Hello Pioneers!

You’ve done it, you’ve made it through the first few weeks of online classes. We know that there’s definitely been some trials and some tribulations, some highs and some lows. But you’re still standing, and that’s what matters!

We are also here to discuss some of the evident shortcomings of your brief enrollment at Zoom University. Zoom, in case you have not been subjected to it yet, is an online video conferencing platform that is currently being utilized across the world by professors and students alike. While it, and other platforms like it, have proven their worth as useful tools, they have also proven to be no true stand-ins for real, in-person classes.

First of all, there’s an array of technical issues with video classes that are difficult to overcome and can be potentially time-wasting. Not everyone has the strongest Wi-Fi connection or the most technical knowledge. By the time every class member has figured out how to mute and unmute themselves, 20 minutes of precious class time has flown by. For those of you that are frustrated, we see you. You are valid.

Additionally, when you’re in a Zoom class, there is nothing stopping you from giving in to the distractions around you. While a professor has the in-person authority to demand a phone-free environment, when you are snuggled up on the couch at home listening to a lecture, you could be doing anything. It is much harder to pay attention and much more difficult to take notes in a virtual classroom.

These are only a sampling of the problems you are facing. If you are in COPA, where you’re used to physically demanding dance classes or in-person acting exercises, this transition has been monstrous. We see you too.

All we ask, Pioneers, is that you keep up the perseverance and power through. The school year is not over, and there is still plenty of work to be done.