How a Pandemic Has Exposed Differences in Neighboring Communities
Lisa Salazar wakes up every day in her Oxnard home, stressed more than ever about her schoolwork. Salazar is a junior at California State University Northridge. Being home isn’t all it’s cracked up to be to her. In a house of 6 people, it seems there isn’t much room to move around and not enough internet to use. Working her job remote as well takes its toll. Like many students, Salazar is experiencing the crazy stress of online schooling. But just 30 miles south on the 101 freeway, students from Thousand Oaks seem to be having a more relaxed experience.
Thousand Oaks seems to be the middle ground, compared to its surrounding communities. People in the city of thousand oaks according to census reporter have an average income of just over $52,000. On one side you have Calabasas, where that average income level is higher at $72,000. On the other side you have Oxnard and Ventura, just down the Conejo Grade where the income level is lower at $25,000. It may not be as noticeable all the time, but during a pandemic where all resources are on display, it becomes a lot more visible. Now kids who have had to rely on their immediate resources for online schooling seem to be having very different experiences. Especially considering that these communities are separated by not even 50 miles.
Noah chess has had it easy over the course of the online semester. Being able to just stay at home instead of wasting gas on a commute to California State University Northridge. “usually, I have to leave my house at like 8 a.m. just to make it to my class at 9:30” Chess says. “Now I just wake up 5 minutes before class and login to zoom.” Chess also says that supplies is really the least of his worries when it comes to online schooling. He has a MacBook laptop that he just bought last year and “good enough” internet as he puts it.
The same can even be said from a graduating student like Zachary Kaplan. Kaplan is finishing up his criminal justice degree during the fall 2020 semester at Grand Canyon University in Arizona. He’s just happy to finally be graduating but these are obviously different circumstances. But according to Kaplan, if the worst thing is having to not a formal graduation then that is something he can live with. If anything, he sees the silver lining in it all. “I get to be home and not in a completely different state than my family for most of the year.” Kaplan did say he enjoys the independence of being on his own, but you can’t beat being around family, especially during times like this. “it also made my last two semesters easier in my opinion. The online classes are way easier than actually having to be in class.” Kaplan says.
That seems to be a reoccurring theme for students from Thousand Oaks. Nobody seems to be stressed out with having to take classes from their home. As a matter of fact, the consensus seems to be that classes are easier to take online than in person. Nobody seems to have to many issues that prevent them from doing well in their classes.
Richard Mendoza seems to express that the most. Mendoza is a senior at CSUN and like Chess, the first thing he pointed out was the amount of gas and money he was saving not having to commute to school. Like everyone else, Mendoza has expressed that he has all the proper supplies to succeed. he does have a laptop that he uses for most of his homework and classwork but uses his phone when it comes to the zoom classes. “I’m not going to lie, but I hardly pay attention on zoom. I usually just have it on as background noise and play Call of Duty” Mendoza says. Not a bad way to pass through college and if you can play an online video game while in zoom, the internet in pretty stable. Again, Mendoza was added to the list of people who had school as the least of their problems during this year.
Javier Garcia, a graduate student at Channel Islands University, deals with his classes the same way. He has had the full college experience already, so the change to virtual schooling doesn’t faze him as much. He also has a newer laptop and an iPhone 10 to make sure his zoom sessions are easily accessible. Like Mendoza, Garcia hardly pays attention in his zoom classes because he views that as being so easy.
In fact, only one complaint was brought up the most and that was the amount of people in the house at one time. Having everyone home while they’re in class or trying to do homework. For the most part it was a small complaint but was still brought up. Alberto Villalpando seemed to point it out the most though. Villalpando’s complaint was focused more on the Wi-Fi use in the house. “I got basic internet so with everyone trying to use it at one time, it just makes it worse” Villalpando says.
Thousand Oaks students seem to be doing just fine during this tough school year. Yet all around It are communities that are experiencing something completely different.
