What To Trust

 I turn to my mom's work for information about Covid-19. She works for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. At the beginning of the pandemic when I was still living with her I was a lot more up to date about what was going on because it was all she would talk about. Now while I'm at school I trust what she reports to me over the phone and what UK puts out. I also look at CHOP's website for updates.  I do not trust news outlets for information as I rather get my medical advise as unbiased as possible. Even though health should not be controversial, somehow everything in 2020 is. Most of my family listens to what my mom and her hospital put out for information. I believe some of my friends are relying on faulty advice from unreliable sources found on their phones, however, since I am not home and not around them, I do not think much about it and focus on my safety more. With only having 2 or 3 friends in college so far I have not found myself having a conversation about what or what not to believe. It has caused not much if any conflict in my life. 

In the long run, I think that both the pandemic itself and the way it is being politicized are equally as dangerous. They work hand in hand together. The more political it becomes, the more people will stop following guidelines and regulations. The more people that start doing that, the more cases will spread,  worsening the pandemic itself, causing it to become even more politically charged. It is an endless cycle that I am really hoping ends soon. I am unsure of how this will effect our country in the long run- but I highly doubt it will be positive. 

Wearing A Mask Is So Normal Now

Wearing a mask was weird at first but now it just a natural part of the day. While watching TV shows and movies I've caught myself thinking for a minute that it is weird a character approached someone without putting a mask on first or the potential dangers of having large groups of crowds. It is so strange to think that before five months ago all of this would not have been a thought in the slightest.

 Another example from today goes to illustrate this idea of normalcy. As a freshman in college, free food is a very big deal. So naturally when I got a message from my RA saying that there is free pizza in the lobby, I jumped out of my bed. I ran out into the hallway and found my neighbors also leaving to get pizza. It wasn't until we ran down five flights of steps that it occurred to me I did not have my ID card to get back into the room. I managed to grab my mask and put it on in the midst of my excitement but I never thought to grab my ID. I was locked out and had to track down my roommate in order to reenter my room. A face mask is so engrained in today's world that is seems strange to not have worn one at all. 

How UK is Limiting the Spread of Covid-19

 Based on what I've seen and heard on campus, I do not think that UK will go all online before the end of the semester. First and foremost, most of us have the majority of classes already online. I personally only have one in person class which is also formatted in a way to be taken fully online. In at least the lecture hall my class is in, we have to sit physically distant from each other. My professor also calls everyone out when their mask slips below their nose.  Classroom traffic is already low, preventing the spread of the virus that way. I do not believe taking away all in person classes will make that significant of a difference.  

Furthermore, the dining facilities are doing a good job with spaced-out chairs and tables inside. They have spots on the ground as markers for where to stand while in line and everyone does what they are supposed to. The take-out containers are not ideal but it is a lot better than having to reuse dishes and utensils. The addition of food trucks around campus with the option of using meal swipes at them is very nice. It gives us more food options and spreads out the crowds. 

The University of Kentucky is working very hard to create events for us to attend instead of going to off campus to unregulated gatherings. Last night, I went to an outdoor movie. When I arrived, there were blankets set up in the grass that were distanced from each other. Even though most people attended with friends, we all kept our distance. The school is trying to find ways for us to socialize and have fun while still staying safe and I believe they are doing a good job at it. 

At the residence hall I live in, there are several tables and chairs outside in the courtyard. The first week or so of living here I noticed the same two groups of 10 or so people each sitting around tables they've pushed together with no masks on. The school noticed and the next week they brought a truck to load up all of the excess chairs so there is only two per table instead of four. People still sit in groups of more than two and still move the tables around but since there are physically less chairs present, less people have been congregating.

With having students live on campus, it is impossible to have complete control over everything. However, the school is doing a great job and being proactive where they can to limit the number of coronavirus cases spread. I believe that with all of the protocols in place UK will not have to go completely online by the end of the semester. 

These are the signs placed on chairs in my in-person class. Students are separated by more than 6 feet in all directions. 

This is a video I took from the outside movie put on by UK. I went with my girlfriend but we followed the social distancing rules in place. 

#SaveTheTurtles to #SingleUseOnly

So much has changed in the last five months. 2020 was supposed to be a year where we as the human race work together to continue the decreasing trend towards eliminating waste. However, in the present world of heightened sanitation that mindset has all gone away. Instead of eliminating plastic we now package everything in it, making sure the recipients of what is inside know it has not been contaminated.  It is calming in a sense to know that the things I use have not been exposed, but it's alarming to consider what it is doing to our planet. While living at the beach and in Kentucky, two very different environments, it's sad to see disposable medical masks littering the ground all over both places. Since indoor dining is a no-go in today's world, the university provides us with styrofoam take-out containers for each meal at the dining hall. This is good and all, allowing us to eat outside or in the comfort of our dorm room but it is detrimental to the environment.The amount of trash that will soon pollute our oceans is frightening.  Our lives went from metal straws and #savetheturtles to plastic utensils and #singleuseonly all because of a microscopic killer. 

Trash can outside of Lewis Hall overflowed with styrofoam take-out containers.

Introduction

My name is Mollie Share. I am 17 years old and I am from Atlantic City, New Jersey but attending college at University of Kentucky in Lexington. I come from a middle-class Jewish family. Living in New Jersey while the outbreak first surged was very surreal. Everything was shut down, most people lost their jobs, and curfews were in place. I didn't see anyone outside of my immediate family for months. My mom is a pediatrician and would work long hours in the office or through telemedicine. I would take a walk with her every evening after she got off work to enjoy the fresh air. Except the fresh air wasn't as relaxing as it used to be. We would cross to the other side of the street to avoid walking passed people. We became skeptical of our neighbors, people who've seen me grow up my whole life. No one trusted anyone as we were all fearful to come in contact with the deadly virus. Thankfully no one in my family has contracted the virus but it was a very odd feeling to visit my grandparents in Philly for Mother's and Father's day to only be able to wave at them from the car. Since my mom was still going to work and was working hands on with the virus she did not want to take the chance of giving it to my grandparents. Covid-19 really put into perspective the relationships you had with people and who you are as a person. I finished my senior year of high school online and did not get to experience the milestones like prom, senior trip, and graduation, but I did not let that affect me as looked forward to college in the fall. 

Last week I moved 11 hours away from my home to Lexington, Kentucky, a state I do not know a single person in. It will be an interesting journey making new friends and adjusting to college classes all while living through this historic semester.