My coronavirus turning point(s)

I was at Wednesday night church choir rehearsal (on March 11) when I saw the news that Coe was planning to extend Spring Break an extra week and considering going to online instruction because of coronavirus.

That moment was a turning point for me. In an odd way, the announcement (via email) actually made me feel less anxious than I'd felt all week. At least I knew something. I'd been hearing about closures and changes for the last couple of days and wondering at what point I'd need to start making changes to my classes and the writing center.

So I was glad to get that email.

Lest you envision me looking at my phone in the middle of a choir rehearsal (heavens no!), I was checking my email after rehearsal, when the choir was having our monthly Birthday Celebration--celebrating choir members who were born in March.

There was chatter all around about how different places were reacting to the spread of COVID-19. Our choir director, Ben, who's a grad student at the U of I, told us that the U was going to online-only classes. Kind of a challenge for someone studying choral conducting. On the other hand, at least he knew what would be happening. At that point, I was still wondering.

So I pulled out my phone, opened my Coe email, and there it was: A message from Office of the President:

Here's the important part of the message.

As you are probably aware, many colleges and universities have moved to online instruction for the remainder of the semester.  Personal, face-to-face education is one of the hallmarks of our college and it cannot be easily replicated online.  At the same time, we are attentive to guidelines from public health officials that discourage public gatherings in the near term (the longer term is still unknown).  Therefore, we have determined to extend spring break for students until Monday, March 30.  This will provide us with time to plan, to monitor the progress of the virus and the evolving guidelines from public health agencies, and to adapt courses to online modalities in case that becomes necessary.

(emphasis mine)

There it is, buried in the middle of that paragraph: the statement that we would be closing an extra week for spring break. And at the end: the extra week would be used to prep to go online.

Back in the hallway outside the choir room, where my fellow singers were helping themselves to lovely birthday treats, I took a deep breath as I looked at my phone. I remember saying "OK, there it is." Ben asked me if I'd just heard about Coe, and I told him what I'd learned.

"I sure hope that we're able to go back to regular classes after our long break," I said. And I really thought that maybe we would.

Last night, though, Wednesday, March 18, I found out that Coe would not be going back to regular classes after the long break: we're going to go to online instruction for the rest of the semester. Another turning point.

What have your coronavirus turning points been? Moments when your outlook about this virus and its effects really changed?