Author: joiblue

 College can be a stressful time for students. You are constantly planning for the future reflecting on the past all the while managing details of the present. Challenge is accepted and for many us necessary. However, none of us could prepare for the impact of COVID-19. On the broader scale, this pandemic affects millions of college students worldwide. Coe students are no exception to the downfalls of attending college during coronavirus. 

    “I was hurt and I was sad not just because they told us to leave, but because of the bonds I formed during the school year” said Christiana Arowolo “I am no longer able to see my friends and plus this my senior year. It was more gut wrenching because you are not coming back after you pack up your stuff and leave”.  Christiana Arowolo is a fellow Kohawk who is dealing with the common obstacles faced by the class of 2020. Like many other institutions,, Seniors at Coe are having their graduation ceremonies and traditions postponed or canceled. Before COVID-19 , she wanted to end her last year with friends she created memories with.  

       It is even more stressful that graduates are starting their careers during a major recession. There is a record high unemployment rate and many students have had job offers and fellowships retracted. Arowolo had intended to join the Peace Corps but now she is switching gears towards more public health-related occupations. 

        “One in a sense of being home I don’t really have a high self-discipline.” said Maiya Varner “That’s why I prefer studying in academic settings like the library. I also have family issues that I have to focus on which can be a lot more pressing than assignments.” Getting assignments done and continuing to remain engaged has proved to be taxing for many kohawks. Students already have difficulty with balancing classwork and their daily life. A lot of us are just finding our niche in terms of major, learning styles, study habits, etc. to then be thrown a curveball by this worldwide pandemic. This is especially demanding on first generation students because a lot of academic and personal support is provided by Coe. The way academic coaching, tutoring, office hours, and supplemental instructions has been limited to zoom and google hangout calls. On top of those stressors, some students are confused about how they will meet graduation requirements. Academic departments also struggle to replace alternatives to internships, labs, study abroad oppotunities and other field experience necessary to earn degrees in the natural sciences, nursing, education, and other disciplines. 

      Academic life is important but the social life on every campus has come to a halt. Varner is a sophomore involved in geek fest, coe theatre, and an international student mentor. Like many of her classmates, she was ready to participate in spring events. Now she won’t wear her new dress to our annual president’s ball, compete in geek fest’s human vs. zombies tournament, and or star in her first play featuring the directing debut of another Coe sophomore. 

     Another issue brought by coronavirus is housing. Students are fortunate to go home and have access to funds to help them get back. For others, going home may not be their best option or an option at all. People going to college often embrace changes that may not be accepted at, or they could be going back to an unstable household. Domestic students are impacted but it is another circumstance for international students

     “I was looking forward to a farewell banquet with international students and I would have got a chance to say goodbye to my international students.” said Varner “One of my international students is from China… I don’t know if they’ll allow them back in the U.S. or not. I also have two students from Nepal who are from areas that are heavily affected and they are all freshmen.” As an international student mentor, Varner is aware of some of the problems faced by our foreign classmates. The best case scenario is that they were evacuated by their home country in the middle of the term. Unfortunately, others are stuck in the states due to travel bands and the amount of support varies for each individual. The virus makes the situation feel isolating, but Coe has made efforts to support students through virtual social events hosted by staff and student organizations such as the International Club.

        “I think that a bit of my positivity has taken a bit of a down turn because i’m in the house all the time”said Marissa Arrigoni  “I think my motivation is all so taken a tank.  I am glad I have Salt Company as my spiritual support group’’. Arrigoni is a student leader involved in college ministry and is one of the people helping comfort students during this pandemic. The office of Health and Wellness at Coe has also been sending out resources and tips to help kohawks maintain their well being. They range from online counseling to yoga classes. This is an important effort because mental illness is prevalent on college campuses and the pandemic has created barriers for coping individuals.

   I’m proud of how our college is taking precautions to support its students in financial,academic, health,and other important aspects. The biggest question is how will this impact college education in the near future. Will we be able to return to the campus in the fall? Will social distancing still be implemented? How will this impact campus life and procedures? How is the pandemic influencing the class of 2024? There are so many questions left unanswered and those affected are waiting to decide on their next step. Will the college experience ever go back to what it was?

Aaron Green is a local Coe alumnus who graduated in the class of ‘86. Today he helps students of color with improving their collegiate experience. “You shouldn’t be ashamed to have grown up with meager beginnings,” said Green. “It’s not where you start; it’s where you end. What are you doing with what you got?” Mr. Green believes that despite the challenges that lie ahead for those in the minority population, Coe gives its students many opportunities. 

  “ Coe was hard.”  said Green “It pushed me to get tougher. They were considerate of me but didn’t give me a break and that was what I needed’’ As a first generation student, the Coe alum definitely felt the difference in rigor during his undergraduate years. He was near the top of his class in high school but like any adjusting college student he struggled. Since he resonates with the learning gap many students enter college with, he wants to help provide tools for success whenever they are needed.

   “He is a great resource” said Andy Cooley “His heart is for Coe students of color. He does whatever to help them reach their full potential”. Cooley is on staff in the Human Resources Department at Coe. She is also a long time friend of Green who has seen his generosity and resourcefulness towards Kohawks when it comes to networking.

“He sets an example of how alumni should be looking out for students of color, especially of one of color” said Coe junior Emani Brinkman “His presence is nice to have on campus. It’s nice to see people in the community participating in student events.” Last year Green gave a presentation at Coe’s Martin Luther King Celebration. 

“I got stopped more in Cedar Rapids than I ever have in any place in my life by the police 

I never had that happen . I know it’s just because of this [skin color]” As a minority at Coe, Green felt generally welcomed by students and staff. However, the Cedar Rapids community wasn’t always as inviting. He mentioned a friend disappearing, getting pulled over three times in a row by different cops, and being surrounded by police cars due to profiling him as a suspect in a nearby robbery. Although those are some traumatic experiences he now feels safe living in the community. He bought a house his junior year and has lived there ever since. 

“ I got professors that I’m in class with,  that whether I did great or I didn’t. If I called them on the phone they would recognize my voice.” said Green “You get something from a small private college . I got my masters at UNI and they were fine but they weren’t Coe.” That is why Aaron Green will never stop investing in this institution.

The Cedar Rapids Museum of Art hosted a public reception on  January 30, 2020 for a new Impressionist art exhibit called Across the Atlantic: American Impressionism through The French Lens featuring its companion exhibit Ooh La La: Collection Works from the Riley Collection.This occasion was held in honor of the Museum’s 125th anniversary and its long time donors the Riley Family. “We wanted to display the art that would be preferred by local attendees 125 years ago,” said associate curator Kate Kunau, “impressionism is defined by brighter colors incorporated with vivid brushstrokes and shadows to bring out the subject’s essence. It was more about capturing real life moments.” 

        During the reception the museum director Sean Ulmer addressed the crowd, “We looked at over 100 traveling exhibitions for Cedar Rapids.” said Ulmer. 

        When asked what a traveling exhibit was he said, “a traveling exhibit is an art exhibit that will be featured in multiple locations like a tour.” French impressionist art is typically more collected on the east coast. That is why pieces for Across the Atlantic were acquired through the Reading Public Museum in Pennsylvania.  

“ It is a rare opportunity,  most people won’t get to see impressionist art at this volume in a small local museum,” Ulmer said. He also  thanked Tom and Nan Riley for contributing and collecting art to the Ooh La La exhibit. Ulmer recalled jokingly asking them “You mind if we take all the artwork out of your house?” . 

Coe faculty member Kristin Hudson. “I’m happy to see a local collector interested in French art” said Hudson.

          “I studied art at Mount Mercy.  I really love love this stuff,” said attendee Jane Huxton.  She is retiring and will start volunteering at the museum in February. 

      Her favorite painting is “The Laundress” by Edgar Degas. “It makes me feel warmth and comfort”. This a remark that the featured artists like Degas, Renoir, Cassatt, Morisot, would have loved to hear because it reflects the nature of their work. Impressionists were the visual arts rebels of their time. They wanted to stand against what was forced on them by the Academies who only valued grandiose portraits of historical figures and scenes. They painted coal miners after a hard day’s work or a mother nursing her child. That’s what they felt mattered. If you would like to travel back in time Ooh La La is running until April 12th and Across the Atlantic ends on April 26th.