By KOLTON FISHBACK
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. But because of the coronavirus 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.
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 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 coronavirus. 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 heard that our only option would be to transition to online classes, I was upset and nervous.
I don’t like the idea of online classes because I would rather have a teacher in front of me for any questions I might have. The personal connection is much stronger when the teacher is six feet from you, not when he or she is looking at you through a camera, waiting for you to unmute yourself.
I spent the first week of spring break in my dorm, passing the time by playing video games and watching movies on Netflix. 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 did.
I am fortunate enough to have the cafe prepare meals for me and anyone else staying in the dorms. However, the process is different.
When I approach the front of the cafe to scan my meal 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 that lie on the counter for us to choose from.
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. One evening, we made the necessary trip to the grocery store to get food and drinks.
As I entered the store while holding my girlfriend’s hands, I experienced the sheer panic the coronavirus has caused.
I had only seen this situation in a movie. People kept their distance from each other while urgently rushing around the aisles.
Some people grabbed excessive amounts of produce and meat. The shelf that held the toilet paper was deserted. The customers took precautions, wearing latex gloves on their hands and surgical 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 customers, risking their health with every second they spent in the building.
After a week, 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 of 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.
I have done my best to stay 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.