May 19, 2020
The global COVID-19 pandemic transformed what would have been just another spring quarter to the historic Spring Quarantine Quarter of 2020. With great effort and speed, the university's in-person operation was modified to a community of remote learners, teachers and workers, with almost every university function, duty and responsibility adapted to be performed virtually in order to mind social distancing guidelines.
But not every staff member can join a Zoom meeting, jump on a conference call or sit in front of a laptop to do their job. While most are working, teaching or learning from home, the university's on-campus workers, our DePaul heroes, continue to head into the office to manage current campus operations and prepare for when we can return to Lincoln Park and the Loop.
From a safe distance, Newsline caught up with some of our on-campus staff members on April 21, before the Illinois mask order went into effect, to see how the COVID-19 crisis has changed life on the university grounds and to learn “in their own words" what it's been like for them during this unprecedented time in DePaul's history.
"I want to show appreciation for everyone who has put in extra hours to make DePaul as prepared as possible," Kyle Janis, assistant director of Events and Conference Services.
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(Photo made April 21, 2020, by Jeff Carrion, University Photographer, Marketing and Communications)
It's been a difficult time for everyone involved. I really think the university has done an incredible job to shift to campus activities online. I want to show my appreciation for everyone who has put in extra hours to make DePaul as prepared as possible.
There are no events or conferencing happening now or for the immediate future. Now we've shifted to working on the back end of operations. We're working on marketing materials and other promotional aspects of our operations. We've shifted our team to assist in the operations of the student center in LPC and to ensure that our on-campus students have access to dining services and computer labs.
It's very strange on campus now. I've grown up around DePaul and attended school here as an undergraduate and graduate. The spring quarter is usually such a robust time on campus. The weather is getting nicer, the students are getting excited. It's strange to not have that energy or vibrancy on campus.
What I miss most is the energy around campus. What I've definitely learned through all of this is that you have to be prepared for the best laid plans to change.