Author: Jessica Gregory

On Sept. 9, 2020 the University of Wisconsin-Madison announced its most aggressive attempt to knock down the rapidly rising COVID-19 positivity rate on campus: quarantine two of its largest residence halls, Witte and Sellery.

The announcement came to all undergraduate students early evening Wednesday with the lockdown to begin at 10:00 p.m. that night. Whispers around Sellery and Witte began circulating the impending event about an hour before the formal email reached their inboxes after a House Fellow allegedly leaked the top-secret information. Freshmen in Sellery and Witte immediately flooded to their nearby grocery and convenience stores to stock up on food and other necessities.

Two days earlier, UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank urged undergraduate students in an email to halt all non-essential movements and interactions. In-person university events were to be cancelled and recreation facilities closed. This email seemed to foreshadow the much stricter next step.

Both Witte and Sellery are located in the southeastern part of campus near downtown and house over 1,000 residents each. UW Housing said in a statement that a majority of students testing positive who are living in campus-provided housing are located in these two dorms.

University students across the world have been documenting their time in quarantine through social media posts and videos, primarily on the app Tik-Tok. As a news writer, I sought to provide UW's freshmen with a platform where they could express their thoughts and opinions while allowing the finished piece to serve as a lasting memory.

After messaging dozens of freshmen, I finally received replies from five students who agreed to keep in contact with me periodically throughout the two-week university-sanctioned quarantine. I have compiled a chronological timeline of the questions I asked, their responses, and coronavirus news developments at UW-Madison.

Hyperlinked words lead to previously published news coverage on wsum.org.

Introductions

Chloe Zimmer is from Baraboo, Wisconsin and lives in Witte residence hall. She is majoring in Botany with a certificate in Art but is also interested in sustainable culture and land cultivation on an international level. When the quarantine was announced, Chloe opted to return home for the two weeks.

Will Boyd is from Kittery Point, Maine and lives in Sellery residence hall. He is majoring in Computer Science. This fall he begins his training to become a DJ at WSUM 91.7 FM! Boyd left the dorms a few days into quarantine.

Sawyer Armstrong is from Bayfield, Wisconsin and lives in Witte residence hall. He is majoring in Finance and Investment Banking.

Shiva Senthil is from Menominee Falls, Wisconsin and lives in Witte residence hall. He is majoring in Chemical Engineering and has recently joined the organization Chemical Engineers with out Borders.

Aaron Moriarity is from Mahtomedi, Minnesota and lives in Sellery residence hall. He is majoring in Biomedical Engineering and has joined the organization Biomedical Engineering Society on campus this fall.

Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020

Q: How are you feeling today? What was your initial reaction last night when you received the email from the Chancellor and UW Housing? One day in, do you feel that you are being supported by UW to do well in your academics over the quarantine and receive any needed help and resources?

Chloe: As of today, I'm still just confused. I am lucky enough to have a sister nearby, so I have somewhere to stay other than in Witte. Initially when I found out about the lockdown, I thought I would be able to make it for a few days inside. There was never a feeling of surprise or shock when I had gotten the news. I was comfortable for a few hours until I woke up Thursday and realized we couldn't even go outside, other than to take out trash and get food. In my mind, I'm thinking “even prisoners get recess” at this point. I also thought initially that I would be able to keep myself busy by finishing all my homework and running the stairs, but you can only do that for so much time. As for the support from the university, I think that they are doing what they can. However, I also think that there are alternative ways this could be handled. I also recognize that there are problems beyond certain people. For example, I have been following the guidelines and restrictions, yet I still am amid this chaos. That is also a huge part of the reason I left.

Will: I'm feeling alright today. Honestly, I'm still just kinda shocked. Last night was just a mess. I don't really feel like the university is supporting us academics wise. I don't really know how I was expected to wake up for an 8:50 a.m. calc discussion after last night's events. It would have been nice to maybe have the day off or something.

Sawyer: Today I am feeling well, I've just been working on homework from the week and chilling. When I heard the news that we were going to be put into lockdown, I was very surprised and upset to be honest. We had no warning that this was happening, and we didn't know what the heck was happening. As of right now, I feel that we are being supported by the university, they're making sure that we have food and other necessities. I know that they have a lot to deal with, so I think that they're doing a good job right now to support us.

Shiva: I'm feeling a little lonely, especially since my roommate is at home, but mostly okay, and I've been Facetiming as many of my friends as possible. I've been occupying myself with school and Netflix. I was a little blindsided by the announcement and I ran to the store to stock up on some food. I think right now academically I'm fine but I'm just hoping the university figures out where to go from here!

Monday, Sept. 14, 2020

The UW-Madison Faculty Senate voted to remove spring break from the Spring 2021 academic calender.

Two of five interviewed students have now returned home rather than remaining in their residence halls. All dorming students in Sellery and Witte were tested for coronavirus and a 20% positivity rate was reported.

Q: How was your weekend? Are you currently quarantining in the dorms or have you left? How have your daily operations changed since the lockdown? What are you doing to stay busy or find comfort while your movements and interactions are restricted?

Chloe: My weekend was wonderful! I spent it at home, I did some laundry and made some incredible meals with my family. As of now, I feel perfectly fine with how my academics and personal wellbeing are being supported, I am constantly receiving emails with resources for help. Other than schoolwork, to stay busy I have been doing a lot of artwork, as well as care for my plants. I have also found a new interest in researching national parks??? I don't know, maybe I will start trip planning for when all of this is over.

Will:  I left the dorms on Saturday. I feel like some classes are still giving a lot of work which is hard to keep up with when there is so much else going on to worry about. My work has kept me busy, but now that I am out of the dorms, I can go for runs which always help me clear my head. I feel much safer now being out of the dorms seeing as how poorly they were taking care of us in there. They also were taking forever in some cases to move people out who tested positive.

Sawyer: My weekend was good! I just worked on homework as usual and just chilled. I am still living in the dorms and plan on staying in the dorms the whole quarantine. I do feel that academics and personal well-being are being supported here during this time. I am spending more time just on the computer working on stuff for school rather than with friends or just hanging out. I used to go running when we could, but now I've started doing little workouts in my room to keep me busy and really to get moving during the day. 

Shiva: My weekend was pretty good, basically copying what I did back in March of just watching TV and eating food, along with a bunch of homework. I'm still in Witte and plan to be for the rest of quarantine. The limited options at Gordon are starting to get old quick but luckily I stocked up on snacks beforehand so it's not too bad. My daily routine is almost the same except instead of meeting people in person I just talk to them virtually, and instead of running outside I try to find workouts to do in my room. We just got an email saying that 20% of Witte and Sellery tested positive for COVID-19 so I think it's extra important that people follow the rules so that it doesn't get even worse and end up with us getting sent home.

Aaron: As you can imagine, it was a crazy weekend. There has been a lot of uncertainty throughout the dorm. Since the news first broke, many have started moving out of the dorms and into apartments. I am currently quarantined in Sellery and plan on staying here for the time being. I have really enjoyed my time here and would like to stay as long as I am able. So far, my instructors have been very supportive, many giving extensions on assignments and offering support to those who need it. All except one of my classes were online, so there hasn't been much of an adjustment to make for coursework. I spend most of my day in my dorm room now, only really leaving to get food. On the bright side, it is easier to focus on schoolwork now. To stay active and refreshed, I've started exercising between assignments. Luckily, I'm still able to stay connected to my friends through social media.

Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020

On Sept. 16, 2020 Big Ten Presidents and board members signaled the return of college football in mid-October.

Two students are now at home and one student begins to look for off-campus housing.

Q: How is your week going so far? Let's focus on announcements from this week. Are you excited for Big Ten football to start? Or does it worry you that an outbreak will prevent the season from beginning? Looking forward to next semester, what do you think about UW's decision to remove spring break from the 2021 academic calendar? For the students still in Sellery/Witte dorms, how are your meals?

Chloe: Since the week started, I have been doing work for school nonstop, I have an exam this evening that I'm not the most confident going into, but I am going to try and keep a positive outlook. I am very excited for the return of the Badgers season, hopefully when things start the virus will be under control or have worked through campus at that point so it can happen. As for the removal of spring break, I am not enthused because I usually get to visit my extended family during that time, however if it means that things will be okay sooner, it is something I am willing to understand.

Will: My week has been going well so far. Nothing too eventful. I think the call to start Big 10 football just after we put two dorms on lockdown seems a little counter-intuitive. Don't get me wrong I am excited about football but I feel like I almost have whiplash from those two announcements. I am still skeptical about things going wrong before the season even starts. I think the decision to remove spring break was an odd one. I understand why they did it though. I wish they would have given us a little more time off or at least some lightened classes to make up for it.

Sawyer: My week is going alright! The homework load has been tedious at times but that's all good. I am very excited for the Big 10 to start up again just because it will be very fun to watch those games and just be a part of that atmosphere. I hope that the season will come with little too few obstacles, but we will see what happens. When I heard that spring break was cancelled, I was bummed out. I was looking forward to having that time off. I feel like it was a little premature of them. I think they could have made a better decision if they had waited, simply because stuff is changing every day, and it is better to wait and see what it's like down the road.

Shiva: My week has been extra busy with a lot of clubs starting this week on top of classes. I'm looking forward to football and I think by the time the season starts the situation hopefully is under control, and as long as the players and coaches get tested regularly and are responsible it should go smoothly. I'm kind of disappointed that spring break was canceled but even more so that two of our extra three days off in place of spring break are Saturdays (seriously what do I do with a Saturday off… I already have no class!). I guess we do get a few days added to winter break but I like having spring break to recharge in the middle of the semester. Meals are getting a little old but it's not too bad. The desserts are getting better though, more variety the last couple days. Favorite meal so far is probably the mac and cheese pizza. I'm surviving, but definitely excited to get out of quarantine next week!!

Aaron: My week has been pretty busy so far, as I've started looking for housing elsewhere. It has not been an easy search as most places don't have any availability. I am super excited for Badger football to start. Badger football is an important aspect to campus culture, and it will be fun to finally be a part of that, even if we can't watch the games live. Considering most D1 football teams in the country haven't had issues with outbreaks, I am confident the season will proceed. Regarding spring break, I am a bit surprised they cancelled it, especially this early in the school year. Between now and spring break, there will be many new developments regarding coronavirus. I have enjoyed my meals so far, especially the cheese curds and the chicken sandwiches.

Monday, Sept. 21, 2020

Wisconsin set a new record for COVID-19 positive cases on Friday, Sept. 18 coming in at 2,626. On Sunday, the state surpassed a total of 100,000 cases, reports Channel 3000.

Q: How was your weekend? How are you doing and how are those around you doing? In your final few days of the University-sanctioned quarantine, do you feel that the UW has supported and provided for you ranging from poor to exemplary? Has your view of UW changed since the beginning of the quarantine? If you left the dorms for the two weeks, are you nervous or excited about returning? If you remained in the dorms, how are you feeling about the quarantine being lifted?

Sawyer: My weekend went well. I just keep working on homework and watching sports on TV when I got the chance. Overall, it was relaxed. I am doing well, excited for the quarantine to end and to be able to have a somewhat “normal” time here. My roommate stayed here the whole time, which was nice simply to have another person to hang out with. He's in good spirits and is excited to get out of lockdown as well. I do feel like the university has done a good job of supporting us and providing with resources or ways to get any help that we need. My personal view of UW has not changed at all since the beginning of the lockdown. I understand why they did the lockdown and I hope that it has really helped cut down on the cases. Overall, I am happy to be almost done with quarantine!

Shiva: My weekend was again kinda lazy but I did a lot of homework. I would say UW has done a decent job of supporting us during the quarantine but there are definitely a couple things I didn't like about how things were run. I'm cautiously excited about getting out of quarantine because I feel like there's a chance that we either get locked down again or just sent home. 

Aaron: The weekend was pretty slow, considering lots of people are either in quarantine or have moved out to apartments. I think everyone is getting tired of the dorm lockdown and ready to get back to normal life. In my opinion, the university has done a good job considering the difficult circumstances. While being in lockdown for two weeks isn't ideal, it's better than being sent home for the semester. The university has done a good job of reaching out to students to check in and lending support when it's needed. I can't say my opinion of UW has changed, although being in lockdown has made me appreciate everything the campus has to offer more. I can't wait to get out of lockdown and spend some time outdoors. It'll be nice to get some fresh air.

Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020

Witte and Sellery students were released from quarantine at 8:00 a.m. In-person instruction was authorized to return beginning Saturday, Sept. 26.

On Sept. 22, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers declared a public health emergency in the state and renewed the mask mandate order to last at least until Nov. 21, 2020.

Q: What did you do during your first day out of quarantine? Was there a sense of relief, excitement, or nervousness in the air? What was your residence hall's energy like today? Has it changed when comparing earlier this week to today? If you were at home, when will you be returning?

Chloe:  In my first day out of quarantine I moved back to my dorm and went to see one of my good friends. We ordered takeout and sat by the lake for the sunset, just enjoying freedom and time together. I was both nervous and excited to return, and that remains. You never really know what is going on in here. I'm interested in seeing if our progress against fighting COVID-19 will stay. I sure hope it does so we can get closer to the fun, busy, social freshman year we all dream of. 

Will:  My first day out of lockdown I moved back into Sellery and went and got dinner with some friends of mine. We all were pretty happy it was over. Sellery seems lively now but it's still hard because we can't bring in people from other dorms. 

Sawyer: My first day of quarantine was so anticlimatic. I had classes all day, so I was too busy to be able to get out and enjoy that sweet sweet fresh air of freedom. There was a sense of excitement in the air for me. I didn't really get out, except to get food of course. But knowing that I had the ability to leave and go out was great. Tomorrow I am going to go for a run which I am happy about and just get outside which will be nice. The atmosphere has definitely changed, even from yesterday to today. Just going to get dinner, I noticed that there were a ton more people out and about.

Shiva:  My first day out of quarantine was good, I didn't really do anything crazy but I went out to dinner with some friends. It was mostly excitement and as people who went home started to come back it got a little more lively after being dead for a couple weeks. 

Aaron:  The first thing I did when I got out of quarantine was go for a run along the lakeshore path. It was exciting yet relaxing to finally be able to spend some time outdoors, away from everything. Seeing Lake Mendota after two weeks of mostly being indoors was definitely a highlight of my freshman year so far. The energy inside the hall was the best it has been since before lockdown. Overall, I am just happy to have the lockdown behind me so I can continue my year.

A note from the Author:

I'm so thankful that these five freshman students so kindly cooperated with my story idea. It was incredibly refreshing to receive such authentic and honest replies.