{"id":23646,"date":"2022-10-09T13:16:32","date_gmt":"2022-10-09T17:16:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/?p=23646"},"modified":"2023-04-20T01:54:27","modified_gmt":"2023-04-20T05:54:27","slug":"first-short-story-for-2022-features-by-frances-johnson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/first-short-story-for-2022-features-by-frances-johnson\/","title":{"rendered":"“It Beats the Screen” \u2013 First in a Series of News Shorts and Stories With Interviews of Students About The Early Weeks of the 2022 Fall Semester"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u201cIt\u2019s my first time full-time semester on campus,\u201d said sophomore and political science major Marco Thomas. \u201cI\u2019m feeling the struggle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thomas works part-time at an H&M clothing store in Manhattan, and between his three shifts per week and a 15-hour couse credit load, he hopes to rise to the challenge. He wakes up extra early most mornings at his family\u2019s apartment in Crown Heights to eat a hearty breakfast and get a head start on the day.<\/p>\n

\u201cGenerally,\u201d he said, \u201cI have class until the afternoon, then go to work if I\u2019m scheduled.\u201d To keep things in balance, he likes to do what he calls a gentle and relaxing yoga routine before going to bed.<\/p>\n

Some Hunter Stats (2021)<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n

In Room 503 Hunter North, 20-year-old junior Olivia Woodruff described how she juggles her studies as a double major in film with a concentration in both television and documentary production and film production as well as minors in political science and journalism. Besides her studies, Woodruff plays softball for the Hunter Hawks Women’s Softball Team<\/a> and also coaches a children\u2019s sports club on the Upper East Side.<\/p>\n

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Randall\u2019s Island, NY – April, 21: during a game between Hunter College and Baruch College on April 16 at Randals\u2019s Island, NY. (Photo by Rhea Nall)<\/p><\/div>\n

Thomas and Woodruff were interview for a series of news shorts and articles about students’ opinions and descriptions about the early weeks of the semester.<\/p>\n

Despite an academic schedule many students would find unbelievable challenging, Woodruff said she was taking it \u201cslow, going through the motions,\u201d while she fine tuned her schedule and adjusted to new changes.<\/p>\n

Her school day routine usually starts with her waking up her roommate, a fellow student before eating breakfast then heading to campus.<\/p>\n

Woodruff prefers to study and unwind in an exclusive classroom for Hawk athletes in the basement of Hunter West where all the offices, gyms, training equipment and other accoutrements of the school’s athletic department are located. After studies, she goes for a walk or workout.<\/p>\n

Later, she heads to her coaching job, then to her nearby apartment on 67th Street and Madison Avenue. \u201cI feel like everyone is just, like, getting adjusted to everything. It\u2019s really different from ZOOM classes,\u201d said Thomas, referring to the online coursework when the campus and the city were shut down due to COVID-19.<\/p>\n

Many students haven\u2019t had full-time, in-person classes at Hunter since the lock down in March, 2020<\/a>. As students work out the kinks and adjust to circumstances, there are bound to be bumps in the road. \u201cI couldn\u2019t even get to class the first day cuz of some random student ID thing,\u201d said Thomas. Hunter, like the other CUNY campuses<\/a>, has new policies and procedures that include COVID testing that students must follow.<\/p>\n

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Even before the Pandemic, finding “time out” space on this campus required imagination.<\/p><\/div>\n

Fortunately for Woodruff and Thomas, their coursework this semester pertains mostly to classes in their respective majors and minors. \u201cIt\u2019s a lot more easy when the class is actually interesting,\u201d said Thomas. He especially enjoys his climate change policy class, and being able to hear a lecture in-person rather than over his laptop.<\/p>\n

Standing in the crowded third-floor dining hall at Hunter West, Thomas said, \u201cI mean, really though, I\u2019m glad we\u2019re back. It beats the screen.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Frances Johnson can be reached at <\/em>frances.johnson23@myhunter.cuny.edu<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

First in a series of articles with interviews about what students think and feel and anticipate during these challenging times.<\/p>\n

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