Navigating a global pandemic is taxing as it is. Over the past couple of weeks, the global situation has drastically affected how everyone goes about day-to-day life, and we are all learning to cope in our own ways. It can be a lonely experience, and it is an unprecedented transition for all of us to make.
Nevertheless, we are still taking classes. While we all may be away from campus, what the world has deemed as “Zoom University” is in full force. With almost a full three weeks of virtual learning under our belts, the adjustment has been difficult.
However, as students, we are not the only people making this transition. While it has been difficult learning to study and get an education online while dealing with the circumstances, our professors are in the same situation.
Professors have had to revamp their lesson plans and syllabi with limited time and teach while tending to their lives at home. They have made sacrifices to adapt to teaching in a virtual format, transition hands-on courses within the arts and sciences to online-only and consider a likely reality of student’s limited access to quiet study places and technology accessibility.
Moreover, before the transition was made, our professors had to attend hours of training for the digital programs they now employ in their lesson plans, and they had to deal with the same levels of uncertainty as students did.
It is imperative we remember that this transition is not solely being undertaken by students. The Editorial Board recognizes the immense sacrifices and difficulties students have had to make in order to begin to cope with these difficult times, and we recognize the same circumstances facing our professors. We would like to thank our professors for taking the extra steps and efforts to accommodate our education during a period of global difficulty.
Over the past few weeks, we have seen a true sense of community and selflessness from students and professors alike. The small gestures—asking if a student is “truly doing OK,” before a synchronous lecture starts, or students unmuting their microphones to thank their professor after a Zoom lecture—goes to show that there is a strong sense of community here even in unprecedented times of stress.
We encourage members of the St. Joe’s community to continue moving forward and keep compassion in mind while navigating virtual learning. The response from the community since the initial period of transition is heartening, and we encourage everyone to keep that sense community going as we all learn to cope with a period of global strife.
