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Episode Transcript
Speaker 1 00:00:07 After two weeks of online instruction, students are back in Harris hall room 1 0 7 for professor Amy Stanley's global history class. The class of around 115 people met in person for the first time. This quarter on Wednesday,
Speaker 2 00:00:19 I am delighted. I couldn't be happier to be back in the classroom.
Speaker 1 00:00:23 That's Stanley. She said she missed teaching in person during Wildcat wellness.
Speaker 2 00:00:28 I feel strongly that learning takes place in a social context and a lot more fun and people are much more engaged when they feel like they know their fellow students.
Speaker 1 00:00:37 Wildcat wellness officially ended on Tuesday among other COVID-19 precautions. During this period classes were held entirely remotely. The current positivity rate is 2.01% with 299. New positives recorded in the past week. Well, some students welcome the return to in-person classes. Some are less excited. McCormick's senior Alexis pointed, signed a petition asking the university to extend Wildcat wellness.
Speaker 3 00:01:00 No.
Speaker 1 00:01:08 When I said he does not feel comfortable in class and wishes, there were more hybrid alternatives available being in sophomore, Olivia Pierce, I go to twenties concerns. Pierce also signed the petition, which amassed almost 1500 signatures from students, faculty, and others in the Northwestern community.
Speaker 4 00:01:24 Exactly what north restaurant provides ever can. 95 mask to all undergraduates, graduate students, faculty and staff, asking to pause in prison classes until the university no longer needs to find roommates. So there was an 8, 10 35, 10 minutes. Um, and then hybrid options should be provided for all students enrolled and for you to take home test to be readily accessible.
Speaker 1 00:01:46 Pierce said the petition has been endorsed by activist groups, including new community, not cops and students organizing for labor rights, a major concern for those who signed the petition is having hybrid options available for students who can't attend classes because they have COVID-19 communications. Sophomore, a mandata is one of those students data tested positive for COVID-19 and was placed in 1835 had men to quarantine at the end of Wildcat wellness. He said he has been able to watch some of his lectures remotely, but it is harder to make up discussion-based classes. He said his professors had been accommodating. Despite these challenges,
Speaker 3 00:02:19 The professors are happy to meet and discuss the material. I certainly don't feel like I'm falling behind,
Speaker 1 00:02:25 Although he did not get the chance to go to in-person classes this week. He said, he's looking forward to them.
Speaker 3 00:02:35 Material
Speaker 1 00:02:39 Added though, that he understands the concerns of people signing the petition.
Speaker 3 00:02:43 It's a hard thing to sort of prioritize probably a lot more people are going to get COVID. I'm happy to go back, but I definitely understand why some people are not as happy.
Speaker 1 00:02:58 Mathewson is glad to be teaching in person again. He said it was harder to connect with students via zoom, Matthew sin is, but he said he feels safe and does not worried about personal exposure in the classroom.
Speaker 5 00:03:11 I think it's impossible to eradicate this, this darn disease, and we're going to have to learn how to live with it. And I think we're doing that.
Speaker 1 00:03:19 Catherine Odom, w N U R news.
