Grace Cavanaugh ~ Editor in Chief
Wednesday, Aug. 12, marks the start of fall semester for the University of Lynchburg. For many, this is their last year at the University during an unprecedented time.
Senior Hannah Pine, math and environmental science double major, said, “I am a little concerned because I know that if I catch COVID, it will be really bad for me, you know, and my family, but also I do not want to miss out on my senior year, and I feel like the precautions that they have taken, if they work, are really thorough.
She continued, “The face scanning technology they have put in, I think that is a great system. I do not know how accurate it is, but if it is super accurate, then that is great. Other than that, I am glad to be here, because it is my senior year, and I hope that by Spring, it will be mostly back to normal.”
Senior Malik Nowlin, music education major, said, “I am just worried about all the music things and how they are going to work out, especially because my ensembles have to be outside. I cannot play in most of the buildings on campus, and being an education major, I have to do student teaching in the Spring. I do not know how the high schools are going to do that and I do not know how the college is going to accommodate me going back and forth between campus activities and off-campus activities.”
Senior Julia Melone, political science major, stated, “I would like to have as normal of a senior year as possible and if all these precautions are what it takes, I am willing to do that. Hopefully, if we all are able to abide by the rules and they are enough, we can go back to mostly normal in the Spring and have a real graduation.”
Nowlin expressed similar sentiments, saying, “I am just hoping that the campus and the students will take it seriously enough to make everyone safe, and I am just worried about how well […] the school will communicate when people have a case so other people can self-quarantine themselves.”
Senior Amanda Linehan and an english major, said, “It was kind of a matter of wanting to stay on track with grad school and stuff like that, and also wanting to graduate with my friends, because I do not know how long this is going to last, and while it kind of sucks and there are a lot of restrictions, I think it is better to graduate with the people that I know and love than waiting an extra year.”
Senior Ashani Parker, psychology and self-designed anthropology major, said, “I have my concerns and reservations about my senior year amidst the current circumstances, but I am 100% in support of the initiative to be back on campus. I think the students thrive best in an academic environment of their peers and I know I will certainly benefit from being back at Lynchburg. For the most part, I have experienced a wave of positivity and hopeful attitudes from students and faculty.”
For more information about how the campus is handling COVID-19, please visit https://www.lynchburg.edu/about/covid-19/.