Capitalizing on the advantages of Zoom events
This is the Our View, prepared by the Editorial Board and the institutional voice of The Record.
After more than two years of classes over Zoom, in a hybrid format or with masking requirements, it was great to see more faces this week.
Admittedly, it will take some time to remember that everyone can see each other’s faces, and even more time to remember that the bus unloads from the front as well as the back now.
Earlier this semester, The Record Editorial Board recognized the negative lasting impacts caused by the pandemic, focusing on the bleak future of snow days.
However, it is important to recognize and appreciate life’s nuance. While Zoom has taken away snow days, it has given us the opportunity to engage with our community and hear from informational speakers without the constraints of geographical boundaries. Zoom plays a crucial role in our virtual communication on campus and in the future of events and programming.
The political science department’s “Alumni Panel: Life After Graduation” event on Zoom this Wednesday perfectly illustrates this reality. Eight alumni were able to connect with current students despite living in Washington D.C. or the Twin Cities. It’s one of several similar events that the political science department has hosted this semester, with a notable total of 80 people attending session one of “Let’s Discuss: Ukraine.” Such accessible events would not have been considered five years ago, as hybrid options were not readily available.
The political science department isn’t the only department utilizing these new social norms either. Recently, the history department’s Tegeder Berg Society announced an event titled “Fascism: Past and Present” with CSB/SJU professor Gregory Schroeder and CSB students Haley Joos ‘24 and Grace Nulty ‘23 with over 70 registrants and counting.
While we hope that Zoom will not serve as a replacement to all in person events, it’s important to recognize how hybrid events can strengthen the student experience here at CSB/SJU. The opportunity for more dynamic, engaging and inclusive alumni connections and academic engagement is now at the forefront of campus programming.
This said, it is important to mobilize Dean Barbara May’s March 14 message regarding remote class attendance: in-person instruction is essential to the liberal arts experience. In courses and events alike, community members must remember the importance of face-to-face interaction when they are healthy.
Few things in life are black and white, and the lasting impacts of COVID—both known and unknown—are no exception to this rule. Though we will miss impromptu snowball fights on the mall or fort building on the tundra, our post-COVID world will be one with more accessible programming. It is important to appreciate the bad, the good and the in between.