To our readers: 

 It is week three of the fall 2020 semester, and members of the St. Joe’s community still don’t seem to be acclimated to this “new normal.” This is not the St. Joe’s that we know and love. This is to be expected since this is, after all, college life in the midst of a global pandemic.

We feel lonely because campus feels empty and many of our friends are doing remote learning. We feel frustrated because we have to remember so many things: a mask, hand sanitizer, wiping our desks, sitting in assigned seats, staying six feet apart all the time. We sometimes feel overwhelmed because we have to keep track of our classes and schedules of mixed modalities. We feel anxious because every other day, someone in our classes has to isolate or quarantine, and we wonder if we will be next to go fully online like many other universities in our area. 

What alleviates these feelings of mental and physical isolation, even if it’s just for a second, is conversation. We are not alone in feeling lonely.  

This week, The Hawk had socially distant, open discussions with members of the university community. We will continue to report stories about what is happening on campus and the experiences of our readers. We will continue to hold St. Joe’s accountable. That, after all, is our duty. But during this strange time that is college in a pandemic, we thought it important to stop and ask members of the community, “How are you feeling?”

In this week’s special issue, we bring you the voices behind the masks. The Hawk staff interviewed as many students, faculty and staff as we could to hear how they are coping so far this semester. We hope that this effort validates everyone and shows that you are not alone in your loneliness.  

Part of The Hawk’s mission is to be a platform to elevate diverse voices. Please continue to share your experiences with us during this pandemic. You can DM us on Twitter or Instagram (@sjuhawknews). If you prefer email, write me a letter at [email protected]. 

Now more than ever, we need to act with kindness, understanding and care for each other-for the whole person. Everyone is going through their own personal pandemic experiences that we often don’t know about. In the following pages, you will read about how your fellow Hawks have experienced the pandemic so far. 

Sincerely, 

Jackie Collins ’21

Editor in Chief