It may come as no surprise that the entertainment industry has been devastated by the pandemic. Tours large and small PLUS the thousands of individuals who work behind the scenes (stage crew, truck drivers, caterers, equipment rental companies, etc.) have been sidelined. Now that things are reopening, the industry has gone to great lengths to ensure the shows continue and part of that is increased COVID safety protocols. The PAC recently hosted the national Broadway tour of Waitress. As part of their protocols, we were required to administer a COVID test to the entire crew who is working backstage (including us in administration).
All of this brings me to why I love this campus. At 7 a.m. the morning of the show, nursing faculty Dr. Mariann Harding and Shelly Stefka, along with three nursing students stepped in to help us and administered 54 COVID tests to ensure a safe environment for the touring company. When we’re faced with a challenge, we come together to get the job done. A HUGE THANK YOU to Dr. Harding, Mrs. Stefka and students Travis Poole, Hallie Seese and Chelsie White! They helped us ensure that the show will go on!