With the pandemic going on, it has made college and universities to think of different ways to keep students safe.
Some colleges have been completely online this semester. Some schools have done in-person classes, such as Cabrini. This has created a dilemma when it comes to Thanksgiving break. Thanksgiving break lasts a little less than a week and after students will come back for a short period of time for another week of classes and then finals. After finals are finished students can go back home for a month-long winter break. This has created problems for universities with the idea of students going home for a period of time and coming back again.
College and universities debated on how to resolve the possible issue of students bringing back COVID-19 by going home and being around other family members and friends. This was something schools really had to think about to keep their students safe once they get back to campus. The solution they came up with was to send the students home for Thanksgiving break and having the rest of the semester as well as finals online.
Cabrini is giving the students the option to come back to campus to finish their online classes in their dorms. This can be a good option for students because they can still have that on-campus environment while finishing the rest of their classes before winter break. Although some would want to come back, some other students may not feel comfortable so that’s why they are given the option to stay at home if they wish.
Some students would find it difficult to go home and finish classes online because of other distractions at home like parents or siblings. Some would rather have more peace and quiet to focus on their work and studies. Students also may not have access to a computer or Wi-Fi at home. With everybody’s situation being different, it makes it a good option for some students to come back after Thanksgiving break. “I am coming back after Thanksgiving to finish classes because I cannot focus being at home and doing schoolwork,” Deja Gillis, senior exercise science major, said. “Most of the friends who are in my major will be staying at school so we could help each other out with homework or studying.”
There are also many students who live off-campus, which gives them the option to come and go as they please. “I will be living in my house off-campus after Thanksgiving break because I can focus on school and finals,” Casey Scheuren, senior marketing major, said. “I will also be staying there throughout winter break because then I can keep working.”
Not only has Cabrini made classes completely online after Thanksgiving break, they are also making winter break even longer. Cabrini has decided to take away spring break and add an additional week to winter break, so students again aren’t going home or other places and coming back and possibly bringing the virus back. With cases rising daily, colleges must take percussions to put their students in the best position to be safe and be able to finish the school year with in-person classes. Some students do not want to come back because they are not comfortable. For some people it is good to have that option but for others it may be hard to choose.
“I honestly wish they would tell us what to do,” Miranda Leibtag, sophomore education major, said. “Since they are giving me the option to go home I think I am going to go home.”
