Jessica Chisolm, Co-editor in Chief
Editing the Weather Vane during this half-online, half-in-person semester has been quite a trip. After publishing the first few issues of the semester online-only, our production team had to make a drastic switch to work in-person and prepare a print copy of the paper.
What I learned from that is how acquainted college students currently are with a full-360 life change. Throughout the pandemic, we’ve moved back and forth between EMU college life and home life – two things that, for me, tend to differ a lot. It’s inspiring to witness my fellow classmates’ resilience during the past year’s onslaught of tragedy.
Thankfully, we were able to sigh a breath of relief on Monday, April 26 as EMU President Susan Schultz Huxman sent out the email we’ve been waiting on since March 2020: EMU’s campus intends to fully return to life pre-COVID-19 in the Fall 2021 semester.
Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing how all my friends’ faces have aged in the meantime (as well as general normality on campus). First-years will finally get to experience a normal year on campus and older students will hopefully regain a sense of comfort and belonging they felt in the larger EMU community prior to this year.
We’ve become so good at adapting and reacting that next year, even amidst the “return” to normality, I expect EMU will continue to change and progress for the better.
Anna Cahill, 2021 Graduate and Co-Editor in Chief
The past year, I’ve written many articles dealing with COVID-19, as many of our staff have. Looking at these articles, I’m reminded of the stress and uncertainty I felt. There were days when the Weather Vane could not be printed due to outbreaks. There were more recent days where staff members missed production due to appointments to get vaccinated. Overall, this semester, like the past year, has been a whirlwind, but it’s offered more hope than we’ve had in a while.
We can get vaccinated! And yes, we should. Find information on how to receive your free COVID-19 vaccination here: https://vaccinefinder.org/search/
In other news, last week, we watched as Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all three accounts: second-degree murder—unintentional, while committing a felony; third-degree murder; and second-degree manslaughter. This may not look like justice; it does show accountability. While many celebrated the verdict, CNN reported, “the brutality of American law enforcement continued to take more Black and brown lives.” This is the time to hold our community close and continue in the fight for racial justice.
As the year concludes, it is important to find your hope. What is motivating you to finish strong? Focus on that and keep going.
