By: Jaycey Bowling
In the spring of 2020, college students’ lives came to a standstill. Now, fall 2021, things are starting to return to their pre-covid ways.
When Covid cases became worrying in America, school ended. Students had to leave campus and isolation began. There were questions about what was to come, and if school would be back in session for the 2020 fall semester.
Fall of 2020 did indeed see the return of school, when it was decided that it was safe enough for students to attend school partially in person again.
There were many measures taken and policies put into place to make sure the students and faculty would be safe at the University of Montevallo. Some measures included: wearing masks, smaller class sizes, alternating class attendance days, online options and limited visitation policies.
This semester, fall of 2021, things have started to revert to pre-covid practices. Students are only required to wear masks in certain buildings and classes are once again in person. They get to visit other dorms freely and student events are making a comeback. To learn more about the mask policies, click here
This is a significant improvement from student life during the past two semesters.
Junior Esclavon Prewitt, a member of the track and field team, said, “I missed my Conference Championship because I had covid and that kind of hurt my heart.” This is just one of the few opportunities that Esclavon missed due to Covid.
Esclavon is also involved in a fraternity and Black Student Union.
He and many other students missed social, academic and athletic events due to the pandemic.
Esclavon said that if he could change anything that happened during the pandemic, it would be the pandemic itself. He said it was a learning experience, but still wishes it hadn’t happened. Although he is glad more people are paying attention to their health, it took away part of his college experience.
Esclavon said that he feels like Covid has “taken a chunk out of a lot of peoples’ college experience.” He also said he feels bad for the freshmen of the 2020-2021 school year because they haven’t experienced college life yet.
He hopes the university will bring back activities such as laser tag and concerts so last year’s freshmen can have an experience similar to his.Due to the lack of students on campus, there were not many events going on last year.
Esclavon said, “the campus was empty”, but that this year “things are kind of getting back to normal.”.
He says that there are many positive differences this year from last year and that hopefully next year the campus will be back where it needs to be in term of student life and on campus opportunities.
Esclavon feels that the pandemic is a serious matter, and more precautions could be made so the university can return to normal. He said he’s tired of wearing masks and can’t wait for things to go back to how they were.
He also said some of the things he is happy to see this year are the games and game tables in Farmer being used, the return of sports and karaoke nights and concerts being planned.
He said these things make “Montevallo feel like a college again”. He hopes to see the campus back to “bigger and better things” next year, and that Covid is on the downfall.
Something that Esclavon pointed out was that not only was he affected in Montevallo, but also at home in Tuscaloosa, home to the University of Alabama. He said that it was like a ghost town during parts of the pandemic, but now it’s started to come alive again.
Esclavon is just one of many Montevallo students who have been affected by the pandemic.
The University of Montevallo is taking measures to get back to pre-covid practices so students can go back to having a “normal” college experience. The university has put their operational plan, “Falcon Forward!”, into action. The policies are meant to ensure student safety and that the university is moving in a positive direction again.
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