The spring semester began in an emergency online format as COVID cases skyrocketed with the spread of the Omicron variant. The Outlook staff sat down to discuss their hopes for what the rest of the semester will look like and how the University will conduct classes, clubs, and events in light of the ongoing pandemic.
All editors agree that they would like to see the University hold more events in person, or at least in a hybrid format so that students are able to choose whether they attend in-person or virtually.
“I enjoy the in-person events more, but also find that I am less likely to attend them than I am to attend virtual events,” added another editor. “To that end, I suppose I would say continuing a mix of events would work best.”
“For extracurricular events, I enjoy a mix of online and in-person events. I feel that information sessions, different webinars, and panels should continue to be hosted on Zoom or have an online element to them so as to allow more people to attend and participate,” a different editor explained. “Nonetheless, I do understand how important that personal, face-to-face connection is during University events.”
The editors agree that beyond University events, they would like to see classes conducted in a hybrid format as well so that students can enjoy the benefits of both in-person and virtual learning.
“I prefer hybrid classes because there is still so much uncertainty surrounding the virus, it’s a matter of safety for me. Hybrid classes allow me to stay safe but still don’t take away that in-person educational experience,” commented the third editor.
Aside from safety considerations, the editors also agree that hybrid learning and events can be more convenient for students who may not be able to attend in-person or may be uncomfortable doing so due to the risk of COVID exposure.
“It’s nice that if I want to attend a bingo session, I can just turn on my computer and possibly win some prizes. I feel like the University should keep hosting these virtual events,” said another editor.
Ultimately, the editors all voiced their approval of the University’s decision to return to in-person learning for the duration of the semester. They hope that COVID cases will continue to decrease so that events and classes can return to in-person, but they also believe that the University should continue to offer a hybrid format for the safety and convenience of the campus community.