Heather Ellis, a senior and English major from Moneta, VA, began her last semester as a Ferrum College student with certain goals in mind. As editor of Chrysalis, the College’s literary and arts magazine featuring students’ writing and photography, she would lead the team toward their April release date. She would dutifully attend her last semester of classes. She would enjoy the last few months with friends and professors she had grown to love during her years at Ferrum. And in May, she would cross the graduation stage at Hart International Plaza on campus, posing for photos and hugging dear friends who had become more like family.
Then the coronavirus (COVID-19) was classified as a pandemic, cases spiked in the United States, and Virginia Governor Ralph Northam issued strict guidelines for schools and gatherings with the hope of slowing the spread of the virus. On March 18, 2020, Ferrum College moved to a distance learning plan. Barely a week later, the College administration made the decision to continue distance learning through the end of the spring semester to keep students, faculty, staff, and community members safe.
Much to Ellis’s dismay, her senior semester plans changed drastically. The transition to online courses proved to be a bit difficult: “We are a part of a college community that is used to in-person classes that involve discussions, lectures, and as much one-on-one time as people need to make sure they understand content,” wrote Ellis in an email. “Distance learning is a whole new playing field because you don’t have the option to have one-on-one face time with your professors, nor do you have the help of your fellow students who sometimes ask questions that everyone in the room is thinking.”
Graduation looks different now, as well. The ceremony will be held virtually on May 9, with the intention to hold an in-person ceremony when gatherings are safe again.
“For many of us, that was our last hurrah, the last chance to be surrounded by our professors and fellow students to celebrate the tears, the sweat, and the hard work we’ve poured into getting the degrees we’ve each earned,” Ellis wrote.
But Ellis is choosing to see the positive side of the COVID-19 quarantine through the versatility of the Chrysalis team. Over the last couple of weeks, the team has been forced to complete the layout of the magazine through Zoom meetings and is on target for their original release date in April, which Ellis counts as a big success.
“Because of amazing, innovative technologies like Zoom, we’ve had online, face-to-face meetings every day which has allowed us to not only complete the magazine in record time, but it has also allowed us to have sessions with each member of our class to get individual input,” she wrote.
The reveal of the spring edition of Chrysalis was scheduled for April 28, 2020, the day before Reading Day which kicks off Exam Week. Because campus is on a distance learning plan for the rest of the semester, the reveal had to be canceled; however, the Chrysalis team will mail copies to interested individuals.
If you would like a copy of the spring edition of Chrysalis to be mailed to you, please email Professor of English and Chrysalis advisor Katherine Grimes at kgrimes@ferrum.edu.
Electronic copies of current and previous Chrysalis editions can be found here.
