Vacant dormitories. Shuttered academic buildings. Orange traffic cones rendering the doors to the Rotunda unreachable. Innumerable empty parking spots. If you didn’t know any better, you’d assume it was early August at Marist College, in the subtle weeks prior to the return of several thousand students. But it isn’t August; it is May. Once that is realized, it becomes nearly impossible to ignore the nagging sense of eerie emptiness that pervades the campus.

Members of the Marist community have experienced a vast array of emotions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They share some of their stories of shelter-in-place, how they’ve created a new “normal,” and why it’s important we have these discussions about mental wellness.

Yesterday, we published the first round of our series on Marist student’s reflections on the mental health toll during the global pandemic. You can find it here. We share more of our student’s stories below.

Pam Armas, Class of 2020

Shelter in place location: New Jersey

Pam Armas, a Marist 2020 graduate, is safe at home in Northern New Jersey. “There has been a lot of uncertainty in regards to the pandemic, and personally that’s what has caused much of my anxiety. It’s the unpredictability of the situation that has been difficult,” she said. In addition, Armas’ father is an essential worker and makes the trek from New Jersey to parts of Manhattan and Queens to deliver food everyday; his safety has been a point of concern for her. “Each day he comes home feeling healthy feels like a blessing,” Armas said. The seriousness of the pandemic became obvious for Armas when neighbors and family friends tested positive for the virus. In April, her upstairs neighbor lost their battle to complications resulting from COVID-19. “That was a day [that] was monumental, and I will never forget the grief that surrounded our home,” she said. In order to cope, Armas has discovered creating a sense of routine to be helpful. “I know it seems silly, but getting out of PJs and maybe throwing on some makeup feels like I have some of my old habits. My mom is a psychologist and firmly advocated for getting up, keeping a normal routine, and maintaining positive [attitudes].” Armas also reports that her family limits how much news they watch, and she and her mother do “living room workouts to pump up some endorphins.” She added that her attitude towards the quarantine period has fluctuated as the pandemic continued on. “Early on in quarantine, I think there was this pressure to make this time the most productive time possible,” she said. “That we should come out of quarantine fit, learn a new language, take up three new hobbies, and almost have a rebirth. The reality is that the seriousness of the situation can take a toll on our mental health, and we should take each day with kindness to ourselves. This pressure to come out of quarantine a new person will only add to our anxieties. As much as we have to be kind to others, we must be kind to ourselves as well.”

Pam Armas and her family on a walk together in New Jersey. Source: Armas

Matt Zofchak, Class of 2017

Shelter in place location: New Jersey

Class of 2017 graduate Matt Zofchak believes COVID-19 is going to force Americans “for better or worse to finally address a major issue in the U.S.” That issue? Mental health. Zofchak believes it is brushed aside as a “taboo subject” in the country. He predicts that, post-pandemic, this will change. When asked to describe how life has altered since the COVID-19 outbreak began, Zofchak calls it “more stressful.” He said, “There’s this lack of escapism that is not longer around anymore. You sort of learn that there’s so many things you can’t take for granted that you have been for most of your life. Generally I’ve felt more on edge. Lack of routine and work really just makes the weeks drag,” he said. Zofchak, like innumerable sports industry professionals, is currently furloughed from his role at Disney Streaming Service. “But once sports start up again my job will return,” Zofchak added. He describes utilizing technologies such as Facetime and texting to stay in touch with people who he cares about and not feel quite as isolated while sheltering at home.

Class of 2017 graduate Matt Zofchak hopes that COVID-19 can undo the “taboo” rhetoric surrounding concepts on mental health. Source: Zofchak

Abby DeRochie, Class of 2019

Shelter in place location: Connecticut

“I think it’s very important to realize that this is temporary. I also think it’s helpful to reach out to people who are in similar mindsets,” said Abby DeRochie. The Marist 2019 graduate from Connecticut describes her mental health as having “become more of a challenge lately. You spend a lot of time alone and as someone with anxiety being alone means I have a lot of time with my thoughts and my worries and my fears and my ‘what if?’ scenario thinking.” DeRochie added that virtual therapy is “great, but it’s not providing that one on one interaction you’re normally used to.” DeRochie does feel that her mental health due to COVID-19 “has not been the best,” but feels others are experiencing similar emotions. “I think mental health is something that has a stigma and people don’t want to talk about it typically. But we’re in a situation [where] we’re all isolated and I think people who don’t normally have these extreme emotions of anxiety, worry, isolation are now experiencing that and they’re kind of getting a taste of what it’s like for people who struggle with that stuff every day.”

Amanda Dettmann, Class of 2020

Shelter in place location: Maine

“I’ve always been an optimist, which sometimes hurts my mental health in the long run,” said Amanda Dettmann, a Marist 2020 graduate. “Even going into an extended spring break, I was in denial that the rest of our senior year could be cancelled.” Dettmann describes the pain of returning to Marist to clean out her dorm room after it was announced the semester would move online as “one of the hardest days I have had during all four years at college. Leaving Marist a second time had the greatest impact for me, where campus felt like a ghost town. I dropped my key off in a box instead of [to] my RA who always made me laugh. It felt very ironic. No humans in a place where so many human memories happened. A place where we grew and grew up.” Back at home, Dettmann worked to create a daily routine which has allowed her mental health to feel “more stable and balanced right now.” She also has looked to the arts during this trying time. “I’ve found that writing and performing pieces of art are not only allowing me a creative outlet for my grief but also an outlet for others to empathize,” Dettmann said. She has also been working to maintain perspective. “I have shelter, food, and family,” she said. “I’ve actually noticed that my mental health in terms of anxiety has ironically lessened because I am not planning every hour of every day. I’ve also found much more time to read, watch movies, and write—three things that I absolutely love.”

Amanda Dettmann on her move-out day from campus this spring. Source: Dettmann

Theresa Carcaldi, Class of 2019

Shelter in place location: Connecticut

For Marist Class of 2019 graduate Theresa Carcaldi, the pandemic has felt like “an emotional rollercoaster.” Prior to the outbreak, Carcaldi was getting acclimated to her new post-grad life as a working young adult and living with her parents again in their Connecticut home. “I was starting to feel like I had my life together a bit more than I had been feeling, and then everything changed again and it was now adjusting to working remotely and not seeing any of my friends.” She believes that the pandemic has revealed some inspiring aspects of society, but also some less savory ones. “I feel like as much as this pandemic has shown me how incredible people can be when we need to be – huge shoutout to our essential workers who put their own lives at risk every day for us – it’s also shown me how selfish people can be and that’s a scary thought to grapple with too,” she said. When asked how she has been taking care of her mental health during the pandemic, Carcaldi states that she has taken the pressure off of herself. “I think accepting that just because you might have more free time right now doesn’t mean you have to become the next New York [Times] bestselling author is really important because it takes pressure off the situation. It’s enough to just survive right now, you know?”

Thomas Vestuto, Class of 2020

Shelter at home location: Long Island, New York

Part of Marist’s music scene during his undergraduate education, Class of 2020’s Thomas Vestuto has found himself turning to his passion during the COVID-19 crisis. “I’ve always turned to music to be an outlet for me during tough times,” he said. “These times are no different. I’ve tried writing songs and just listening to a bunch of different types of music. I encourage people to channel their creative side – whether it be creative writing, or painting, or music. I feel as though this sort of positive outlet can be very beneficial for many people, besides just myself.” Vestuto reported a “lack of motivation” during the quarantine period, and added that, “None of this feels real. I have trouble processing the reality of the world that we are living in.” Vestuto also recently suffered a loss in his family which exacerbated these feelings. When his grandfather passed away, Vestuto realized his family would not be able to proceed with a traditional funeral. “The funeral home was empty for a man who the room otherwise would have been full,” he said. “Everyone had a mask. I couldn’t embrace my family members.” In addition, Vestuto has also had a family member test positive for COVID-19. He advises, “Talk to others – those who have been affected, those who are just trying to stay optimistic. Talking about it helps, and it can also help others.”

These members of the Marist community are located in various states/regions of the United States. Here’s where their states are in terms of shutdowns and reopenings as of May 20, 2020:

Connecticut - Currently in Phase One of reopening

New Jersey - Currently in Stage One of reopening

Maine - Currently in Stage One of reopening

Long Island, N.Y. - Reopening plan currently in the works; not yet in Phase One

The Kids are Alright: Mental Health Toll of COVID-19 Continued