Welcome back everyone! Welcome back to in-person classes and in-print newspapers. Like many probably reading this paper, I got sick in these first few weeks of the year. While my roommate made me take an at-home rapid test four days in a row, none of those tests came back positive, so it’s safe to say that it was just a run-of-the-mill winter cold/flu. However, there are 4,997 British Columbians who, in the past three days, cannot say they got the same negative test results. COVID-19 numbers continue to climb, with 987 people currently hospitalized in BC.
I was skeptical that the university would re-open at all, and was prepared for UFV to delay their re-opening week-by-week – just as they did for the flood situation at the end of last semester. But, to my surprise, here we are. Back on campus, ready to face another six-feet-apart semester.
Personally, I’m overjoyed by this news for the selfish reason that I get to produce this paper that you have in your hands. Printing a campus newspaper for an empty campus is kind of pointless, which is why The Cascade published articles solely online for almost two years. Physical copies of The Cascade means we get higher readership numbers both on campus and in the community, more engagement from students, and an influx of new writers and contributors wanting to see their work published as well.
My reasoning for being grateful that classes are back in-person is not completely self-centered, though. While the mental health crisis that looms over Canadian universities pre-dates COVID-19, the pandemic only exacerbates the problem. It has been well studied and documented that the disruptions and isolation caused by online learning is extremely detrimental to post-secondary students’ already deteriorating mental health. I’m grateful that UFV remained open despite the rising COVID-19 numbers, displaying their concern for student’s mental health and wellbeing.
However, I know that there are many students who don’t feel the same. In a recent poll done by SUS, 59 per cent of the 2634 respondents did not support the return to in-person learning and 61 per cent thought UFV should delay the return further. SUS reported the results of the survey in a letter to UFV on Jan. 19, stating that students felt anxious regarding the lack of enhanced safety procedures.
It’s safe to say that UFV’s administration is not formulating their policies around an Instagram poll; they are basing their decisions through the consultation of the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training and the Provincial Health Officer. Between Sept. 7 and Dec. 21, a mere 1.7 per cent of reported COVID-19 cases in the Fraser Health system have been transmitted through post-secondary learning environments. Yes, there is a more transmissible variant spreading, but it would be slightly illogical to close post-secondary schools longer, considering the extremely low transmission rate in these settings and the strong negative repercussions of students’ mental health.
I’m not just advocating for students to return to campus because of the ongoing depression and debilitating anxiety we are all slogging through, but also because the quality of learning that happens in a classroom is much higher than what you can expect from an online course. Yes, there are some classes whose course content translates easily through a virtual format. However, there are other courses that we are paying hundreds of dollars for to pretty much teach ourselves.
While all of this may change tomorrow and the future is completely uncertain, UFV students and staff should continue to practise flexibility and compassion. In two weeks’ time, I may be publishing an editorial calling for the university to shut its doors because COVID-19 cases have surged throughout our small campus in the Valley. But for now, I’m grateful that students have the option to return to campus and that you get to hold this paper in your hands.
Andrea Sadowski is working towards her BA in Global Development Studies, with a minor in anthropology and Mennonite studies. When she's not sitting in front of her computer, Andrea enjoys climbing mountains, sleeping outside, cooking delicious plant-based food, talking to animals, and dismantling the patriarchy.