Fourth Edition: April 4-10
There are a plethora of changes COVID-19 has brought to our world. Developments are mounting daily, sometimes hourly. The Collegiate staff documented a few snippets of the things we’ve seen and heard over the last week.
Home-Nunica
April 9
Reported by Maxx Kriger
My wife and I have been taking our dog on maybe double the walks we normally take her on since the lockdown. But, we haven’t been taking her to public places and our road is gravel, not pavement. Because of those things, our normal method of trimming her nails (which is to let her file them slowly over miles of walks) has failed.
And let me sumise by saying she would not let someone, even as trusted as my wife and I (her owners) cut her fingernails unless she was sedated. We’ve tried everything.
So anyway, she broke a nail digging for moles and it’s very sensitive. She is a dog, though, so anytime we go outside she completely forgets about it and loves playing fetch.
Today, we took her about a mile down the road to a paved part of another road so she can file her nails a bit. She wasn’t stoked about walking on the pavement with her sore nail, but she wasn’t complaining about a 2-3 mile walk.
By the time I finished writing this she was already cooled off and looking out the window with a pitiful stare, waiting for her next opportunity to explore and pee on everything.
Downtown Grandville
April 8
Reported by Kory Goldsmith
In downtown Grandville, you can see signs hanging on the windows of the jewelry store on the corner of Chicago Drive and Wilson Avenue which has been there for multiple decades. Six signs said either:
Stay positive Grandville
God bless America
Keep smiling
Thank you healthcare professionals
Grandville strong
Thank you Grandville police & fire
I found that uplifting reading those signs on the windows of a store which isn’t open due to the governor’s stay-at-home order.
The Miller compound
8:41 p.m. on April 9,
Reported by Jamie Miller
The brutality of boredom
Well well well. So it continues, the stay-at-home order is still in effect and has even been extended and thus I am confined to home for even longer now. Yay… I mean it’s not horrible but it’s just, well, meh. I mean I haven’t been out of my house in a month and it’s starting to show, my hair is getting longer, my beard is unkept, and I have the urge to binge eat GRCC’s hotdogs when this lockdown is overs as I have not had them in what seems like an eternity. Even our dogs seem to be bored out of their minds as my black lab, Riley, just stares at me in disappointment as if he’s tired of seeing me lounge around constantly, neither feeding him treats nor doing really anything. Yes, I do believe that soon introverts will be tired of their own company. But hey it’s not all bad. I’ve had time to binge watch TV and have started a curious show called “Tiger King.” Which you can see a story inspired by right here on the Collegiate
My house
Every day of isolation
Reported by Brianna Wetherbee
There have been a plethora of sales from online retailers recently. Their marketing tactics have worked and I have ordered far more clothes and accessories than needed. My mom does not support my shopping habits and so I usually try to be discrete about picking up the packages that are left at the front door. That never works out. As I tiptoe up the stairs with my latest purchase, I inevitably hear my mother say, “Brianna Marie, another package.. really?” I’m starting to see it’s all for naught considering everything I’m buying is for summer and we might not be out of quarantine before it’s time to switch my wardrobe back to fall and winter.
Charlevoix, MI
9:35 p.m. on April 9
Reported by Joshua Carlson
I haven’t left my house in a while and I’ve been locked in my room only going out of it to get food. I have recently watched this movie that is based on a true story called “Molly’s Game” on Netflix. It’s about a woman named Molly who ran the most exclusive high stakes poker games that involved celebrities. After finishing it I had a lot of time on my hands (obviously) so I decided to take a look into the real life portion of the movie and it was very interesting. I’d definitely recommend watching, and taking a look into the crazy story that is depicted in “Molly’s Game.”
West Grand Rapids
8:39 p.m. on April 9.
Reported by Tessa Schulz
In the laze of these quarantine days, my question has been how can I relax more? How can I perfect my daily routine? I have done so by taking daily baths and perfecting my breakfast burritos. I was on FaceTime with a friend the other day discussing how I finally have found the perfect ratio for my morning coffee. She asked me how I made it and I told her I poured half a cup of Starbucks vanilla latte (from the jug) and half almond milk. I was told this isn’t homemade coffee. However, I appreciated the thought. Quarantine has left a new sense of creativity within the world. Social media is buzzing and people are appreciating the art of what we have and the history we are making. To some, groceries on the porch may seem disgusting, but there is so much meaning behind why they sit there. I have a new appreciation for exploring random markets, going on treasure hunts for toilet paper and for sunny days. There is something so fragile about your new and only toilet paper sitting on the front porch when the weather forecast says a chance of showers. But, that is the risk worth taking.
Wyoming, MI
Around noon on April 9
Reported by Devin Jones
Since my room is in the front of my house facing the road, I can see when people walk down my street. In the past couple of weeks, I’ve noticed that a lot of people who normally don’t walk their dogs have been walking their dogs almost every day. I’ve noticed at least 15 dogs that I’ve never seen before in my neighborhood. Although my dog is so lazy that he doesn’t really enjoy taking walks, I can say that I’ve walked him more than usual as well. Seeing everyone’s dogs has definitely been a small positive side effect of self-isolation.
Downtown GR
8 a.m. on April 8
Reported by Sabrina Edwards
Around 8 a.m. on Wednesday I decided I wanted to go for a drive downtown to see how busy it is around the morning rush hour and it was like a ghost town. It was very strange to see a bustling town completely shut down. The only places that had a lot of traffic were areas surrounding the hospitals. Besides that there were few people walking around, most walking a dog. Seeing Division Avenue completely empty at 8:30 in the morning was an extremely odd experience.
Michigan Web Account Manager
3 a.m. on April 10
Reported by Kellie Book
As expected, my paid leave from work ended this week. A couple days ago I had tried to apply for unemployment in the afternoon, and experienced lags between each page that lasted several minutes. Last night I managed to log back in, and the process was significantly faster. Apparently few people have the energy to fill out forms in the wee hours of the morning. I was pleased by how streamlined the site was, but the process was still a little confusing. Having that application submitted makes me feel accomplished. Now, all I have to do is wait and see what the response is; hopefully I filled everything out correctly so my application doesn’t get denied.
