COVID Concerns

As we enter the new year and Spring semester, once again Covid-19 has had an effect on our nation. We were recently introduced to the new Covid variant known as the Omicron variant. It seems that the Omicron variant has spread like wildfire and almost everyone can attest to having known someone or been someone who has contracted it. As a result of this new variant, it seems that the numbers in covid cases have skyrocketed, resulting in many schools and jobs having to go remote. One of the many, being our own university, Vanguard. As we all know, our first week of the spring semester here at VU, was placed online. Following the announcement of our first week being moved online, inevitably a sense of uncertainty regarding this spring semester swept over many VU Students. Fortunately, following that first week online, we were able to resume in-person learning. 

In an interview with Isabella Perez, a junior majoring in Communications with an emphasis in Tech & Emerging Media and a minor in journalism, we were able to get a raw and sincere perspective of a VU student concerning her COVID-19 college experience. Isabella has attended VU for three years now. She shares how pre-Covid, she was only at VU in person for a year because she was sent home towards the end of her second semester, due to pandemic breakout.  Following that, she was online her entire sophomore year and was able to return in person for the first semester of her junior year. Isabella shares how coincidentally she tested positive before entering this spring semester so going online for the first week worked out well for her. Isabella considers herself a very independent responsible student, therefore learning online was never really a problem with her. She does share her worries and concerns with being online the first week and going back in person.

“While I understand Vanguard is trying their best to keep us in person, I struggle with knowing that we can be thrown online at any second without expecting it. I feel like that sort of environment creates an inconsistency in our learning and focus. The back and forth really makes things difficult for me and others I’d assume!” While Isabella enjoys being in person, she is also aware of the current Omicron variant that is spreading. Isabella shares how students from her classes are dropping like flies and missing classes for up to a week due to testing positive. Isabella is conscious of the fact that some people struggle with autoimmune conditions that allow them to contract COVID-19 easily. “While I understand we all want to be back on campus learning and socializing, I also do think it’s a bit dangerous because we are all in such close contact that COVID is being passed around left and right”. 

• I will either add one more paragraph sharing my instagram poll results from IG and then will conclude this article.