Since the first cases of the novel 

coronavirus 
(COVID-19) 
were 

confirmed in Michigan last week, 

doctors and hospital officials at 

Michigan Medicine have begun 

preparing for a steep increase in 

cases as the virus spreads. 

There are 65 confirmed cases 

of 
COVID-19 
in 
Michigan 
as 

of Tuesday, including seven in 

Washtenaw County. 

Shortly after the first two cases 

of the virus in the state were 

announced on March 10, Michigan 

Medicine confirmed it was treating 

one of the patients. 

According to the Detroit Free 

Press, 
on 
Tuesday 
morning, 

Michigan Medicine CEO Marschall 

Runge 
said 
the 
hospital 
is 

currently caring for two confirmed 

coronavirus patients and “treating 

several patients” who are awaiting 

testing 
results. 
However, 
the 

Michigan Medicine website notes 

it will not be disclosing the current 

number of COVID-19 patients as the 

situation is rapidly evolving. 

Michigan Medicine announced 

on Monday the opening of a new 

32-bed isolation unit in order 

to handle a possible influx of 

coronavirus cases. The new unit, 

known as the Regional Infectious 

Containment Unit, will be used to 

care solely for patients diagnosed 

with COVID-19. 

Michael 
Mulholland, 
senior 

associate dean for clinical affairs at 

Michigan Medicine and executive 

director 
of 
the 
University 
of 

Michigan Medical Group, spoke 

Tuesday afternoon in a media call 

about limited curbside screening for 

Michigan Medicine patients who 

have been referred to the hospital by 

their doctors. Mulholland said there 

are now three screening centers 

available to Michigan Medicine 

employees and patients if they are 

showing symptoms.

The University of Michigan’s 

Ann Arbor campus has an eerie, 

ghostlike feel to it. 

In the past week, each day has 

come with a new blow to normalcy 

because of the coronavirus. First, 

in-person classes were canceled. 

Next came all sports competitions. 

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered all 

Michigan restaurants, bars and other 

public places of accommodation to 

shut down temporarily, meaning 

that on-campus dining halls and 

libraries 
have 
closed. 
Today, 

another blow — students in dorms 

must leave unless they “truly have 

no other alternatives,” and other 

students have also been urged to 

leave campus.

The 
changes 
have 
impacted 

everyone 
in 
the 
University 

community, as well as people 

worldwide. But especially for those 

finishing their final year, the timing 

of this global pandemic could not be 

worse. On Wednesday, they attended 

classes unaware that these in-person 

meetings would be their last. They 

had to cancel large, meaningful 

events of their senior year, such as 

concerts and competitions. And 

then on Friday, March 13, University 

President Mark Schlissel sent out 

an email confirming that Spring 

Commencement was canceled.

“I probably cried for a solid 40 

minutes, and I don’t really cry. I 

wouldn’t say I’m a crier,” LSA senior 

Sydney Moore said.

Schlissel’s 
initial 
email 

contained a few sentences saying 

commencement was canceled and 

that the University “will look at 

ways to celebrate 2020 graduates in 

the future.” A follow-up email from 

Acting Provost Susan Collins and 

Interim Vice President for Student 

Life Simone Himbeault Taylor, sent 

first to parents and then to students, 

elaborated more on the decision. 

“We know that this decision 

is very upsetting for many of our 

graduates and their families. Our 

students work incredibly hard to 

reach this milestone, and those 

who earn a Michigan degree 

deserve to be celebrated with their 

friends, professors, families and 

loved ones. Commencement is one 

of our favorite times of the year, 

as well,” Collins and Himbeault 

Taylor wrote. “At the same time, 

we want commencement to be safe 

– for our graduates, the hundreds 

of employees who prepare for and 

work during the ceremonies, and 

the tens of thousands who join us 

to celebrate.”

Collins and Himbeault Taylor 

said 
the 
University 
will 
find 

another date for the Class of 2020’s 

commencement and will share that 

information as soon as possible. 

Still, an abrupt end to college 

as they know it with no May 

graduation ceremony is jarring, 

according 
to 
the 
graduating 

students 
who 
spoke 
to 
The 

Michigan Daily. They know it isn’t 

the University’s fault, and that 

canceling the ceremony is for the 

best. But for these students it’s still 

an upsetting turn of events.

Here are some of the names, faces 

and stories, in their own words, of 

the University of Michigan Class 

of 2020. Some quotes have been 

condensed for clarity. 

michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Wednesday, March 18, 2020

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-NINE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

For graduating students, their final college 
moments came and went before they knew it

As coronavirus outbreak forces campus to shut down, students lose chance to celebrate milestones together

ALLISON ENGKVIST/Daily

University of Michigan graduating students share their feelings towards not having a graduation and ending classes a month earlier than anticipated.

LIAT WEINSTEIN 

& CLAIRE HAO
Daily News Editors

See SENIORS, Page 3

GOT A NEWS TIP?
Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail 
news@michigandaily.com and let us know.

INDEX
Vol. CXXIX, No. 85
©2020 The Michigan Daily

N E W S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

O P I N I O N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

A R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
michigandaily.com

For more stories and coverage, visit
Follow The Daily 
on Instagram, 
@michigandaily

HOUSING

All 
students 
living 
in 

University 
of 
Michigan 

residence halls must leave 

campus unless they fill out a 

request to remain in housing, 

according to an email sent 

to everyone still living on 

campus Tuesday afternoon. 

If their request is approved, 

the email notes, they are not 

guaranteed to continue their 

current housing assignment 

and may have to move to a new 

building. 

Students must request to 
remain in residence halls

EMMA STEIN
Daily News Editor 

Residents 
pushed to 
 

leave dorms

Michigan Medicine adjusts to fight virus 

New 32-bed isolation unit among measures being taken to prepare for incoming cases

See DORMS, Page 2

ELIZABETH LAWRENCE 

& MAYA GOLDMAN

Editor in Chief

& Daily Staff Reporter

ALLISON ENGKVIST/Daily

There are 65 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Michigan, including seven in Washtenaw County, 
as of Tuesday. 

Read more at 
MichiganDaily.com
statement

THE MICHIGAN DAILY | MARCH 18, 2020

