September 10, 2021 | OPINION | By Finn Mott | Photo by Tamar Crump
Congratulations! You have made it through your first weeks of COVID-19 in-person college. It has truly been a wild ride to get here; I am not suggesting that this ride is over but am congratulating us on what we have accomplished thus far.
Being back to an in-person, functioning campus has many implications. First, it permits the building of new connections and encourages the restoration of old connections. Our circumstance allows us to interact with professors, staff, faculty, and the beautiful Colorado College campus on an intimate level that no Zoom class rivals. Perhaps most exciting is the light it sheds on how humanity can overcome adversity when unified. Simply put, it is good to be back to a somewhat normal college life.
However, we must acknowledge the losses, too. Much of the class of 2024 was off-campus for almost all of its first year, contributing to the term “Freshmore.” Juniors and seniors missed pivotal years of their college experiences, and current first-years lost their senior year of high school. Despite the restrictions of the pandemic, time did not forgo its effects on our lives.
Personally, as a sophomore, it has been difficult to adjust from a fully-online learning format to a completely in-person class. Anxiety has also been prevalent, both social and emotional. We are all going through a tremendous amount of change, and we need to be compassionate, kind, and understanding.
Seeing Tutt Library full of fellow students and Tava Quad bustling with festivities, I am reminded of the reason I came to college: to learn about the systems that hold up the pillars of society, to grow as a person, and meet like-minded individuals who want to have fun and make a difference. I write this to express my sense of excitement for the following year and to express gratitude for the bonds I have formed thus far.
The rest of the year is uncertain. It is our responsibility to take full advantage of the opportunities we have now. For a successful and fun experience, we will need to continue to be there for each other. It is amazing to be back but that does not mean we are ready to return to pre-pandemic life. We are the future, and that starts with how we decide to live today. We are a generation like no other, and we are powerful, a force to be reckoned with.
It is good to be back, and I wish everyone in the CC community nothing but the best for the rest of the year!