Andrea Diaz
Staff Writer
Covid-19 has affected many lives around the world and Pocatello is no exception. With the recent changes to online classes and many people becoming unemployed, the lives of students have changed.
One of these students is Dalene Hunter.
Hunter wanted to study abroad because she felt she was a little closed off living in Idaho her whole life. She wanted to expand her experiences and open herself up to new opportunities. Hunter was studying abroad in Plymouth, England when the outbreak spread rapidly worldwide. This led her to have to come back to the United States, but not without some hardships.
There were many flight complications leading her to have to stay at the airport for nearly 20 hours. Also she had to pay her full rent in Plymouth even though she was no longer staying there. She is now in Washington D.C. to continue her internship with the Smithsonian.
“I cannot go home to my family as they are vulnerable populations, and I don’t want to put them at risk after being shuffled through who knows how many more airports before I could get to Idaho,” Hunter said.
Hunter, along with many other students have to face the troubles of transitioning to online classes with some not suited to be online, such as labs. With all these hardships however, she is still focusing on the positive and considers herself one of the lucky ones.
“I think it’s important to realize just how lucky I am in this situation though. My family and loved ones are healthy and well, and that’s much more than a lot of people in the world can ask for right now,” Hunter said.
Another person trying to think positively is Professor Justin Stover, who has a Ph.D. in history. When asked about the transition to online classes he said that it was not difficult because he has experience doing fully online classes. Some ways Stover has made the transition for students easier is he recorded his lectures and put them in a mp3 format so students could listen and download them. Another aspect he incorporated into his videos is captions to ensure students fully understand his content.
With all these positives also come difficulties.
“All activities being confined to home has made it difficult to get into a groove in this regard, particularly as there is always a pile of laundry to be done or some other chores. I also genuinely enjoy meeting with my classes and interacting with students on campus. Transitioning to a digital platform has taken away the organic lecture experiences that bring me personal joy, and significantly reduced the feeling of a campus community.”
Stover faces difficulties in regards to teaching, but there are also day-to-day struggles he goes through as well.
“I have depression and anxiety, so being isolated in a makeshift office in my basement isn’t the best thing for my mental health. To manage this at home has been a challenge. Over the years I have developed coping mechanisms to combat depressive episodes: exercise, music, and painting often ground my moods,” Stover said.
There are university resources that students can still access. One of those is the university’s website that is dedicated to information about the coronavirus. “We encourage all students to regularly check their ISU email and visit the University’s coronavirus website.
The website is updated daily with frequently asked questions and resources.” said Associate Vice President, Stuart Summers. Other resources that are still available include: Benny’s Pantry, Testing and Counseling Center, and the Dean of Students to help in emergency situations. “Don’t let the stay-home order and social-distance turn into isolation and fear. Our entire Bengal community is rallying together, and will persevere together.” Summers said.
