Q&A: Student with autoimmune disease shares experience on campus
Courtesy photo of Alyssa Lawton.
The initial word of COVID-19 affected Alyssa Lawton and her family long before quarantine, social distancing or mask-wearing was thought of in the United States.
The Midland sophomore suffers from Lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease that occurs when the body’s immune system attacks its own organs and tissues, according to the Mayo Clinic's website. The immune system is in place to guard against bacteria and viruses, but with this barrier worn down, the common cold and flu are more drastic for Lawton.
“I remember when (the pandemic) first started happening, my mom would call me every single night crying because she was so scared for me to be out in public,” Lawton said.
Many things about Lawton’s life have changed in a matter of months, including her need to stockpile a special medication from her doctor. This would ensure she would not be exposed to the general public for any circumstance.
It is no surprise Lawton’s experience with Lupus would affect her education; she chose to attend Central Michigan University to double major in Exercise Science and Dietetics to help people with similar experiences and illnesses. However, the reality of COVID-19 has limited her options on campus and forced her to take online classes from behind a computer screen.
Lawton spoke with Central Michigan Life about her observations and concerns in regard to the present threat of COVID-19 on campus.
CM Life: In what format are you currently attending classes?
I’m doing 90% of my classes online. I am going to one of my classes in person - it’s a communications course - just because it's a lot harder to give speeches online. I go one day (a week), but I’m trying to work with the teacher to see if I could go more days since it’s the only time I get to communicate with other people.
What does your living situation look like?
I signed a lease in Mount Pleasant before COVID-19 happened, so I was stuck to it. Luckily, my roommates are really cool about it and take things very seriously. I live in the basement and take care of everything in the shared spaces, like the kitchen. I clean everything before I use it.
Do you still feel the need to take the same precautions you did at the beginning of the pandemic?
I think at first I was too scared to leave my apartment, but I know there are things I can do to protect myself personally. I always make sure I’m doing the basic stuff. I’m always washing my hands, I carry hand sanitizer on me and I always wear my mask properly. I’ve made some new friends at CMU. They’ve asked me to hang out and it’s awkward because I have to tell them no especially if they’re not wearing their masks properly.
Do you feel like you’re missing out on anything on campus?
I’m really active in working out, so I miss going to the gym. I was counting on that to meet friends. I transferred from a different college, so the big thing is the social aspect for me. Not having the chance to meet anybody and even those I do meet, it’s difficult to hang out with them because I have to be overly cautious.
In what ways has the online format affected your learning?
I very briefly took an online summer course, but I’ve never had to do anything where I needed Webex and Zoom, so that’s all new to me. Every single day in my classes there are issues like speakers cutting out or things needing to be repeated or you can’t see the board. I just don’t think we are getting through the material as quickly as we need to. Everything is getting pushed until next time and it makes me nervous for the next semester when I don’t have the basic building blocks.
Do you feel the faculty has been accommodating?
I definitely think most of the faculty is accommodating. When this semester first started, I made sure to email all of them and let them know my situation and all of them were very nice about offering extra help. They realize too that it’s a struggle for everyone, not just the students.
What are your feelings about CMU’s approach to maintain face to face learning?
I 100% support it. It’s up to the students though. People need to start social distancing properly and stop being irresponsible by going to parties. A lot of students think it’s a joke. I have one friend who is a CMU student who was going to parties, and then on campus. She tested positive for COVID-19 and gave it to her roommates at her apartment. She is still going out though, and just put on her Snapchat getting slurpees with her friends. It makes me feel like this is not going to go away and you have to be careful who you hang out with.
As you see other campuses closing do your feelings about CMU’s efforts change?
I feel like face-to-face is an important aspect of college, and I respect CMU’s wish to try to do that. But, it is completely up to the students. If people are going to continue to be irresponsible, then I agree with schools like Michigan State University closing for the safety of people like me or people who live with their parents or grandparents. They need to think about those people rather than other people’s wants.
How do you think you have handled the adjustment overall?
Obviously, it’s not optimal and I’ve had my days where I’ve been super frustrated, especially when classes don’t go as well as we had hoped they would go. But overall, I make the best of it and have used my time more wisely. I can just stay at my desk and do homework as soon as I’m done with the class. I think I’ve handled everything pretty well.
