Navigating the Coronavirus

Laredo Morning Times | lmtonline.com | Sunday, June 14, 2020 | E5 50th Anniversary munity efforts by providing a home to a local homeless veteran. As a re- sult of efforts from Lathey, Ricardo Quijano and other members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9194, Marine Corp. veteran Mark Nagele received a home in the middle of the pandemic. “It was a very emotional day,” Nagele said. “I was in shock at first as I couldn’t believe it as it was just something that came out of the blue.” The team worked with Project Green Zone to help remodel an old shipment container into a home, a partnership created years prior to the pandemic. The container was provided by Project Green Zone, and Nagele can now enjoy a larger home with appliances included and a bright blue coat of paint. Lathey and other members of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9194 started caring for other veterans in the community approximately eight years ago. It started as a barbecue during a TAMIU baseball game that evolved into a way to help veterans in need. From providing scholar- ships to student veterans to partici- pating in Building Homes for He- roes, their contributions have been noted throughout the years. This year, Lathey and the Texas VFW postponed the barbecue but still managed to fix up a shipping container to provide a home for Nagele. Despite COVID-19 inter- rupting plans, Nagele can now live more comfortably in a new home. Lathey said that he expects efforts to increase as the years continue and said that Laredo can expect much more. One of the plans is to create a Veteran Village near TAMIU for homeless veterans. The proximity will allow them to get assistance in finding a job or getting their educa- tion. Transitioning to remote work As efforts to curb the virus ramped up in March, students and university staff were put in a difficult situation. With the week of spring break to think, the university acted quickly to transition face-to-face classes to an online environment in that same week. Using live lectures, recorded and on-demand lectures, virtual meet- ings, and the Blackboard eLearn- ing platform, students and educators could continue the semester from the safety and comfort of their homes. According to TAMIU provost and vice president of Academic Affairs Dr. Tom Mitchell, students and fac- ulty redefined the classroom experi- ences and created multiple ways to enhance the students’ participation. “Music faculty members includ- ing Dr. Abby Lloyd, the assistant professor of music, and Dr. Mark Boseman, the assistant professor of music, have repurposed their instrument-focused studio classes into Zoom meetings with students,” Mitchell said. “That’s brought the added benefit of inviting other music professionals to join in and present masterclasses on Zoom, including percussion, clarinet and saxophone.” Julio Dominguez, a junior Eng- lish major and U.S. Marine veteran, said his first week in a virtual envi- ronment had its challenges but was not difficult. Dominguez continued his classes and interacted with class- mates through the available apps like WhatsApp and Blackboard. “The experience was new,” he said. “The world is always chang- ing, and in these uncertain circum- stances, we need to be able to adapt quickly and to not be left behind.” Additionally, TAMIU students Michelle Rivera and Juan Barrera said they had adapted easily and felt the transition went off without a hitch. “I had to take a couple of exams, but it wasn’t my first time taking an exam online so there weren’t any problems,” Rivera said, “My lec- tures are done through Zoom, and I Courtesy of TAMIU