Episode Description:

Welcome back to Corona College. On this episode, hosts Angelo and Delia interview two Stetson commuter students: Brandon Pruchnik and Vienna Sarno, and cover stories regarding off-campus essential workers, work-study students, and the transition to online classes. The college experience has changed! We’ll be exploring the impact social distancing has had on traditional coursework, now canceled campus events, free-time vs. feeling rushed, and what the college experience in times of quarantine truly entails.

The students of Stetson University’s Journalism Studio Spring 2020 class have come together to give you Corona College. In our best effort to represent students from each student population we have created a six-episode podcast to open up the discussion about how COVID-19 has completely disrupted our college experience. You’ll hear from commuters, international students, athletes, greek life affiliates, and student employees. We have created a platform for students to be emotional and honest about this unprecedented experience.

Episode Transcript: 

Delia  0:04  

Hi, welcome to Corona College. We’re covering how students at Stetson University and across the United States have their lives flipped upside down as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Angelo  0:13  

On today’s episode, we’ll be focusing on commuter students and how their routine was shaken up by this event. We have interviewed two students who are willing to share their stories.

Delia  0:22  

I’ll be speaking with a commuter student and essential worker. Thanks for speaking with us today. Can you tell us about yourself and where you’re from? 

Brandon Pruchnik  0:29  

Hello, my name is Ren Prakash Nick. I’m a digital arts major junior at Stetson University. I live in Edgewater. 

Delia  0:38  

What has life been like since the COVID-19 outbreak? 

Brandon  0:42  

Life’s been pretty interesting since COVID-19’s begun.  But because I live home now, I’ve been 3d printing medical mass for the local hospitals. So every single night, I print at least  four or five and take about two hours each.

Delia  1:04  

Has coursework become more rigorous given the transition to online classes?

Brandon 1:10  

Working online through my classes has been interesting. The classes themselves aren’t hard. But a lot of digital works classes are more geared to being face to face. So a lot of these classes that I’m in, they don’t really work well with the online structure.

Delia  1:31  

Do you have an off campus job?

Brandon 1:35  

I do have an off campus job. I’ve been working at Publix now for three years so I have that job security since Publix is considered a essential business. 

Delia  1:49  

What is it like to be an essential worker and student?

Brandon 1:52  

It’s weird to be an essential worker because I’m constantly having to focus on protecting my health. And not only my own health but everyone else’s health. Because since I’m in the public a lot, I do have a higher risk of getting other people sick, let alone getting myself sick. And also trying to balance out classes at the same time can be a real hassle. 

Delia  2:20  

Do you have any advice for students in a similar situation to yours?

Brandon 2:23  

If I was gonna give anyone advice for how to deal with this all, I would say the best thing that you can do is just look on the bright side of what’s going on, you know, instead of following the numbers and everything, just spend some time with the people that you’re with and make sure you’re safe. Make sure everyone that you know was safe and find ways to get around what’s going on. 

Delia  2:47  

Thank you, Brandon, for speaking with us today and for the work you do to better the community to Stetson students in the public, stay home and stay safe. Thank you

Angelo  3:04  

Good afternoon. Thank you for joining me for this interview. How has it {COVID-19} effected your environment.

Speaker 2  3:10  

Well, I want to say, typically, as a commuter student, I stayed on campus most the time to do some of my homework and in between classes. So I feel like it was a lot more scheduled. Everything was either go to class, go to work, do homework, go to class. And now it’s like kind of free range. 

Angelo  3:32  

Okay. Yeah, like more motivated or focus at school or at home.

Speaker 2  3:38  

Definitely way more focused at school. 

Angelo  3:41  

Why is that?

Unknown Speaker  3:42  

Um, whenever I had that time between classes to do homework or even talked to my friends, it was more focused. So if I went to the library, I would do my homework and then go to class or if I went to the coffee shop, I would do some homework, meet up with friends or even my group members for a group project. And we would sit down, do it and it would all be more sche- more on a scheduled basis and more together. Because we’re all on campus,

Angelo  4:18  

Speaking of group projects, is it easier now, like since you kind of have made more time, or just harder to meet up with group projects with everyone else’s schedule?

Speaker 2  4:28  

definitely harder. Some of my group members didn’t live on campus. So when they… I want to say it’s definitely a it’s just a lot harder because all my friends that are off campus, they’re staying in the deland areas. The commuters are staying in the Deland area, but some of the students that didn’t live at home and that were in my group project weren’t there, they left. And so they’re in a whole different state. So it’s just really hard communication wise. And I think I’ve noticed that even with just the classes as well, and not just the group projects, just trying to get everybody to come together to learn to actually do something, and finish a project even starting an assignment. It’s very difficult.

Angelo  5:27  

Yeah, definitely. How long do you drive?

Speaker 2  5:30  

Um, I want to say it kind of depends. It depends if there’s heavy traffic, if it’s like Bike Week or even the time of day, I want to say 30 to 40 minutes. Really ranging between those.

Angelo  5:49  

And because classes Now move online, is it easier for you time management wise to to just go to class online instead of having to drive that half hour commute?

Speaker 2  6:00  

Yes, definitely. I feel like a lot of my mornings were very rushed. And I always had to, you know, get ready, get dressed, make sure I ate something before class and even getting all my things from home to school. Sometimes I would forget a notebook and I’m just like, Oh, no, I can’t drive back because that’s a whole 30 minutes before before my class. So I think having it all online, like having like all my materials, I don’t have to rush around, trying to gather everything, put it in my backpack and head out the door. So I think I hope that answered that question.

Angelo  6:42  

Yeah, definitely. Were you also a student employer, because you say that talking about work?

Speaker 2  6:47  

Yes, I had two jobs on campus. And those are no longer open and I no longer have any work. Which is pretty sad and disappointing, but I know a lot of people were affected. I mean, all my coworkers, they don’t have a job anymore too. So and a lot of them were seniors, so I’m never gonna see them again, which is kind of sad.

Angelo  7:19  

Yeah, definitely. But as a result of, you know, not driving half hour there and back every day and not having to work not having like structured classes. Really, you have more free time. Usually.

Speaker 2  7:32  

I want to say yes, I do have more free time. It’s definitely more relaxing because like I said before, it was more rushed. Like my days were rushed in the mornings and then at night when I got home, you know, very tired, but staying at home and doing my homework and it’s not as structured but I do manage To you know, get all my work done as much as I can, and try and sit down and focus on doing homework when I decide to do homework. It’s kind of uh oh, I have time between now and dinner time. So I’m going to do some homework.

Angelo  8:17  

Yeah. Do online classes make it difficult to kind of balance that life?

Speaker 2  8:23  

Yes. A lot of my online classes are dependent on the professor’s adding and uploading things so I my schedule is more based on them. Like rather than having it done by you know, Monday and Wednesday for classes. It’s more of a when they upload it, you know, let’s say like, Friday, they’ll upload something in the morning and want it due on Monday. When, you know, a couple of weeks ago when we were in class, they would hand out the assignment on Wednesday for it to be done. On Monday rather than uploading it by when they can on Friday or Thursday or even Saturday. So, a lot of the classes are kind of hard to figure out even when things are due because professors are either extending or shortening deadlines, and trying to rearrange as best as they can to help students. But you know, same time, I want to, I wanted to keep my structured work, like you know, my schedule. So, if I had something due on Monday, and the professor gave it to me on Wednesday, I would have rather you know, worked on it for those five days rather than having three days when they uploaded it on Friday. So, I’ve noticed that is very difficult. Yeah. And also, online classes. You don’t really get the experience anymore in class experience. We don’t have discussions and I mean, the discussion board on Blackboard. Some of my classes are using aren’t very, you know, more like discussions there’re more just like answering someone’s question. And it’s not that back and forth communication that we had, like in class. So I think learning wise it’s less you know, you’re not hearing everybody’s saying their opinions or adding information or facts. It’s more like just reading what’s on the screen and some people aren’t even doing the assignments rather than being online.

Angelo  10:43  

Yeah, having online classes, this is like removed from the college experience.

Speaker 2  10:50  

Yes, a lot of things on campus, including events and organizations have canceled their like meetings, you know, Greek life their formal got cancelled. They’re not having any chapter meetings, some of my organizations that I’m in, have stopped having meetings all together for the rest of the year. So, it’s, we’re not, I just want to say that the students aren’t doing as much on campus as they are, that they should be. So having those online classes, there’s no point of going back to campus that I see. Especially like when the library’s shuts down, and the club isn’t even having like their normal operation hours. I feel like you know, driving that whole like 30 to 40 minutes, like I said before, for just like going to get food with your friends. It’s like a completely different experience. Now, because you know, your friends or anyone on campus, so it’s not the college experience is just learning right now. Otherwise it would have been like hanging out with friends going to on campus events, like some of the like really cool events I was even looking forward to was the, you know, the commuter lunches. The late night breakfasts I was excited for the Hatter productions field trip. You know, so things like that I was excited for are no longer happening. So there really isn’t anything other other than other than doing the schoolwork. There’s nothing really fun to look forward to. So

Angelo  12:50  

Yeah, definitely. Have you ever taken online classes before during college experience

Speaker 2  12:55  

No.

Angelo  12:56  

So this whole new experience for you? 

Speaker 2  12:58  

Yes. 

Angelo  12:58  

What’s the difference between having online classes and just physical classes?

Speaker 2  13:03  

Well, like I said before the physical classes, you know, you get to talk to the professor a lot, you know that face to face communications very important. And you get to, like, hear other people’s thoughts, hear other people’s answers, you know, respond towards discussion questions. And the instructions are a lot more clear in person, then when a professor just like emails you saying, Oh, this is due and this is like how you kind of do it, or so. It’s learning is kind of being lost right now, I want to say. And, I mean, it’s a very new experience, but we’re all trying to adapt and learn. And I understand that. So it’s, you know, it’s just a learning experience. So I think we’re gonna get used to the work and the work ethic versus the in class experience. So, yeah, 

Angelo  14:06  

Yeah, definitely. And you were talking about earlier how you don’t you don’t really see a point in going to campus will that ever change or do you still think just staying at home kind of self quarantining would still be the best?

Speaker 2  14:21  

I think staying, staying at home. You know, we get email updates every day saying, you know, things are shutting down and you know, things are shutting down because of this because of Coronavirus. And they’re making sure people self quarantine, you know, they don’t want as many people on campus. And I mean even some of the guidelines you know, that are sent out for the whole United States is no more than 10 people to a room or location. So, gathering with friends on campus isn’t, you know, not the healthiest thing to do as of right now. And you know, Stetson itself shut down even their graduation which pretty upset about, you know, seeing all my friends. It was a big, big achievement for a lot of people. Well for everyone on campus, you know, that’s the end goal, essentially. So seeing all my friends walk and stuff was, you know, would have been a last hurrah, last bit of awesome on campus. But yeah, they’re really everything’s pretty much shut down on campus for like, unless it’s like the health services which I’m very thankful that they are staying open, you know, to help everybody and to protect people from COVID-19 and you know, just keep reading all those email updates with how Stetsons changing and how students are coping with all of this. I mean, definitely just adapting.

Angelo  16:14  

Yeah. And final question How would you say like pros and cons of staying home and doing work, and like not going to school, and then just going to school going class doing all that person

Speaker 2  16:31  

I want to say, you know, in class experience is a lot more hands on I want to say a lot more you’re able to learn better in class. Because you. Yeah, cuz you’re in class, you know, that’s why you’re there. You’re focused, you’re learning, but, and all the events on campus, were also fun, fun way to spend that free time I guess I would say I had. So I feel like the stress that campus puts on is a lot higher than when I’m at home. I can do the work on my own time, more or less. And… I have more free time when I’m at home, and I can do things with that free time. You know, things I didn’t get to get to because I’m on campus for hours on end. Whether that be in class doing homework meeting with group projects and friends and going to actual work. It’s… I want to say it’s easyier at home to do the work. Because you set some time for yourself. And then when you actually do the work and you sit down, you get to it. The environment is a lot better because it’s a place that you know you like to chill you like to hang out. So I think those are the pros and cons.

Angelo  18:21  

All right. Thank you for your time.