JAMIAH BENNETT
This is the opinion of University of Connecticut sociology and journalism senior Jamiah Bennett.
For many college students like me, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our mental and emotional health in ways we never could have imagined two months ago. In addition to the heartbreaking losses of life and livelihood, we are mourning the abrupt loss of our academic year that was so much more than just attending classes every day and taking exams every few weeks.
The memories we would have formed during times such as Spring Weekend and graduation day — as well as everyday moments in our dorms and walking around campus — were stolen from us by the coronavirus.
As a college senior at the University
Self-Care Tips
1 Create brave spaces within relationships by establishing routines, co-creating expectations and leading by example.
1 Reach out to as many people as possible to help you navigate and process challenging situations.
1 Find a community to support you.
1 Be aware of your personal energy levels.
1 Show up for yourself physically, mentally and emotionally.
1 Get some movement in each day (walk, stretch, dance, etc.).
1 Journal.
of Connecticut, I was nervous to receive an email during spring break from UConn President Thomas Katsouleas with “Important UConn / COVID-19 Update” in the subject line.
With other universities in the region, such as Sacred Heart
University and Harvard University, canceling normal campus operations for the remainder of the semester, I had a gut feeling that Katseouleas was going to announce the same for UConn.
When I opened the email, my eyes skipped over the first four paragraphs and immediately went to the bold text in the fifth paragraph: “In light of this, coursework at UConn will continue to be delivered online for the remainder of the spring 2020 semester, including final exams, and I am sorry to say that there will be no May commencement exercises this year.”
Tears immediately filled my eyes.
It took all of 30 seconds for my phone to start lighting up with texts from my peers. Some students were upset that they weren’t able to say a proper goodbye to friends, loved ones and acquaintances. Other students were worried about no longer having housing or a job. Many of my fellow seniors were upset that they would not have a traditional graduation ceremony after years of hard work and anticipation of walking across the stage.