COVID-19: Students Returning to In-Person Classes at UW-Parkside in the Fall of 2021
By sticking to strict covid regulations, UW-Parkside hopes to return to full in person classes starting in the fall.
As of May 11th, 2021 Kenosha county has a 30% fully vaccinated population and 39% of the county has received their first dose, (1) This is below the state average of 39% fully vaccinated/ 47% first dose. However, these numbers are rising every day, and Kenosha is quickly on their way to reaching the national average of 47% first dose/ 35% fully vaccinated (2). More vaccines are becoming available, and more age ranges are being allowed to receive the vaccine, Adolescences will soon be able to receive the Pfizer vaccine, which is a huge step forward as children represent 22% of all new COVID-19 cases (3)
Parkside is taking note of these statistics, and the school has plans to return to in person classes after summer courses are finished. While not much has been stated yet regarding how the school plans to continue social distancing and mask wearing in the fall, word has traveled around campus and many staff and students are eager to get back to the norm.
Madison Hansen, a Sophomore in the Nursing program at UW-Parkside; took a few minutes to speak with us about her thoughts on Covid, and about Parkside’s plans to reopen fully in the fall. Madison states that Covid has greatly impacted her schooling and work life, her workplace was shut down for months and all her classes were moved to Online.
“I feel that attending classes in person is better than attending online classes because I feel more involved.” Madison said, before going on to add that she gets more out of an in-person class than an online class, along with her saying that online classes make it much harder to stay focused on the topic at hand.
Madison went on to state that while she did not struggle between the transition of normal classes to online classes, as she had experienced virtual learning before, she was still worried that classes being online would impact her grades.
Madison thinks that the mandatory mask policy is a nice gesture to allow students and faculty to feel comfortable and safe while on campus. That the masks help the university minimize the spread of COVID-19.
Madison feels comfortable returning to on-campus classes in the fall, even if UW-Parkside does not make it mandatory for students to be vaccinated. With the rising vaccination rates already in Wisconsin, Madison feels much safer being on campus than she did last spring, when Covid first was making waves through the United States.
Madison would prefer to take in-person classes instead of virtual, even if virtual classes are available. “I like the social aspect of in person classes, it gives me a better understanding of the Material.” Madison said.
Dr. Adrienne Viramontes; a Communication Professor who has taught at Parkside for 15 years, also took the time to discuss her feelings on Covid and Parkside’s plans to return to in-person classes.
When asked about how COVID-19 has impacted her life, she stated that while COVID-19 has been a great struggle, it has given her the time to learn more about herself:
“This is going to sound weird, but it has totally benefitted me in terms of my mental health and learning that it’s important to spend some time by yourself and let yourself think. That is how negative thoughts leave, only when you allow yourself to think them through. I also discovered that it is important to enjoy life and not work yourself to death.” Viramontes said.
When asked about how the transition to teaching virtually went, she explained that she had already been teaching online classes for years, so it was “no big deal” and it gave her the opportunity to better prepare for teaching online courses in the future.
Professor Viramontes was asked about the greatest challenge she faced while teaching virtually, she said that the most difficult part was trying to keep a personal touch when interacting with students online. “It’s not genuine interaction unless it’s face to face in my opinion. Too much screen time is like being a vampire. It only takes from you and doesn’t provide a genuine exchange of human energy.” Viramontes said.
Professor Viramontes was then asked about her views on Parkside’s mandatory mask policy. In response, she said that we have been living with masks for so long, that it has simply become a part of our daily lives. “I don’t care. Masks are not that big of a deal. How one responds to change is a matter of attitude. I know there are some reasons for opposing it, but it IS a pandemic.” Viramontes said.
If given the option to return to in person or virtual was available, Professor Viramontes stated that she would prefer to return to in-person learning. “I like both forms but in person teaching is absolutely necessary because human interaction is a human need. To deprive ourselves of that is detrimental to the quality of life itself in many different ways. When asked if she would return to Parkside if there was no mandatory vaccine policy, she responded with a resounding “YES!”
The fall semester begins in September of 2021, students and faculty alike are eager to return to in person instruction.
References
(1) “COVID-19 Response: Kenosha County, WI.” Kenosha County COVID-19 Response, kenosha-county-covid-19-response-kenoshacounty.hub.arcgis.com/.
(2) Wisconsin COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker | News-Leader.com. data.news-leader.com/covid-19-vaccine-tracker/wisconsin/55/.
(3) “Building Relationships and Trust to Overcome Vaccine Hesitancy.” AJMC, 2021, www.ajmc.com/view/building-relationships-and-trust-to-overcome-vaccine-hesitancy.