By Rebecca Dickman
Sept. 30, 2020
Edgewood’s freshmen and transfer students this year are dealing with not only the typical concerns of new environments and classroom expectations, also sanitizing regulations, online classes, and quarantines as dictated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
After an abrupt end to their senior year, the incoming class of 2024 along, with the new transfer students, are hopeful about their college experience and are determined to achieve success within the new world COVID has created.
Freshman Rosalia Johnson said she is optimistic about the effectiveness of Edgewood’s protocol. “I wasn’t sure how effective the safety precautions were going to be, but for now, since our cases are down I think they’re working,” said Johnson.
In the first few days of classes, Johnson got an email telling her she was suddenly quarantined.
“I got an e-mail from student development that said you may have been in limited contact with someone so now you are on a limited self-quarantine…I only went outside to go to Wingra once so I pretty much stayed in Regina the whole time.” She recalled. “It literally came out of the blue…I thought something like this would happen eventually but not so soon in the semester”
Rosalia is just one of the many students who have had to quarantine this semester, helping to minimize transmission on campus.
Nora Berryhill, a transfer student from Madison Area Technical College, said she liked the smaller class sizes at Edgewood. “I was worried that when I transferred, I was going to be in a room with 80 other students, and I really like the smaller discussion aspect of class, so it’s been really nice.”
Berryhill is fully remote this Fall, meaning that, like many other students, the discussions she’s involved in are happening via webcam. “Because a lot of students are remote and a lot of extracurriculars are remote, I don’t feel like I’m missing anything in this context. Of course, I feel like I want to be on campus at some point, but for now, it’s working fine.”
The traditional college worries such as time management and making friends remain the same, amplified by the somewhat isolating effects of the pandemic.
Lauren Glissendorf, a freshman biology major and student-athlete said she felt a strong sense of community on campus despite the lack of in-person interaction. “I feel like for a lot of my online classes, my professors know what they’re doing… which is really nice because then it’s not a worry for us.”
Overall freshman and transfers are excited for the semester ahead and are certain that they can power through the pandemic.
“I’ve loved meeting new people and getting out of my comfort zone,” said Lexi Lewis, a freshman majoring in Elementary Education. “I’ve been enjoying my COR class, especially since it relates to my major.”
Lewis said that she is optimistic about this school year in spite of COVID concerns. “I feel like I can take the precautions I need to and know my boundaries to be smart to prevent COVID and stay safe.” Words of advice applicable to all members of the Edgewood community.
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