For many, the physical break from the school building has offered opportunities to relax and casually work on assignments from teachers while at home, but for senior Jackson Schulte, this is not the case.

“Honestly, I’ve been dying,” Schulte said. “As a very extroverted person who thrives on interacting with people, planning rallies and stuff, and having a set plan of action with my work, this is very very frustrating.”

Schulte is the leader of West Michigan Every Town – a group focused on advocating for “common sense” gun legislation – and also participates in other activist groups. He has even worked on political campaigns for candidates like Governor Gretchen Whitmer among others. 

“Activism is always a bit chaotic, but this is another level,” Schulte said. “I’ve been in my basement on the phone with activists and politicians trying to work on where to go from here, but there’s not a ton that we know, which makes planning difficult.”

This strain of Coronavirus has already radically changed daily life for the plurality of people, especially students and activists according to Schulte.

“It’s already impacting so many other aspects of government, particularly in how tax money is distributed,” Schulte said. “It’s a whole complicated thing, but what it comes down to is that the stimulus package is pretty much just an advance loan on your 2020 tax return, and you’ll have to pay it all back.”

But for daily life, Schulte’s had to change like the rest of America.

“I was glad Whitmer was taking preventative measures,” Schulte said. “It’s upsetting that we’re missing so much, but it was an important step in slowing down the virus.”

Whitmer’s action to suspend school in the classroom setting has flipped life upside down for everyone. Schult has enjoyed the flexibility of learning from home, but misses the social interaction aspect of attending school. 

“I appreciate the flexibility this offers, because now I can schedule virtual meetings during office hours, but I do miss school,” Schulte said. “I miss people. If I could go out and be with people, this would be great.”