Vacant dormitories. Shuttered academic buildings. Orange traffic cones rendering the doors to the Rotunda unreachable. Innumerable empty parking spots. If you didn’t know any better, you’d assume it was early August at Marist College, in the subtle weeks prior to the return of several thousand students. But it isn’t August; it is May. Once that is realized, it becomes nearly impossible to ignore the nagging sense of eerie emptiness that pervades the campus.

The novel coronavirus pandemic that swept the nation and world has infiltrated virtually every facet of life. It has upended families who have been torn apart with loss, cancelled weddings, birthday celebrations, graduations, and left approximately 40 million Americans filing for unemployment since the middle of March. It has also come with a tremendous mental health cost – something that New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo believes “deserves more attention than it has gotten because it is very real.”

Cuomo, who visited campus on May 8 to deliver one of his daily COVID-19 briefings, addressed mental health concerns on-air during his May 17 briefing. As a recent survey conducted by San Diego State University and Florida State University revealed that up to 38% of Americans are “reporting serious mental distress,” Cuomo urged viewers to consider the mental health challenges such unprecedented circumstances have caused. “Don't underestimate the trauma that this has created for people,” he said. “Out of the blue comes this virus, something we've never seen before. You're living a science fiction movie. It's been incredibly anxiety producing, traumatic, disturbing, and we've felt and seen all along evidence that this is creating a significant mental health challenge for people.”

Members of the Marist community have experienced a vast array of emotions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They share some of their stories of shelter-in-place, how they’ve created a new “normal,” and why it’s important we have these discussions about mental wellness.

Sarah Wolk, Class of 2023

Shelter in place location: Connecticut

A member of the Class of 2023, Sarah Wolk describes herself as having “struggled with clinical depression in the past.” She believes that the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified feelings of isolation and helplessness, and that these emotions are currently in the forefront of her mind. “It’s certainly a lot harder to put one foot in front of the other now,” she admits. Despite missing her normal life at Marist – she mentioned tearing up when Marist posted a photograph of the empty Rotunda on Instagram – Wolk has found solstace in reaching out to both her therapist via Skype and talking with friends. In addition, she’s been working on some of her passions. “I’ve just been trying to take it day by day and keep busy with things I enjoy, like writing and baking,” she said. “And I remind myself that if I need a day or two to just sit around and not be productive, that’s perfectly okay.” Wolk is especially vocal about the importance of not bottling up emotions. “Reaching out to one another and opening up about what we’re all going through reminds us that we’re not alone and helps us stay united during the crisis, while hopefully spreading some helpful advice and good vibes in the process,” Wolk said.

Sarah Wolk took this photo of the last campus sunset she got to see before she moved out. Source: Wolk

Brianna Furlough, Class of 2020

Shelter in place location: California

Brianna Furlough is a Marist Class of 2020 graduate who calls Los Angeles, California home. Her experience with Coronavirus-related anxiety has been multi-faceted. She stated that her anxiety became “more unstable” due to shelter in place restrictions and the strain of school work. “Not only am I in the house in my room with only schoolwork to do, but I also have developed extreme anxiety about going out and doing things [such as] going to the grocery store or going for a walk out of fear that I may contract the virus and bring it home to my parents,” Furlough said. She mentions that living on-campus during the extended spring break period prior to the residence halls shuttering and later being forced off-campus when they closed was “an extreme test of my mental strength.” Despite these challenges, Furlough has found ways to keep her mind active. “I have been journaling, teaching myself ASL, and working out everyday,” she said. Furlough believes that mental health relating to the COVID-19 pandemic should be discussed because, “Although this quarantine is necessary to combat the virus, some people may come out [with] severe mental health concerns that they may need help to address.”

Carolina Manco, Class of 2020

Shelter in place location: New Jersey

Since returning to New Jersey, Carolina Manco’s mental health has taken her “on a journey of loss, fear, and confusion.” The Class of 2020 graduate cites a trip to the grocery store in mid-April as the moment that made the largest impact on her. “Seeing so many people wearing masks but breaking the social distancing rules made me incredibly anxious,” Manco said. “No one was making eye contact and there was definitely no smiling at strangers as you passed by. Trying to bag all my groceries while trying to keep my gloves on and being cautious that I wasn’t too close to anybody made me so antsy that I almost considered just walking away.” She added that the trip reinforced her gratitude for essential workers who risk their safety everyday. For Manco, the COVID-19 pandemic has been an exercise in allowing herself to experience emotions as they arise. She has also begun to gauge success with a different scale than she did prior. “If I got the chance to help my mom with work, help my grandma with breakfast, or teach my little brother a kindergarten lesson, then I can count the day as a success.” Manco believes that as society experiences “such a weird time” all together, it’s increasingly essential to be transparent about feelings. “Now more than ever it is important for us to acknowledge that it is okay to not feel okay,” she said.

Carolina Manco and her sibling. Source: Manco

Natalie Ford, Class of 2021

Shelter in Place location: Mississippi

Natalie Ford, a member of Class of 2021, has “been more stressed out and … had quite a few anxiety attacks...which isn’t normal for me.” Originally hailing from Madison, Mississippi, Ford describes the question of if she’d be able to get home from school when campus suddenly shut as “the scariest thing.” Ford also describes that she has “stopped watching the news” because it stresses her out too much. Despite being geographically separated from her friends, she has stayed in touch via Facetime or Zoom. Ford has also found this to be a time of growth – in the most literal sense. “I bought a plant growing kit from Target and planted some flowers,” she said. She also credits reading as a pastime that has helped her take care of her mental health. “Mental health is part of your overall health!” Ford said. “We can be physically and spiritually healthy but if our minds aren’t feeling quite right, [we] aren’t totally healthy.”

Tim DelGiorno, Class of 2020

Shelter in place location: Hudson Valley, New York

Tim DelGiorno believes mental health is sorely misunderstood. “Talking about [it] helps to educate people, and helps beat some of the stigma around mental health issues,” he said. The Marist 2020 graduate admitted that he “started out with a really ambivalent attitude toward the virus,” and returning home for Spring Break made him acknowledge the severity of the situation. “Suddenly the news was on 24/7 and I started getting more and more worried about the crisis,” he reflects. DelGiorno describes himself as an extrovert and says that he has been struggling “with a lot of depression, as most of the world that I knew has been yanked out from under me.” DelGiorno adds that Marist’s decision to finish the semester online was what “the moment that really broke me. I knew then and know now it was to keep all of us and our professors safe, but as a senior I felt really robbed of the last two months of time at my second home.” When asked how he’s been taking care of his mental health, DelGiorno stated that he has been trying to distract himself from the pandemic by making Tik Toks videos, reading, writing, or lip sync battles in his mirror. “While my methods haven’t really been constructive, I’ve found that so far they are working for me,” he said.

Jay Silver, Class of 2020

Shelter in place location: Connecticut

This summer, for Jay Silver, was supposed to be one of new beginnings. The Marist 2020 graduate, who deals with anxiety and depression, admits that his mental health has suffered as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. “It has gotten worse,” he said. “I really hate to say that, but it has.” Silver is starting his Master’s degree at Northwestern University in June and was supposed to be moving out to Chicago to begin this new chapter of his educational journey. Instead, he’ll be starting this new beginning virtually, as Northwestern is remote learning this summer. “I was looking forward to a brand new environment, brand new opportunities. I was supposed to go see Elton John, I was supposed to go to a sports game or two,” Silver said. The avid musical theatre fan describes learning Broadway will be closed until September as “very painful.” He also celebrated his birthday during the quarantine. Despite these hardships, Silver has been utilizing the extra time to learn some essential skills. “For the most part I have been cooking a lot, practicing my skills,” he said. I’m preparing myself for Northwestern because it is a brand new opportunity with brand new people. And I will be hopefully starting work soon.” Silver believes that it is “very important” to talk about mental health during this confusing time. “Nobody knows what’s going on, there's a lot of things going astray, it's’ very difficult, and it's going to be a long journey and we need as much help as we can get. And I think the best way to do that is to be able to talk freely with one another about mental health. And it’s going to be a hard journey, but we will do the best we can.”

Jay Silver celebrated his birthday during quarantine at his home in Connecticut. Source: Silver

These members of the Marist community are located in various states/regions of the United States. Here’s where their states are in terms of shutdowns and reopenings as of May 20, 2020:

Connecticut - Currently in Phase One of reopening

New Jersey - Currently in Stage One of reopening

Hudson Valley, N.Y. - Reopening plan currently in the works; not yet in Phase One

Mississippi - Safer at home order ends May 25, Currently in Phase Two

California - Stay at home order enacted March 19 has no end date; Currently in Phase Two

Stay tuned for part two of “The Kids Are Alright” series on mental health during the coronavirus pandemic in our features section tomorrow.