Fort Schuyler Magazine Spring 2020

S Spring 2020 was well underway as students, faculty and staff planned, prepared and eagerly awaited the activities yet to take place at the end of the semester. No one expected a virus would interrupt learning, campus life and socialization. But as February’s end drew near, it became evident that the respiratory illness, novel coronavirus 19 (COVID-19), was slowly extending its reach throughout NYC.

A s March arrived, daily messages were sent to the campus community and information, resources and the College response to the outbreak was posted on its COVID-19 Update web page. College leaders, working closely with SUNY leadership and the NYS Department of Health, navigated the highly fluid situation with only a few weeks remaining in the spring semester. The term “social distancing,” the deliberate increasing of physical space between people to avoid spreading illness, became a common phrase. When a NYS mandate required transition to distance learning, in- person classes were cancelled and students safely departed the campus. In an unprecedented response, faculty were fully prepared to offer instruction through remote platforms when classes resumed the following week. Although essential academic support services continued online, the virus had taken BY ODALIS MINO

its ultimate toll on Maritime College leaving the usually bustling streets, classrooms and hallways completely barren. In the wake of COVID-19, Maritime College students, faculty and staff have demonstrated an unparalleled level of cooperation, determination and dedication. COVID-19 may have temporarily interrupted life at Maritime, but the Fort Schulyer community will forge ahead ever stronger.

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