Dec. 29, 2020 by The Wichitan and Wai Kun

SP EC IA L ED IT IO N

Dec. 29, 2020 | thewichitan.com |Real Students. Real Stories. | End of Year Edition

2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 0 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 0 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 'The Prom' is a splashy but disappointing mess. 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 0 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 02020 has been 2020 2020 2020 hectic, unprecedented, and exhausting. So much has happened that2020 The Wichitan has 2020

2020

MEDIA: Pg 3

RECAP OF 2020: Pg 4-5

COLUMN: Pg 2

decided to give a brief recap of the major events of the worst year.

Colin Stevenson talks about his online semester.

GRADUATES: Pg 6

COVID POLICY: Pg 8-9

FEATURE: Pg 10

Fall 2020 Graduates share their future plans.

Changes to campus COVID-19 policy for 2021.

Custodial staff describe working in the pandemic.

@WichitanOnline

@wichitanonline

@TheWichitan

Attitude of Gratitude

here is much to complain about the coronavirus pandemic, be it frustration from wearing masks or the feeling of being in prison due to lockdowns. However, changing the tune of disappointments to gratitude can turn that frown upside down. Taking for granted in-person contact. While video chat is a decent substitute, inperson connection and conversations are unbeatable. “Eyes are the window to the soul.” Eye contact conveys appreciation, creates a bond and delivers an understanding to both the speaker and receiver. A screen in between parties conversing causes a disconnection. This makes one realize and appreciate just how important genuine human interaction is. In lockdown, most were excited to be left to one’s own devices. However, this quickly changed around the seventh day in the same pajamas. Before lockdown, it was a hassle to get out of bed every day, shower, put on clothes and walk out the door. Now, the gratitude that lies behind these menial tasks is in the want/need to feel clean and look presentable - realizing this wasn’t just for other’s approval but was for our own way of expressing self-love. Finally, unconscious actions. Before the pandemic, the thought of touching a door handle, a gas pump or coins/bills wasn’t a conscious thought, more, a kind of muscle memory. Along with shaking someone’s hand and watching a stranger scratch their nose and touch a surface, it appears the general population has developed a pseudoobsessive-compulsive disorder. However, the upside of this OCD is in the hopefulness of trusting that one did, in fact, wash their

hands after using the bathroom. Everyone is struggling. Let’s all come together and move past 2020 by changing our attitudes with gratitude.

CAMPUS VOICES

The struggle of remote learning After spending the latter half of my Spring 2020 semester at home, I thought I couldn’t take Colin it anymore. AfStevenson ter the summer, I had to go back. As time went on though, that seemed increasingly unlikely. COVID cases just kept going up and up with no end in sight. When school finally came around, there was no way I could safely go back. Both my mother and grandmother have immune system issues, and I didn’t want to put them in harm’s way by having to ever come back from a place where I had been so exposed. Even more, I was fearful for my own health. With such a new disease, it’s hard to know the long-term effects, and I didn’t want to trade 10 years of my life for a semester at a dorm. So, I emailed my professors whose classes I had already registered for to see if they could accommodate at least remote learning, and I was in luck: one of my classes was online, and all of my others had set up some sort of plan for heavily remote learning anyways. I was thankful I didn’t have to change my schedule and went into the school year with as much optimism as I could muster (not much). Things started off relatively well. Spanish at 8 a.m. was not the best idea, but it was made much more bearable by being able to wake up later than

I would at a dorm. I didn’t have bright side, my mom’s cooking is to shower, find new clothes, go a lot better than cafeteria food. to the cafeteria to get breakfast I also found myself falling and then walk to class. Instead, behind physically, as sitting I’d saunter out of my comfy bed, in class at my computer is not maybe grab some food, and de- particularly active, and without bate whether I should throw walking to classes, I find myself on jeans or just stay comfy in rarely going outside. I believe my pajama pants. Even more, this has also affected me socialI could essentially attend class ly, as I’ve hardly kept up with from anywhere, as long as I had friends from campus, where I a half-decent WiFi signal. It al- would normally chat with them most made me wonder why I as I saw them about. ever went to college in-person. Don’t get me started on the That is, until the distrac- technical difficulties! While tions set in. I got to enjoy build- most were eventually ironed ing my own PC for the first time out, I had to sit through many a this semester, and being able to troubleshooting of audio output run multiple programs with speed and ease (even games!) was dangerous for me. I found myself regularly tabbing out during my classes, even during the ones that required a webcam. I was amazed I kept up as well as I did. I did not enjoy being stuck living with my parents again, either. Granted, our relationship could be much worse, but it was nice getting away and living on my own my first semester. I felt almost trapped Mass communication sophomore Colin back home. On the on Zoom, Dec. 3.

CHIEF EDITOR: Bridget Reilly MANAGING EDITOR: Amos Perkins Vol. 85 | No. 8 Midwestern State University Fain Fine Arts Bldg., Room D201 3410 Taft Blvd. | Wichita Falls, Texas 76308 (940) 397-4704 wichitan@msutexas.edu | thewichitan.com @wichitanonline

NEWS EDIOTR: Stephanie Robledo DESIGN EDITOR: Omar Combie

ISSUE STAFF: Brian Lang, Colin Stevenson, Dallas Wabbington ADVISOR: Jonathon Quam

or input, unable to help because they couldn’t hear me or vice versa (a quick hint to professors: it’s most often zoom picking the wrong input or output device; try checking that first). Long story short, that was by far my least enjoyable college semester. Sadly, it looks like it will be happening again. With COVID cases still as high as ever – if not higher – I have planned to continue remote learning into 2021. It sucks, but it keeps me and my family safe. I’m open to any suggestions for focusing tips, though!

PHOTO BY COLIN STEVENSON | THE WICHITAN

Stevenson attending his class

Copyright ©2020. First copy free. Additional copies $1.00 each. The Wichitan is a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association and the Associated Collegiate Press. The Wichitan reserves the right to edit any material submitted for publication. Opinions expressed in The Wichitan do not necessarily reflect those of the students, staff, faculty, administration or Board of Regents of Midwestern State University. The Wichitan welcomes letters of opinion from students, faculty and staff submitted by the Friday before intended publication. Letters should be brief (250 words or fewer) and without abusive language or personal attacks. Letters must be typed and signed by the writer and include a email address, telephone number and address.

‘ T HE P RO M ’

IS A SPL ASHY BUT DISAPPOINTING MESS

PHOTO COURTESY OF IMDB.COM

Meryl Streep and James Corden in The Prom (2020) on Netflix.

hat do you get w h e n you combine musical theater, a Netflix-sized budget and a grab Brian Lang bag of celebrities? A mess. Netflix and Ryan Murphy (Glee), along with a gaggle of big-name actors, have teamed up to bring the lights of Broadway to screens across the nation with their overbaked and sugary sweet adaptation of the Broadway musical “The Prom.” After getting poor reviews for their newest musical, two stale Broadway stars Dee Dee Allen (Meryl Streep) and Barry Glickman (James Corden) need a popularity boost. Overwhelmed by the prospects of solving world hunger, these two, with the help of a ragtag duo of Broadway busybodies (Nicole Kidman and Andrew

Rannels) decide to march down to Indiana to fight injustice. Their righteous cause centers around a meek high-schooler named Emma (the ingenue Jo Ellen Pellman) whose prom was canceled by the PTA when she announced she was bringing her girlfriend as a date. The Broadway stars protest and picket, singing huge numbers and sweet ballads, all in hopes of swaying the hearts and minds of those stubborn Midwesterners and maybe getting a crumb of good publicity along the way. When Emma brings the fight back down to Earth-sized proportions with a heartfelt tune, the thespians and PTA both learn a neat little lesson that you can see coming from the opening bars. Maybe this message of tolerance and compassion would have come across as more earnest onstage, but it feels like this film

adaptation’s main objective is to give big names like Nicole Kidman, Andrew Rannells, James Corden and Meryl Streep an excuse to sing, dance, and showboat on screen. The sweet little storyline never stands a chance next to the neon light and sequenced costumes of the stars. My favorite parts of “The Prom” included newcomer Jo Ellen Pellman as Emma who gave viewers a few minutes to catch their breath between the other stars scrambling for screen time and sang her songs simply and genuinely. Each scene she was in seemed to get the film back on the right footing. I can’t wait to see what other projects she joins after her turn here. I admire the effort to preserve musicals as movies, but “The Prom” struggles to fill the often oversized shoes of traditional movie musicals. The high-school themed story feels more at home

as a Netflix original teen movie instead of a splashy musical bursting with A-list celebrities, and the low stakes of the plot and high intensity of the production can make the 2 hours feel like a drag. “The Prom” is a difficult film to discuss because everyone falls into two camps the moment they see the trailer: either this is a theater-lover’s Christmas gift from Ryan Murphy, or you’ll be miserable the whole time. For what it’s worth, I encourage you to give it a shot over the holiday break, but even I admit that this is no “Hamilton.”

Brian’s Movie Rating:

3/5

COMIC BY DALLAS WABBINGTON

Highlights and Lo

So much has happened in 2020, so The Wichitan decided to co

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

1st - the South Coast of Australia had the most horrific day of the seven-month-long bushfire catastrophe. By March, the bush fires had ceased or were under control, ending in a record 47 million acres burnt and estimated killing over one billion animals.

2nd - The Kansas City Chiefs defeat the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl LIV in Miami, Florida.

9th - The World Health Organization announced the deadly COVID-19 virus had arisen in Wuhan, China. Within a matter of days, the first case of the virus was reported to the CDC. 15th - The US House of Representatives votes to send articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the US Senate. 26th- Los Angelas Lakers player, Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna Bryant, and seven other people had died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. 31st - The United Kingdom officially withdraws from the European Union.

5th - President Donald Trump was acquitted by the Senate after an impeachment trial on charges that he pursued Ukraine to investigate President-elect Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden. 9th - Parasite wins Best Picture at the Academy Awards, becoming the first time a non-English-language film wins Best Picture at the Academy Awards. 24th - Harvey Weinstein is convicted of one count of criminal sexual assault in the first degree and one count of rape in the third degree, and was later sentenced to 23 years in prison on March 11. 29th - The US and Taliban reach a conditional peace agreement.

MARCH 1st - US reports its first COVID-19 death. 11th - The World Health Organization declares the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic and the NBA suspends the season indefinitely. The other major US sports leagues would follow suit shortly. 16th - The coronavirus pandemic triggered a global recession. The Dow Jones Industrial Average suffers its worst single-day point drop ever losing almost 3000 points. 24th - The 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo is postponed to July 23, 2021. 27th - The Senate and White House pass a $2 trillion stimulus package, becoming the largest stimulus package in US history.

JULY

AUGUST

1st - The US reports 128,644 COVID-19 deaths.

1st - The US reportsÂ 154,002 COVID-19 deaths.

2nd - Ghislaine Maxwell is arrested on charges of helping lure more than three girls to be sexually abused by Jeffery Epstein.

13th - Trump announces a peace deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

6th - California sets a new record of wildfire destruction with 2.1 million acres burning.

16th - Hundreds of wildfires are sparked by thunderstorms in California.

18th - Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dies at 87.

21st - A Sacramento County judge sentences the Golden State Killer, Josheph DeAneglo Jr., to life without parole for killing 13 people and raping 50.

26th - Amy Coney Barrett is nominated by Trump to fill the Supreme Court seat vacancy.

9th & 10th - Big Ten and Pac-12 football conferences announce they will only play conference games in the fall. 20th - The NFL cancels all preseason games. 22nd - a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hits Alaska.

28th - Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman died after a four-year battle with colon cancer, he was 43 years-of-age.

SEPTEMBER 1st - US reports 184,083 COVID-19 deaths.

29th - First presidential debate takes place.

owlights of 2020

ompile some of the notable moments from through out the year.

APRIL 1st - US reports 4,506 COVID-19 deaths

MAY 1st - US reports 64,283 COVID-19 deaths.

20th - The price per barrel of US oil goes negative for the first time in history.

3rd - The US faces an invasion of “murder hornets” threatening domestic bees.

25th - Kim Jong-Un was reported dead “after botched heart surgery” by TMZ. Within the coming days, South Korea dismissed these allegations, and they were later proven false.

8th - US unemployment rate hits 14.7%, with more than 33 million jobless claims filed since mid-March.

28th - The Pentagon releases video of UFO sightings.

22nd - Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli plead guilty in the college admissions scandal.

30th - Armed protestors storm the state Capitol in Lansing, Michigan demanding to end the pandemic lockdown.

25th - George Floyd is killed by a Minneapolis police officer, sparking protests against police brutality and racial injustice in Minneapolis which created a ripple effect of protests across the nation and worldwide.

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

1st - US reports 207,302 COVID-19 deaths. 3rd - Well-regarded king of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Sabah, passed away at 91. 17th - A teacher in Paris, France was beheaded by an Islamist extremist. 27th - An anti-abortion bill rulling in Poland led to protests and clashes with police nationwide.

1st - US reports 230,383 COVID-19 deaths. 2nd - An Islamic State sympathizer shot up restaurants and bars in Vienna, Austria, killing four, critically injuring seven and injuring 27 in total.

JUNE 1st - The US reports 105,157 COVID-19 deaths. 4th - East Africa is invaded by locusts. 5th - Joe Biden secures Democratic nomination. 15th - The US Supreme Court rules that employers cannot discriminate against sexual orientation or gender identity. 18th - The US Supreme Court rules in favor of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

DECEMBER 1st - US reports 269,763 COVID-19 deaths. 12th - The US officially approved the Pfizer vaccine.

3rd - The US voted for president and vice president.

14th - The electoral college officially voted Joe Biden into presidency and Kamala Harris into vice presidency.

5rd - The Azerbaijani military bombed the capital of the Armenian-backed separatist nation of Artsakh, killing at least four and injuring at least 16.

19th - The UK tightened its COVID-19 restrictions following the discovery of a new strain of the virus in the country.

18th - Photos emerged of California Governor Gavin Newsom violating his own COVID-19 laws by attending a party for a lobbyist and friend.

25th - A bomber, 63 year old Anthony Warner, died in his attack that injured three and damaged about 40 buildings in historic downtown Nashville.

DECEMBER GRADUATES SHARE THEIR FUTURE PLANS BRIDGET REILLY | KYLIE MALIG-ON CHIEF EDITOR | REPORTER

Bianca Zuleta Geoscience (B.S)

Sandra Cruz Pre-Med & Graphic Design (B.A)

Alexis Jenkins Nursing (B.S)

“I hope to find a job as a field geologist or work in research here in Texas while I begin my professional career. In the future I would like to specialize in gemology and gem faceting and hopefully also get a Masters in the next few years after working in the field for while.”

“I’m currently job hunting so I can save up money for applying to medical school. Most of my plans currently are centered around preparing for applying to schools and gaining as much experience as I can. Hopefully in the near future, I plan to start my journey in medical school!”

“I am moving to Oklahoma City to start my career as a post-trauma nurse at OU medical. I’m excited to start my career in such an unprecedented and extraordinary time as it uniquely gives me the opportunity to directly help the countless people in need.”

Nick Powell Sports Adminisration (M.A.)

Olaemimimo Israel Graphic Design (B.A)

Christian Osegura Mass Communication (B.A.)

“During my Master’s I was a graduate assistant for he Men’s Basketball team here at MSU Texas. We are currently 4-0 on the season and I will now finish the season as an assistant. I hope to continue my coaching career here at MSU as we contnue to build this program up to championship caliber. In my spare time I play disc golf and invest in real estate.”

“I want to be able to expand on my photography business and freelance graphic design while working for the company of my choosing for about a year or two and after I’m done I would love to study more into graphic design by getting my Master’s in UI application and hopefully move on to my PhD.”

“Since graduating, I’ve been doing photography, mainly soccer, and am working with 3rd Degree by sending them the shots that I’ve captured at soccer games so they can use them for stories, etc. For my first postcollege job, I’m looking for anything within my field. I’m really interested in becoming a social media coordinator for a company or photographer for a news station.”

P H OTO S W E R E P R OV I D E D B Y T H E R E S P E C T I V E G R A D UAT E S I N T H I S A RT I C L E .

University professors share their view on challenging Fall 2020 semester

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

Computer Lab D101, Fain College D-Wing, Dec. 27. AMOS PERKINS MANAGING EDITOR tudents were not the only members of the MSU Texas community affected by the new safety rules put in place to combat COVID-19 in 2020. Faculty and staff not only adhered to the same policies as students but were also in charge of enforcing those policies in their classrooms and adapting to new forms of teaching. “Faculty did very, very well. They were paying attention to the notifications that they would receive on students who were required to be in quarantine or isolation, and they took those very seriously, and they would generally let us know if a student was coming to class and they were

PHOTO COURTESY OF MSU TEXAS

Kym Acuna, associate professor of curriculum and learning

required to be in quarantine, or they would just tell the student to go back to quarantine. I think something like this, it takes a community effort, and it takes everyone on the same page if you will. I really think our community was on the same page, and it was a community effort,” Dr. Keith Lamb, vice president of student affairs and enrollment management, said. While professors were in charge of reporting students as Lamb said, Dr. Kym Acuna, associate professor of curriculum and learning, felt that students adhered to the protocols well and didn’t require too much enforcing. “I was very pleased with how well students kept to the protocol. I never had any students cause problems in class. Seeing students outside of class, I was very pleased with the school and students in keeping with the protocol,” Acuna said. Some students assisted their professors in adopting to the new teaching environment. “I perceived students to be understanding. I asked students in the classroom if they see the chat to let me know, so I’m not leaving [their] classmates out of discussion. I also told virtual learners, if I’m sharing my screen and you’re not seeing what I’m talking about, to let me know so you don’t get lost,” Acuna said. Christina McIntyre, assistant professor of curriculum and learning, took her praise of the students one step further than Acuna.

“Students were very flexible and seemed to be willing to try anything. The attitudes of my students were so positive, and even though 2020 has been tough, I’ve had one of the greatest groups of students I’ve ever had the privilege to teach,” McIntyre said. A consistent problem facing educators teaching via Zoom across the country is students turning off their cameras, so that professors can’t see them during the lesson. Instructors such as Acuna have had to find ways to encourage student’s to use their cameras. “Students would want to have their cameras off. For classes that aren’t lectures, it’s important to have cameras on, so that I can guage their understanding throughout the lesson,” Acuna said. “At the beginning of the class, I didn’t pay attention, but as soon as the classwork began I would say, ‘Cameras on we’re getting ready to start.” Many professors’ teaching styles require a significant amount of cooperative learning and movement within the classroom. This was the case for McIntyre, who had to explore ways to adjust that pedology to the age of COVID-19. “There were a lot of adjustments but with my style of teaching I had a major one ...because students and faculty needed to stay at least six feet apart, cooperative learning ac-

PHOTO COURTESY OF MSU TEXAS

Christina McIntyre, assistant professor of curriculum and learning.

tivities and activities that required movement in the face to face classes were a huge challenge. There was a lot of trial and error going on. Teaching classroom management was the most difficult, because I’m teaching students how to manage their own classrooms in the future,” McIntyre said. Dr. Kirsten Lodge, associate professor of English and humanities, also had to make adjustments, not just in the way she taught, but in her whole teaching philosophy as well. Unable to guide the conversation online, she found that many of her students would simply talk about whatever it was they wanted to, which lead her to reevaluate her role as a teacher. “They say when you’re teaching face-to-face you’re the sage on the stage, and when you’re teaching online you’re the guide on the side. I thought that kind of sums it up, because I kind of like to have a point or two I really want to get across, and want to guide the discussion a little bit and respond to questions. Online we had discussion, but I felt at times I wasn’t able to guide the discussion, and I realized maybe I wasn’t supposed to guide the discussion,” Lodge said. Lodge faced a number of challenges this semester. A core part of her instruction is “close reading,” a reading technique that Lodge typically has to model to her students for them to understand. The university’s distance learning department told Lodge they didn’t have the same programs other universities such as Harvard University have to accommodate “close reading.” She also had to plan for the lesson in a relatively short timespan. “I taught everything online, because I have an underlying condition, so I had to submit my medical documentation. I would rather teach in person, because I had never taught online before we suddenly all went home for the spring. It was really hard, I couldn’t get approved until three weeks before classes started. At first, I was just a week ahead of my students, then I was trying to get ahead, so I was working all the time,” Lodge said. Despite all the challenges, McIntyre felt that the university set the

professors up for success. “This was a very challenging situation and [administration] did a great job. They offered Zoom training for use in our classrooms, which I attended, and the desks and tables were clearly marked. We had the cleaning supplies we needed and a protocol to follow. My dean and chair were supportive and did a lot of work preparing our students and us for the semester,” McIntyre said. Lodge stressed the importance of emailing professors and communicating with them. She said she emailed students frequently and was often very flexible with them. Lodge said the lack of a physical space made it difficult to create the usual connection she has with her students. “I tried to get more students to respond to me, {but} not all of them did. Maybe half of people [did respond], so I felt a little bit distant. I wanted to reach out to them and help them and explain more, and sometimes I felt like I couldn’t do that,” Lodge said. McIntyre saw lots of room for her to grow as an educator and looks forward to an even better semester in 2021 despite the circumstances. “On a side note ... This past year was perhaps not my best teaching year ever, but I learned a lot. It was a humbling experience yet the students were so positive, flexible ... just amazing and resilient people. With that said they’ve inspired me and I plan on making 2021 the best year ever,” McIntyre.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MSU TEXAS

Dr. Kirsten Lodge, associate professor of English and humanities.

“Paving the runway

MSU reviews and revises COV struggled with the material or the technology, or if they struggled with finding a quiet place to do the class. Students seemed to miss the social aspect is what we’re seeing,” Lamb said.

ACTIVE CASES OVERVIEW As of Dec. 18, there have been a total of 268 cases of COVID-19 reported on campus. Students have made up 216 of the reported cases, while employees have made up the other 52. Despite the high number of students on campus, currently there are no active cases reported among students and 10 active cases among employees. These numbers are a far cry from earlier in the semester, when reported active cases reached the 60’s. “I think [our active cases] were probably in the 60’s. If you would’ve told me in August that would’ve been our high, I would’ve taken it. With that said, what we saw was a very low number through early October, and then we saw an increase that became a new equilibrium... and we were running 30’s everyday for active cases, then right before Thanksgiving in November it started to grow quite a it. It started to escalate, and I believe we were in the low 60’s for active cases. It was a far departure from running 10-15 cases, but when you take a step back, and think about the planning that we did and what I thought we could see on campus, I was really pleased with that low of a number,” Lamb said.

ety is an understatement, but it’s not just the pandemic, it’s the election; it’s the social justice concerns; it’s so many things weighing on them that there were some concerns that we saw on the survey around mental health. A number of students lost jobs during COVID, certainly a number of students, and I was the same way as a student, worked in the service industry, and they were hit particularly hard with the shutdowns, so we saw a number of students lost jobs,” Lamb said.

Event changes coming in 2021 Despite remaining in phase three of COVID-19 protocol and their feeling that the pandemic was handled well in the fall semester, administration is introducing several adjustments and safety promotions for the spring semester, while relaxing their stance on others. Some of the new guidelines are being created to adjust to the high number of sports competing in Spring 2020. Fans will be allowed at these events, and outside events as a whole are having their maximum capacities raised. “We are creating guidelines for student spectators at sporting events. In the spring, we will have a number of athletic events. Almost all of our athletic programs will be participating this spring, so it will be a very busy spring, so we’re creating guidelines for social distancing, contactless processes, attendance track-

MENTAL HEALTH PHOTO BY A.J. RUBIO | THE WICHITAN

Biology junior Isabel Garcia and mechanical engineering freshman Cesar Lim following masks mandate while having a conversation, Sept. 1. AMOS PERKINS MANAGING EDITOR or the Fall 2020 semester, MSU Texas introduced a number of different protocols in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on campus. Among these protocols were increased frequency in cleaning, maximum capacity designations for classrooms, social distancing markers and a campus-wide mask mandate. “I think [the protocols were followed] really well overall. I mean certainly, [participation was] not 100%, and we knew going into it, it wouldn’t be 100%. Personally, I was very pleased with the level of adherence to [the protocols]. Most everyone took it very seriously,” Keith Lamb, vice president of student affairs

and enrollment management, said.

STUDENT SURVEY One of the ways the administration at MSU has been able to gauge students’ opinions of the university’s handling of the pandemic is a recently-closed student survey. Among the results of the survey so far has been a clear desire for face-to-face schooling. “We haven’t analyzed it yet, but we actually just closed the student survey on the COVID-19 experience. We have to analyze that. I’ve peeked at it some, and I think, again you hear a lot of different things, but some of the themes that start to emerge is that student’s prefer face to face classes.... They struggled some with remote or online [learning], whether that be they

Throughout 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic, heightened anxiety caused by a variety of factors have led to worsening mental health. According to the Centers for Disease Control, between June 24 and June 30, 40% of adults in the US reported struggling with mental health or substance abuse. The CDC report also said that younger adults, minorities, essential workers and unpaid caregivers were particularly at risk. MSU students also reported worries about their mental health. “[We’ve seen] mental health concerns certainly during this time of heightened anxiety, and it’s not just the pandemic, though to say that’s a significant amount of anxi-

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

“SIT HERE” sign used to direct sudents to sit in a socially distanced manner, Dec. 27.

as the jet is landing”

VID-19 policy for Spring 2021 to campus. So we are looking at doing... some sort of spirit week, Homecoming week less the Homecoming part, for the spring,” Lamb said. One of the shocks of the fall semester was the announcement on Oct. 21 that spring break in 2021 would be cancelled. As a result the semester is scheduled to end a week earlier than normal. “We were absolutely concerned with disruption to the spring semester if we sent everybody off and then brought back and the virus started circulating. Spring break is a little too early to go solely remote for the rest of the semester.... We felt it was in the best PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN interest given the situation for A maximum occupancy sign for a classroom, Dec. 27. this one year to cancel spring break and just move up the ing, face coverings [and] all that for the athletend of the semester by one week,” Lamb said. ics events. For our outdoor programming, we’re The reason students didn’t find out about actually raising our capacity from 100 to 150 the cancellation of spring break until late in participants. What we found in the fall is that the Fall 2020 semester is because the university we could safely offer outdoor programming was focusing on each predicament as it came. with 100 participants, and we thought we could The administration didn’t begin to take a hard have even accommodated more,“ Lamb said. look at spring break until cases began to spike Lamb announced that MSU would provide in October. even more on campus events for students for “When we first began the fall [semester] we the Spring 2020 semester. MSU plans to have just didn’t know. Really, the analogy we kind of five or six weekend stampede events in the use during this - and every school is the same upcoming semester, compared to the three it way, the whole country is the same way - is hosted in the fall. we’re all paving the runway as the jet is land“Part of our theory in the fall was we knew ing,” Lamb said. that individuals are 18 to 23, 24, 25 years old. If we don’t provide them something to do on campus, they’re going to find something to do. We Housing Changes all know that, because we were all that way at MSU is also changing a housing procedure the same age, so we felt it was important to pro- for international students returning from vide activities on campus where we could moni- abroad. tor compliance with mask wearing,” Lamb said. “We are no longer requiring international

CANCELLATIONS While MSU had announced in the fall semester that Homecoming would be postponed until the spring, Lamb has now said that there will be no traditional Homecoming at all this academic year. “We had announced in the Fall that we would postpone Homecoming [and] family weekend until the spring. We’re going to do something a little different now. We are concerned with a traditional Homecoming or family weekend where we bring a lot of external individuals

students to physically quarantine upon arrival. The main reason for that is it seems counter intuitive, when we have more virus circulated here than where most of our international students come from,” Lamb said. Stricter screening processes and a revamp of the campus’s free voluntary testing program are expected to make the MSU campus safer next semester. “[We are going to] basically screen every student as they come back into housing. We’re also taking a hardook at our surveillance testing program.... We did not think the program was particularly effective, because we would draw

100 names and maybe 15 would go get tested. We’re rethinking that, because we think that’s very important,” Lamb said.

Vaccine Status As vaccines begin their circulation around the United States, Lamb announced that MSU had applied and been approved for vaccines. Lamb referred to whether MSU would receive the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines as a “guessing game,” but said that MSU has the capabilities to store either type of vaccine. “We’ve applied to be a vaccine site. We’ve been told that we’ve been approved to be a vaccine site. Obviously hospitals [and] things like that are the first to receive a vaccine, so I think we’re probably looking at early to mid spring [for] when we’ll receive our doses here,” Lamb said. On Dec. 14, Lamb sent out a postmaster saying that it was a possibility that MSU may be able to return to a mask-free “normal” Fall 2020 semester. Lamb said whether or not that happens is ultimately up to whatever the state of Texas decides. While Lamb offered a message of hope, he was equally adamant that students

cannot let up in their vigilance. “Things are going to get better, we are going to get out of this, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but part of [the postmaster’s purpose] was also making sure people know we’re not out of it, and even though we see the light at the end of the tunnel, we have to still do the right thing [and] adhere to the safety procedures. We have to finish strong until we’re out of it,” Lamb said.

Additional changes for 2021 Other changes include a new rule that requires a faculty advisor to be present at all student organization events to monitor how well students keep to their COVID-19 mitigation plans. Lamb was adamant that student organizations as a whole did well in submitting their COVID-19 mitigation plans and sticking to them and these new precautions are simply to keep everyone involved safe. Another change is an update to the MSU safety app, including a timestamp and scannable QR code to display their screenings. Overall, MSU hopes to increase education on the virus and how to stay safe.

PHOTO BY A.J. RUBIO | THE WICHITAN

Two students walk through the rain next to Sunwatcher Apartments. Sept. 1.

OUR SILENT SUPERHEROES

PHOTO BY KHIRSTIA SHEFFIELD | THE WICHITAN

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

Lead custodian Symetha Parker and custodian Tammy Bright finished with their Apart from social distancing guidelines being applied to classrooms, cleaning has to cleaning of a Legacy Hall lounge, Dec. 11. be done multiple times a day. KHIRSTIA SHEFFIELD FEATURE EDITOR s the COVID-19 virus swept across the nation nearly nine months ago, leaving more than 300,000 Americans alone as they spent their last waking moments without physical connection from their families, our nation has suffered. Unemployment rates reached record numbers, small businesses have been forced to board up their doors due to a lack of relief from the hard-hitting pandemic and a hunger crisis invaded family structures. However, as many Americans continue to steer clear of the virus that has taken so many lives and broken up happy homes, some Americans have put themselves in harm’s way and become the new heroes behind the mask. The people aforementioned are custodians: our Silent Superheroes. Their fearlessness and willingness to face the virus head-on has allowed many universities and schools across the nation to continue in-person learning, a dynamic that cannot be eradicated with the advancement of technology. “We’re the governors of the

school; the students depend on ing protocols, forcing custodians to point areas and spray E-23 two times us, because without us the school do four times as much cleaning as in the morning and afternoon across wouldn’t function. We are the house- they are accustomed to. On top of the campus. Parker describes the dekeepers and we are the love of the normal cleaning assignments, cus- mand of having so many buildings to university,” Symetha Parker, lead todians are required to clean touch clean as even more daunting as the custodian, said. secure masks limit her ability Eight months ago, working to breathe for eight consecutive as a barista at Starbucks, Parker hours. watched from a distance as cus“There is a lot to clean, and todians of MSU danced around sometimes I feel like I can’t covfull of joy, and from that very er it all, but when we all come moment, she knew she desired together we get the job done,” to work with a warm-hearted Parker said. “We just try to stay group of people who placed an positive, and we overcome beemphasis on love and joy in cause there is nothing too hard spite of the challenges they may for any of us. Sometimes differface. ent is good and there are some “I wouldn’t be here without good things that have come them,” Parker said. “They have from this experience.” showed me so much love, and Their work never ends; even they take so much pride in what an empty campus won’t stop they do. I’m thankful and this their sacrifice, and although, group of people has helped me they try to face their challenges get through the tough times we with a joyous attitude, they still are facing now. MSU has a real are putting their lives on the line team here, a caring and lovfor the sake of our safety. ing team that the students can “In our department the most count on, and that brings us all challenging aspect is going PHOTO BY KHIRTIA SHEFFIELD | THE WICHITAN joy.” into COVID rooms that are set Lead custodian Symetha Parker and aside for students that have to Although being a custodian has never been an easy job, the custodian Tammy Bright sanitizing a go into isolation,” Parker said. pandemic has altered all clean- Legacy Hall lounge, Dec. 11. “You don’t know what students

are sick or ill. In those moments of knowing that you’re going in before a COVID patient or coming in behind a COVID patient, it can be scary for us.” In spite of the challenges they continue to face, a thank you goes a long way. “My favorite part of being a custodian has been the students when they say thank you,” Parker said. “They are so thankful, and to know somebody is there and they care and love, it’s breathtaking. You are recognized, and that’s the joy. The recognition and the appreciation is priceless, and it outweighs the money.” Parker said she believes that the work she has done here at MSU won’t last forever. She doesn’t want to limit herself to one thing. She wants to experience different environments and spread the love she has gained from her peers across the metroplex, because she won’t stop here. “I’m just passing through; this is not my home,” Parker said. “I’m on a mission, and I think I was sent through this department just to enhance the love. It’s been my mission to spread the love of God and be where he wants me to be.”