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Pandemic Stress Weighs on Students By Makayla Cook
Is it all too much to handle right now? Studies show young adults, including college students, are feeling the most stress of any age group during the pandemic. 2020. College students experience William Peace University students a tremendous amount of stress as they cited lack of social life, exhaustion, sleeping are shifting from high school students to independent college adults. As if that’s not more, and even isolation in an online survey asking them to reflect on how COVID-19 has already enough pressure, the COVID-19 added stress to their lives. Other questions pandemic has added to the strains of included how individuals were coping with uncertainty around the school year, academic obligations, and family matters. stress, and what can be done on campus to help alleviate some of it. In all, 49 students Maybe it’s not a surprise, then, responded. that college students experienced the Mindy McDowell, a licensed counmost extreme selor at Joyner levels of stress in House, WPU’s cam2020, according pus wellness center, to the annual “Anxiety is produced has witnessed firstreport on stress by uncertainty,” Mchand how lives are by the American Dowell said. “There being disrupted as a Psychological result of COVID-19. Association, or APA. is a lot of uncertainty “I have been hear The study with COVID and so that ing from students reports that while causes people to feel that there has been “most adults” an increase in stress experienced elevated anxious.” and that is resulting stress due to the in anxiety,” said pandemic, adults ages McDowell, who is 18 to 23 reported the highest levels of stress; Gen Z had a 6.1 out assistant director of counseling and disability of 10 stress level in the study, compared to services. Though the survey was informal, Gen X and Baby Boomers, whose were 5.2 the causes for stress cited by Peace students and 4, respectively. Individuals in school at all levels were similar to the APA study. In the APS are experiencing endless uncertainty with study, 87% of young adults cited education as a cause of stress, 62% cited the uncertainty the lack of graduation ceremonies held, of the school year, and 67% said COVID-19 cancellation of athletic events, and the is making it hard to plan their future. In the unexpected closing of colleges in March Peace survey, 87% of students cited education, 82% cited uncertainty surrounding school, and said 67% planning for the future is a source of stress. Elizabeth Blansit, a first-year crimiShowcase returns nal justice major, said that starting college in after a year off the midst of a pandemic altered her experiwith both online ence. Starting at Peace in 2020, Blansit never got to encounter Peace’s cohesive in-person and virtual atmosphere or traditional events such as the sessions. Scan Red Rose Ball, Late Night Breakfast, or the the code for a First Day Of Class (FDOC) festival.
The women’s basketball team kneels to highlight racial inequality, a protest that began with NFL player Colin Kaepernick and has been used by athletes across the nation. The team forfeited a championship game to support a suspended team member. Photo courtesy of the Women’s Basketball Team.
WPU Basketball Team Fights Back By Victoria Mims
The stand taken this semester by the William Peace University Women’s Basketball team not only affected athletics, but started conversations across campus. An issue that is already prominent nationally -- race within athletics -- is now being brought to light at WPU. On March 6, the Women’s Basketball team chose not to participate in the Divisional Championship Game against North Carolina Wesleyan College in support of a teammate who was suspended for her response to racial slurs. “Unfortunately we will not in good conscience participate in today’s Championship game,” the WPU Women’s Basketball team tweeted on Saturday, March 6. A statement attached to the tweet said that one of their players was the victim of a racial slur and other derogatory names during a game and in several later instances. The player’s response to these comments, which was not described in the statement, “led to the unethical suspension of the same player.” “The systemic racism that our team has first hand experienced in the past several weeks is an issue that needs to be addressed not only within William Peace University but in the USA South conference as a whole,” the statement said. It was only the second time the team had made it to the championship
game, and the WPU community has been reacting to the bold statement ever since. Joshua Hubert, WPU sophomore who is majoring in marketing, felt as though the unfairness of the suspension only got addressed because the team, along with others, fought against it. If not for that, Hubert feels that it would have just gotten swept under the rug. “The school acted as if it didn’t happen, when we all knew that it did,” he says. “ I don’t want a repeat of the same story that people of color have promises that are made to them but aren’t fulfilled.” After the incident, WPU President Dr. Brian Ralph said in an email to the student body that the team acted “in solidarity and support of a teammate who had been suspended from competition due to her response to racist and unsportsmanlike taunts by an opponent.” “The University supports the students’ right to make that decision,” he said in the email. “No one should have to experience racism and I condemn it in all forms Ralph said that the incidents were reported, and that he requested the conference to create a task force to address racism. A few days later, Ralph said in an email that he had met with the women’s basketball team and gathered ideas from them as well as suggestions.
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Read more about coping with the pandemic on p. 4-5.
WPU Adjusts Graduation Plans in the Midst of a Global Pandemic By Brian Martinez
The 2020 graduation fell victim to the many cancelations of COVID-19, making one of the most important events in a student’s education uncertain for the William Peace University students who graduated last spring. But on May 7, the Class of 2020 will finally walk the stage and officially close a chapter in their lives. Former Student Government Association President Deja Gainey made the announcement for the university in a video, nothing the date andthe 5 p.m. start time. Gainey also said that graduates are allowed to bring four guests to the in-person ceremony The graduation ceremony for the class of 2020 is being held the evening prior to the class of 2021 graduation.
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To avoid large crowds at the ceremonies for the class of 2021, there will be two separate ceremonies for this year’s graduates, at 9:30am and at 3:30pm. The class of 2021 will also be allowed four guests to attend the ceremony. Johnathan Bizzell, senior at WPU, thinks Peace will hold in-person graduations for this year’s and that it’s a good idea to hold last year’s graduates, but crowds will be smaller than in two separate ceremonies previous years. Photo courtesy of WPU so that neither gathering is too large. roughly stabilizing at this point in the pandem “Despite new reported case counts ic for North Carolina, I think it is important
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that our campus does what it can to limit social gatherings in adherence to North Carolina mandates,” says Bizzell. “While it may be exhausting to have two ceremonies, I think it’s appropriate and in the best interest of everyone attending.” With the announcement, many students were happy to hear that their graduation will be in person, especially for the alumni who had to wait a year. Jenica Myers, senior at WPU, believes that it’s good for the class of 2020 to still have a chance to experience an in-person graduation ceremony. “It was really upsetting last year not being able to see [class of 2021] walk the stage,” Myers said. “I am very happy that Peace has worked hard to make sure that not only my class (Continued on Page 3)
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