Hi everyone, this whole thing with quarantine and COVID-19 can be hard to handle. I think the best thing we can do right now is to remember to reach out to our friends and family and talk or do anything that makes us feel relaxed. This can be a stressful time, but it will be over soon.

This week I want to share a video with you that a fellow Marywood Student, Computer Science major Jake Kraycer, made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and what he wants us to take away from his video.

After watching his video, I interviewed Jake via email and asked him some questions

What is your major/minor/year of graduation?

I am a senior computer science major.      

Where did you learn about the United Nations global initiative?

I first learned about the UN/WHO global initiative through my professor in Computer Graphics I, Sue Jenkins, when she offered it at a side project to our class.  I immediately had a burst of creativity and just saw a video in my head: Letting people know that this isn’t the end of the world and that good times will come again.

Why did you decide to create a video in response to the initiative?

The goal of my video was just to spread positivity, and hopefully make someone want to participate in this creative event and do it better than I could.

What equipment and software did you use to create the video?

I used my iPhone to record myself and OBS studio to record my computer screen. To edit, I used Movie Maker 10.

What is the goal of your video?

I love Marywood and have been an Orientation Co-chair, a member of Marywood’s strategic planning committee, and a member of student Government. I hope Marywood can grow from this Pandemic, and make an emergency preparedness plan for a pandemic such as this.  I think our school is already growing in a very positive direction.

What do you hope people will think/feel after watching your video?

I hope people will feel lightened, almost as if there is a reason to stay positive. My mom and brother-in-law both work in the healthcare field, so my whole family has been really stressed out and have been kind of depressed. I wanted to remind them how happy we can be as a family and hopefully take away some of the worry for a minute.

What is your hope for the future of the Marywood and the world?

After this pandemic, it puts our situation into perspective.  I really hope the world can put down arms and weapons to increase the well-being of the average citizen. I would love to see a united world, which works together to solve problems, rather than create them.

To get involved and learn more about ways you can help, visit the COVID-19 response fund at covid19responsefund.org

@WHO @UN @UnitedNations @Talenthouse #CovidOpenBrief #UNCovid19Brief #FlattenTheCurve #SafeHands #AloneTogether #ViralKindness #StopTheSpread #Coronavirus #Covid19