This is the fourth piece in a series of first-person accounts of how students are dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, written by the Reveille’s opinion columnists.  
I remember the Wednesday before everyone left campus. My coworker and I were questioning whether we’d still have jobs next week. We anxiously awaited the results of the two people who thought they had coronavirus, excited that school might be ending soon, but equally scared that the virus would overtake our community. When the results came back negative, we all assumed that classes would remain in session until spring break.
My small work family said our goodbyes that Friday, and we haven’t spoken since. As I am writing this, I am sitting next to my significant other, wondering when all of this will go back to normal. All we can do during this time is be isolated together. With the ongoing call for social distancing, many questions arise for couples.
Who is family? Who should I be avoiding? Am I risking my partner’s health by continuing to see him every day? Is he risking mine? These are questions that have crossed my mind many times during the monotony of quarantine.
I know I’m not the only person questioning whether or not to distance themselves from their partner. It’s a hard truth, but sometimes the people you’re closest to can put you in the biggest risk. I would never want to harm my partner by possibly exposing them to this virus, but I can’t distance myself from someone who means the world to me. In two weeks, we’re going to be apart for 6 months as he undergoes military training. Being apart from him now would be nearly impossible.
Seeing college students separate and move across the country made me realize that I’m lucky to be able to see my partner. Our lives are full of paranoid hand-washing and hand sanitizer, but we make do with the current situation. Aside from the uncertainty I feel about continuing to visit my partner, I’m reminded constantly that I can’t visit my grandparents.
My partner and I are not at a great risk of death if we contract the virus, so that gives us solace. However, I miss my grandparents. I miss driving to my grandma’s house and watching Lifetime movies. I miss eating her cooking and talking about things going on in the news. As a young person, it can be difficult to make time for all of your loved ones, but in these unprecedented times, all I want is to see my family. Unfortunately, I can’t risk my grandparents’ lives by visiting them. It makes me sad.
Even with the school year in process again, it’s hard to stay afloat with all the time I have to overthink. I often think about my coworkers and how they’re fairing during this time. I never thought I’d miss our laughs so much. I think about my older professors and their health. I’d hate losing a great teacher to coronavirus.
I’m reminded of all the times I complained about the chaos in the Student Union or Free Speech Alley. At this point, I would be elated to be bombarded by a crowd of dissenting students yelling at a religious zealot. Many of us took those moments for granted, and I can’t wait to relish in the pandemonium of our first day back on campus.
We’re on week four of quarantine. and it’s slowly becoming normal. I still question my relationships and how to maneuver through this new life. It’s difficult, but I am comforted by the fact that I’m not alone. Like me, many of you are unsure and worried. I’m certainly uncertain. But all I can do at this point is reach out to my loved ones, whether by text or phone call. It’s hard, but all I can do now is hope.
Erin Stephens is a 19-year-old journalism sophomore from Brusly, Louisiana.