September/October 2020
THIS ISSUE
Women’s Ice Hockey
COVID-19 Conversations
Dave Sylvester Spreads Joy Across the Country
COVID Aftermath: Learning with Zoom Mackenzie Coombs Contributing Editor Everything was up in the air when we came back to campus after spring break. No one knew whether Alvernia University would be shutting down as the COVID19 pandemic seemed to threaten the remainder of the spring semester. As the students started going back to classes, other universities around Pennsylvania started to go online for the rest of the semester. Although the option wasn’t ideal for anyone, it was the best way to keep us all safe. By the end of the first week back to classes, an email was sent out by President Loyack stating that the university
was physically closing, and the remainder of the spring term would be remote. It was hard for students who lived farther away to get home since we had just come back to campus, so they got the option to stay on campus while other students had to leave their decorated dorms that they learned to call home. On March 18, 2020, these students left on campus were issued to go home; the virus had been deemed dangerous, and we didn’t know at the time, but that would be the last few days we’d see Alvernia University for a number of months. Fast forward six months later, and the university has re-opened with many new health protocols to follow.
There are many hiccups when it comes to reopening, but those students who returned in-person were welcomed back with open arms. With classes in full
swing, there are numerous things that are different. For example, wearing a mask is necessary. Social distance is required. Making sure to wash your hands. All the
things that we have been doing since the beginning of lockdown are still in place to keep all of the students and faculty safe. But there are those who could not make it back to campus. Whether it was due to family reasoning or the idea of being exposed to different people, many students have opted to remain in classes remotely. Although the university is operated as an in-person college, they had to adjust and make sure that those students were accommodated. There are a multitude of students who have come forward and noted how difficult classes are. Being one of them, it can be stated that being online isn’t the easiest option—it wasn’t an easy decision to make, but one that had to be made to think about the safety of others and my own family. Steve Hilliard, a junior
Criminal Justice major at Alvernia, is one of the many students that opted to go online. Hilliard is from Washington, D.C., and unfortunately, he was affected by COVID-19. For his own safety—and for the safety of his fellow classmates—he decided to stay home and not risk spreading the virus or possibly getting the virus again. However, he has found that Zoom classes can be very difficult to manage. “I don’t like having classes on Zoom, because sometimes, it can be harder to focus on classes,” he said. Hilliard mentioned that the connection isn’t great and as times and it’s hard to hear the professors explain different topics. This is notably the biggest issue with Zoom; several students have complained about the audio quality of Zoom, and technology does not always cooperate. “I have to ask
for help from my professor only through email and I personally like face to face meeting because I can get more of getting the help I need.” Classes online aren’t easy. Although there are many students doing remote learning, there are plenty of students that are on campus that are also dealing with the issues of Zoom classes. Hannah Ververs, a junior Occupational Therapy major, has been doing most of her OT classes online and doing her internship via Zoom. “It’s not ideal,” Ververs said. “I’d rather be working and getting experience in person, rather than having to watch online. It’s harder to learn things when you’re not there to see it and learn from it.” Ververs mentioned that classes held on Zoom can be exhausting, because she’s online for classes from 8 a.m.
to 4 p.m., and sometimes it feels like she’s not really learning anything. When getting feedback about how Zoom is working for different students, it’s clear to say that it’s not for every major. In fact, it’s easier to learn in the classroom where you can ask questions and get the help that you need. Not everyone can teach themselves the materials that are required for each course. Although the professors are always an email away, it can be difficult to ask the right questions when you don’t understand the material you’re learning. But overall, it’s a learning experience for all of us. We never expected our college experience to be in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, but that’s okay. We’re just living in an era of history. These are things that can be worked on, for better or for worse.
Zoom has become an education staple during the pandemic.
MISSION MOMENT
Study Abroad
“As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: And, of course, as long as you are looking down you cannot see something that is above you.” — C.S. Lewis, “Mere Christianity”
Image Courtesy of www.twitter.com/zoom_us
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Volume 58 Issue 4