Nicole Apicelli
April 20, 2020
ALABAMA, GEORGIA, NEW JERSEY
While the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be the only topic of conversation in New York and New Jersey, states further south seem to be much more laid back regarding the rapidly escalating situation and restrictions. Although New Jersey has shown a significantly higher number of cases than Alabama and Georgia, it is still of peak interest to see how these states are reacting to the pandemic as they observe the impacts it has had in other areas. According to data provided by IHME as of May 8th, New Jersey currently has 2,061 confirmed cases while Georgia has 739 and Alabama shows only 322.
But just how were college students in Alabama and Georgia handling the new restrictions while adjusting to completing their courses from home? Two students from Alabama State University spoke to us virtually about their experiences for this article. Students Katyanna Dowling and Mason Smith, provided further insight into how they are handling self isolation in their home states from the start of the pandemic up until now.
While essential businesses in New Jersey have remained open, they are riddled with new restrictions to maximize the safety of their customers. At this local drug store in northern New Jersey, the aisles are lined with taped off boxes placed six feet apart to ensure that everyone maintains the required distance while waiting to receive their prescriptions.
The pharmacy has also implemented large plastic shields in front of each register with the cashiers protected behind them, sporting their newest addition to their work attire, masks and gloves. Even further, the employees have placed tables similar to those you would typically host a bake sale off of in front of the checkout counters. By doing so, they have increased the space between everyone while also limiting payment methods to the use of credit card only thus, eliminating unnecessary contact while enforcing social distancing.
Katyanna Dowling, a senior at Alabama State who plans to graduate in December, shares that her home and work life have seen little to no change in the recent months other than her classes moving online, which is something she expresses immense gratitude for.
Being employed in the kitchen at her local Chicken Salad Chick restaurant for two years now, the only change she has seen is the closing of the dining rooms. With a new take out menu in place, she continues to work as she normally would , sanitizing her hands in between every meal she prepares. She puts in as many hours as possible at the restaurant and when she is not at work, keeps herself busy by juggling the work of her six classes while at home with her mother and younger brother.
From his home located right outside of Atlanta Georgia, Mason Smith and his family have been adjusting to the pandemic. Mason, an enthusiastic tenor in the university's marching band and sports editor for the school newspaper, has found himself facing a challenging transition from campus life to living under the stay-at- home order in place for his county for several reasons. Smith's sole source of income came through his job at the newspaper, which ceased publication when school shut down and all sporting events were cancelled. So, he has found himself stuck in the house away from his friends and girlfriend with only his schoolwork to occupy him.
He and his mother have been coping with working from home while also worrying about the safety of Smith's sisters, one of whom is employed at Delta Airlines and the other who is still away at college in Louisville Kentucky. Parks in Smith's neighborhood, just like those in New Jersey, have been caution taped off like a crime scene to further enforce practices of social distancing, leaving the streets barren as they are only intended for essential travel.
As the pandemic remains completely unpredictable, one thing that is certain is a consistent fear for the future. Despite the differences in their personal experiences due to where they live and how their states have handled their lock downs, Dowling and Smith have expressed their uncertainty toward both the future of everyday life and their future careers in journalism.
While New Jersey has thankfully seen a slight decrease in the severity of the situation over the past few weeks as the number of cases has dropped , and Georgia has seemingly returned to normal life, no one can definitively say when the pandemic will end, or whether or not we have seen the last of the dreaded corona virus. No matter the location, all that college students are left to do now is continue persevering in the hope that everything will return to normal by the start of next semester, if they are even lucky enough to have one. Whether six feet apart or six hundred miles away from those you care about, we must keep in mind that we are all fighting side by side for our return to normality.
Credits:
Created with images by Kelly Sikkema - "Woman gathering cleaning supplies" • John Schnobrich - "type away"