online?
Heartbroken. I felt absolutely heartbroken. I’m really involved in Campus Ministry and various student publications at St. Ed’s, so I was really sad that I couldn’t continue with those activities. Plus, the best friends I have ever made, were at St. Ed’s, so naturally, I was really sad that I couldn’t see my friends.
Where will you be living while courses are held online? Is this a change from usual?
I will be living at home with my family. I live in a town called Weslaco, which is in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.
What has been your experience with moving classes online? What’s good? What’s not so good?
I hate online classes to be completely honest. I adore my Professors and their personalities, so I hate that I cannot see my and talk to my professors in person, and see my friends in certain classes. I suppose a good thing about online classes though is being able to do everything at a different time, and go at own pace. In a way, everything is going to slow down because I don’t have extra activities to worry about aside from school. Most of my classes are writing classes or lecture based, so content wise, everything is fine, but I prefer being social about my education. I’ll miss office hours. One of my professors always offered this really good coffee whenever I went, and it’s an experience you can’t get from emails.
How has the virus (and the precautions taken to prevent it spreading) impacted your daily life?
I have left my house twice since I’ve come home. Once, to get my haircut, and another to go get coffee at Walmart. Precautions to prevent the spreading of Corona virus have impacted me because I just stay home. Normally I’d go out with my friends, or go to the library to write, but now I just stay home.
How worried are you about getting the virus?
I am a little worried. Just this past week there have been a few cases reported in the Rio Grande Valley, but I have been staying in and I have not been exposed to anyone who has it. I think I’ll be ok.
Do you know anyone who has gotten COVID-19?
No.
Are you staying in? What are you doing to pass the time?
Yes I am staying in. I actually have a short story due tomorrow (Sunday March 22) at midnight, so I have been working on that. My brother and I have also been watching a lot of movies from our childhood. I think we subconsciously on a mission to re-watch as many movies as possible and criticize them. One thing that a friend of mine and I have been doing is sending each other writing prompts. We did the first one yesterday, where we pick a prompt, and then send what we write to each other while on Facetime. It was really fun, we are doing it once a week. I am writing a lot on my own, for things outside of school. There was a flyer going around on Twitter titled the “Quarantine Bake-off’ where students from a school in Minnesota were going to email 5 “ingredients” to people interested in participating. While it was not an actual bake-off the product is a play. So within 32 hours, I wrote a play about what is currently happening in our world while including the five things I was sent. It was really fun and I sent it to my friends to read it.
Are you going out? Where do you go and what is it like?
I am not going out.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about what you’re feeling or experiencing right now?
As a college student, especially one who is really involved on campus; being home the rest of the semester is really hard. I love a busy schedule full of different things. I can go from class to a meeting, to doing homework, to praying with friends, to editing something, to writing for fun, and then back to homework. I love it. So being home and only having to focus on school is a little tough. I am also a very social person in the sense that, I enjoy being around people. Thus far, social distancing has been hard because I am just in my room writing most of the day or hanging out with my brother. Now, don’t get wrong, I love that I have this time with him, but I still miss going down the hall and knocking on my friend Emily’s door to see if she wants to get dinner. Or praying with my friend Thomas on an early weekday, or walking to Rags after class with my roommate Grace. Little things and interactions with people are really what I miss. I’m hoping to live on campus over the summer when I take summer classes, but we’ll see what happens.