Daniel Stevens  

Staff Writer 

ESU students and faculty return to in-person instruction for the fall semester, after spending two semesters online through virtual meetings. 

Students are back at ESU, albeit with guidelines put forth by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to wear a face mask to protect themselves and others from the threat of Covid on campus.  

ESU is following guidelines put out by the CDC, which is changing how students learn and go through the college experience. 

“I think that the threat of Covid is serious enough for people to remain responsible,” said senior Otis Jones. 

“If people do not wear their mask properly, it bugs me.” 

Being back on campus has students eager to learn and reintegrate themselves into how things were before the online transition during the fall 2020 semester. 

  “I think that there are benefits in person rather than at home. At home it is hard to find motivation for assignments,” said Jones. 

The transition from online to in-person instruction has been exciting for students by returning to somewhat normal campus life. 

“I feel so much better, I am more invested in classes and activities,” said junior Alex Getz, when asked how he felt about returning to face-to-face instruction. 

But the threat remains, and the virus is still a problem for many people.   

 “ESU handles Covid well, but it is still at large,” Getz said regarding ESU’s handling of the virus and the safety of its students. 

While the threat of covid remains, classrooms are adapting to a new way of learning.  

The virus has caused changes to how classrooms operate for the fall 2021 semester.  

If an unvaccinated student has been exposed to the virus, it may cause the need for them to quarantine until they get tested. 

ESU will send out an email to students who have been potentially exposed to the virus and will provide the date of the exposure. 

The virus might have changed the way classrooms work in the future.  

The introduction of a hybrid modality, which combines zoom meetings and in-person lectures, gives students the option to be either at home or meet face to face. 

The hybrid option minimizes the chance to cause an increase of new cases and gives quarantined students the chance to still attend a class they cannot go to in person.  

“I like hybrid so far,” said Getz. 

“Teachers may have issues, but students could benefit more from it.” 

The opportunities and potential utilization of hybrid learning could be the future of college classrooms. 

Only time will tell how in-depth these new ways of learning will be utilized in the months to come. 

No one knows for sure how much longer the coronavirus will be an issue in our community, but it is important to stay safe and follow the school’s guidelines to keep everyone safe and healthy. 

It has not been easy, and the transition may take a little time to get used to, but the campus community is back on track to normalcy. 

Wear a mask, get vaccinated, and be mindful of your peers. 

Email Daniel At: 

dstevens10@live.esu.edu