The coronavirus pandemic has affected everyone individually, including HutchCC students and instructors. Some miss classroom friends and worry about what their future holds. However, together, they will pull through.

What have you been doing?

Compiled by Jake Brown / Staff Writer

I’ve been going out to run so I can get some type of workout in, going to different parks to go hike a trail or hammock with my sister. I’ve also been getting some homework done, and a lot of puzzles, but that is just about it.

– Gabby Collins, DeSoto sophomore

Since I have gotten out of school, I have gone back home to where my parents live in Lincoln, Nebraska. In my free time I have been working for my dad at a few of his properties that he needs help with. In addition I have been doing homework, and still managing to lift weights in my garage. I also try to play catch everyday. I almost forgot, I have also been giving so much attention to my beautiful bulldog Emma.

– Dawson Linder, Lincoln, Neb., sophomore

“I have been doing my homework, taking my dog on tons of walks, and eating excessively.

– Bailee Stewart, Hutchinson sophomore

“If it’s nice enough out, I have been walking my big dog almost daily. I have been getting some workouts in … finally ran out of excuses. I have done some yard work and home improvement stuff. We’ve also been keeping hours in the athletic training room, and I have a class I’m teaching, so still have work stuff.”

– Amanda Beadle, Head Athletic Trainer

How have you been doing?

Compiled by Tabitha Barr / Editor in Chief

“I miss working, I miss my coworkers, and I really miss the studio. I’ve just been working my second job more.”

– Tyler Korb, HutchCC Media Content Creator

“Surprisingly, I actually do miss my classmates and seeing my friends every day. I don’t miss waking up early because who does, but with everything going on, I personally feel the workload (meaning homework) might be a little much. I’ve been struggling to adjust to it. My teachers have been emailing me back and keeping up with me, but some aren’t as flexible as others. It’s also kinda scary how the CDC is predicting 100,000 deaths in America. It’s really scary, but I think if we pull together we can get through this.”

Josh Matchett, Nickerson sophomore

“I believe it is imperative in life to find a balance in your daily routine. Whether it is balancing family, work, or hobbies. Too much or too little of any of your life is certainly a bad thing. That is probably the biggest challenge of our current daily lives. Losing the routine we all once had.

For myself, I am now a full-time stay-at-home dad, program coordinator of HutchCC Media Production, owner/operator of Blue Barn Productions, and a disappointed Jayhawks fan. My wife has been deemed “essential”, meaning she may have to start working weekends and has recently added evenings to her schedule. This is difficult, but during these terrible times, I am thankful she still has a job. We have also been very fortunate to have support from our family. My daughter Emery spends a couple afternoons with one set of grandparents, while we make regular trips out to another’s as we can. Also, the Jayhawks will still be good at basketball next year. While our company has postponed or canceled all commercial work, it has ramped up the passion projects.

As a teacher, this has been particularly frustrating. In the spring semester, I teach my favorite class, Production Management, or as we typically refer to it as just Logistics. Basically, the students spend three semesters learning every possible thing we can cram in their heads about video production. This class gives them the opportunity to put it all together. They spend the entire semester making one film. Throughout the course, they learn more than I could ever teach in the normal structured classroom environment. It is equally rewarding for me. The best films in our program typically come from this course. They have been shown around the world and opened doors for the students that normally wouldn’t be available. For this particular class, everyone had to cancel everything as it was. They did have immense amounts of pre-production done for later dates, but I won’t get the same experience seeing it develop from concept to completion.”

– Bobby Obermite, HutchCC Production Program Coordinator

“The only real way this has affected me is not having a job. I would work in the school’s editing lab, but with school being closed, I don’t really have one.

I miss all my friends I made at school. It makes me even more sad to think that I probably will not see them for a while or even at all.

I am coping by keeping busy working on personal projects and doing my online classes. I have always taught myself a wide variety of things in regard to my major to supplement what I’ve learned at school. My online classes are going better than the last time I tried online classes at my previous college. Last time I ended up dropping out because I could only take them online, but this time I’ve been managing to keep up with only a few difficulties here and there with learning how to use the school’s app streaming.”

– Matt Watson, Topeka West High School sophomore

“Well, it’s made me feel really annoyed. It’s harder for me to get work done now and I signed up for in-school classes not online. I do miss the teachers because they helped a lot with understanding the work and assignments.”

– Nicole Beyer, Hutchinson freshman

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