On March 16, 2020, the governor of Pennsylvania issued a state-wide stay at home order. At this time, Grove City College was one of the few schools that remained open despite COVID-19. Sadly, this order finally forced the Grove to send its students home and move to online classes. But some students could not go home. We became “The Remnant,” the last bastion of students on campus. We could not go home for a variety of reasons. Personally, I live in Hawaii, which had heavy travel restrictions at the time. The other factor was a six-hour time difference between Grove City and Hawaii, meaning I would have been getting up at two in the morning for Spanish class. On the other hand, one member lived nearby, but chose to stay on-campus because one of his family members was in a high-risk group for COVID.
During my time on campus, I began journaling about what it was like to be one of 30 or so remaining students. My last installation of “The Remnant” left off on the Sunday before online classes began.
March 23, 2020
My first day of online classes is officially out of the way. The test this morning went surprisingly smooth. I felt like I had an answer for everything and that my hours of studying had paid off. Time will tell whether my grade reflects this confidence. Most professors, while disgruntled, seem to be adjusting well. I’ve had several opportunities to put my tech-savviness to use helping other students and even some professors get a handle on things. After classes I put some of the finishing touches on the assembly edit of Matt and my interview project. I’m really happy with how it’s looking at this stage. I can’t wait to see how it turns out once we get all the graphics implemented.
In order to keep myself active I’ve been doing sprints up and down my hall periodically. It feels really good to be moving around but my thighs have become increasingly sore. I must admit I’m getting tired of ramen. However, it’s cold out, and I’d rather not walk all the way to Hicks. -Jacob
I had the misfortune of my first online class period being a test, but I made the most of it. My mention of using my technological skills to help some students and professors was merely a preview of what was to come. While there were many downsides to online classes, they gave me a unique outlet to put my skills to use helping others, which was a great feeling. I have found that obstacles we come across in life are usually God-given opportunities. While it may sometimes be difficult to recognize such opportunities, God will often reward us for following through on them. If you ever find yourself in such an inconvenient situation, I encourage you to find such an outlet to serve others.
Stay tuned for further installments of The Remnant!
