The coronavirus has affected schools all over the nation. We spoke with a few college members from around the country to see what their experience has been like.
(Sally Major) “Everything’s shut down. Initially they just told us that classes would be canceled, but that the campus would still be open for people to come and go as they pleased. But then everything, like everything, closed down when the governor shut down the state. So it’s been an adjustment going from all, you know, interaction we’re super interaction based school being a technical college to now like having to do all of these virtual calls, simulations basically online.”
(Carol Bigelow) “I’m quite the people person. I like to be around people, I get my energy from being around people. That’s why I love my job. You know, so I get to – Just being home now is very different because I don’t see people. I mean, I see our family, but I don’t see people that have that daily interaction. And it was always different. Every day was different. I was meeting different customers. Visitors to the museum. And so, it’s quiet.”
(Benjamin Grass) “You know as much as it would be nice to just like have a normal schooling experience again, it’s the social aspect that I’m missing the most. I love my family, they’re great. I’m sick of them. I actually, just today, went on a walk and I saw one of my friends, my neighbor – we just stood 10 feet apart in his drive when we just talked for a while which is nice because I haven’t had much human contact outside of my family.”
Just like many people involved with JCCC, these students and faculty are facing trying situations.
(Major) “It’s been really difficult. I’m in my senior year, so we’re doing like twelve-hour clinical days at this point. So going from a twelve-hour clinical day, where we’re in the hospital interacting with people face to face and learning how to do like super important skills to now not being able to be in the hospital at all and having to do it all like virtually online. It’s kind of just a downer.”
(Grass) “I am involved in research with a professor of mine, and that’s being pretty heavily impacted. Especially since he’s eighty five. o he’s got to be careful with him and his family. And you know, we still kind of have to figure that out how we’re going to conduct, or try to conduct, this research over Zoom I guess maybe I know we’re going to do but yeah. That one that one’s getting hurt a little bit. I think that was the class that’s going to be most impacted by this.”
For The Campus Ledger, I’m Landen Fields.