COVID: Freshman Year

College can be a stressful, particularly in a pandemic, worrying about classes, sports and other club activities, things can get crazy. On top of that being a freshman in these circumstances would be a challenge for any of us.

An example of this was move in day which looked different for freshmen this year. College officials were outside taking temperatures and family members were limited to two per student. In addition, other college students were not able to assist either with the move in. Javier Armenta said that it was a “weird” experience.

Moreover, as the year has progressed, freshman have had to adapt to classes and sports the same as everyone else.  Tyler Wessels said that wearing a mask is a nuisance, but important to keep the campus safe. Furthermore, the absence of the traditional social events at the beginning of the year has made it difficult for freshman to integrate. Armenta said “it’s hard to meet more people” and make new connections.

Clubs and organizations have been trying to accommodate with online meetings and activities that adhere to social distancing protocols. But several Greek life organizations have stated that it was difficult to recruit new members without the face to face interactions they typically have.

Another aspect that freshman did not sign up for was outside classes. ILA classes have frequently been meeting outside and online which Armenta hopes is not the norm for the rest of his college career.

Despite all the difficulties and challenges freshman have faced this year, there seems to have been a relatively smooth transition. Wessels complimented the student body and the campus in general, “It’s a small campus and everyone is pretty chill.”

Kieren Marshall - Staff Writer