Andrea Molina
Staff Writer
With mass vaccination under way in Southern California, and the prospect of a face-to-face fall semester at the University of La Verne, 10 out of 12 students in a recent informal survey said they are excited about the possible return to almost normal.
Sarah Morales, senior social science major, said online learning leaves room for distraction, especially when cameras are off, and she believes it negatively affects the learning experience.
Dominique Duarte, junior criminology major, said would be happy to return to campus life as well.
“Going back will make me feel like I’m actually getting an education,” Duarte said.
Aiden Ramos said he looks forward to seeing his friends and classmates and believes that human interaction is an important part of the college experience.
“It is easier to meet someone in person rather than looking for them through social media,” Ramos said.
Cate Keenley, freshman child development major, said she is excited about returning in some way, especially since she has never actually been on campus.
Stephanie Molina, junior educational studies major, agrees.
“Since I am a recent transfer student, I have yet to experience in-person classes at La Verne,” Molina said. “I am definitely looking forward to it.”
Alyssa Hernandez, sophomore biology major, said she hopes things will be closer to normal by the fall, and many students will be vaccinated by then.
Some students, however, expressed concerns about going back, as the pandemic probably will not have ended by the August start of the fall semester.
While Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, recently predicted the U.S. will reach herd immunity by fall 2021, he does not anticipate a return to “normalcy” until the end of 2021.
This means that if students return to campus in fall, numerous safety measures will have to be established and adhered to.
Jennifer Trejo, junior criminology major, said the possibility of returning to campus is nerve-wracking to her, given that California has had more COVD cases than many other states. Though she said she would attend live lessons if they resume in fall.
Stephanie E. Harwood, junior educational studies major, said she is concerned about students wearing their masks properly.
Kayla Yousef, junior psychology major, said she is nervous about returning to in-person classes – especially since she has adapted to online lessons. The online environment, she said, has given her the opportunity to take more courses than what she normally would.
Some students are both excited and apprehensive about the prospect of returning in fall.
Caroline Scholte, senior psychology major, said the idea of going back and wearing a mask all day for classes seems weird to her. Not seeing people’s faces is going to be an adjustment, she said.
Though nervous about transitioning too soon, Kathryn Ann Burleson, senior criminology major, is also excited about the prospect.
“This is (will be) senior year and I want to be able to experience all the University of La Verne has to offer,” Burleson said.
While University officials have indicated their expectation of some resumption of in-person classes and on-campus activities in fall semester 2020, the details of the safe return plan are still being worked out in consideration of state and county safe return guidelines.
Andrea Molina can be reached at andrea.molinamartinez@laverne.edu.
