By KOLTON FISHBACK, student reporter
At the beginning of the semester, if you were to tell me that we would be forced to finish our classes online, I would have told you that’s crazy, or that you’re out of your mind. But due to the corona virus that has spread across the United States and other parts of the world, it has become a reality and changed our way of life.
My name is Kolton Fishback. I am a student at Northwestern enduring the same struggle along with my fellow classmates trying to survive another semester. My normal routine of attending classes in Carter Hall, eating dinner with friends and finishing the day with a workout in the Wellness Center turned into a distant memory because of the virus.
I was so accustomed to opening my social media and immediately viewing the live highlights from each sport taking place. That is something I looked forward to every day. I cherished every memory I made on campus. I cherished the moments I had watching my girlfriend play softball before her season ended suddenly because of the virus.
When I heard about COVID-19 back in March, I did not think it was anything serious. It was irrelevant to me, because it happened in China. As each day went by, it started to become more serious than I had previously thought. As I scrolled through Facebook and Instagram, my news feed was full of pictures and stories regarding the corona virus. Millions of people have died since the outbreak occurred.
Shortly before spring break the virus became the discussion on campus. Students questioned what would happen to their spring break plans and how the rest of the semester would play out. When I discovered the news in class that our only option would be to transition to online classes, I was upset and nervous about how it could affect my grades.
I don’t like the idea of online classes because I would rather have a teacher in front of me at all times for any questions I might have. The personal connection is much stronger when the teacher is 6 feet from you, not when he/she is looking at you through a camera, waiting for you to unmute yourself in Zoom in order to respond.
I spent the first week of spring break in my dorm, passing the time playing video games and watching movies on Netflix. I was living the quarantine life, as some would say. It was quite boring. The hours turned into days, which eventually turned into a week. It was only the first week, and I was waiting for something exciting to happen, but nothing ever did.
I am fortunate enough to have the cafe prepare meals for me, and for anyone else staying in the dorms. However, the process is different. While walking through the line the cooks are required to put the food in themselves. When I approach the front of the cafe to scan my card, the lady hands me my cup and plastic utensils, and I say thank you. I’m not allowed to touch anything, not even the snacks they lay on the counter for us to choose from. The workers care about our wellbeing so they have to take precautions.
I got my second dose of quarantine when I stayed in Yukon with my girlfriend Jayden and her family. I was thrilled to be out of Alva and have some company by my side. While staying with them one evening, we made the necessary trip to the grocery store to get food and drinks for the time being.
As I entered the store while holding my girlfriends soft, supple hands, I experienced the sheer panic the corona virus has caused. I had only seen this situation in a movie, but never in person. People kept their distance from each other while urgently rushing around the aisles searching for what they needed during this questionable time.
Some people grabbed excessive amounts of produce and assorted meats. The shelf that held the toilet paper was deserted because many would grab more than what they needed. The customers took precautions wearing latex gloves on their hands and surgeon masks on their faces to protect themselves from the virus. The store felt cold and empty in a sense, but it was full of anxious and urgent customers risking their health with every second they spent in the building.
After a week in the city, Jayden and I made our way back to Alva. We passed the time lying in bed, watching movies all day. Quarantine with her is something I do not mind. She received a call from her mom, asking if she would come back home. I was devastated, but supportive in her decision to go back. The days went by and I missed her more each day. One afternoon she told me her mom would not let her come back because of the virus spreading across the country.
I have done my best staying on track with homework while maintaining my personal relationships. A good family FaceTime call always helps when I’m having a bad day. The whole world is uncertain when this pandemic will end, so our new reality is surviving each day in quarantine and not taking anything for granted.