Mandatory COVID testing at the start of NMU's Winter 2021 semester required quite a few people to put on a safe, efficient event. When I agreed to help, Cathy Andrew assigned me to the first station - temperature check. My job was to scan each person's forehead to make sure they didn't have a fever and to ask two screening questions. I asked each person whether they were feeling well that day and whether they were experiencing any COVID symptoms. I also offered a new NMU mask to each person.

If the person did not have a fever and did feel well, I sent them to check in for initial processing. After that, they were directed upstairs for the COVID test.

In the four 4-hour shifts that I worked this week and last, I had one person who I did not send to the next station. One person indicated that he did not feel well and was experiencing COVID symptoms, so he stayed downstairs in a private bay for testing.

Even though the task was incredibly repetitive, I enjoyed seeing people in person. As the temperature checker, I talked to everyone who came to the Northern Center to be tested during my shifts. I was able to say hello in person to people I haven't seen since early March. I also appreciated that almost everyone was in good spirits. To entertain myself, I sometimes asked an additional screening question - are you a vampire? Most people said no.