This year’s freshmen are definitely missing out on the normal college life experience due to COVID-19. One of the main reasons I say this is because they are lacking social interaction. Classes are either in person, hybrid, or exclusively online. Even with some classes being in person it is very rare for a freshman to have one of those classes. It is usually upperclassmen or science majors who get the privilege of having in person classes.
Colleges across the country have abruptly ditched in-person classes this past year and have switched to hybrid and online instruction. Students have had to adapt to this new way of learning by changing their routines and learning environments. As a result of these quick changes, students have had difficulty adjusting to the new normal, resulting in a worsening mental health.
With the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in March 2020, Monmouth University is entering its third semester of online learning. Students from colleges and universities from across the country have mixed feelings about the third semester of online learning, including myself.
We have all been in this scenario: there was a deadline approaching, and you entered a limbo state where you knew you should be doing your assignment but kept switching between apps like Instagram and Netflix or falling down the rabbit hole that is YouTube.
We, the undersigned members and supporters of Professors United for a Safe Haven (P.U.S.H.), condemn the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, and acknowledge the siege as a horrific enactment of violent white supremacy assaulting the core values, practices, and defenders of American democracy that we all deeply cherish and pledge to uphold.
If I were to write myself a letter to my future self it would consist of all the events that have taken place during this year. I know just like me, everyone has had to deal with a lot, some more than others. No matter what, everyone has something that they are battling. As my mom would tell my brother and me, you never know what someone else is going through.
The holidays are right around the corner! While this holiday may be celebrated differently than years past, it is still a time of year to appreciate what you have, and to give back to your community.
Founding Father Benjamin Franklin, famously said, “Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Today in the United States, this quote is unfortunately very relevant as winter approaches and COVID-19 cases spike and safety restrictions are being renewed. When I watch these governor news briefings and see police officers bully small businesses that do not comply with the “rules,” I wonder does anyone else think we are living in 1984 during these uncertain times?
I have been the Opinion Editor for about a year now and it has been the best decision I have made throughout my time here at Monmouth. However, sadly, my time here is drawing to an end and I have to pass on the baton. It does not even seem real; I feel like I just moved into Mullaney Hall and walked into Plangere for my first journalism course.
The transition from high school to college can be a very stressful and nerve-wracking experience. Students go from being in school for eight hours a day following a strict schedule to living on their own, having to manage an extreme amount of work due in a short period of time.