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COPING WITH CRISIS
VOLUME 96 • ISSUE 3
WEEK OF 9.8.20
How Hurricane Katrina and COVID changed higher education By Easton Reynolds easton.reynolds653@topper.wku.edu PHOTO BY: ALLIE HENDRICKS
In 2005, schools were shutting down, businesses were closing, everybody was going home, and New Orleans was in complete lockdown. New Orleans was left in ruins after Hurricane Katrina, the largest to hit U.S. soil, devastated the region. Louisiana colleges had to find ways to keep their students and faculty safe while also navigating a historical natural disaster. WKU Acting Provost Cheryl Stevens was one of those faculty members. As head of the Chemistry Department at Xavier University of Louisiana, Stevens was tasked with keeping enrollment steady, assisting her students and professors and finding pathways back to normalcy during this crisis. Now almost 15 years later, amid a global pandemic, Stevens finds herself managing those same problems. “These situations are two totally different crises, but a lot of the implications are the same,” Stevens said. Stevens recounts a similar state of panic in New Orleans to what she’s witnessed during the pandemic. People were worried about their jobs, schools, finances, basic supplies and their safety, Stevens said. Just like the COVID-19 pandemic, Ste-
vens detailed how the city and campus experienced a “sadness and sense of loss.” Stevens specifically recalls seniors bearing the brunt of this sadness since they couldn’t celebrate their final year with friends and family. Because of the structural damage left by Katrina, Stevens remembers being worried that students would not return to Louisiana. After experiencing such a devastating natural disaster, Stevens said the campus community sharing a common goal was crucial for a recovery. “Everybody was so excited to come back,” Stevens said. Stevens recalled coming back after the hurricane to a new “cohesion” among the staff and students that made the university feel like a family. Stevens learned how vital leadership is in navigating a crisis. “People are looking for leaders to tell them what to do and what’s going to happen,” Stevens said. “The unknown is worse than being told this is how we’re going to navigate this.” She said strong leadership helps “set the culture” and gives everyone an ultimate goal to strive for. Strong leadership coupled with active student
participation led Xavier University through Hurricane Katrina and will lead WKU through the COVID-19 pandemic, Stevens said. Just like in Louisiana, students at WKU are excited to be back on campus but everyone must “do what they can to mitigate any damages,” Stevens said. Stevens does note one major difference from the hurricane compared to the pandemic. After Katrina, students returning to campus experienced minimal changes to how classes were taught. Comparatively, the pandemic has changed the fundamentals of education for years to come. “The nature of school and work is changing,” Stevens said. Stevens sees this specific time as an opportunity to revolutionize education.
“Students come out of high school and they’ve been on the receiving end of their education,” Stevens said. “And what we’re asking people to do now is to participate in their education.” Now, teachers are evolving their classroom with more projects and small groups to create more engaged learning experiences, Stevens said. Stevens said the tenacity and resilience she experienced in New Orleans can also bring WKU out of this crisis. “It’s been a challenge, but I’ve enjoyed being in the position and being able to be part of the conversations to navigate this crisis,” Stevens said.
Easton Reynolds can be reached at easton.reynolds653@topper.wku.edu Follow him on Twitter @epdogg5000
Students adjust to hybrid classes during COVID-19 pandemic By Gabrielle Bunton
gabrielle.bunton605@topper.wku.edu PHOTO BY: ESTER HEATH
With the first week of classes finished, students have had the chance to experience hybrid classes and the new safety measures on campus. Bowling Green native and graduate student Francisco Serrano has been able to see both sides as a student and as a Contact Tracer and Disease Investigator at Barren River District Health Department. “Hybrid classes have been interesting,” Serrano said. “I think all the professors and schools have been doing really good jobs in terms of maintaining the protocols. Overall, I have felt pretty safe with classes I attend in person.” Serrano was comforted by seeing professors do their part by wiping down desks regularly, checking student seating and making sure everyone is wearing a mask. “I love seeing people wearing their mask,” Serrano said. “It’s our first line of defense that we have against this virus. Every now and then you will see people who aren’t wearing masks. It does make me a little worried in terms of that part.”
Regardless of how people feel about masks, Serrano says people should think about others’ health and safety as well. “The mask is not only there for your protection, but it is there for the protection of others,” said Serrano. With the new safety measures, Serrano thinks it’s important for there to be leaders on campus and leaders at every level to take the virus seriously. “With the election coming up, we have to make sure that we are electing officials that take these things seriously and have experience going through it,” Serrano said. Being Latino has also given Serrano a different perspective on the virus with how hard the Latino community has been hit by it.
“It really is playing with people’s lives at the end of the day,” Serrano said. “With my being Latino and seeing how my community has been hit hard, I have a lot of feelings about how it is being handled and the way it’s been handled by so many leaders.” Junior finance and marketing major Ben Robins has mixed feelings about his hybrid classes due to the many complications that come with technology.
“It’s easy to access, which is great, but if your Wi-Fi is acting funny or something else comes up technically there is not a lot you can do unless you get it resolved by [Information Technology Services],” Robins said. “They do take a while but they tend to resolve stuff. That’s the only downside for me.” Another challenge in hybrid classes is the amount of students who fall sick with COVID-19. Robins said he has witnessed students in his class fall ill to the virus. “These hybrid classes do pose a little bit of an issue because I’ve had three people in my class before have COVID and class is still going on in-person,” said Robins. With the safety measures on campus, students are required to do a lot of new things to keep themselves and everyone else safe, but WKU can also face difficulties with having students abide by them. “I’ve seen people not wearing masks,” Robins said. “Regardless of your political beliefs or even if you
NEW REGULATIONS • A2