Dublin Core
Title
Not Concerned
Subject
Personal Account of March 11, 2020, the day the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a pandemic
Description
The World Health Organization announced on March 11, 2020 that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic. The following is an account of what I was doing, thinking, and feeling on that day. My opinions and actions currently are drastically different from this day, because I, like many others I am sure, did not anticipate how serious, fatal, and devastating covid-19 would prove to be.
Creator
Nicole Arena
Source
Nicole Arena
Publisher
Nicole Arena
Date
March 11, 2020
Contributor
Nicole Arena
Rights
I own this document and allow it to be used freely in this archive.
Format
Text converted from a word document
Language
English
Type
Personal Narrative Account
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
My Wednesday’s this semester are always super busy, so like any other Wednesday morning I roll out of bed half asleep and start getting ready for my day. Yesterday we got the email from President Barchi that classes at Rutgers would be cancelled due to covid-19 risks starting tomorrow and through spring break, which ends on March 22nd. Honestly, we have hit the point in the semester where I am exhausted all the time, so I do not mind having an extra two days of break. All I need to do is show up today, and then hopefully I can relax a little bit. I woke up ten minutes before I had to leave to be able to avoid the heavy morning Newark traffic and to make it to my 8:30 A.M. Genetics class on time. I was rushing, so I threw on some blue jeans and a sweater, grabbed a Belvita breakfast bar, and ran out the door.
I had an assessment during first period, and then immediately after I had my Literature and Medicine class at 10 A.M. My professor made class optional today for people who did not feel comfortable going to class with the virus risk, and there were not many people in class. We did have a paper due, however our professor told us we could submit the work remotely at a later date as our safety and well-being were more important than a deadline. President Barchi also stated in his email that from March 23rd to April 3rd we would be doing classes from home or remotely. In class we went over an updated syllabus and what the upcoming weeks of remote schooling would be like. I feel very grateful that my professor is so understanding, and I feel relieved that she is willing to work with my class given that we are trying to transition from in person to online learning, at least until the beginning of April. I know that remote learning is not what many teachers or students are used to, so I am interested to see how this is all going to work out. I also feel bad for professors who are old school and do not really use technology that much.
Our professor asked us if there was anything we wanted to talk about or if we were having any anxieties during this time. Honestly, I was not really worried that much. Professors kept asking if we were fearful, and some people had such grim looks on their faces. I do not know why, but this virus is just not really worrying me. I commute, so I had not thought about this, but a couple of students in my class live on campus and were frustrated that they had to leave campus so quickly. The email stating that those in the residence halls should leave within a couple days came out yesterday, and many were stressed that they needed to leave on such short notice. They did not know if they should take all of their belongings with them, or even how they were going to get their things home as some did not have cars as well as other family members might not be able to help them move due to work. My cousin goes to a different university and dorms out of state, and it made me think about the complications for other students who might be living out of state. I think if I were in this situation I would be frustrated too.
After my Literature and Medicine class, I had a meeting for a course I was taking in the Honors College at 11:30 A.M. The course helped students come up with a topic for a senior thesis project, and I ended up changing my topic so that now it would relate to covid-19. I thought it would be interesting to focus on a subject that was affecting people very presently. The meeting was short, and I had time before my next class. Being that I had time to spare and was recommended a book for my potential thesis topic, I went to the library and checked it out. I still had some time, so I went to the History Department where I work. During work I went to the bathroom, and someone did not wash their hands! I was so grossed out! It is nasty to not wash your hands after using the bathroom in the first place, but it makes it even worse that there is a virus spreading! I could not even tell them to wash their hands because they left the bathroom as soon as I was stepping out of the stall. People really are unbelievable sometimes. I made sure to Lysol many of the surfaces in the office.
At 12:55 P.M. I headed to my 1 P.M. Physics class. My instructor informed us that the Physics Department was working hard on coming up with a plan for remote learning, and that she would be giving us specific instructions next week. She gave us advice on not touching our faces, washing hands frequently, and following the CDC’s guidelines. Also, she told us she would miss us and that she was going to try her very best to make remote schooling interactive as possible so that we would still be learning. I was grateful for her understanding as well, and I was thinking about the extra risks posed to her as she was pregnant. She seemed calm, but I imagine now that this time might have been stressful for women who were pregnant.
When class was finished I was going to leave Rutgers, but my sister was coming to campus for her 4 P.M. class and wanted to take my parking spot. Being that Rutgers-Newark is a city school and is made up of a majority of commuters, parking is essentially never available. I leave my house hours before my classes to be able to get a parking spot, so I understood my sister wanting me to wait. To kill some time, I went to the Starbucks on campus and ordered myself an iced tea and her a caramel macchiato. I had a nice conversation with the barista, and then waited in my car until my sister came to the parking lot.
After talking to my sister a little bit, I drove home and relaxed. I was getting a snack to eat, and I realized we had so much food in the house! My aunt was going on about stocking up on groceries just in case. I personally thought she was being a bit batty, but I was glad I had tons of options for my snack. I was so glad the week was over, and I was excited to have some time to sleep and see my friends and family over break.
My Wednesday’s this semester are always super busy, so like any other Wednesday morning I roll out of bed half asleep and start getting ready for my day. Yesterday we got the email from President Barchi that classes at Rutgers would be cancelled due to covid-19 risks starting tomorrow and through spring break, which ends on March 22nd. Honestly, we have hit the point in the semester where I am exhausted all the time, so I do not mind having an extra two days of break. All I need to do is show up today, and then hopefully I can relax a little bit. I woke up ten minutes before I had to leave to be able to avoid the heavy morning Newark traffic and to make it to my 8:30 A.M. Genetics class on time. I was rushing, so I threw on some blue jeans and a sweater, grabbed a Belvita breakfast bar, and ran out the door.
I had an assessment during first period, and then immediately after I had my Literature and Medicine class at 10 A.M. My professor made class optional today for people who did not feel comfortable going to class with the virus risk, and there were not many people in class. We did have a paper due, however our professor told us we could submit the work remotely at a later date as our safety and well-being were more important than a deadline. President Barchi also stated in his email that from March 23rd to April 3rd we would be doing classes from home or remotely. In class we went over an updated syllabus and what the upcoming weeks of remote schooling would be like. I feel very grateful that my professor is so understanding, and I feel relieved that she is willing to work with my class given that we are trying to transition from in person to online learning, at least until the beginning of April. I know that remote learning is not what many teachers or students are used to, so I am interested to see how this is all going to work out. I also feel bad for professors who are old school and do not really use technology that much.
Our professor asked us if there was anything we wanted to talk about or if we were having any anxieties during this time. Honestly, I was not really worried that much. Professors kept asking if we were fearful, and some people had such grim looks on their faces. I do not know why, but this virus is just not really worrying me. I commute, so I had not thought about this, but a couple of students in my class live on campus and were frustrated that they had to leave campus so quickly. The email stating that those in the residence halls should leave within a couple days came out yesterday, and many were stressed that they needed to leave on such short notice. They did not know if they should take all of their belongings with them, or even how they were going to get their things home as some did not have cars as well as other family members might not be able to help them move due to work. My cousin goes to a different university and dorms out of state, and it made me think about the complications for other students who might be living out of state. I think if I were in this situation I would be frustrated too.
After my Literature and Medicine class, I had a meeting for a course I was taking in the Honors College at 11:30 A.M. The course helped students come up with a topic for a senior thesis project, and I ended up changing my topic so that now it would relate to covid-19. I thought it would be interesting to focus on a subject that was affecting people very presently. The meeting was short, and I had time before my next class. Being that I had time to spare and was recommended a book for my potential thesis topic, I went to the library and checked it out. I still had some time, so I went to the History Department where I work. During work I went to the bathroom, and someone did not wash their hands! I was so grossed out! It is nasty to not wash your hands after using the bathroom in the first place, but it makes it even worse that there is a virus spreading! I could not even tell them to wash their hands because they left the bathroom as soon as I was stepping out of the stall. People really are unbelievable sometimes. I made sure to Lysol many of the surfaces in the office.
At 12:55 P.M. I headed to my 1 P.M. Physics class. My instructor informed us that the Physics Department was working hard on coming up with a plan for remote learning, and that she would be giving us specific instructions next week. She gave us advice on not touching our faces, washing hands frequently, and following the CDC’s guidelines. Also, she told us she would miss us and that she was going to try her very best to make remote schooling interactive as possible so that we would still be learning. I was grateful for her understanding as well, and I was thinking about the extra risks posed to her as she was pregnant. She seemed calm, but I imagine now that this time might have been stressful for women who were pregnant.
When class was finished I was going to leave Rutgers, but my sister was coming to campus for her 4 P.M. class and wanted to take my parking spot. Being that Rutgers-Newark is a city school and is made up of a majority of commuters, parking is essentially never available. I leave my house hours before my classes to be able to get a parking spot, so I understood my sister wanting me to wait. To kill some time, I went to the Starbucks on campus and ordered myself an iced tea and her a caramel macchiato. I had a nice conversation with the barista, and then waited in my car until my sister came to the parking lot.
After talking to my sister a little bit, I drove home and relaxed. I was getting a snack to eat, and I realized we had so much food in the house! My aunt was going on about stocking up on groceries just in case. I personally thought she was being a bit batty, but I was glad I had tons of options for my snack. I was so glad the week was over, and I was excited to have some time to sleep and see my friends and family over break.