This wasn’t how I imagined my last semester of college playing out. In what seems like a bad dream, classes are being shifted to online lectures, students are packing up and moving back home and society as we know it is practically shutting down. 

When word of the coronavirus first broke in the United States I entered full panic mode. It was a different panic than those around me. I wasn’t rushing to the store to stock up on groceries and supplies, I was consulting my medical team because I am considered a member of a “high-risk” group, after my 2016 heart transplant left me with a compromised immune system. 

I am grateful for the steps being taken to protect vulnerable populations like myself and even those less fortunate than me, but I can’t help but ponder the negative impacts that such social distancing will have on my mental health. With just this past week of classes canceled at Hofstra, I already noticed a personal lack of ambition, motivation and dedication to completing my studies via the Internet. I had landed my dream internship this semester in New York City but have had to work from home. While I am still living on Long Island, Hofstra and all of the best parts of the school and community feel very far away.

It feels silly, selfish and insensitive to be complaining about my personal heartbreaks when nations across the world with less sufficient healthcare and supplies are suffering far worse tragedies than canceled events and precautionary isolation. But it also feels like while we’re constantly told to try and remain calm, the world around us is closing down, leaving us with nothing to focus on but our impending stress. Everything from athletics, to entertainment, to social programs on campus, the things we normally pour our energy into, are indefinitely on hold. 

College is so much more than the credits earned from taking courses and the eventual diploma placed in your hands. It is the clubs, the organizations, the events and meetings, the dorm life and absolutely everything that “social distancing” is taking away. I know everyone is thinking about our health and well-being and I owe my life to that, but I can’t help but think about how much better I would feel if things were normal again. 

While the beauty of digital and social media allows us to continue our job here at The Chronicle, our editors will now be scattered across the country as they move back to their respective homes. Our familiar and fun Monday night layouts are on hold for now, and I don’t know when I’ll hold another copy of a print edition in my hands. This paper is everything to me and is a vital part of the lives of many students here at Hofstra.

We will keep updating this website, creating new content and striving to keep the Hofstra community informed because it feels right, it feels normal, it is our job. There are still stories left to tell and updates left to give. I can’t help but mourn the fact that my fellow seniors and I wanted more from our last few months in these coveted positions, but that doesn’t mean we’re giving up.  

It’s in our hands now to make the best of the given situation and to continue our fight for the truth. I’m inviting anyone who wants to contribute to our website to submit content, even professors and University staff members. I know that for me, writing is personally such a powerful escape from reality. If The Chronicle, even in its online form, can be of assistance to anyone during this time of severe uncertainty, that’s enough for me. 

So for now, stay safe and stay healthy and we’ll meet our readers online.