September 23, 2020
“Wear a mask at all times unless you are in your dorm or hall,” said Jackson Alexander. Alexander is a freshman attending Westminster College, which has about 1100-1200 undergraduate students.
Even at yet another school, the rules seem to be the same. “There is no visitation in the rooms. I can’t even go to my friend’s room because he’s on the first floor and I’m on the third.” Even though that is one difficulty Alexander may be facing, he is having a pretty easy time making friends. “It’s pretty easy to meet new people here. Everyone is super friendly and easy to talk to.”
Many freshmen have been relying on their roommate, so they have somebody to talk to, but not all have one.
“I have a roommate but I also don’t have a roommate,” Alexander said. “He lives 10 minutes off-campus, and he spends most nights at home instead of the room, so I rarely see him.”
Even though the social aspect of college may not what Jackson expected, the academic aspect is going quite well.
“I have three in-person classes and two online. They are just like classes at the high school level.” Alexander said. The classes are a lot easier than I had expected. I feel that NA has prepared me well for the rigor of college learning.”
Even at college, he is finding that some teachers and professors are having some technical difficulties. “Some of the teachers don’t understand how to work zoom, and when they get frustrated they just cancel the class”
Alexander, however, did get sent home after only after starting his second week on campus. “My one friend tested positive, and I got sent home for two weeks to quarantine. It didn’t really bother me, because I just had to do all my classes online.”
Abby Pingpank is a senior at North Allegheny. She plays the violin in the NASH Orchestra, and she also is a part of the Cross Country team. In her free time, you can find her hanging out with her friends, taking long walks with her dog, and practicing her photography skills.
