After a tumultuous start to the 2021-2022 Academic Year, Golden Grizzlies are ready to get back in the classroom — whether its virtual or in-person — to take the next step in their education. We walked around the Oakland Center and asked students about their experiences starting the fall semester. Here are their responses.

What are you looking forward to this new school year? 

Julian Ajja, Computer Sciences

“I’m hoping I can finish my classes and get ready to graduate soon.” 

Jared Hewines, Secondary Education with a specialization in History

“I’m looking forward to in-person classes and getting to know some of the faculty and students.” 

Eva Hulit, English

“I’m mostly looking forward to meeting new people and making connections we weren’t able to make during quarantine. [I’m ready] to get out of the house, learn more and further my education.”

Elijah Barchu, Information Technology

“Doing good. Hopefully, I can get a good start and stay on track.”

Kaitlyn Lance, Exercise Science

“I’m looking forward to campus events and in-person classes.”

What are your thoughts on entering a new school year affected by COVID-19 and the infection prevention measures the university is taking?

Ajja

“I think it’s weird. For me, it’s kind of a mixture between online and regular in-person classes, and it’s kind of messing me up a bit honestly. I don’t know, it’s kind of a weird structure for me.”

Emma Birnbaum, Creative Writing

“I like that there’s a vaccine mandate — that was a huge relief to see, the mask mandate as well. I’m not optimistic as to how long this is going to go on for. I think within the next couple months we’ll be back to fully virtual. I’m not excited about that.”

Hewines

 “I think that Oakland is doing a good job with the safety measures. I’m not too concerned about in-person classes and I’m really looking forward to being on campus and having live classes. I think that will be more enjoyable for me than online.”

Hulit

“I’m very content with the vaccine and mask mandates, I just wouldn’t feel safe if it wasn’t that way. I appreciate that they’re going through the steps to make sure everybody is [vaccinated], and how they’re offering vaccines, masks, hand sanitizer. There’s no reason for there to be an issue — hopefully stupid people don’t be stupid.”

Barchu

“They have to do what they have to do so that we can back to some type of normalcy. I don’t see anything wrong with it, as long as we are coming to campus safely, we can help. We can do what we can do as students to help so that the virus, or whatever it is that’s going on, can end.”

Lance

“I feel like the University has done a really good job with requiring masks while we’re inside and allowing us to take them off outside. Masks can be annoying at times, I understand. Learning with a mask can be distracting if it’s hot in the room or whatever. But, it’s for our health most definitely. [I also feel that having an incentive for vaccination] is really good for getting the student population to comply.”

Did the work stoppage affect the start of your semester? If so, how? 

Birnbaum

“It didn’t affect me too much, I had two classes cancelled and one was held. I don’t have a standard as to how it’s supposed to go, so I didn’t have much to compare it to.”

Hewines

“It didn’t affect me too badly. I know for most of my classes the first day was, we were planning on going over the syllabus so the work stoppage didn’t affect me too badly.”

Hulit

“I only had two classes get cancelled, unfortunately they were two of my biggest classes. The teachers were very understanding and compassionate about it, and I tried to be compassionate and understanding about it, because this is their lives and their career.”