Items

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  2020-05-04

  Transition to Online Classes

  As a Junior in college, the transition to online classes have been what I expected. They started off really difficult but as the semester comes to an end, it seems like we are getting used to them now. We were exactly halfway through our semester when we were told to shift to online format. That was quite the disruption. All my belongings were left in my apartment and I had to drive 6 hours to go and move out, since there were no flights. Along with classes still giving a full workload, this was not easy. I found it quite difficult to focus with online classes since it was so easy to drift off while listening to a zoom lecture. Normally, I don’t use a laptop in lecture halls because it is to distracting. And I was right, it is very distracting. Nevertheless, midterms were also a fiasco. Only one was proctored and that was a mess. It was through zoom and it was quite distracting. The average ended up being in the 50’s leading to a big curve given to us. My exams that weren’t proctored were still difficult since learning the material was a challenge. I am studying computer science so the material in my Junior year is quite challenging. Nevertheless, everyone has made their best effort to the transition. One thing that is the hardest with the transition were projects. My classes had group projects and working online like this with a group is difficult. We often couldn’t get a time to work because we are in different time zones. In addition, we had to screen share and give remote access to each others computers to complete basic tasks. Often I found it better to just work alone and then collaborate for email. Losing the interaction of groups was the most difficult. However, the professor was considerate and gave extensions and a lot of extra credit. He added upward of 40 bonus points to help us. This shows that professors do understand the hardship to transfer to remote learning, because even they must be facing hardships during these times. If this has to continue in the Fall it wont be as bad because I would only be taking electives in my final year. I would miss the interactions that I have on campus but it is unfortunate situation we are all in and we are making the best of this situation.
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  2020-05-01

  The Danger of Being Essential

  Everyone in the entire world has been affected in one way or another by the pandemic of COVID-19. The rapid spread and contagiousness of the virus has made the spread of the virus virtually impossible to contain, because of this, the virus has gone worldwide in a matter of months and has caused many casualties. My mother is a nurse working on the frontlines, and every day I am afraid for her. My family faces the constant fear of exposure. To protect the rest of the family, my mother has been quarantining herself on one side of the house and has been very careful about keeping clean and using disinfectants. I know that the work my mom does has taken a toll on her mental health lately. She seems more discouraged and less motivated than usual. Part of this is likely her isolation from her family, however, I think that working on the frontlines right now can be very stressful and I know that is it typical to lose faith in modern medicine at a time like this. My mother has mentioned how sad it is to see people on their deathbed, when there is nothing you can do to save them. She told me one of her patients was an elderly man who had no family except for his wife, and he could not contact her, and she could not visit him during his last hours of life. This made me realize how terrifying it can be to have the coronavirus. While I was discussing the virus with my mother, she told me about the supply shortages that many hospitals are experiencing at the moment. The main issue is with ventilators. Many coronavirus patients need to be put on a ventilator to facilitate their recovery, but without these machines, there are many more casualties. There is also a shortage in Tylenol and medical masks. Tylenol is used as a pyretic to reduce fever in patients and reduce pain from the symptoms. Medical masks are needed most in hospital settings because the healthcare providers need to be protected the most. Everyday Healthcare workers put their lives on the line by going to work and treating coronavirus patients, and every day they are helping to improve the statistics of the coronavirus pandemic. I worry for my mother every time she goes to work and pray that she stays safe and healthy despite the factors not in her favor.
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  2020-03-22

  Maintaining Friendships at Home

  During the Coronavirus pandemic crisis over the last few months, it has been very hard to keep in touch with friends and extended family. Because we are all stuck inside, and there aren’t many ways to reach out to people, it has been very hard for me to feel connected to my social circle. Luckily, my closest friends and I stay connected by calling each other on FaceTime at least once a week, and this image was captured during one of those facetime calls. I love my friends like they are family, and these weekly calls are what are helping me get through these lonely and monotonous times. My everyday life has been reduced to home workouts, schoolwork, and television. Working out at home and by myself often leaves me feeling discouraged, but I have been using this problem of mine as a way to stay connected with my friends. The girls in my group of friends have all started tracking our workouts and activity levels. We have all been communicating about our progress and occasionally we will also share new workouts with each other. This is really great because it is especially important now that we all keep our health at it’s very best in the case that we do catch the virus. I have realized that some of my friendships rely solely on common classes or certain activities and face to face interaction. Now that I do not have the opportunity to do such things, these friendships have started to fade. It’s hard to know the status of a relationship. Some friendships are strong enough to last through hard times, and some friendships fade when times get tough. Though it feels awful to lose a friend, it is more comforting to realize that maybe they were not great friends if they cannot stay in contact through this pandemic crisis. Although it is tough not being able to see friends and some family, it is important to stay inside and encourage others to do so as well. Going out to eat and going to places surrounded by people is only going to cause the number of cases to rise. Not only does going out put your own health at risk, but it puts the health of everyone you come in contact with at risk. Right now, it is very important to keep in mind that the best way to care for those you love is to stay away from them and stay safe.
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  2020-04-02

  Living Through a Pandemic

  It never occurred to me that a virus starting in Wuhan, China could create a significant impact in other countries far away. Nevertheless, here I am sitting in isolation, or as our government calls it "social distancing." Myself, and all the other college students have had to convert to online learning. Which has not been that bad, but there are some times where I have missed a class or two to gain more snooze time. Online school has made me realize how much I miss being in the physical classroom. The aspect of repetition every week kept my mental health stable. I as well as many others have also had to deal with heading back home to our parents. Just as I caught a glimpse of independence, I'm back under my mother's rule of "my house my rules." My mom works for DCFS (child protective services) and is considered an essential worker. She as well as many other essential workers are commonly face to face with the virus on the daily. Specifically, my mom has to evaluate houses in Aurora and Elgin, Illinois, where the virus is hitting Kane County the hardest. It's scary to know that someone in my family can be easily exposed to the virus. But I understand that she has to do her job and keep children safe, especially during a pandemic where she has told me, "people become crazier when they're stuck in their houses." In the first month of being back home, many arguments were had with my 22-year-old brother and mom, so I decided to move to my dad's house and have been here ever since. Many other families have experienced the same problems with communication and alone time as it is hard when you're stuck with one another for 24/7.
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  2020-05-04

  Suspension of volunteer work on the Appalachian Trail

  This is the official guidance from the National Park Service Superintendent for the Appalachian Trail National Scenic Trail on the continued suspension of all volunteer activities on the AT. It is a continuation of a previous policy.
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  2020-05-04

  Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates Institute of Museum and Library Services

  One of the major grant funding agencies for library and museum projects has extended deadlines for grant applications and has instituted other flexibilities.