The coronavirus pandemic has affected millions of people across the globe, including college students. Schools and colleges have shifted classes online for the rest of the semester, graduation and other school activities have been cancelled and students’ academic plans have been affected. Many Tallahassee Community College students returned home, some students stayed in town, but all of them are doing their best to fulfill their academic requirements to finish out the semester despite the societal upheaval.
By Kaitlyn Payne | Student Submission
Personally, this pandemic has affected my family in not many huge ways, but many ways. Since the COVID-19 crisis began, my grandparents have not been able to leave their home. It’s now been three weeks since they have been quarantined, and my mother has had to go to the store for them to get all their personal items.
My mom also began working from home because a co-worker may have contracted the virus and still attended work. Before she was told to work from home, my mom was still working because she is in the healthcare field.
This pandemic has been hard on my brother because he has been staying home from school with a broken femur, which made it difficult for him to do anything for himself.
I had to move back home and cancel all my Spring Break plans. I planned to attend Hangout Fest in mid-May in Gulf Shores, Alabama. I had spent $400 on tickets and transportation alone. Thankfully, event organizers are offering refunds, but whether or not I qualify for a refund is still unknown.
It looks like I may have to cancel my 21st birthday party in early June. I was going to fly to Las Vegas for a birthday extravaganza that I’ve been planning for months.
Someone very close to me who was directly affected by this crisis is my boyfriend, who lost his yachting job on the Caribbean island of Saint Thomas. When he lost his job, he had to move home to back to Naples, Fla.
If I’m to be honest, I’m really living the quarantine life. I bought a kiddie pool. I got Animal Crossing, a game for the Nintendo switch, and I get to see my boyfriend every day. I have working computers to use for my (now) online classes and my grandparents are being nice enough to help fund me while I’m out of a job during this time.
I don’t really know anyone else personally affected by this pandemic. (I live in a really white, really rich town, which is super clean that it’s almost fake.) But I do see tons of tweets and social media posts about people who are personally affected.
I hope everyone is taking the necessary precautions to keep themselves and others healthy. I also encourage everyone who has extra supplies or the means to do so, to help others. Many people are out of jobs and even homes and everyone could use a little extra help during this time.
Kaitlyn Payne is a first-year TCC student from Naples, Fla.
How has this global pandemic affected your life as a TCC student / faculty member / staff member? We want to hear from you. Please send us your story: https://forms.gle/ea4z2LjBQho8FadW7
