Photo Credit: Brandon Oram, Photo Editor
Dylon Harrison
Managing Editor
Idaho State University is now in the middle of the second week of the Fall 2020 semester. That means it’s also the second week of the university operating under COVID-19 safety procedures.
With these procedures in place students have been faced with challenges and changes unlike anything they have experienced before.
As every student will experience the challenges of COVID-19 differently, every student will have a different view of how the semester is going.
“It’s a little overwhelming,” said early learning student, Joshua Cervantes. “But everyone has been really supportive.”
With all the precautions in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19, it’s easy to imagine how students can get overwhelmed, especially students experiencing college life for the first time.
More than ever, ISU’s administration is emphasizing the importance of working together as a community in order to get through the situation students find themselves in.
Students have also had different reactions to specific guidelines in place. The one that comes to most peoples’ minds when they think of COVID-19 is wearing masks.
“Wearing a mask to class can be annoying,” said freshman Diego Cortez.
Photo Credit: Brandon Oram, Photo Editor
As of the writing of this article, masks are required to be worn in all public places on campus at all times, with the exception of when someone is eating or drinking.
In addition to students experiencing college for the first time, there has also been a learning curve for those returning to campus after attending during semesters that proceeded under more normal conditions.
Events that can be attended annually under normal circumstances are canceled. Stickers can be seen on floors to assist with social distancing. Less resources are available in person and hallways across campus have been reduced to one way.
“It’s stressful to start school,” said third-year health science major Joselynn Castillo. “With all the masks and regulations, it’s been more overwhelming than normal.”
Although students seem to be having a difficult time with the adjustments being enforced on campus, they overwhelmingly seem to prefer them over distance-based learning like at the end of the Spring 2020 semester.
As of the time this was written, ISU had been assigned a yellow level COVID-19 rating. This means that students and faculty must begin preparations to move completely online if the need were to arise.
It is currently unknown if ISU will be moving online again, or if this would cause students living on campus to move out or how it would impact on-campus student employment.
Students who work on campus are yet another group who have been forced to adapt to unusual circumstances to continue operating around COVID-19.
From having to enforce the precautions, to having to learn the functions of Zoom as quickly as possible for meetings, to having to make the decision whether to stay at work or go home if campus shuts down, many students have had to adapt in ways that no one could have expected.
“I have concerns with everyone still standing close together,” said senior and campus connections manager Maricio Avilla. “But I do know that Idaho State University can handle it and have taken many precautions.”
Because of reduced need for on campus resources caused by fewer numbers of students being on campus, many students have seen a cut back of their work hours.
“It has taken a toll on me making less,” Avilla said. “It means I have to budget more. I’m more having to get stuff that I need instead of stuff that I want.”
It’s clear that this semester will continue to have twists and turns that none of us can expect. Hopefully ISU will be able to continue holding class in person, but it will ultimately depend on how students react and rise up to the challenges that they are all facing.
