Tag: opinion

It has been over a year since the first lockdowns due to the Covid pandemic. For much of that time, there were feelings of hopelessness with many people asking if life would ever be the same. While situations seem to be improving, the reality is that this pandemic is still as deadly and dangerous as ever. The emergence of the Covid vaccination has been a beacon of hope in the quest for a possible end to the pandemic.

President Foster’s email early on Feb. 28 regarding the number of positive student cases over the past ten days was astounding to say the least.

On Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 1 p.m., the United States Senate convened to try former President Donald Trump for inciting the riot that occurred on Jan. 6.

On Dec. 14, I lost one of my favorite people ever to the disease that has caused millions of losses worldwide; from jobs to fantasies to lives. 

Especially during quarantine, I’ve noticed a bit of a shift during the remote semester and not relying on a school setting to nurture old friendships and create new ones. But what people don’t realize is the relatively modern way of meeting people online that has only been made more accessible due to social media and apps.

It’s just another Sunday. You go to the refrigerator to make breakfast, but only to the gut-wrenching realization that you are once again, out of food. Going to the grocery store can be overwhelming, and it is a chore that few college students enjoy partaking in. Instead of blowing off groceries and ordering Chinese takeout (again), stop by a different grocery store that you aren’t used to, like Trader Joe’s, for a fun and cheap grocery shopping experience.

I look at these people, people I might have been able to become better acquainted with, could have grown friendships with or go to Eick with after class. At this point, it all just feels so frustrating what we could be missing or creating anew. How can we improve this process?

Think about it — with the “Spring Flex” plan in motion, winter break will be seven weeks long. While that might allow ample time to work a part-time job, relax after taking a winter class and simply enjoy the break to its fullest, should winter break really be that long?

During this fall semester, I began thinking about how we take advice after a conversation with Patrick Sargent, a member of the Brooklyn-based band, The Rad Trads.

About a week ago, College President Kathryn Foster announced to the campus community that a “Flex” plan is in place for the spring 2021 semester, which involves both in-person and remote learning, allowing students to live on campus. However, many did not have the enthusiastic response that the College was expecting.

Remember those girls in fifth grade who wore glasses as an accessory? “They’re a fun style,” they said. Yeah, right. As a kid who would eat carrots in the car on the way to the eye doctor’s appointment to try and fend off the need to wear glasses (which worked until I was 11), I found this very confusing.

As our fall semester is drawing to an end, students from the College are struggling to maintain both their grades and their mental health. Remote learning is not for everybody. If students initially wanted to complete courses online, they wouldn’t have attended the College at all.

As a student who graduated high school amidst a global pandemic, thus losing the cherished staples of secondary education such as senior trips, graduation ceremonies and proms, being able to finally attend college would be a dream come true. Learning that my academic career would be further delayed was devastating, as it was for many others — but it was not without reason.

Although professors have been doing their best regarding online learning, it’s necessary for the well-being of students that the College implements a Flex program for the spring 2021 semester, offering a mix of in-person and remote classes.