Cutting
▼ Photo by Greysin Wirths ▼ Students experience learning while social distancing. Classroom tables arespread apart and only one student is allowed at each table.
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COVID Instructors and students experience learning in a new way. Greysin Wirths, Reporter & Designer
▲ Photo by Greysin Wirths ▲ Amanda Lamkin, Hutchinson, perfects her styling skills. She completed one of the five stamps required at the end of every month.
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COVID-19 has changed lives and forced a new normal, causing a stay-at-home order that shut down businesses and schools across Kansas. At Hutchinson Community College, the decision was made to move to remote learning on March 16. This left the cosmetology program to face new challenges. Cosmetology requires a very hands-on learning environment so it was almost impossible to learn efficiently through the online method. Many students were uncomfortable with the sudden switch. “We had two weeks of down time and only the unknown,” Nicole Ray, Hutchinson, said. From March 16 until June 1 cosmetology students had to learn virtually. Students were allowed back on campus at the start of June but freshmen and senior classes were to be kept separate into morning and afternoon classes. When not on campus they were at home studying through a hybrid method which combines in person classes and online instruction. In July, students were back full time on campus, but without clients until Sept. 1. “Packed everything up and took it home, had to do everything on our bib heads,” Emma Kaberline, McPherson, said about the sudden switch from in-person classes to online. Most students were not comfortable with the technology so they had to send in pictures of their bib heads through Facebook Messenger. “Students need hands-on learning so moving to online was stressful,” said Stevie Gulic, Cosmetology Trainer. Because of COVID-19, students have lost four months of interaction with real clients. ► Photo by Greysin Wirths ► Bib heads sit patiently waiting to get their hair styled again. The school assigns five bib heads per student cosmetology student.
Dragon’s Tale • Cosmetology
016-017 cosmetology.indd 16
10/1/20 1:05 PM
