COVID-19: A year of empty classes and full Zoom rooms College finds stability in online environment across two semesters

BY TRISHA ANAS

Ayear ago, students filled Pierce College’s libraries, classrooms and playing fields.

Then, in March 2020, the lives of hundreds of students changed after the country was hit with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today, Pierce has an empty campus and a virtual reality.

With an absence of in-person classes, students, student athletes and faculty members struggled to adapt to online transitions.

Performing Arts Department

Chair Michael Gend said in a phone interview that because he teaches theater classes, the changes were challenging.

“It’s been a really interesting online transition because our art form was specifically created to have in-person art and storytelling,” Gend said. “We still do live theater, but we do it through Zoom. The actors are all in their homes, and we try to make it feel like they’re in the same location. We’ve adapted things that way.”

Gend also said that most of his department have been eager to return to campus. Many of the professors and staff have already either received their COVID-19 vaccines or have signed up to get one, Gend said.

Alissa Vasquez, a Sociology major, said that she had some difficulty with the distanced online learning environment while she was taking an American Sign Language course.

“Many of us were just barely learning ASL, and we can’t talk in class,” Vasquez said. “With ASL, you have to really be able to communicate with your classmates.”

Vasquez said that she, like many other students, has been relying on group messages and Zoom to connect with others. Other students, like English major Sofia Zaragoza, said that they miss having face-to-face interactions.

“Having three English classes transition online was pretty rough simply because in my experience, I thrive on discussions,” Zaragoza said. “I’m lucky that I haven’t really needed to do things hands-on, but I still really miss the in-person, walking to class aspect.”

Though some students prefer having classes on campus, others say the online environment has benefited them.

Associated Students Organization President Jamie Crespin, who is a nursing major, said that with virtual asynchronous classes, she’s found more time to work while completing her classes.

“I’ve found that school is a lot less time consuming when you do what you have to do at your own pace, and you don’t have to wait for professors to take their time with the lectures,” Crespin said.

Crespin also said that though she likes the online learning experience, she would prefer to do some of her science classes hands-on.

“When we were in-person, I used to love doing labs, but now we just watch videos of someone else doing [the labs] and I don’t think you get much knowledge from it,” Crespin said. “Since COVID happened, I’ve taken chemistry. I’m currently taking microbiology and physiology, and I don’t think I’ve gotten as much out of those classes as I would’ve in-person.”

President Alexis Montevirgen said that he also misses live interactions. But despite the rough patches the school has gone through, Montevirgen said that Pierce has stayed strong.

“It’s definitely been a challenge, but I’m also proud of the faculty, staff and especially the students,” Montevirgen said. “We refused to let a global pandemic get in the way of providing for our students and our community. Given the lemons that we had thrown at us, we made the best damn lemonade that we could have.” tanas.roundupnews@gmail.com