Seniors say goodbye earlier than expected
Photo by Taylor Baker.
Hundreds of seniors are saying farewell to their Lee experience following the realization that their time on campus has come to an abrupt end.
President Paul Conn made the announcement via a chapel livestream in March that students would not return to campus for the remainder of the spring semester due to the spread of the coronavirus.
For many students, there is the promise of returning in the fall. Seniors, however, are picking up the pieces of their unwanted and unexpected goodbyes.
“I think that’s the worst thing to know, that people are coming back and I’m not,” said senior public relations major Mackensie Northcutt. “Going into spring break, I didn’t know that I’ve already had my last in-person college class. I had no clue that was it.”
Many students have expressed difficulty retaining normalcy during online classes. While the semester may be physically over on campus, classes were still expected to meet regularly on Zoom and complete assignments as normal.
“It’s like I’m running a marathon,” said senior nursing major Abby Stone. “I feel like I was heading into my last mile and someone just stopped me and is making me walk the rest of the way. The end is supposed to be the best part. I’m supposed to finish strong- but I can’t. It’s hard to walk across the finish line because, yes, I’ll finish, but it doesn’t feel exciting.”
Conn also announced that senior nursing students would not work in hospitals anymore for their clinical rotations. As clinical hours are necessary to graduate, seniors in the nursing program are waiting for word on how to continue toward graduation.
“It’s really scary to walk into this profession while the healthcare field is a mess right now,” said Stone. “I’ve been well prepared and I’m very equipped, but it’s scary to be around chaos.”
Among the confusion and frustration in a time of Zoom and isolation, many students are attempting to find the light in this situation by focusing on the present.
“It challenges me, even more, to connect with those that I didn’t get to see in my last semester,” said senior graphic design major Michael Smaltz. “I’ve been working more on getting out of my own head — this isn’t just about me.”
Seniors are looking forward to the possibility of being reunited with the Lee community one last time at commencement. During an April 6 livestream, Conn announced the event would be postponed until August 1. This is scheduled to be the largest commencement ceremony in Lee’s history.
For questions and concerns, Conn asked seniors to email studentfeedback@leeuniversity.edu.
