In the age of COVID-19 — a curveball none of us could have expected — it seems that many of us have been robbed of the college experience we were so eagerly awaiting.
Sitting in my dorm room in late September watching The Social Network, a film that exhibits the endless possibilities of innovation and collaboration that stem from normal college interactions, I could not help but compare the current state of college with that presented in modern-day classic films such as this, that, conflated with my own memories of freshman year, constructed a picturesque version of college life.
Spirit Splash at UCF’s Reflecting Pond, October 2019. Photo by Terrance Coakley. 
UCF’s Reflecting Pond, October 2020. Photo by Ashleigh Jachles.
And while there is no individual at fault, the lasting effects of the last few month’s events — including widespread feelings of isolation and low levels of motivation — cannot be ignored.
As a sophomore, I feel thankful that before the world as we knew it shut down, I was able to at least have a semester-and-a-half’s worth of typical experiences before everything changed.
My heart goes out to all current freshmen and graduating high school seniors as we continue to deal with the uncertainty of our social and academic futures.
Although the physical scenery has not changed much, it seems the vibrancy and livelihood that once engulfed our beautiful campus has been halved.
Memory Mall is no longer a daily display of the social cohesion of campus; the weird, the astonishing, the unbridled debauchery of college, showcasing the talents of our school’s multifaceted student population, but is now an area more akin to the quiet fifth floor of John C. Hitt Library.
At a time when just one year ago acts such as stand-up comic Pete Davidson and Grammy-award-winning rapper Tyler, the Creator — and events like the sprawling carnival of Light Up UCF were filling Addition Financial Arena and the surrounding areas near Towers dorms — I wonder if my memories of seeing hundreds of my fellow students making our daily treks across campus to class, rushing the Reflecting Pond during Spirit Splash, or eagerly packing the gates to the Bounce House before football games last year were merely a fever dream.
Yet, through it all, in this time in which more Knights are partaking in virtual learning than ever before, our school remains spirited and hopeful that eventually, we will return back to normal.
Currently ranked in the top 5 of the American Athletic Conference, the pandemic has certainly done little to stop our Knights’ football team from dominating our competition.
Sites such as KnightConnect reflect how the university’s administration and student organizations have diligently worked to maintain some semblance of normalcy by providing a multitude of events, both in-person and via Zoom.
As the fall semester draws nearer to a close, and those students with in-person classes this semester transition to remote learning after Thanksgiving break, UCF has pledged to provide more in-person classes in the spring; the aforementioned fever dream may soon come back to fruition.
Although the advent of the 2020s has thrown us into a tumultuous time, faith remains strong that UCF Knights will do as we have always done: Charge On!
