By August Barham 

April 2, 2020

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Since the news that COVID-19 hit the United States, weirdness seems to follow American University student Costa Beavin, from a psychic predicting his future to going viral on TikTok.

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In early March, Beavin thought the media was exaggerating the presence of COVID-19 in the United States and prepared for spring break as planned. He would visit his family in Orange County, California and, return to AU the next week to finish his junior year.

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“I thought it was going to be something that the media dramatized, kind of like the rumors of World War III, and nothing would come of it,” Beavin said.

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Two days before departing from Washington, D.C. Beavin visited a psychic. He had gone to a psychic before and only considered it another perspective on his life, but this experience was particularly peculiar.

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“When I entered the room, I put my hands out, she began shaking, and her eyes rolled back into her head,” Beavin said. “She went into this trance and began spilling predictions about my life, things that were true.” 

 

Beavin was shocked to hear the psychic knew he was a writer and that he was working on a book. But he was confused when she suggested his spring break plans would not go as anticipated.

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“She kept laughing and saying ‘aw honey you aren’t coming back here [Washington] for a long time,’” Beavin said.

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When AU announced it would be closed for the rest of the semester, the prediction made sense. Concerned that he might get locked out of his home state if the borders closed, Beavin stayed at his family home instead of returning to his apartment in Washington. He had missed his family and was happy to be stuck with them.

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“It was funny because a couple of weeks before this happened, I went back home to see everybody, and I was like ‘Ah, I wish school was canceled for a little bit so I could spend more time with you,’ and now look where we are,” Beavin said.

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Beavin settled into life under quarantine, spending his time writing, starting online classes and taking solo drives for some fresh air. Then, more unexpected news hit. The Pilgrim, an early 19th-century sailing brig that had been docked in Orange County’s Dana Point Harbor for decades, sunk overnight. The ship was once a popular field trip destination and sleepover spot for Orange County kids.

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“The world is falling apart,” said Beavin.

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But not all the strangeness in Beavin’s life was negative. With more time on his hands, he decided to upload his first TikTok. The video was a montage of him and his best friend from the first time they met in middle school. Overnight, the post went viral with over 70,000 shares.

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“I didn’t think anything of it until a bunch of people from my high school, who I hadn’t talked to in years, messaged me that they saw it on the popular page,” Beavin said.

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With strange news emerging constantly, Beavin doesn’t know what to expect in the future. But, he is prepared for one constant — COVID-19.

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“I feel like even after it ends, people are still going to be talking about it, it is never going to fully leave,” Beavin said.

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He is preparing for the possibility that COVID-19 will still be prevalent next fall, leading to another semester of college closures.

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“My friends and I are already looking up prices, so next semester, if this happens again, we’re getting an RV, and we’re going around the U.S.,” Beavin said.

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While COVID-19 has caused a lot of negativity, Beavin is optimistic about the future.

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“I do think positive change will come of it later on,” Beavin said.