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9,000 miles away from home

Iowa Central keeps some housing open for students in need

While most folks are getting used to staying home and maybe even starting to get irritated with being stuck inside with their family for days or weeks on end, some don’t have the privilege of being near their loved ones during this COVID-19 global pandemic.

Jasmine Kurufher, a women’s soccer player at Iowa Central Community College, is staying in student housing at Iowa Central, when she’d much rather be with her family, who are 9,355 miles away in Melbourne, Australia.

“It’s really scary,” Kurufher said of what it’s like to be so far away from her family during this time. “You don’t know what they’re going through. Every day I try to talk to them as much as I can just to give myself that peace of mind so I’m not freaking out over here where I’m by myself.”

Kurufher is one of 36 Iowa Central students still living in on-campus housing, 27 of whom are also international students.

Prior to spring break, which was March 16 through March 20, Iowa Central had 1,007 students living in on-campus housing, said Dr. Dan Kinney, Iowa Central president.

To comply with social distancing guidance sent out by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, Iowa Central sent students home for spring break and planned to keep the campus closed for the break and for a week after, moving classes to virtual instruction for a limited time. That plan changed earlier this week, when Kinney announced that Iowa Central would continue to hold classes in a virtual delivery for the remainder of the spring 2020 semester.

When the college made the call to close campus, it did make exceptions for students with special circumstances, whether those were that the student is from a foreign country or from several states away or even is from the area, but doesn’t have anywhere to go.

“They just had to talk to our housing staff and provide them what their situation or difficulties are and we made a case-by-case look at that,” Kinney said.

He said that a lot of the college’s international students were able to go back home before the COVID-19 crisis escalated and caused flight cancellations.

“We knew that window of getting out of the United States to their country would be very short,” Kinney said. “Any student that really didn’t have a place to go, we were going to accommodate, no matter what.”

Kurufher had bought a ticket to fly home to Australia, but was later contacted by the airline and learned that it had canceled all flights until May.

“And the thing is, I don’t know if the Australian border is going to be open in May, so I might have to stay here until Christmas before I can go home,” she said.

This is Kurufher’s first time living abroad and away from family. But during this global pandemic crisis, she’s found a makeshift family right here in central Iowa to get through this.

“There’s other internationals on campus, so we try to cheer each other up and be there for each other through this time,” she said. “That’s what’s been keeping me together and sane, talking to them because I know that they’re going through what I’m going through too and we have that support system.”

As for her family back in Melbourne, Kurufher said the city and whole country are on lockdown, so she’s not too worried.

“They’re at home, so I know that they’re safe,” she said.

For the three dozen Iowa Central students remaining on campus during this time, the campus cafeteria remains operational, providing curbside service, Kinney said. Students in the campus housing also have kitchenettes and are able to cook for themselves as well.

“I know our staff has been working with them to get them to grocery stores if they don’t have a car,” he said. “Our staff checks on them regularly.”

Starting today and running through April 12, resident hall students who live in Iowa can schedule a time to move out with the Housing Office. Students are encouraged to coordinate with all roommates in the unit. Students can schedule a time to move out by calling 515-574-1086.

For out-of-state students who live in resident halls, move out days will begin on Monday, April 13. The college will continue to monitor communities and states that are under shelter-in-place orders and will provide times for those students to return and collect their personal items when the restrictions are lifted.

The Housing Office is also finalizing details and calculating prorated refunds for students that used student housing. Those students will receive more information as that process is finalized.

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