This is my third year writing for the blog with LC admissions, and as we start this new and eventful school year, I thought I would take the time to reflect on what things have changed at LC during the pandemic, and what things have stayed the same. As I've been thinking about this over the last few weeks, I think that changes brought on my the pandemic have shown us the things ar the core of what LC is, because even amongst all the strangeness of 2020, LC still feels like LC to me.
Firstly, I'm proud to be able to say that so far we've only had 1 positive case of covid on campus, and that all students wear masks and take safety guidelines seriously. That's definitely not something I would have even been able to say I was proud of this time last year. I do know that this time last year I would have been proud to go to school with peers that really care about classes and academics, in a very supportive and uniting way. There's never been a sense of competitiveness between students, and it's a very collaborative and cooperative kind of place. I think that general mentality has really helped us feel united, and even more so in these times.
Classes, of course, are a major difference between this year and the past. Most classes are a hybrid model with some instruction online and some in person, and every professor has a slightly different approach, but they're all working hard to make it work. It's certainly different than usual, and I didn't enjoy online instruction last year, but starting out more comfortable with it this year ha made a big difference. I'm so appreciative of all of my professors because I can see how much work they put in over the summer to make classes online work as well as possible. That's something that hasn't changed, my appreciation for my professors. They're all just genuinely cool people and I really enjoy having multiple classes in a row with the professor because you can get to know them more and their teaching style. I think many of us have gotten even closer with our professors now because we're all going through the same weirdness of a changed school year together.
I do a lot of work with student government and speaking with our administration, and I've seen lots of the same great characteristics in amongst all the changes they've had to make. Our Dean of Students, Robin Holmes-Sullivan in particular has put a lot of effort into adapting campus life to work this year. I've worked with her in the past, and she's always sought out student input, but now in the time of covid she has tried even had to understand how students are feeling and how students are responding to everyday campus life. And I know at times it's been a challenging job dealing with all kinds of challenges that students are facing. So far I've really admired the effort that our dean and the Student Life office has put into making this year run smoothly for everyone.
So a lot has changed, for starters, I was supposed to be abroad in a different country this semester. But while I'm sad that I'm not enjoying Spanish cuisine right now, I'm really grateful to be experiencing Lewis & Clark as we adapt to the demands of 2020, and the core aspects of our community shine through