Growing up in State College, I’m used to being here after the students leave. When I was younger, my family and I would enjoy going downtown during summers and winter break because it was pleasantly quiet, largely free from students. This is different.
I’m convinced you could drop a pin off the Pugh Street parking garage and hear it from Old Main. It is so surreal to basically remove 50,000 people from an area at once, with no warning. I can’t imagine the impact it’s having on local businesses, places that rely on student consumers for 8-9 months out of the year.
I began spring break at a soccer game in Harrison, NJ, just one day before the head of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced he had tested positive for COVID-19. I finished the week in Columbus, Ohio, going out to eat with a friend who has a co-op at L Brands. On my drive back to State College, the governor of Ohio announced the closure of all restaurants in the state.
It appears the virus has finally caught up with us. The other day, the first presumed case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Centre County. I remain asymptomatic, as does my family. Both my parents, employed at Penn State, are working from home for the indefinite future. The governor just announced yesterday that my sister, who goes to State College Area High School, will be at home for at least another two weeks.
A few days ago, I ventured out to the grocery store and couldn’t find ketchup, of all things. It seems so trivial, but also unbelievable that the store could be cleaned out of a condiment. I couldn’t get half the things on my list. It wasn’t particularly problematic, because we have plenty of food, but it was just striking to see the impact of fear on the State College community, cleaning out aisles at the grocery store to stock up in case the situation worsened.
After all of this is said and done, I think we will not only be mourning the people we lost but also the experiences we lost. From the extraordinary spectacles, like March Madness and the Summer Olympics, to the day-to-day, like not being able to spend time with my grandmother at her nursing home. As a current coach and former high school athlete, I can’t imagine having my senior season cut short in the playoffs, or watching my entire season get canceled before it even started.
Staying healthy is priority number one, but I’m also committed to making the most of my quarantine. Operating out of my makeshift basement “office,” while my sister and parents each claim their own workspaces in different rooms of the house, my classes are transitioning well to virtual learning. I’ve begun teaching myself Adobe Photoshop, and I hope to ramp up preparation for the LSAT, which I’ll take this summer post-quarantine.
In a few months, I’ll see everybody back in State College and we can resume our lives. Until then, we’ll just have to stay healthy, stay positive, and stay busy.
My new basement office workspace. Photo by Justin Korman.