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As new cases and new deaths from COVID-19 start to rise, people are starting to panic over what will happen if a lockdown occured in California. Since the campus closure, many students worry over how they are going to get their classes done. But where there is a will there is a must, and our health and safety must come first.

Students should not have to risk their lives because of school, and the decision to close down campus was the correct choice. Why? Because the amount of people we are surrounded by everyday on campus is too much of a risk. It is an even higher risk for those with disabilities or health complications, and it would be the perfect place to get sick if they had not chosen to close campus. 

Given that classes are usually packed it runs an extremely higher risk of bacteria, viruses, and pathogens to be passed around. It would cause a lot of paranoia for both students and professors to continue having face-to-face classes during this pandemic. This is not just for our safety but also for our state of mind. 

It would have been selfish of the school to not close because of how fast the virus is known to spread. We can all accommodate school being online because most of the time our work consists of completing assignments online, and besides we all know that Canvas can be accessed through our phones as well.

Christopher Ruiz/Courier
A closed Pasadena City College in response to combat the spread of Covid-19 on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 in Pasadena, Calif.

On the other hand professors must understand that some students have real life problems outside of school. Students at times have to share their laptops with other people in their households or have to deal with “difficult to work in households,” and it becomes hard to finish assignments. We all have to help each other out during this time, including our professors. 

Dr. Rebecca Barrett Fox, a sociology professor from Arkansas State University, gives advice on her website about the online transmissions. She makes professors recognize that students might struggle to get online work done. 

“Your students know less about technology than you think. Many of them know less than you. Yes, even if they are digital natives and younger than you,” says Dr. Fox. 

There are plenty of other resources a person can find to get access to reliable internet and tech besides from PCC. For example: 

  1. California Community Colleges students: eligible for this mobile hotspot service, powered by Sprint, offers nationwide 4G LTE connectivity and allows users to connect up to 10 WiFi-enabled devices for up to 10 hours on a single charge for only $19.99 a month
  2. Charter: offering free Spectrum broadband and Wi-Fi access for 60 days to households college students who do not already have a Spectrum broadband subscription and at any service level up to 100 Mbps.

Fortunately, we can get help just anywhere. College is always going to be a struggle, in fact online courses might also benefit others with anxiety and/or panic attacks. It could also be a relief for others who actually did worry that the campus was not going to close soon enough. 

“Just remember: Education is about growing from new experiences, even when they aren’t necessarily the experiences offered in a course catalog,” said Garrison Hanning from USA Today.

This is our reality as of right now, practicing these safety measurements can ensure us that our school remains safe even when we do eventually come back. Online classes can possibly be the new way we are going to finish this semester. Nothing is too sure as of right now, but we must all remain ready for the next update.

The decision to close campus was made for everyone’s protection. There is no point in going to campus if there is a risk of catching COVID-19. If a person were to catch it and we were all still on campus, what would happen then? The risk of passing it to everyone and your loved ones is one no one wants to take. 

Of course the transition is going to be hard in the beginning, but with patience and understanding from both ends it can be possible. This will be a learning experience for all of us. Do not be angry over the campus shutting down, this can be a huge benefit for all of us if we make the best out of it. If you know you need help during this time, do not be scared to reach out for help. Better safe than sorry. 

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