The TCU community is finding ways to stay positive during a global pandemic in a variety of ways.

Fine Arts Professor Lily Sloan has discovered a new interest in online fitness videos that help her work from home.

“I really need challenging physical exercise in the morning in order to function my best throughout the day,” she said.

Sloan said that she hopes more people will come out of the pandemic focusing more on well-being and not consumption.

TCU Chancellor Victor Boschini is finding his silver lining through family.

“I think one of the great things about this is that it is having us appreciate family more now than we ever did,” Boschini said. “I think it is making us more mindful of our brother and sister.”

Boschini hopes that during this pandemic people can be thankful for family and friends and more aware of the world around them.

Christine Bowman, the mother of a TCU student and dean of admission at Southwestern University, echoed Boschini.

“As a society, I feel like we have been operating on an exhausting schedule for a while,” she said. “I hope this teaches us to value what is important.” 

Bowman said that she has reset her sleep patterns and has enjoyed working outside on the nice days. 

“I’ve finished a book and am excited to start another,” she said. “I have ten on my nightstand, and I’ve also binge-watched a few shows.” 

A mother of two college students, Bowman is trying to make the most of the opportunity to spend time with them.

She and her daughter said that they have enjoyed cooking and baking together. 

“We have done lots of cooking together, and we have finally learned how to bake our own bread, something I have wanted to do for years,” Bowman said.

As some families learn new recipes and fitness exercises, others are reflecting on how they have taken up other hobbies.

“I used to go out to eat or go to the mall all the time to do something fun, but being stuck inside has forced me to find other hobbies,” junior criminal justice and psychology double major Ashley Travis said. “I have learned that I took a lot of things for granted before this lockdown happened.”

Travis said she will now focus more on the good things in her life and be thankful for the time with her friends and family. When this pandemic is over, she hopes to look at things with more positivity. 

Trent Hudson, a marketing major from Carmel, California, believes this pandemic has allowed him to focus more on himself. 

“This pandemic has allowed me to ensure that I continue to better myself in every aspect of my life,” Hudson said. “I have been reading more, finding creative ways to workout, reconnecting with old and new friends and have taken time for myself, which is hard to do during a busy semester.”

As many are looking at the silver linings, Boschini still can’t wait for the students to return to campus.

“I miss the students on campus; the campus is lonely without them,” he said.