By: Silvia Sanchez
The world this year has seen the effects of a pandemic that has changed every aspect of our lives, and education is not an exception. Parkland College is successfully facing the challenges. The objective of Parkland’s administration is to ensure that students can take advantage of all campus resources while respecting the safety guidelines set forth by the Illinois Department of Public Health. Some of the new measures taken include high-speed WiFi hotspots in the parking lots for those whose internet connection at home is unstable, and other services, such as the library, will remain opened, although for limited hours.
Michael Trame, Vice President of Student Services, said that the most challenging obstacle Parkland had to overcome was to replace the warmth of in-person services. Trame also said that the college like to provide one-on-one treatment to students, especially to new incoming students, to make them feel welcome in their new academic home. An online format does not offer some of the personal touches that personal interaction does. However, Trame noted the staff worked hard over the summer to do their best to ensure the changes will not interfere with the experience of any incoming, continuing, or returning student. But are all these adaptive changes measuring up for the students?
All students are currently enrolled in hybrid or fully online classes. Madelynne Rosenberry, freshman, states that the key for her academic success this semester is understanding her instructors. First of all, attendance is not required in an attempt to prevent spread and because the staff acknowledges that not all students have reliable equipment to enroll in fully online classes. Rosenberry also believes that “being checked up on by a professor, another student, or even an automated email could potentially be helpful.” Procrastination seems to be more of a trend during the pandemic due to the online format, and a quick weekly reminder could be beneficial in order to keep up with assignments and due dates. Professors are fully aware of this and they are trying their best to adapt to the new learning style. The majority of instructors are very approachable and respond promptly when they are reached out.
In addition to this, Zoom has become the students’ best friend. Thanks to this platform, lectures can be delivered from home without risking our safety or cutting the content short. Zoom provides great gadgets to get the closest experience to in person class. Not only for students, Zoom has been an ally for clubs and organizations too. Students who are club officers can relate to the struggle of adapting to an online format. Fall semester is typically an important semester regarding recruitment of new members.
This year the college did not hold Fall Convocation and the clubs have been affected by it. Jacky Nham, Vice President of the International Student Association (ISA) and Alpha Phi Omega (APO), said that the main alternatives to this handicap are the college’s website and mass mail. Student Life sends weekly, all-student emails to help the clubs overcome the challenges of online recruitment. Even though the clubs have seen a decrease in the number of members, they will not stop their activity. For instance, ISA plans to still hold their well-known fashion show with some modifications. Instead of hosting it on campus, the club will encourage everybody to send short clips which will be sorted out and combined in a bigger project. Nham said she tells all her students, “don’t be afraid to join clubs.” Clubs are big part of the college experience and they are still working to provide the best out of them.
Education has been shifted due to the pandemic. As much as the staff and officers would want to do things differently, safety comes first. Now more than ever, it is important to stay connected. Zoom, reaching out, and be aware of what other on campus resources are available are the most important tools to be academically and personally successful this semester. We are all in this together, and we will keep learning how to get the warmth back through the screen.
