Hope On The Horizon As Penn State Students Look Back On One Year Of COVID-19
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — On March 11, 2020, Xavion Huffman couldn’t focus on his English essay for the life of him. Between buzzing phone notifications and a rising heartbeat, Huffman typing words into his Google Doc seemed wildly unimportant at the time.
The then-20-year-old Penn State sophomore was glued to the television as the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic. Hours later, when the university canceled in-person classes through early April, Huffman realized spring break wouldn’t be a luxurious, stay-at-home vacation at all. Instead, it was a lockdown.
For him, the past year since the pandemic hit was both difficult and productive, and he’s certainly not alone among Penn State students and professors.
“Looking back on it, no one took it seriously until that point,” Huffman, a sociology major, recalled. “But once things started getting canceled, it got real fast. Staying inside for so long was hard, but I think [Penn State students] were able to make the most of it.”
Huffman said throughout his summer-long quarantine, he learned to meditate, started reflecting on life more often, and found a greater appreciation for his friends and family — especially while living on his own upon returning to Penn State.
Isolation is both a theme of the past year and a term now synonymous with testing positive for COVID-19. Junior computer science major Rahul Shekar said spending a year largely on his own has helped him feel more responsible and confident.
“When I originally chose to live alone at Penn State, I didn’t think it’d be that big of a deal because I could always just go see friends outside of my room,” said Shekar, who lives in a single in South Halls. “[Being stuck inside] was a hard adjustment, but I feel much more comfortable with myself and a lot more independent than I was.”
Shekar noted that throughout isolation he learned to cook for himself, a feat he’s “especially proud of.”
Nadith Dharmasena, a fellow junior studying computer science who hasn’t returned to campus in more than a year, said he learned a lot about himself while stuck at his Washington, D.C. home, too.
“Taking classes from my childhood bedroom wasn’t fun. But having home-cooked meals daily and getting to see my parents and loved ones in a time when everyone felt isolated was an unexpected treat,” Dharmasena said. “I think I appreciate them all a lot more.”
Although some students said a lonely year helped them to pick up better social skills, many noted that roughly three semesters of online learning have been challenging. Nirali Bakshi, a junior cybersecurity major, said a lack of in-person interactions made school ultimately feel “less important” than it ever had before.
“I barely felt like I was in college anymore, especially without sports or events happening. It was so easy to forget about homework,” she said. “I think our professors did a great job, though. They were always helpful and understanding, even when they didn’t know how to handle Zoom classes, either.”
Christopher Ritchie, an assistant teaching professor within Penn State’s Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, said adjusting his news editing classes to an online format was often difficult. But as the semesters went on, Ritchie said those challenges reaffirmed his belief that Penn State students are “resilient,” even when faced with unexpected obstacles like virtual learning.
“It was reassuring how students rose to this demand, by and large like everybody was,” Ritchie said. “It was like, ‘Hey, we are all in this together.’ The only way we’re going to make it through this is to keep working at it. I’m proud of them.”
Outside the classroom, a number of students noted how quiet campus has seemed since students returned in August. Josh Oslon, a junior studying aerospace engineering, said he hardly recognized Penn State last fall.
“Everything that made college ‘college’ was practically gone,” Oslon said. “There was just no spontaneity anymore. No one from your floor was knocking on your door and asking about getting dinner at the dining hall. None of your friends were heading to the basketball game on weekday nights anymore. All that stuff made me fall in love with college, especially freshman year.”
Now, though, there is hope. Back in February, Penn State announced plans to fully return to in-person learning next fall, beginning with a phased process over the summer. However, the university said its plans are subject to change based on the pandemic’s trajectory.
As that light at the end of the tunnel seemingly continues to grow, some Penn State students, including junior pre-med major Sonali Dukle, are feeling especially hopeful.
“To think that we’re almost there feels unreal,” she said. “Fans are going to games again, graduation is going to happen in person, and classes might even be back in person in the fall. We’re so close, and that’s helping me stay positive.”
Matt Bubb, a senior studying computational data sciences, said prospects of in-person commencement ceremonies are particularly exciting following the “most challenging” year of his life.
“I think seniors really got the short end of the stick this year, but finishing things at Beaver Stadium like we always envisioned, with mom and dad, you know, is probably the best way I could ask to end it,” Bubb said. “Hopefully, I think, it’ll give us a good memory to look back on after such a bad and kind of forgettable year.”
With a year of COVID-19 behind them, many Penn State students said they feel more prepared for the challenges life may throw their way.
“I think this year’s made Penn State a lot stronger,” said Huffman, the sociology major who’s now a junior. “It definitely brought us all together in an unexpected way. If we can survive a global pandemic, we can probably do anything.”
