Chloe Reid

Reporter

With the increase in vaccine distribution nationwide and a seemingly lower amount of cases in the past few weeks in most states, the start of going back to better times seems right around the corner. With this news, along with several other colleges nationally, Idaho State University has announced that the college will be planning to return back to in-person instruction for the Fall 2021 semester. In an announcement sent out by president Kevin Satterlee, by the start of the upcoming semester, students should be able to look forward to in-person classes once again, compared to the most recent method of virtual classes through software such as Zoom.

“I welcome and applaud the news about vaccine distribution. This development will allow us to safely transition back to in-person learning, to provide the full college experience students want and expect, and to celebrate the campus traditions and activities that bring us closer as a Bengal community,” Satterlee said in a statement.

However, this changed semester will still involve facial coverings, social distancing, screenings and avoidance of large social gatherings, according to the ISU website. With such precautions having been taken for the past year, many of the students of Idaho State have been anxiously awaiting the day of campus reopening.

So in the eyes of a student, what would an optimal Fall 2021 semester look like?

Is the simply stated re-opening of in-person instruction enough to qualify as an improvement? Or do students feel the desire for more to maximize the past standard normalcy of everyday campus life with the new distribution of vaccines?

“I think that we can be hopeful that everything will be in person, maskless, and we will be able to have events and gatherings. With several different vaccines rolling out and the hope that every adult will be eligible to be vaccinated soon, it brings a sense of hopefulness that we haven’t felt in a while,” said ISU sophomore and health professions major, Brandon Gomez.

“I’d like to see social distancing staying around until we’re sure that the virus isn’t as big of a threat anymore, but personally, I feel “normal” is achieved with what I previously described.”

Currently, vaccines are planned to be ready for distribution to everyone in May of 2021. In a statement by President Satterlee according to the ISU website, statewide updates from the State of Idaho indicate that there will be enough vaccines to be able to reach the entire campus community in a couple of months, giving access to allow for a more personal 2021 experience. On a website hosted by the State of Idaho, the general population is now eligible to pre-register to acquire a vaccine. While incorporating in-person classes again is a step to going back to the traditional route, it could be a long time before students actually experience the pre-2020 college life.

In a virtual meeting, members of the Bengal community such as ASISU president-elect, Zane Webb, discussed hopefulness in returning back to the once-loved clubs and traditions at Idaho State as soon as possible. However, even with such hopefulness, it’s hard to determine the exact time semesters will start looking to be fully open in operation for students. While some scientists nod to experiencing at least two more years of the pandemic due to current vaccine and infection statistics, the true time of the pandemic’s end is still an unknown variable to the general population. In the midst of all this, questions still persist in regards to reopening campus for in-person instruction.

If in-person instruction is resumed, but all other safety precautions such as social distancing and limited gatherings, how will the student population correctly fit into classrooms that are at limited capacity?

The president has not yet reached out in response.

So in terms of what we can be certain of, Fall 2021 for incoming and returning students will provide a bit of a relief in terms of human interaction. With classes reopening, students will have access to the original methods of communication and learning that have been put on pause for the past 12 months. In-person learning is one step on the path towards reaching the once completely open campus, and in giving the incoming future classes a better start at their college experience. That being said, every other part of the college experience will remain to stay on pause until further notice. Whether that be a time period of two years or six months, college students should prepare to face another period of uncertainty in regards to participating in past traditions. However, as a Bengal community, we are together no matter the circumstances, even from a distance of 6 feet apart.