Sophie Balkind

I’ve been lucky that the pandemic has affected me less than many others. I am also lucky that I am old enough to not let the pandemic affect me as deeply as I’ve seen it affect many people, especially my cousin. While on the phone with her aunt I heard my cousin ask “What did I do wrong? Why does no one want to see me?”. My 13 year old cousin has cystic fibrosis and, therefore, is immunocompromised. She had family and friends cancel plans with her towards the beginning, myself included. I wish I could see her, but I also know that I need to stay away from her so that she can stay safe.

I would say I have continuously failed to anticipate the progression of the pandemic. Because I kept seeing the pandemic get worse than I expected, I have decided that it is better to anticipate the worst outcome in the future. Everyday, seeing what’s going on in the world, leaves me in awe. It is pretty clear to me that what is happening now will shape the future past the pandemic. I am able to say that I am glad to have experienced this, which in itself is a privilege.

Ashley Danielson

I live in Northeastern Massachusetts and I’ve been commuting to campus throughout my college career. At first, when WPI had switched to online courses I was relieved because I wouldn’t have to drive two hours to and from campus each day. I was concurrently working full time. It was great. However, once the stay-at-home order was issued, my office  switched to working from home, yet there was no work for me. So, for the past month and a half I have been just focusing on our project. It’s been difficult to remain focused on the project at times due to some personal struggles I have faced since the pandemic started. However, once we started conducting our interviews, my problems were brought into perspective. I noticed that I have developed a more collectivist view of the world because everyone has been hurt by COVID-19. The pandemic has impacted everyone – and I’m grateful that being part of this IQP experience has allowed me to see that moving forward in my life.

Zhanhong Huang

As an international student,  getting support from family abroad is hard. Since the beginning of the pandemic that has become even harder. I haven’t left my apartment since the end of C term. I have been using online shopping to get my daily needs. A lot of things are more expensive since the start of the pandemic, such as rice, meat and water. However, my days are mostly the same as before the pandemic. Loneliness is always a life theme for international students. It seems like staying at home for a long time is not a big problem to me. I appreciate that online classes have made my daily schedule more consistent. I am able to save more time by not commuting, which means I have more time to do what I want to do and study. Since campus is closed, my summer research has been affected. Without lab equipment, research is difficult. Hopefully, with the help and effort of every global citizen, we can overcome this virus soon. It is unfortunate that I can’t go to England to do my IQP, but also I should cherish this special experience during the pandemic.

Cooper Milasark

I live in northern Vermont. My town is small and COVID-19 hasn’t affected life here too much. I have a hard time connecting to the severity of the pandemic because of this. Even though the risk is low here, I am still social distancing and I miss interacting with my friends. Working and communicating online is difficult for me because I am severely dyslexic. I read significantly slower than my group mates  and writing is just as hard. Keeping up with constant messages is overwhelming. Zoom, discord, and  talking on the phone has been my saving grace. I jump on as many calls as I can soI can stay on top of everything otherwise I would be totally lost. I’m very thankful for the technology of today and for those who are understanding of my situation.

Elisheba Rowland

I’m from North Texas but I’ve been living in Worcester the past few years near campus. I returned after spring break suffering from a broken thumb and seasonal allergies which manifested into bronchitis and respiratory distress. I found myself stranded with the onset of the pandemic. Urgent Care refused to see me for an x-ray or provide medication for my lungs.

My father is immunocompromised and battling cancer and my mother often finds herself overwhelmed caring for him alone. I had cancelled my flight home to see a doctor because I didn’t want to risk spreading COVID-19 to my father. In a continuous stroke of bad luck, my aunt even contracted COVID-19 and had a difficult recovery. I was looking forward to turning 21, as most young adults do, yet the lockdown had other plans for me. With all the bars closed, I was stuck in my apartment, mourning the loss of my two dogs and longing to see my family. Juggling life with this project has taught me that regardless of where you come from, life doesn’t stop, and you just need to keep rolling with the punches. With a sense of humor, maybe you can get up even though it hurts and hold on long enough to see the end.

Carl Runci

After our IQP in England was cancelled, I made plans to stay near campus and work on our new project there. However, after a week alone in a city that was growing emptier every day, I decided to move in with my aunt in Providence. As the pandemic progressed, I was lucky to be in a proactive state. As of right now, no one I knew caught COVID-19, in part because everyone I know has been social distancing and being careful. As part of social distancing, I had to adjust to working on IQP remotely. This brought unique challenges – coordination, dividing work, isolation, and the desperate desire for a whiteboard to draw ideas out on. However, I am strangely thankful for this chance because I have been able to tell a really important story that I am proud to have worked on.

Jack Tulloch

I am passionate about aviation and have been working towards my pilot’s license. When businesses started closing, I  only needed to do my check ride in order to get my pilot’s license, but other  things kept working against me. It was incredibly frustrating to essentially have my license taken away from me because I have spent so much time working towards it. This, combined with our initial IQP project being cancelled and having all our prep work go down the drain, was difficult for me to get over. While our old project fell into topics I already enjoyed, this new project was difficult for me to become interested in. 

Adding to all that, my summer internship has become very uncertain. The company is trying their hardest to make sure interns get to work on site, but not knowing how things will work out is increasingly stressful. Despite this, I have been lucky enough to have a group that works with me and allows me to work on the parts that are most interesting to me. Hopefully things will start clearing up soon.

Ziyan Xie

I am an international student from China. Since the first COVID-19 case was found in China, I have been following news about this virus. Specifically, I have been following news on how to protect myself in this pandemic. Therefore, I choose to stay in my apartment near campus and shop online while the US is experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic.  My quality of life has been negatively affected since the pandemic began, for instance my work in the lab has been put on hold.. However, my family in China has helped me through this difficult time by calling every day and reminding me how much they care for me through their concerns for my safety. They initially asked if I wanted to fly home, but I refused because the chance of contracting the virus is higher when in confined public spaces like an airplane. I am grateful that the project this term gives me something to work on. It occupies my time but I also believe it is meaningful to collect people’s stories.