Student Reporting: COVID-19

Coronavirus Moves Schools Online, Raising Equity Issues

Anonymous — Mon, 08 Jun 2020 22:05:38 +0000

Coronavirus Moves Schools Online, Raising Equity Issues Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 06/08/2020 - 16:05

Alisa Meraz-Fishbein

Alisa Meraz-Fishbein is a journalism student in the College of Media, Communication and Information at CU Boulder. This story was written as part of a package of reporting on COVID-19 by students in Assistant Professor Christine Larson's class, Writing for the Media. All stories have been lightly edited for style and updated based on new information.

Albuquerque, New Mexico—School busses continue to operate across the nation, though without children inside. Instead, they're serving as Wi-Fi hotspots to keep students engaged during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Bus hotspots are one way in which schools have been attempting to provide equal access to students. Since the coronavirus outbreak first prompted schools to move online last spring, the importance of internet and technological devices has continued to grow. In early April, 83% of parents who responded to a Gallup poll said that their K-12 children were doing online school. However, many students do not have internet access, limiting their educational opportunities. The National Center for Education Statistics states that 14% of people ages 5-24 (common age range for students) don’t have internet access at home. As schools continue to grapple with the transition to more distance learning, they have to consider the millions of students nationwide with limited internet and technology access.

Reggie Smith, CEO of the United States Distance Learning Association, said that the “pandemic has uncovered a big gap in how universal access has been provided across America.” This gap affects the success of online learning, as students must have access to certain technologies, including reliable internet, to participate online. Schools have a duty to provide these resources to students so that equitable learning can happen, said Smith, who has noticed a rise in outreach to the distance learning association.

“We’ve had a definite surge in people attending our webinar series,” Smith said, adding that “phone calls and emails to the association have increased.” The association has been helping schools transition to online learning by providing live webinars and pre-recorded lectures, and by partnering with educational organizations to give students free learning resources.

The largest obstacle to online learning is equitable internet and technological access. In Albuquerque, New Mexico, mobile Wi-Fi units have been a way of providing this access. Albuquerque Public Schools stated on their website that administrators, with the help of the City of Albuquerque, were providing “drive-up mobile Wi-Fi units at a number of APS schools and other public locations.” The website also stated that users could drive up to 100 feet of the mobile units and access free Wi-Fi while remaining in their cars to practice social distancing. Additionally, APS has given a Chromebook to families with at least one student.

Not everyone in Albuquerque has been facing this challenge. Students at Albuquerque Academy, a private middle and high school, are required to own a laptop upon enrolling in the eighth grade––whether they purchase it themselves or are given one through financial aid. Therefore, the school hasn't faced the same problems with ensuring that all students have the proper technology. Instead, babyֱ��app can focus their energies on online education itself.

Sofia Taylor, a junior at Albuquerque Academy, said her school has been doing a great job of resuming learning.

“There is a lot of email communication; they’re super thorough about the transition,” Taylor said. “We have three-to-four Zoom classes each day, and they’re each 75-minutes long. So I still have a good amount of school,” she said.

While teachers have continued to give out letter grades, Taylor added that the homework load has significantly decreased, as teachers haven't been allowed to assign more than 20 minutes of homework per class period.

Online learning at Albuquerque High School, a member of Albuquerque Public Schools, has been starkly different. Albuquerque High School started using Google Classroom, according to teacher Mara McGough-Madueña. However, their lessons have been limited.

“At Albuquerque High, teachers have to continue to provide material. The material can’t be new, though, it can only be enrichment,” said McGough-Madueña. She added that, since not everyone has equal internet access, “it would be an equity of access problem to teach new material.”

For the same reason, teachers across the Albuquerque Public School district are no longer allowed to assign grades for assignments. Instead, everything is given a pass/fail grade. This has drastically affected the students.

Cole Romig, a junior at Albuquerque High School, has been adjusting to the online system. He said that lessons with teachers via Google Hangouts “haven’t been that beneficial; they’re just different and weird.” Unlike Albuquerque Academy, there has not been a set class schedule. Not all teachers met in realtime; most shared supplemental links and powerpoints with their students and expected them to keep up on their own time. Romig said that this resulted in a lack of purpose.

“I don’t really have an incentive to keep learning,” he said. “We aren’t getting any grades and we aren’t learning anything new, so my motivation is going away.”

Smith, of the United States Distance Learning Association, acknowledged that some students can have trouble engaging with remote learning. He suggested implementing games, scavenger hunts and social hours into the remote classroom to keep students connected and invested in school. However, not all students have had trouble remaining engaged.

“I’ve been able to focus on the classes that I’m most interested in,” said Sofia Sanchez, another Albuquerque High student. Instead of seeing online school as a way to put in less effort, Sanchez has seen it as an opportunity to learn more about her favorite subjects.

Amy Biehl High School, a charter school in Albuquerque, is somewhere in the middle in regards to online accessibility. Executive Director and teacher Stephanie Becker said that all students were given a Chromebook upon enrolling in school. Therefore, much like Albuquerque Academy, Amy Biehl babyֱ��app did not have to worry about providing students with a computer. However, Becker said that many students still did not have reliable––if any––internet access.

“We have to make sure to take students’ circumstances into account, especially now,” Becker said. “Some of my students don’t have stable Wi-Fi, so I give extensions and provide them with the material in a different way if needed.”

Amy Biehl High School began offering Zoom classes that followed the school’s regular schedule, though each class was only 30-minutes long. Becker said students were showing up to class even more so than before. Schoolwide, there has been around a 2% increase in student attendance since moving online. Becker attributed this to the fact that students have no longer had to wake up as early, get dressed and drive to school.

Although the school transitioned to pass/fail grades, Becker hasn’t found a decrease in productivity or engagement from students, she said.

“Students that normally engage continue to do so,” she said, “and those who haven’t been paying attention still don’t pay attention. It’s hard to break habits, good and bad.” For students lacking in motivation, Becker suggested meeting with someone, such as a teacher or advisor, to keep the student accountable. “Students should also remember that the material they are learning is going to be important next year. It is still relevant,” she said.

Janet Major, the board president for the United States Distance Learning Association, said she believes that the switch to online learning is dispelling doubts about its feasibility.

“I do believe that fully online learning can be done,” she said. “Attendance can be improved. People don’t have to drive to class, and they can do a lot at a distance.” For now, her primary goal continues to be ensuring that the public has access to the technology to allow distance learning to take place. The United States Distance Learning Association has been doing so by “helping people write grants for federal money,” Major said.

“Grants include things like telecom and technology, which are really important right now,” she said.

It appears that some form of online learning may be the norm for a while. However, Major believes that “by stretching their imaginations and being creative, teachers will continue to be able to provide an enriching curriculum for students.”

Photo by Andrew Neel from Pexels

As the coronavirus has shut down the nation and moved schools online, the importance of internet and technological devices continues to grow.

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Not Business as Usual: In the Wake of Coronavirus, Iowa City Businesses Work to Adapt

Anonymous — Mon, 08 Jun 2020 21:58:19 +0000

Not Business as Usual: In the Wake of Coronavirus, Iowa City Businesses Work to Adapt Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 06/08/2020 - 15:58

Kara Wagenknecht

Kara Wagenknecht is a journalism student in the College of Media, Communication and Information at CU Boulder. This story was written as part of a package of reporting on COVID-19 by students in Assistant Professor Christine Larson's class, Writing for the Media. All stories have been lightly edited for style and updated based on new information.

Iowa City, Iowa—In April, the streets that once stirred with college students and locals were empty. The doors that stayed open were locked. The once-booming town of Iowa City, Iowa, was now a barren city due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

With more than 24,000 confirmed cases and over 600 deaths, COVID-19 has hit the Iowa City area hard. The community has also suffered a loss of income due to college students and locals no longer roaming the streets.

Local businesses across the nation continue to suffer from the impacts of COVID-19. Unemployment rates have increased and businesses have found themselves applying for loans and grants to keep their doors open. Even in Iowa City, businesses had to close their brick and mortar stores and transition into delivery and pick-up options to follow social distancing orders.

“It’s weird, it’s kind of lonely because we do have really good relationships with all of our guests—it’s like an extended family,” said Katie Ford, general manager of Press Coffee Company in Coralville, Iowa. “They’re a little more than just a customer to us.”

But first, coffee

Ford had to shift her approach to keeping the community caffeinated. She reduced business hours in half and began only accepting orders from 7 to 11 a.m., Monday through Wednesday, and from 7 a.m. to noon, Thursday through Sunday.

“Most of our business, pre-coronavirus, is done in the morning. So, it was kind of a no brainer to still stick with the morning as far as being open for hours,” Ford said. “Since the cafe is closed now and with social distancing … they’re looking to get their coffee and either go back home, go to work, or surprise a friend with coffee for their day.”

After closing the brick and mortar storefront, Ford began taking orders via Jump, an online coffee ordering app, and is accepting phone orders both for pick-up only.

“If it hadn’t been for [Jump] I think we would have been scrambling pretty hard because call-in orders are difficult with taking people’s credit card information over the phone and then going to make the drinks,” Ford said. “The app ordering has been really great”

Ford had been operating Press with one other employee after having to lay off the rest of her staff, like many employers across the nation. According to an April survey by the National Small Business Association, 25% of employers had to lay off employees and 38% had to reduce employee hours. Luckily for Ford, many of her employees were only working partial hours and had other jobs to fall back on.

By reducing inventory and not serving other local foods like sandwiches from Nodo and doughnuts from Donutland, Ford was able to financially keep the business running.

Looking forward, she is going to keep using Jump for mobile orders and is ready for the commotion to return to the shop, she says.

“I know business will flourish again,” Ford said. “I hope that the app orders continue for the people that are in a rush or have a larger order and that it makes it simpler for them to use us. I want our outdoor patio filled with people for the summer … I want to see everybody.”

Bustling plants

For Anne Armitage, business looked a little different. Armitage is the co-owner of Moss, a plant and gift shop with locations in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Moss was only a brick and mortar store prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, but setting up an online shop was “in the works already,” Armitage said.

“We had to pivot immediately when we closed and we knew it was crucial to get [an online store] together and get something up,” she said. “We’ve just been building it incrementally, each week in three different bursts we add new products and offerings.”

Since moving completely online, Armitage noticed that, with the online store, certain plants were selling better than they did in person.

“There have been some items that we love and we’ve had for a while in our store that haven’t been real great sellers. Having the opportunity to write a nice description and explain a little bit more about the item … where in the store there’s really no space or opportunity for description unless someone asks about it,” she said.

With the online store, Armitage offered curbside pick-up for those near the Cedar Rapids location. Since many customers from Iowa City continued to order, she began making a trip over every week to hand-deliver items to customers' doorsteps.

To ensure she was taking the most efficient route, she organiezed the addresses of where orders needed to go by plugging them into Google Maps. She typically spent about four to five hours making deliveries across Iowa City.

“I call the recipient that I’m outside and we’re just trying to be as safe as possible,” Armitage said. “I tell them that we are doing a no-contact delivery and that I am going to set it on their porch or anywhere they specify and stay 6-feet apart.”

From a pastime to a business

After many schools moved to remote teaching, students found themselves with an abundance of time. Liberty High School senior Natalie Cargin found herself building a business.

Cargin began making homemade jewelry and selling pieces with supplies she bought off Amazon.

“I wanted to find these earrings that were stars on little hoops, so I kept looking and I couldn’t find any that were a good price or anything. So I just decided to make some on my own,” Cargin said. “I was like, ‘Maybe some other people will want some too.’ So I made an Etsy shop and that’s how this all started.”

As of April, Cargin had logged over 100 orders since launching her Etsy shop. A lot of orders come in from local supporters, but she'd also seen her business expand.

“A lot of people who order from me follow me on Instagram and most of them are people I know, but I’ve actually had people from other states––like today, I had one from California,” Cargin said.

Making jewelry helped Cargin fill the long hours during quarantine.

“It’s been pretty boring. This is the only thing that’s been keeping me busy,” Cargin said.

In the future, Cargin wants to expand her products to include a bigger variety than jewelry. She is currently working on embroidering sweatshirts.

Not alone

Ivy Towler, a professional portrait photographer in Iowa City, had to take a step back from shooting portrait sessions.

“That in-person part, which is a really huge part of photography, is not there. It feels like a disservice to my clients because I feel like I’m missing some of that connection. I didn’t want to shoot a lot now because I didn’t want to give people less than stellar service,” Towler said.

Towler began scheduling Zoom meetings with future clients and taking time to work on other projects for her business, like updating her website. She also started taking portraits of herself with her phone.

“I have body issues. Just like everyone else, I have pieces of me that I don’t like and that I don’t think are socially acceptable, pretty or sexy,” Towler said. “We all have those things that we don’t like. My most recent photography in the house has been a more self-discovery, self-acceptance and self-love kind of project.”

Towler, who worked from home with her two dogs during the day before the outbreak of COVID-19, began sharing her workspace with her four children and husband.

“I am enjoying not being busy. I am enjoying hanging out with my family, taking care of my family and making more recipes,” Towler said.

With all the craziness, Towler found her family doing more things together like going on nightly walks with their dogs and having more meals together.

While taking a slower approach to her business, she looked at the positives of being in self-quarantine.

“I do not need to be busy to be happy. I think that’s the greatest lesson in this. I think I knew it, and I was going that direction because my business had this huge spike and I was super busy and shooting all the time and there was nothing left for me or my family when I was done,” Towler said. “I need to have my cup full, so I can give back to my family, so I can do better for my clients.”

A common threat

As businesses look towards the future, 53% of business owners said they were very concerned about a possible second wave of COVID-19 and its longterm impact on their businesses.

In the meantime, businesses looked to loans and grants to help them through the rough patch.

“The thing we’ve been saying repeatedly over and over again is to connect with your banker, connect with any of your business advisors: your attorney, your accountant, and just fully understand your financial situation,” said Jennifer Banta, vice president of advocacy and community development of Iowa City Area Business Partnership.

Mick Fletcher, senior vice president of F&M Bank in Cedar Rapids, dealt with businesses applying for grants and loans during the hardship, as banks across the nation shifted their focus toward helping companies get federal and state loans.

“We’ve been spending most of our time with a government-supported fund called Paycheck Protection Program, so most banks have been working with that,” Fletcher said.

PPP allows companies to pay their employees even if they aren’t currently working. Financially, businesses might be struggling with the impacts of COVID-19 for a while.

“I think a lot of companies won’t survive. There'll be a lot of industries that will be tough like restaurants and bars, things like that,” Fletcher said. “I think it’ll be tough because even when

this is over, I don’t think they’ll let you be within 6 feet of other people.”

During this uncertain time, the Iowa City Area Business Partnership began hosting online “Webinars” for business owners and locals to learn about the impacts of COVID-19 and how to handle them.

“Much like Boulder, we’re a chamber of commerce and we’re a part of a network of university towns' babyֱ��app development people,” Banta said. “We are all worried about the same thing as a college town. If the students don’t come back in the fall, if the Hawkeyes don’t play football, our economy is going to suffer and it’s really going to impact our whole community."

Even with all of the impacts on the economy, business owners continued looking forward toward getting back into a normal routine.

“It’s nice to… see how many people really miss you, because that cliché––‘you don’t miss something until it’s gone’––you really don’t,” Ford said.

"Iowa City, Iowa" photo by Alan Light on Flickr

Local businesses across the nation are suffering from the impacts of COVID-19. Unemployment rates have increased and businesses have found themselves applying for loans and grants to keep their doors open. Even in Iowa City, businesses have had to close their brick and mortar stores and transition into delivery and pick-up options to follow social distancing orders.

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The Graduating Class of COVID-19

Anonymous — Mon, 08 Jun 2020 21:18:24 +0000

The Graduating Class of COVID-19 Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 06/08/2020 - 15:18

Shelby Spindler

Shelby Spindler is an advertising, public relations and media design student in the College of Media, Communication and Information at CU Boulder. This story was written as part of a package of reporting on COVID-19 by students in Assistant Professor Christine Larson's class, Writing for the Media. All stories have been lightly edited for style and updated based on new information.

Hannah Martellaro, a senior at CU Boulder, has something graduates desire now more than ever: a job offer. After starting the interview process earlier than most in January, she landed a job by February as an account manager with Insight Global.

Her early interview process, she believes, is one reason she managed to find a job––which she considers herself lucky to have during this pandemic. Students typically find April to be a prime job hunting month, but this April looks different.

“Right now, people normally wouldn’t be struggling to get jobs,” Martellaro said. “The job market has gone from one of the best times of our life to just complete crap.”

Statistics back this up.

The class of 2020 was expected to graduate into a very strong job market. Citing data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics last February, the White House reported that over the previous year-and-a-half, America saw "the strongest earnings gains since the recession" of 2008. That all changed by March. With unemployment rates rising and available jobs falling, COVID-19 turned that strong job market into quite the opposite. A survey by Strata Education Network, a nonprofit providing financial support to students, found that, from March 25 to April 15, 54% of Americans in the workforce lost jobs, income or hours due to COVID-19. College seniors expecting to find jobs with ease are now struggling to get interviews.

“Nobody is hiring right now, Martellaro said. “People are barely even looking at people’s applications––people are getting laid off.”

As the number of available full-time jobs drops for graduating students, even part-time work and internships opportunities are beginning to decline, causing many students to change plans. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that in March, unemployment rates were higher in more than two-thirds of all metropolitan areas compared to last year. With few companies hiring new employees during this pandemic, seniors without jobs now find themselves forced to consider other options they might not have before, like graduate school.

“I’m looking at graduate school just because the job market isn’t great right now, so I feel like that's a pretty safe option,” said University of Kansas senior Ben Gillig.

CU Boulder senior Helen Citrin has also started thinking about graduate school, drawn to its stability and direction. As Citrin pursues a career in therapy, graduate school is part of that process––a decision she has debated for years. With the lack of job opportunities available upon graduation, she feels that continuing education is a smart alternative.

“Some companies aren’t open, but education is still going on,” she said.

Along with lowering job and education options for graduating seniors, COVID-19 also forced many schools to cancel in-person graduations. This decision left students feeling “stripped of one of the big milestones that we’ve been offered,” Martellaro said. With universities across the nation canceling this important memory for seniors, many found themselves with similar opinions.

Allison Janedis, a senior studying nutrition at babyֱ��app State University, said she, too, was deeply devastated at the cancellation of her graduation ceremony, even though she’d landed a competitive internship with Metro State University starting at the end of July.

“My academics are huge to me, so not having that moment to recognize that… it doesn’t even feel like I’m graduating,” she said.

Regardless of the current job market and the cancellation of a graduation ceremony, most students continue to search for employment. In a study conducted in early April, the Society for Human Resource Management found that approximately three in 10 employers had laid employees off and an additional 28% were considering it.

Career Services offices at most universities offer help for students seeking jobs and have continued doing so during the pandemic. Dylan Mark, an assistant director for internship development at CU Boulder’s Career Services office, supports students by managing interactions and activity through resources on its website. These include Handshake––a website that helps students find available jobs and internships––as well as meetings to improve resumes, cover letters and interviews. As part of his job, Mark frequently follows student/employer interactions and has seen COVID-19 affect those rates.

“We saw a little dip in students applying on our system and being engaged toward the end of March,” he said, “but we’ve seen that rebound.”

For now, all graduates can do is just keep trying. While some lucky seniors, like Martellaro, have job offers, many others are sitting at home, applying to anything and everything that comes across their computer screen. Even if an unpaid internship or part-time job wasn’t in most seniors’ plans, being flexible during this time is the best thing you can do, Mark said.

“Right now, you may not be able to hold out for these jobs you could have gotten before,” he said. “Look for an opportunity that will give you a good experience and be a good fit for you.”

The College Graduates of 2020

How does the job market look for students graduating in the middle of COVID-19?

“I’m looking at graduate school just because the job market isn’t great right now, so I feel like that's a pretty safe option.

Ben Gillig
Senior
University of Kansas

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Relationships Stand the Test of COVID-19

Anonymous — Mon, 08 Jun 2020 21:04:45 +0000

Relationships Stand the Test of COVID-19 Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 06/08/2020 - 15:04

Olivia Lyda

Olivia Lyda is a communication student in the College of Media, Communication and Information at CU Boulder. This story was written as part of a package of reporting on COVID-19 by students in Assistant Professor Christine Larson's class, Writing for the Media. All stories have been lightly edited for style and updated based on new information.

After a 16-hour shift at Beaver County Jail, Brian Nowalk, 23, comes home to his fiancé, Ashley Grady, who has been at home doing online classes for her cosmetology degree. With stay-at-home orders classifying Nowalk as an essential worker, his 60-hour workweeks have surprisingly added to their relationship during this difficult time.

“Before quarantine, there would be weeks where I’d only see him when we were going to bed. But with his days off and me now being home all day, this stay-at-home order has been positive for us,” said Grady, 21.

According to a recent study by The Knot, over 40% of couples reported spending at least 20 additional hours together each week due to social distancing guidelines in the U.S. Based on that information, you might think that couples living together 24/7 would report quarantine quarrels. However, young couples––engaged and dating alike––are reporting positive aspects of being quarantined together.

Tawna Loutsenhizer, a therapist who's been virtually counseling couples during social distancing, noticed these positive trends in all types of relationships, she said, adding that couples are finding new tools to further connect. Research shows that these shared rituals lead to stronger relationships, and during the national stay-at-home order, couples had plenty of time to cultivate hobbies together.

Katelyn Westfall, 34, and her boyfriend, Matthew Kocek, 38, found joy being quarantined together for this reason. After being laid off in both their fitness and restaurant professions in Boulder, babyֱ��app, Westfall and Kocek found more time to connect and grow closer, Westfall said.

“We’ve been trying to work out and hike together as much as we can,” she said. “It’s been pretty fantastic for us.”

However, social distancing has also added obstacles for some couples to overcome. LemLem Gayeem, 19, and her girlfriend Victoria Keibler, 18, have worked to find ways to continue their rituals while quarantining in different areas of Pennsylvania. The couple, who'd been together at Washington and Jefferson College for 6 months, had to learn to adjust to the distance between them, Gayeem said.

“Sometimes we watch a movie together, but a lot of our time is spent on FaceTime,” she said. “Just someone being there, even if they’re quiet over the phone, makes us feel better.”

Even couples with more long-term relationships are experiencing closeness through ritual. Nowalk and Grady, who are coming up on seven years together, have learned even more about each other during quarantine. The engaged couple implemented game nights, said Grady, to have something to look forward to.

“Quarantine has really given us the time to think about and work on our connection,” Grady said. And with The Knot reporting that 68% of engaged couples are making emotional connection a priority since quarantine, couples nationwide have grown together during this time.

While many engaged couples like Grady and Norwalk are reporting closer relationships, so are less committed, shorter-term couples. Westfall and Kocek planned on moving in together in August after 10 months of dating, then, their plans got interrupted.

“It’s been an interesting experiment,” Westfall said, as they, too, have learned new tools together. Ironically, one of those tools is increasing their own social distance from each other when necessary.

“I have bipolar disorder, and we’ve had a lot of conversations about my mood fluctuations and anxiety,” Westfall said. “Sometimes that means him going into the other room for a few hours.”

In a time where everything is uncertain, some couples’ future plans are being put on hold until further notice. In addition, many couples are experiencing stress and anxiety together. According to The Knot, 71% of engaged couples experience increased anxiety during quarantine, despite the other positive aspects of sheltering together. Loutsenhizer noticed that a majority of couples reported “a lot of fear surrounding what is going to happen next, and if they are taking the right steps,” she said.

Madeline Denko, 18, and her boyfriend of six months have battled daily bouts of anxiety as a couple, she said.

“I am immunocompromised, so even when everything opens back up, it’s not safe for me to leave the house,” Denko said.

Denko and Ethan Zeis-Miller, 20, currently live together at his parent’s house. The two spend the majority of their time in a single room, Denko said, which has made it quite difficult to create space from one another.

“It’s definitely little things that set us off,” Denko said. “I’ll freak out and have all day to blow it out of proportion. But we’re working on it.”

While the anxiety of quarantining together can create tension among couples, it can also strengthen relationship bonds. Evaristo Gomez, 21, and his partner, Enoc Martinez, 32, have experienced this anxiety together, just as they have experienced many losses in the last two months, Gomez said.

“Towards the beginning of quarantine, my grandmother passed away. I do not believe I would have been as okay as I am now without my partner,” he said. The couple have been together for nearly two-and-a-half years.

This unprecedented time pushes couples to take a leap of faith together, or separately. But according to Loutsenhizer, this seems to be creating stronger bonds.

“Excuses have gone away at this point,” Loutsenhizer said. “We’re forced to look and work at the core issues, which are usually something deeper.”

Photo by Gustavo Fring from Pexels

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A Deep Freeze and a Pandemic: How Migrant Workers in Palisade are Coping

Anonymous — Mon, 08 Jun 2020 20:47:38 +0000

A Deep Freeze and a Pandemic: How Migrant Workers in Palisade are Coping Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 06/08/2020 - 14:47

Zoe Schacht

Zoe Schacht is a journalism student in the College of Media, Communication and Information at CU Boulder. This story was written as part of a package of reporting on COVID-19 by students in Assistant Professor Christine Larson's class, Writing for the Media. All stories have been lightly edited for style and updated based on new information.

On April 13, most of babyֱ��app was asleep, but nestled within a valley along the Western Slope, Palisade residents nervously awaited the freeze they knew was coming. That morning, when the sun peeked over the mountains and warmed the orchards, the farmers knew the damage was done.

“Weather service told us it was coming. I was skeptical––I hoped they were wrong. They weren’t,” said Bruce Talbott, owner of the largest peach farm in Palisade.

Though the novel coronavirus had not halted most aspects of everyday life in Palisade, farmers were left reeling from a 19-degree freeze that, according to the Farm Bureau, killed an estimated 90% of the area's crops. While they knew the pandemic would cause difficulties later down the line, the freeze left farmers with the unexpected problem of deciding what would come next for their workers.

The response to COVID-19 has created a shortage of H-2A workers across the country. Though the U.S. is still allowing guestworkers to travel for work, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have tightened the requirements of who can receive an H-2A visa. According to Kim Noland, an H-2A agent for most of Palisade’s growers, only workers who have previously held an H-2A visa are allowed to work. The USCIS declined to comment on the subject.

The H-2A temporary agricultural worker program, or guestworker program, allows employers to bring in foreign workers for seasonal jobs. Palisade hosted 397 H-2A workers in 2019. Talbott currently employs 42 H-2A workers, the most in Palisade. However, the freeze has left Talbott with no need for his workers and with few choices of where to send them.

Talbott, along with other peach growers, such as Brant Harrison, opted to transfer his workers to other farms outside of the Palisade area. However, he fears that he might lose his workers to other employers for future years.

“We’ve spent years building up the crews," he said. "It’s really sad to not be able to have them stay with us for this season."

Talbott’s and Harrison’s workers rely on them for many needs. H-2A employers are required to house their guestworkers at no cost. Employers also must provide three meals a day, or cooking facilities within the provided housing along with any needed transportation.

Noland, who manages most of Palisade’s guestworkers, also owns 100 acres of peaches. Before the damaging freeze, she was concerned about maintaining social distancing amongst her employees during harvest.

“Once they get into the packing shed it’s very difficult to stay six feet apart,” Noland said.

H-2A workers make up 2 to 5% of the U.S. farm labor force, according to Farmworker Justice, a nonprofit organization that advocates for migrant worker’s rights. The H-2A program is also essential to the worker’s income. Though pay differs between employers, Noland estimates her guestworkers make 1,280% more each day at Palisade farms than they would back home in Central America, where a majority of the workers live.

Harrison first hired H-2A workers in 2019 and quickly found the group to be more reliable. The organic peach farmer refers to his experience as “a breath of fresh air” after cutting his turnover rate in half from the year before.

“This year is bad, but it isn’t something we haven’t been through before,” said Harrison, who has 40 years of orchard experience.

Harrison experienced a winter freeze early on in his farming career in 1989, he said. He later went organic in 1991, becoming the only organic peach provider in Palisade at the time. The last time the area experienced a freeze as destructive as this year's was in 1999, when most grower’s crops froze.

“I’m as disappointed as my customers. [Peaches are] one of those foods that’s enjoyable to eat and I enjoy giving people that pleasure,” Harrison said.

The babyֱ��app Farm Bureau has reached out to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to designate Palisade as a disaster area according to Taylor Szilagyi, director of policy communications for the Bureau. Although it is not clear when the USDA will make a decision, designating Palisade a disaster area could give peach farmers aid, such as access to the USDA WHIP Plus program. The WHIP Plus program could potentially provide financial assistance to the farmers who lost their main source of income for the year.

While growers make decisions about where to send their H-2A workers and patiently await the USDA’s decision, there is still hope for the future of the essential industry.

“Agriculture is here, we’re gonna continue to grow food and make sure everybody has what they need to eat,” Szilagyi said.

Photo by Haley Black from Pexels

As of April, the novel coronavirus had not halted most aspects of everyday life in Palisade, babyֱ��app. Instead, the area was left reeling from a 19-degree freeze that killed an estimated 90% of the area's crops, according to the Farm Bureau. While they knew the pandemic would cause difficulties later down the line, the freeze left farmers with the unexpected problem of deciding what would come next for their workers.

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Study Abroad Students Rush Home, Wonder What's Next

Anonymous — Mon, 08 Jun 2020 20:33:32 +0000

Study Abroad Students Rush Home, Wonder What's Next Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 06/08/2020 - 14:33

Claire Tetro

Claire Tetro studies sociology at CU Boulder. This story was written as part of a package of reporting on COVID-19 by students in Assistant Professor Christine Larson's class, Writing for the Media. All stories have been lightly edited for style and updated based on new information.

On March 10, as Emily Stephens, a college student studying in Prague, took the train back to her dorm after a night out, she got the email that changed everything. CU Boulder had suspended all abroad programs in Europe as a result of COVID-19. The university requested the immediate departure of all international students. By the time Stephens arrived back at her dorm that night, her classmates had packed up almost everything, including their abroad experience.

“Literally getting back to the dorm was so traumatic. People were screaming, people were crying, they were trying to book flights. It was just so much chaos in one setting, I couldn’t even handle it,” Stephens said.

Packing Up in a Hurry

Stephens, a junior at the university, is just one of the many students who study abroad each year. According to the 2019 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, during the 2018-19 school year, over 1 million American students studied abroad. This spring, most found themselves sent home as a result of COVID-19. Now, students who are hoping to study abroad, as well as program administrators, are wondering what the future holds.

Taylor Badt, an employee of the Education Abroad Office at CU Boulder, spoke about the uncertainty of future abroad programs and the precautionary measures students and universities should take.

“Have a backup plan. We don’t know what life has in store next week, let alone in four to five months,” Badt said. “I know that our office is still hopeful to send people abroad in the fall, and I think we’ll be able to send people abroad in the spring for sure.”

On March 13, President Donald Trump issued his first travel ban on Europe, advising all U.S. citizens to avoid international travel.

Italy was one of the first countries to send students home. Soon after, students in Spain came home and Stephens knew it was only a matter of time before she would be next. After the eventual shut down of the Czech Republic, Trump issued a travel ban on the U.K. and Ireland on March 16, sending the remaining students home.

“It was always a thought in all of our heads,” Stephens said. “We didn’t know anything was going to get short until literally two days before we all left.”

After March 13, when Trump issued his travel ban on European countries, American students abroad were being urged to come home as soon as possible. The U.S. Department of State warned students of the unpredictable circumstances, quarantine, and sudden travel restrictions that were taking place as a result of COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended that all institutes of higher education consider postponing or canceling all upcoming education abroad programs. Throughout March, the CDC continued to encourage all colleges and universities to consider asking students to return to their home countries in the days following the travel ban.

According to a 2020 survey including 234 institutional respondents, the Institute of International Education found that about one-third of institutions have encouraged students and babyֱ��app to cancel or postpone any international travel. It also reported that universities have canceled all upcoming travel to areas with a “Level 3 Travel Advisory” from the CDC. This travel advisory encourages all individuals to reconsider travel.

CU Boulder has dedicated a page on its Education Abroad website to COVID-19. The university suspended all spring 2020 abroad programs on a rolling basis in response to the CDC’s declaration of “Warning Level 3." This warning level encourages all U.S. citizens to avoid non-essential travel. The university also followed guidance from the Department of State, which issued a “Global Health Advisory Level 4: Do Not Travel," indicating that individuals should avoid all international travel.

It only took three emails and two days for Stephens’ abroad experience to come to an unexpected end. She received the fateful email on Monday, March 10, and was on a plane by Thursday morning. As Stephens flew home, she left behind her spring semester abroad before she even got to experience it.

“Honestly, the biggest thing I missed out on was seeing Prague in the spring, with all the flowers blooming. They literally started blooming four days after I left,” Stephens said. “That’s probably one of the most depressing parts, not being able to see how pretty Prague and Europe are in the spring, because that was what I was most looking forward to.”

Alyssa Grubstein, a junior at CU Boulder, studied abroad in London this past spring. As London was one of the last locations to send students home, Grubstein was already prepared for the panic and knew it was only a matter of time before she would be flying home.

“No one really thought it was a big deal until Trump made the travel ban. We started getting emails from London saying they were going to start closing restaurants and pubs,” Grubstein said. “We were like, ‘We got to leave––like, it’s time to go.’ It was a little hectic but it didn’t get too bad until we got home.”

While Stephens struggled to come to terms with her abandoned semester abroad, Grubstein felt fortunate that she got home safe.

“I was happy to come home, but also sad," Grubstien said. "I’d rather be stuck in my own country than some country my family can’t get me out of. So here we are."

An Anchor in the Plan: Semester at Sea

Not only is international travel now banned, but cruise ships are now suffering the consequences of COVID-19 as well. One particular program, Semester at Sea, docked its ship early this past spring semester in response to the virus.

According to the CDC, cruise ships pose a significant risk for the rapid spread of disease as people spend time close together and travel to many different countries. For these reasons, the U.S. government issued a “No Sail Order” on March 14 for cruise ships in waters of U.S. jurisdiction. The “No Sail Order” prevents new passengers from boarding cruise ships, as well as suspending all future cruise ship operations. The CDC extended this order on April 15.

Marjorie Seawell, a member of the board of directors for Semester at Sea, relied on the decisions of the board during the spring semester.

“We modified the spring voyage in January when we heard of COVID in China. We didn’t go to China, and we were planning to,” Seawell said. “We ended up having to end the voyage early in Cape Town and just bring kids home in the middle of March, which I’m really glad we did. They finished their courses online for spring semester.”

On May 12, Semester at Sea announced that they'd be canceling their fall 2020 voyage. Applications for the spring 2021 voyage remain open.

The Future of Education Abroad

As of June, CU Boulder has suspended some study abroad programs, including in New Zealand and Singapore. The university says it will continue to monitor other fall programs, while spring programs currently continuing to be offered.

Whatever happens, Badt is confident that the education abroad office is now prepared for similar events in the future.

“I think moving forward, there’s going to be a lot more contingency plans. This really set a precedent––one I think Education Abroad handled really well,” Badt said. “Now, it will be in our insurance, and our courses will be structured more to have an easier online transition, I believe.”

However, many prospective students are struggling to stay positive about their future plans.

Jessica Larson, a sophomore at CU Boulder, hopes to go abroad in fall 2020, but for her, reality has begun to set in.

“It’s so annoying how everyone is so pessimistic about it, but I know they’re just trying to make me prepared for the fact that I probably won’t get to go,” Larson said.

Although students have struggled to remain positive during this time, some students have taken the time to find their gratitude.

Back in her hometown, Grubstein has had time to reflect on her abroad experience. She no longer sees it as something she missed out on, but something that changed her life for the better, she says.

“I’m really grateful for my abroad experience, and what I got to do through it. I'm sad that it got cut short but I’m just really grateful I got the opportunity," she said. "I think that if anybody gets the opportunity to ever go abroad, I feel like they should definitely take it. Because it was the best experience of my life."

Photo by yousef alfuhigi on Unsplash

During the 2018-19 school year, over 1 million American students studied abroad, including many from CU Boulder. This spring, most found themselves sent home as a result of COVID-19. Now, students who are hoping to study abroad, as well as program administrators, are wondering what the future holds.

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