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.
"We are blessed that we have jobs, and we are still working," Aurora Chavez, custodian.
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(Photo made April 21, 2020, by Jeff Carrion, University Photographer, Marketing and Communications)
We are blessed that we have jobs, and we are still working. We are taking every precaution to be careful and safe. It's so different on campus now. I'm so used to seeing faculty and staff.
We're doing everything we can to keep the campus clean. Sometimes, it can feel depressing when you're so used to seeing people around campus. During my day I think of so many people who are out of work. I keep my fingers crossed and pray for the day when we come back. Though I know when we do, it will be different. I keep motivated by staying positive about everything.