SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – On Mar. 10, 2020, the Syracuse University community received an email informing them that residential learning would be suspending until at least Mar. 30.
Most students took this as an opportunity to have an extended spring break.
Once the quarantine period started, students jumped on trends like finishing the Netflix catalog or dying their hair.
A lot has changed since that original announcement. A prime example, the Dome. This time last year, thousands of SU sports fans flooded the Dome to enjoy a Syracuse basketball or lacrosse game.
Now, the Dome is one of the largest COVID-19 testing sites in the city of Syracuse.
Like most people, Syracuse University student Mary Kate Tramontano didn’t think the pandemic would last as long as it has.
“I honestly did think it was an overreaction,” Tramontano said.
Once unfamiliar, concepts like wearing masks, social distancing and Zoom are commonplace today.
Tramontano remembers the exact moment she realized this two-week pause was maybe a little more serious.
“I sneezed and my mom was like, ‘Oh my god,” and like freaked out. She was like, ‘You don’t understand what it’s like,'” Tramontano said.
Tramontano is from New York City, one of the hardest hit cities in the United States. A member of the Tramontano family saw the impact firsthand. Her aunt is a nurse in a hospital in Long Island, where over 60% of the staff contracted COVID-19. The Tramontano family was one of thousands of family to be tragically affected by the virus.
“It was just like a lot of weeks of him just being very very sick, they just knew he probably wasn’t going to make it,” Tramontano said.
Tramontano’s uncle had a number of heart issues and struggled with his weight, but Tramontano didn’t think this would affect her like this.
“He was relatively fine and then just completely wasn’t,” Tramontano said.
This is the story of many Americans, but the vaccine symbolizes the light at the end of the tunnel. As a healthcare worker, Tramontano’s aunt received the doses in December.
“My aunt threw out on Christmas, Oh by the way I got vaccinated,” Tramontano said.
Let’s go back to the man who penned the original email, Vice Chancellor J. Michael Haynie. Haynie hopes to have a vaccine clinic on campus once supply becomes available. He also encourages students to finish the race strong.
“I continue to implore students just to hang on for a little while longer,” Haynie said.
Students on campus are taking his advice. Many who are eligible have already made their appointment and got the vaccine.
March 10th 2020. One of the last “normal” days of campus life at Syracuse University.
It was this day exactly one year ago that the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor penned an email announcing residential learning would be suspended for at least two weeks because of COVID-19.
Most students took this as an opportunity to enjoy an extended spring break, catch up with the latest trends, or try something new.
“The day before spring break because that’s when it like I was supposed to go away with some friends and we had to cancel and that’s kind of when it set in.”
“I definitely made my way through like half of Netflix. Like I think I binged like so many series over quarantine.”
” I was looking at my snapchat memories the other day it was like really like beginning into it. It was like two weeks into it I was like purple hair.”
A lot has changed this time last year the Dome would have been packed with Syracuse Basketball and Lacrosse fans. Now, its primary purpose is to act as a COVID-19 testing site.
Like most of her fellow classmates, Mary Kate Tramontano, no longer rocking purple hair, wasn’t expecting the pandemic to last as long as it has.
“I honestly did think it was an overreaction.And like I thought we were definitely gonna. I like talking to my friends and them being like ‘Oh our professors are like learning online systems for class and stuff and like they’re prepping for that. I was like that’s so dramatic like, we’re not gonna need that.”
Now, unfamiliar concepts like wearing masks, social distancing, and Zoom are common place. Tramontano reflects on the moment she realized COVID-19 was a real threat.
“I sneezed my mom was like, ‘Oh my god.’ and like freaked out. I was like what, relax. She was like you don’t understand what it’s like we’re in New York City. She’s like you don’t understand what it’s like.”
It did end up being a big deal, especially for the Tramontano family. Mary Kate’s aunt is a nurse on Long Island. And they are one of thousands of families who have been tragically affected the pandemic.
“65 or something of her hospital like got it. It was like a lot of weeks of him just being very very sick. On like, I don’t remember the exact day, but it was like later into April, they just they knew like he probably wasn’t going to make it.”
Tramontano knew that her uncle may be at risk of getting the virus, but was shocked to see it’s rapid and damaging effects.
“He had underlying health conditions and would be like in the hospital with heart problems sometimes. He was like relatively fine and then just like completely wasn’t so quickly.”
Families across the country share Tramontano story. And are trying to move forward with life after COVID-19’s tear. For the Mary Kate and her family, the vaccine symbolizes the light at the end of the tunnel.
“A lot of my family’s been vaccinated already. Both my parents are like two doses in. My aunt threw out on Christmas, she was like,’Oh by the way I got vaccinated.’ She’s a nurse and we were like that’s a pretty big deal,congrats. She was like,’No not a big deal. It’s fine'”
The vaccine here and is progressively becoming more available. Within the next year, the hope is the majority of the US population is vaccinated. Let’s go back to the man who started the conversation at Syracuse University. Vice Chancellor Mike Haynie. He encourages the student body to keep pushing forward toward better days.
“But I think we’re very close to that and that’s why you know I continue to implore students just to hang on for a little while longer.
And some students are taking his advice
“I’m actually signed up to get mine next week and I’m so excited about it. I think we’re definitely in the clear and there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.”
According to Haynie, he university plans to serve as a vaccination location once supply is made available.
