Gerald Sastra/The Cougar
Until the coronavirus pandemic is dealt with, not just ignored, online classes need to be the main way to get an education. It appears as if campus will reopen in the fall and I am concerned for people’s safety.
Online classes are the safest alternative to a traditional college education while the pandemic continues. Not everybody has access to the internet, but the University is trying to help to fix that situation. UH compiled a list of resources available for students who don’t have internet access at home; this list has options on where to find access, how to improve connection and even a list of carriers that have discounted plans. Additionally, UH has an effective online program, which is comforting.
When contrasting the pros and cons of online classes, public safety far outweighs the small adjustment period required to transition.
Classes with more than 50 students could be online next semester, which is better than nothing. While the official statement will not come out until June 1, President Renu Khator has already said there are plans to open campus in the fall.
However, schools should not reopen in the fall. I feel like it is too early to make a call on whether campus should reopen. There is no coronavirus vaccine and having people to gather together, even in small groups, heightens the odds somebody will get sick.
It is not really classrooms that make me nervous, although they do, but rather what will happen to students who will live on campus. A lot of them have already signed up for housing. Granted the people in charge of reopening campus certainly have a plan so there should be no reason to worry.
It’s also likely a second wave of the coronavirus could hit in the fall.
It is important to remember that students who choose to go back to campus are not at fault here. If campus opens in the fall, let’s remember that those who stopped the lockdown and told us it was safe to reopen school are really at fault.
For more of The Cougar’s coronavirus coverage, click here.
Santiago Gaughan is an education sophomore who can be reached at [email protected]
