I’m Casey and I have the coronavirus (COVID-19). I am in campus-isolation and would likely lose my mind if I did not have anything to do; on the bright side, I do get to experience that isolation for you so that you can be up to date on protocol, without having to get the virus yourself.
Happy Friday the 13th, everyone! My body must have gotten the message that today is unlucky, because I feel worse than I have in days past. My throat hurts and feels as though it is both congested and on fire at the same time. My temperature also started out at 100.1 degrees Fahrenheit today.
Since I am feeling so down in the dumps, I plan on making today a lazy kind of day. I will have plenty of time for naps and relaxation. Hopefully, I will be up for a movie night later, with “The Evil Dead 2” and the obligatory “Friday the 13th.”
I also plan on typing up my short story today. Surprisingly, I finished the incredibly tough draft last night, and I hope to have it done on my computer today. Things sometimes change drastically from pen to page for me, so I will not tell you the plot, but I will tell you the name of the story: Cabin Fever.
This is where I will type up my short story, Cabin Fever.
Casey Masterson | The Montclarion
I had some good news come out of today as well. I have gotten at least three new emails, from practical strangers, wishing me well.
This got me to thinking: I have a platform, so people know that they can reach out to me. However, with COVID-19 cases rising in New Jersey again, I wonder if students without a platform are being reached out to as well. After all, I cannot be the only student in isolation on campus.
I am sure that nurses reach out to these students for medical reasons, as do their professors, but what I am interested in knowing is whether other people at universities reach out to isolated students as well.
While it would be incredibly hard to leave it up to one person to send out so many messages, if we could get a whole task force of people to make some “hang in there” cards for anyone in isolation, it would definitely be effective in getting isolated students to feel, well, less isolated.
Wicket enjoys the gif of himself on my rental laptop.
Casey Masterson | The Montclarion
Not only that, but I personally cannot express how happy these emails make me and I actually feel guilty for hogging all the sympathy. These messages might just be a small detail, but I still feel that all students deserve some get-well wishes, even if they do not have a platform to show the world what they are going through.
So, to other students in isolation or quarantine: feel free to reach out to me if you are reading this. I am happy to chat with you. After all, my time is pretty free these days.
I also have a really nice Wicket update for you. I was able to commission a piece of artwork from The Montclarion’s own illustrator, Danielle DeRosa. She drew up a Wicket GIF for me.
I cannot put into words how much I love it, or how happy it makes me. It is the new wallpaper on my phone and my new favorite artwork in general. If you want Danielle to draw something for you, you can message her on Instagram: @_danidoodle_.
I have one more positive thing to share with you: I got to go outside today. Not for long, mind you, just to bring out my garbage. I wore my mask and gloves to protect those around me.
Overall, I missed the outside, especially going for walks with my headphones on. It seemed very nice out today, compared to yesterday and the day before, where I think it was raining.
I will be honest: this weekend is likely to be lonely. Homework can only keep me occupied for so long. I think this will be the time where the things I miss the most will definitely stick out at me. At least I have you guys.
Have a great day, everyone. Stay cool.
