Amid COVID-19 uncertainty, college students are displaced. Campuses across the country are shutting down and switching to exclusively virtual classes. Some campuses have extended students' spring break. While some of these students have been lucky enough to remain in their housing, the most popular move has been to require students to vacate with little to no notice.
It has left half of college students scrambling to find flights home, which during this pandemic is a big risk, and left the other half packing up dorm rooms abruptly with no time to say goodbye to friends.
My campus has actually extended students' spring break. Being a senior in college as the pandemic erupts is challenging. I looked forward to this semester to be one of the last carefree times in my life, but now I am unsure if my parents will see me walk across the stage for my degree that I worked so hard for.
Tyra Bridges
Intern
Any college or university costs a large amount of money to attend. Students, including myself, pay these costs to get a certain type of education out of it. I’m not paying thousands of dollars to an institution for no reason. I want to learn as much as I can. I want to get my degree. Ever since the cancellation of classes, my education is being compromised. I am losing money.
Not only am I losing the time in my classroom, but I am also losing the last all-nighters with my friends. The last frat parties are slipping from our grasps. All of this is hard to see during a time that is supposed to be wonderful, carefree, and memorable. Seniors, Try to remember this is not about us. College students, try to remember this is not about us. It's about so much more than us. Campuses were vacated for safety and to stop the spread of the virus. We have a responsibility to each other, those we know, and those we have never even met.
I have been reminding myself that I am so lucky to have been able to experience what I have during my undergrad, and I have been so lucky to meet all the incredible people around me. Whatever happens because of COVID-19, we all need to remind ourselves that we are so fortunate to have been able to attend the colleges and universities that we have.
Born and raised in Memphis, Tyra Bridges attends the city’s only Historically Black College. A journalism major at LeMoyne-Owen, she is the editor of the college’s newspaper, The Magician.