Assistant Professor in Management, Dr. Dennis Marquardt, produced a music video titled “We’re Going Online!” and posted it to YouTube on March 12.

The video features Marquardt rapping along to an unlisted track with lyrics that can be summarized by the line, “Yeah, Corona’s bringing some heat, but we’re not gonna retreat ‘cuz your learning’s gonna be fine as we take this course online.”

Regarding his inspiration to make the video, Marquardt said, “I was on campus after I heard the official news and thought my students might need some assurance that everything was going to be okay. We’ll get through this together.”

Marquardt said he felt vulnerable running through ideas and thinking up different lyrics and beats for the track, but was willing to feel ridiculous if it brought joy to those who watched it.

“If someone is able to laugh during the news we were all hearing because of this, then it’s all worth it,” Marquardt said.

Following this, he said he has been receiving the positive feedback from his students.

“Students have really been positive and encouraging about it,” Marquardt said. “I think many of them think I do this rap thing all the time, but it actually doesn’t come that natural.”

The video, which has amassed over 11,000 views, has also garnered response from students outside of his class. Shea Thompson, sophomore early childhood/elementary education major from Longview, said after watching the video she was truly left speechless.

“It truly shows the spirit of ACU and its staff of how much they care about the students,” Thompson said. “No one asked him to make this and he knows it’s making people smile in this time of uncertainty. Truly makes me miss going to class, which I never thought I would say.”

Since the video, Marquardt, along with every other professor, has had to navigate teaching their classes online for the remainder of the semester.