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Issue 11 • Friday, April 24, 2020 •
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Students struggle with online transition
Student Zane Beebee set up a makeshift workstation outside in mid-March. Beebee would normally have access to on-campus labs during this time. PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY ZANE BEEBEE
Delta students work to finish semester while facing COVID-19, stay-at-home orders BY ELLIE ANDRADE Staff Writer
“As a student it is pretty shocking. The transition to all online classes is definitely difficult because of all the changes. I had to change my routine, and reinvested money into the whole online class. I know a lot of students are struggling also, especially the one with low income. The ability to get a Chromebook and unlimited hotspot is difficult,” said Zane Beebee, an RTV student graduating this spring. With social distancing ordered, Delta College students are trying their best
to adjust to the “new normal.” Students who have never taken any online classes now don’t have a choice, because even classes with attached lab have transitioned to fully online. Studying from home means not having access to face-to-face instruction, office hours and discussion with the professors, and not having access to all the equipment that Delta offers on campus. For some students, this has really taken a toll.
See STRUGGLE, page 2
Delta College promotes mental health during pandemic ing our mental and physical well-being.” Although this technique sounds simple, Bradford said it’s powerful and backed by science and research The COVID-19 pandemic is bringing mental health for improving mood and mental health. issues to the forefront. “Once we become more mindful of our thoughts, we With shelter-in-place guidelines forcing nonessencan then take further action steps towards self-care and tial businesses to close and residents to stay at home, being able to better support and care for those around many are left without their usual routines of school and us,” she said. work to keep themselves and their minds occupied. While the pandemic has changed the way Bradford The pandemic has caused an array of mental health interacts with students, she continues to provide supconcerns such as excessive worry, anxiety, stress, depresport for them through Café Connections. sion and feelings of isolation and loneliness, according Café Connections is the name for her weekly public to counselor/professor Heather Bradford. “In a matter of weeks, life as we knew it changed meetings held on Zoom, a video conference platform. drastically and this kind of change, in itself, can be very Delta’s website states the Zoom meeting ID is 874difficult because it means a loss of control and predict- 887-5773. The meetings take place on Fridays from 9 ability, and adjusting to a new normal in everyday life,” to 10 a.m. During these meetings, Bradford discusses self-care, Bradford said. She recommends students challenge their way of mindfulness, managing anxiety and worry, staying mothinking in order to improve their mental and emo- tivated, tips for healthy eating and exercise, staying contional well-being. nected, and mental health resources. “While there are so many things we aren’t able to “During one of my daily walks, the idea for Café control or change right now, we are in control of our Connections came to me and it was brought to my thoughts and reactions to any situation,” Bradford said. awareness as clearly as though someone was speaking “We can practice mindfulness to gain a greater aware- it to me,” Bradford said. “I knew this was more than an ness of our thoughts and how these thoughts are affect- idea. It was something I felt compelled to do because I BY HANNAH WORKMAN News Editor
knew it might help others.” Bradford enlisted the help of Sharon Drueen, a personal clinical counseling intern from Stanislaus State University, to facilitate the conversations on Café Connections. “I was thrilled when she asked me to be a part of it,” Drueen said. “I am passionate about teaching mental health topics. This group is part psychoeducational and part a way to just gather and share.” Participating in Café Connections has helped Drueen to cope with isolation during the pandemic. “At the beginning of the shelter-in-place, I found myself struggling with my own feelings,” she said. “I am an extrovert and get my energy from being around others. My emotions were on a roller coaster daily and I didn’t like the feeling.” Drueen said she realized that in order to be there for her clients and students in crisis, she needed to put her own mental health first. She started by putting into practice some of what she teaches others. “I established a consistent routine, ate only healthy foods, drank more water, went for more walks, practiced more self-care, practiced mindfulness nightly,
See MENTAL HEALTH, page 2
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