As the
SEMESTER R e a c h e s Its End… by Lily Sones
A
s we near the end of the Fall semester, it can be easy to get overwhelmed with what seems like a never-ending stream of homework, exams, presentations, and extracurricular obligations. Days flow into weeks, and soon, the semester will be over. While many of us—myself included—look forward to spending time at home with family and friends this winter break, it is essential that we acknowledge how fortunate we are to experience life on campus together and appreciate the moments we share with one another because we know what it means to be without it. Everyone’s education was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, no matter which state or country you call home. Unlike any other generation of students that came before us, we can recognize that the typical college experience is never guaranteed. We know what it means to sit in sweats all day watching Zoom lectures. We know THE BULLETIN -
the claustrophobia of hours in our rooms. We know the isolation. First-years and some sophomores are now experiencing campus for the first time. As a firstyear myself, I do not know what Barnard was like during the worst of the pandemic but I know that I am grateful to be here. Surprisingly, it was not classes or extracurriculars that I was missing the most, but the simple everyday encounters and spontaneity that distance learning stymies—a chat before class, walking with friends to lunch and getting boba tea together, hanging out in the Quad in the afternoon, talking to the dining hall staff, even the dreaded elevator conversation fills a social need that cannot easily be filled by a FaceTime call. Yet, this is not to say that being back in person does not have its challenges. As we transition back into our regular lives we must also reestablish the balance between our social life and our work in
22 - nov/dec 2021
