After what has been the longest spring break to ever happen, the fall semester has finally begun. Now that school is back in session and the pandemic has brought along a new lifestyle for most, the new semester will be different in many aspects. Everyone knows to wear a mask, stay six feet apart, and avoid gathering in large groups, but what was unknown was how campus life would feel.
Regarding Jones, the first month of classes were strictly online, and face-to-face classes began Tuesday September 8. Along with this, the second group of dorm students arrived September 7, a month after the first group moved in. Recently, there has been more movement on campus and the liveliness of the college has slowly returned for this school year.
Student body president Dariyel Johnson, who moved in on August 7, said she is happy to hear “the sounds of living, people talking, and the girls upstairs stomping.”
Timothy Morris, a Jones English teacher, gave a downside and an upside to the differences seen on campus. Regarding social distancing and mask wearing, Morris described interactions including, “A lot of nonverbal communication.”
On the bright side, he mentioned that there was, “100% compliance by students” regarding following COVID-19 safety protocols.
Morris mentioned that only a small amount of students attended class on the first day of face-to-face classes, but those who did show up were truly engaged in the lecture.
Both Johnson and Morris had positive outlooks on the new changes, despite the disadvantages due to the coronavirus. Their positivity helps to show that even though the employees and students may feel disconnected now, they can work together and create new ways to safely interact with one another and experience all that Jones College has to offer.
by Allah Dearman
