With Spring Break in the air, many college kids are so excited to get out of their college town, kick up their feet, and take a break from their rigorous courses. Across the country, it is a common practice for students to plan and go on lavish Spring Break trips with all of their friends to exotic locations that are oftentimes abroad. However, with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) coming in hot, many plans have come to a halt.
As for those students who haven't changed their Spring Break plans or cancelled their trips, they are putting the rest of the university students at risk. In terms of Florida State, the university is taking precautions and putting post-Spring Break plans in place. However, the post spring break plans aren't exactly ideal for most students and learners. Because of travel concerns, all students will be required to quarantine for 14 days upon return to the states from abroad or level 2 countries. This is a large inconvenience for many students because of living situations, work schedules, and pre-determined travel plans to and from Tallahassee. As it stands, the university has elected to suspend in-person learning situations and swapping them out for online learning simulators for the full two weeks following Spring Break.
At current, campus is going to remain open during Spring Break, which is not common practice for the university, and the quarantine, but students are strongly urged to either stay the entire time, or vacate the entire time. Students may not be allowed back on campus for 14 days once they leave. Professors, campus officials, and staff will be on campus once classes commence online for office hours, work, and potential face-to-face meeting, however officials chose to move classes to a distance learning method to enforce the quarantine, avoid large crowds that have the potential to contain COVID-19 cases and spread them, and ensure the safety of all people that pass through Florida State.
Some students are ecstatic about the situation and the extended Spring Break, while others are incredibly upset that they are essentially missing the remainder of the semester and all that it comes with. This distance learning is especially disheartening for the seniors of FSU who along with missing out on a full month with their friends in Tallahassee of their last semester of college, but also are missing out on a series of events through organizations, athletics, and the university, but may potentially not be granted an in person graduation ceremony due to high risk of contamination and spreading COVID-19 in a big crowd.
With this devastation, professors are also being forced to switch to an online method of learning for the two weeks immediately following Spring Break. Some professors are taking the discussion board approach and basically making their class a glorified discussion board for the two weeks, while others are posting videos of them lecturing and some are even going as far as using the platform, Zoom, to do their lectures in real time where the students have to login and check in during class time for participation grades and such.
Of course in true American fashion, everyone has taken to social media to meme COVID-19 to death. My personal favorites are the Tik Toks with the "It's Corona Time" audio. A few of my other favorites have to do with FSU and being a college student and include this drinking game to play during your classes that have switched to the Zoom platform:
Personal Photo
and this very funny tweet about FSU greek life and the Coronavirus:
Twitter
Although this pandemic is being wildly dramatized by many, the Coronavirus is not something to be taken lightly for those that are "at risk", meaning you are of young or old age, or have an autoimmune deficiency. Do your part in lessening the impact of this fatal viral infection by washing your hands well for at least 20 seconds, avoiding large crowds of people, and staying home and away from others if you begin to show any cold or flu-like symptoms. In addition, please take this quarantine business seriously as it may be the difference between spreading and containing this infection. Keep in mind, it is a viral infection so many hand sanitizers and medications cannot fight it off. Also, toilet paper and paper towels cannot fight off COVID-19. Lysol and cleaning products with bleach can help in fighting the Coronavirus, but please be gracious and only buy what you need at the store to help you and your family to stay safe during this outbreak.
Stay safe out there, Spring Break forever, and as always, Go Noles!!
It's Corona time!!!
