A global pandemic halting college students’ social lives was never on the agenda for the 2020 – 2021 school year and to say the least, LSU students are devastated.
Charles Lobrano, a political science junior, expressed how the lack of social interactions due to COVID-19 has taken away certain experiences that all college students should be able to encounter.
“College isn’t just about school,” Lobrano said. “It’s about learning to live on your own alongside your peers. It’s about getting certain necessary experiences that are [crucial] to living in the ‘best years of your life.’”
Although college ultimately revolves around getting a degree, students look forward to fun weekends after a week of work. Not having fun social gatherings to compensate for their hard work can lead students to have a lack of effort when it comes to classes, Charles said.
Even though football season is in full swing, Madison Ready, a communication disorders junior, still felt game days are missing that special feeling we’ve all felt when supporting the LSU Tigers.
“Saturday [Sept. 26] was the first game day of the 2020 football season, and it was honestly heartbreaking,” Ready said. “Without the tailgates, the hype up music and seeing everyone dressed in purple and gold, it didn’t even feel like the Tigers were playing in Tiger Stadium that day. I’ve never seen campus and Tiger Stadium so bare on a game day.”
It’s sad to hear the disappointment in students’ voices as they express how much they miss game days in Death Valley. Evan Walsh, a sports administration sophomore, explained how celebrating the LSU Tigers on game day is important to all students at the university.
“There is nothing better than going to a college game day at Death Valley on Saturday night with your great group of friends and then celebrating more after,” Walsh said. “Students miss the liveliness of the campus that draws you back every day.”
With classes mainly online, campus is quite sad. The absence of students on campus and in Tiger Stadium makes Maddy Murret, a junior in mass communication, miss the exciting feeling the university once brought her.
“Being from such a big SEC school, I know firsthand college students were very excited to get back and support our team again to another national championship,” Murret said. “So, not being able to come together and be one with our whole LSU community has been hard.”
Missing tailgates, games and other social events is a hard pill to swallow as the final college years are approaching for juniors and seniors.
“Being a junior in college, having the coronavirus take away one of my last years in college was devastating to learn,” Ready said. “College is supposed to be the best and most fun years of life that you’ll talk about forever. It’s hard to stay optimistic about missing out on so many things that were planned for this year that are simply being canceled due to the virus.”
Lobrano feels strongly that the virus has taken over our college experience and has left people unsure of how to fix it.
“No tailgating, no parties, no bars, no crowds at any events,” Lobrano explains. “This is upsetting for every college student and is hard to cope with. For every college student or student in general, the pandemic has provided a time period that hasn’t been experienced before by recent generations and that’s the problem. No one knows what to do.”
LSU football quarterback senior Joe Burrow (9) smiles on Monday, Jan. 13, 2020 after winning the National Championship against Clemson at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
