By Cameron Breland
IMC Student
Students and faculty are still filled with uncertainty as this pandemic experience is practically new to everyone.
Students thought they would complete another great year in Oxford before spring break, but their plans were quickly changed with announcements coming from the university that the semester would be finished online. The decision came fast and one has to respect the judgment of school officials as the health and safety of the university should always come first.
The choice to move online has affected the student body and staff, but the one class who has been here the longest is feeling more out of place than ever—the class of 2020. The Covid-19 crisis has brought the early ending for the seniors’ college experience, and the memories of graduation will have to be put on hold as well for the safety of others.
The baseball team seniors will be left with a bitter taste in their mouth, and the thought of what could have been their best season yet will remain for a long time. Starting at 16-1, the Rebels were in route to possibly being ranked No. 1 in the country and were almost guaranteed to make a deep playoff run as everything was coming together this season.
Breein Tyree and the basketball team did not have the season they hoped for as their season was almost complete with only the SEC tournament left. Women’s basketball had a rebuilding year with the new head coach, and there are high hopes for next season with a top 5 recruiting class.
The golf Rebels only had a few tournaments completed before their season was canceled. Both the men’s and women’s teams were competing to have a shot at a solid postseason.
Going away from sports, the transition from in-person classes to online classes has been a challenge for everyone involved. Professors were given some time to prepare their online curriculum, and students were given an extra week of spring break to arrange for them to go home or stay in Oxford.
A few seniors discussed their time after spring break, and some are still in Oxford as their hometowns are hot spots for the virus. Others are not going home because their parents are essential workers in the medical field or have compromised immune systems.
William Frommeyer, a senior Managerial Finance and Real-Estate major from Gulfport, MS and has been in Oxford since spring break ended, and he has not returned home since winter break.
“My family is composed entirely of essential workers, so my mother and I decided it would be safest for me to stay in Oxford to quarantine,” said Frommeyer.
He went to Destin for spring break and was worried when school was canceled due to the virus. He was sad when school was abruptly ended, and the pandemic had to be serious to close school entirely.
“I’ll miss being able to hang out with friends whenever I wanted and not having to worry about much except for my next test,” Frommeyer said.
Ellen Carriere is a senior Computer Science major from New Orleans, and she has been in Oxford since spring break.
“I’m still in Oxford, particularly for my safety since New Orleans is one of the cities with the most coronavirus cases, and my parents agreed Oxford would be safest for me,” said Carriere. “I wanted to make the most out of my time I had left in Oxford with my roommates.”
Ole Miss has postponed the 2020 commencement, and school officials are discussing dates in August for the seniors to get their chance to walk.
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