Fact Checked Source: Miranda Bryant, "Pack like you're never coming back"

Looking Deeper: Five Facts Checked

“They said to pack like you’re not coming back … I probably won’t be back until August because even if they do resume school, I probably wouldn’t be able to afford to fly back again" (Bryant, 2020).

This quote came from Sikkiim Hamilton, a freshman at Amherst. She explains the crisis that she's in and the fact that she can't afford to fly to her home in Los Angeles and fly back. Because of the abrupt end to classes and the call to go home, Hamilton had to crowdfund the fare for her airplane ticket within a week's notice. I had to do the same thing as well, which is why this fact matters. Students like her and I had to schedule flights on a week's notice, and put everything into storage so there would be nothing left if we had to fly back.

“For me it has caused high levels of anxiety because I’m very dynamic, I’m outspoken and I’m one of those people that changes the vibe of a room by stepping into a classroom”(Bryant, 2020).

I wanted to look deeper into this fact because I was curious as to how this student's emotions compare to a crisis such as Hurricane Katrina. In a study that Davis TE and other conducted that surveyed students on mental health after being torn from their universities due to the hurricane, “indicated displaced students experienced more trauma exposure and greater subsequent distress, more symptoms of PTSD, and more symptoms of depression" (Davis et al., 2010). It's amazing that the trauma that the students are experiencing from the shift of in-class to online is essentially the same as that of a hurricane forcing students to evacuate.

An Amherst spokesperson said: “We are eager to work with this student and any others in a similar situation to provide the funds to them retrospectively that we are promising to our students with financial need”(Bryant, 2020).

In response to Sikkiim Hamilton's story of moving back home, an Amherst associate assured that they are working with out-of-state students to help those that are struggling financially. The reason I chose this fact is that I was doubtful that this was true for all colleges. Not all of the colleges are as charitable. According to The Hill colleges such as Boston College are saying, “students who need to stay due to international travel restrictions, serious personal reasons or University obligations will have to get written permission from the Office of Residential Life to remain in University housing. But the college is making no promises…"(Srikanth, 2020).

“But when you’re not going to class on the daily basis you’re not seeing people as often as you would, you’re not getting out of the house as often as you would. After a couple of days, that starts to get a little bit difficult, so we’re all trying to figure out how to cope with it and get used to it, because it’s possible we’re going to be dealing with this for a while”(Bryant, 2020).

This direct quote came from Varsha Sarveshwar, a senior political science major at UC Berkeley. I chose this fact as I can relate to this. Having to travel home and being isolated from all of my friends in a different state has been hard. Not having the social freedom I would have had in college is really disheartening, and I feel like I have reverted to elementary school.

"At Harvard, where two members of the community are being tested for the virus, the plans prompted outrage after students were asked to move out with just five days’ notice and asked not to return after spring break"(Bryant, 2020).

This quote was interesting to me because of how differently Harvard treated evacuating the students compared to Michigan State. When the email came out to evacuate from Michigan State, they provided housing to students with a strong advising to leave (and money back if we moved out by a certain date). Although Harvard isn't subsidized by the state, they still should have taken into consideration the financial circumstances of students who are out-of-state and at a comparatively huge disadvantage to local students.

Analytic Essay

Out of State, Out of Mind: Out-of-State Student Perspectives on COVID-19

An interesting perspective of an out-of-state student is their reality during the COVID-19 pandemic, with some having to travel home and others not able to travel at all. As one of those homebound, out-of-state students, it was a struggle to make sure I moved out in a few days and on short notice.  While COVID-19 has devastated millions from a broad perspective, from a narrower view, thousands of out-of-state students have been terrified by this whirlwind pandemic with families hoping for the return of their children from college campuses across the US. Their perspective is essential to research and understand.

Several articles have been written about the abrupt end to in-class schooling, the commencement of online learning, and how colleges are dealing with out-of-state students. A report from the Guardian addressed college students “packing like [they]’re not coming back”(Bryant, 2020).  The article has several quotes and pictures of current students who quickly packed all of their belongings and flew or drove home. Some of the students depicted were low income and couldn’t afford to possibly return to college, so packing everything into storage was nonnegotiable. One of the students said this crisis “...left me and many of my peers in a state of shock, confusion, awe, and fear … These students have not been given the time, resources or support required to comply with these directives”(Bryant, 2020). I can vouch for this, as I am an out-of-state student and I was shocked and confused as well. Having to pack everything in my room into boxes in a mere two days was not an easy task, and I will never forget the heartbreak of seeing my roommate leave our dorm with her bags for the last time.

The main goal of this article was to simply provide updates on what’s happening to students and families worldwide who are undergoing the stress of evacuating schools. By producing this online article for the general public, those affected by schools shutting down know that they are not alone in their fear and anxiety. However, fact-checking is essential to make sure that the article isn’t exaggerating information. According to the Vox article, “The 7 biggest problems facing science, according to 270 scientists,” the sixth biggest problem is the fact that science isn’t properly communicated to the public (Belluz, 2016). The way that these students are getting information is through social media and news online. As previously learned in class, there can be a disconnect between what’s really going on in the scientific community and what the media says due to the exaggeration of facts.  

The facts that really matter are the direct quotes and empathy from the students in this profound cultural change as courses shift to being online. One of the students said, “For me it has caused high levels of anxiety because I’m very dynamic, I’m outspoken, and I’m one of those people that changes the vibe of a room by stepping into a classroom”(Bryant, 2020). In the drastic change to online classes, there is a similarity to the psychological effect of Hurricane Katrina on students displaced from their universities. In a mental health survey analyzing students from the hurricane they, “indicated displaced students experienced more trauma exposure and greater subsequent distress, more symptoms of PTSD, and more symptoms of depression”(Davis et al., 2010). In both cases, people felt out of place and alone due to the isolation and trauma they experienced. The way universities abruptly shut down classes and evacuated students has had the same effect. Students who are now contained in their homes find their mental health slipping as their form of social contact with friends comes through a computer screen.

In most cases, according to the Guardian article, most colleges have been generous with out-of-state students and have supported them to the best of their abilities. However, that isn’t always true, and certain colleges can not be trusted when it comes to helping students who are relying on the dorms for housing. In an article by the Hill, a student journalist on twitter claimed that Boston College said, “students who need to stay due to international travel restrictions, serious personal reasons or University obligations will have to get written permission from the Office of Residential Life to remain in University housing. But the college is making no promises…”(Srikanth, 2020). The fact that the students are not promised housing adds to the stress of the situation and should not be a relevant issue. Although this will be a blow towards university financials, the colleges have to react with the students in mind. The students keep the universities alive, so the least they can do is provide them with a home for unexpected circumstances.

Overall, this perspective is an essential addition for those who are unaware of the struggles out-of-state students experienced. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic was not the first nationwide emergency, nor will it be the last. The support of students at a geographic disadvantage during any campus-wide emergency needs to be recognized by colleges nationwide and publicly addressed. In support of that objective, articles like these need to be presented to address those that are anxious and isolated to reassure them that there are thousands in their exact situation. Just because they are out-of-state, does not mean they are forgotten.

Bibliography

Belluz, J., Plumer, B., & Resnick, B. (2016, September 7). The 7 biggest problems facing science, according to 270 scientists. The Vox. Retrieved April 22, 2020, from https://www.vox.com/2016/7/14/12016710/science-challeges-research-funding-peer-review-process

Bryant, M. (2020, March 13). Pack like you're not coming back: how coronavirus is disrupting students lives. The Guardian. Retrieved March 30, 2020, from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/12/coronavirus-outbreak-us-colleges-students

This is a periodical source and it came from a journalist for regular publication on The Guardian. I can tell that the source correlates to my main topic because of the title "'Pack like you're not coming back': how coronavirus is disrupting students' lives." The main argument is the harshness of colleges on students that are out of state and the many students that can't afford to travel home due to the expenses of a last-minute flight. The key idea is that cost can greatly impact a student's ability to go home, and what colleges are doing about out-of-state students who need to go home. I think the selected source will provide a plethora of good evidence of the perspective. 

Davis, T. E., Grills-Taquechel, A. E., & Ollendick, T. H. (2010). The Psychological Impact From Hurricane Katrina: Effects of Displacement and Trauma Exposure on University Students. Behavior Therapy, 41(3), 340–349. doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2009.09.004 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20569783

The authors of this source are professors for impacted universities such as Louisiana State University, Virginia Tech, and the University of Houston. A group of 68 New Orleans area students who were displaced from their home universities as a result of the hurricane were matched on race, gender, and age to a sample of 68 students who had been enrolled at Louisiana State University (LSU) prior to the hurricane and surveyed on mental health. Results indicated displaced students experienced more trauma exposure and greater subsequent distress, more symptoms of PTSD, and more symptoms of depression. Traumatic exposure and distress from the traumatic exposure were found to fully mediate depressive symptoms and post-traumatic symptoms in the displaced students. This topic correlates to the main topic because it is linked to students facing the trauma of being displaced from their homes and struggling to find somewhere to live in place of the university.

Srikanth, A. (2020, March 26). Coronavirus is closing schools—but many students don’t have a place. The Hill. Retrieved April 6, 2020, from https://thehill.com/changing-america/respect/poverty/487226-schools-out-because-of-coronavirus-but-not-all-students-have

This source was written by a journalist for a regular publication. I can tell what perspective it shows because the title of the article is "Coronavirus is closing schools—but many students don't have a place to go." The main purpose of the source is to talk about how colleges aren't being understanding towards students' living circumstances, and that they are giving students notice to leave when the students don't have anywhere to go. The key ideas are that colleges are being insensitive (ex. Boston College needs students to get written permission from the office and even then it's not guaranteed they'll get housing), and students have reasons they can't go home (international, out-of-state, etc.).  I think the selected source will provide good evidence of the perspective of interest.