College Interrupted, Part Two

College Interrupted, Part Two

By The Common Reader

Washington University students contemplate activism, the forces of the pandemic, and their futures as they return to school and working life.

Essays

Face to Face

By Ella Faust

The arrival of the pandemic-era summer was a freewheeling mental battle between appreciation of health and stability, and an almost selfish disdain for a locked-in, isolated life that I had never imagined I would have to experience.

Essays

The Dislocations of Growing Up Absurd

By Max Klapow

It is no secret in developmental psychology that young people in particular tend to be extraordinarily resilient. The pandemic continues to be an excruciating test, but one that we are well-equipped to pass. We will continue to protest while hunting for jobs in a decimated economy, and we will continue showing up to class, innovating, and adapting to a world we have very little control over.

Essays

How Fear Eats the Soul and How the Soul Fights Back

By Jacob Finke

For me, coronavirus has, at once, been a complicating and simplifying factor. The pandemic certainly complicated some aspects of my life. It has complicated relationships: I said goodbye to people for spring break not knowing that I might not see them for over a year, if not longer.

Essays

From Mad to Worse: Reflections on COVID’s Summer

By Jan Mazur

The rest of the semester, though emotionally extremely trying at every step, ended successfully. However, the long and hard path I planned for my summer made the incessant grind of my final semester at Washington University look small.

Essays

Breathing Lessons for Black Girls

By Olivia J. Williams

It is strange; I am more scared after speaking than before. My stomach twists tighter as thoughts whirl. Will they revoke my scholarship for speaking out? Will I be targeted? Will I keep my job? My leadership position? Is it activism yet?

Essays