Above image courtesy of Adobe Stock Photos.
By: Vanessa Gleklen
(May 5, 2020) - Across the globe, the phrase “new normal” has taken root. As fears surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic persist, the world continues to change.
Although basically overviewed already, this subject matter was important to me to address as much has changed in recent weeks regarding the future.
The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown will continue to impact our lives going forward.
For us, it began when Loyola Maryland declared to its entire collegiate body that classes would be switching to online learning for a hopefully short period of time.
This short period of time only increased as reports continued to grow across the world, indicating that the severity of this virus was one to be feared.
Suddenly, we are closing the semester off campus after weeks of virtual instruction. Companies, restaurants, and more have all had to adapt.
I was lucky; I had planned on coming home for a short visit to celebrate my dad’s mother’s 80th birthday the weekend we were sent home and had a flight.
One of my roommates, from Tampa, Florida, scrambled to find an affordable flight home: another example of the social impacts of this transformation.
Days after I arrived home to Atlanta, Georgia from Baltimore, Maryland, I received information that the Georgia elections would be postponed to a later date.
Election changes are simply another example of how the pandemic has completely changed the concept of "normal" for everyone going forward.
Institutions such as schools, with students young and old, have also had to adapt due to the lockdown.
My mom, a third-grade special education teacher, discussed with me how her school was addressing the pressing concerns: also switching to virtual learning.
Companies such as Big Interview and HireVue do what they can to aid virtual interviews through aided recordings and other preparations for interviewees.
Numerous companies and individuals have utilized the platform Zoom to host classes, meetings, and interviews.
For more information regarding virtual interviews and telecommunting, please refer to this article, "COVID-19 Turns World (Virtually) Upside-Down."
Above image courtesy of Adobe Stock Photos.
There are some silver linings to this time. I was lucky to be home from school to be with my family these past few weeks as my mom's mother was put in hospice.
Good has come in different shapes and sizes. For instance, I was able to say goodbye to my grandmother, charities have been aided, and much nature is healing.
As we look to the future, there is much concern about this COVID-19 crisis and what it could mean for the rest of the year, let alone longer.
Deadlines continue to be pushed back, and the possibility of not returning to face-to-face instruction is a real possibility for the fall.
Some are excited by the idea of never being required to shake another hand, while others are simply awaiting the next time they can safely hug their loved ones.
The world has absolutely been turned upside down as a result of this virus. There is no "normal" anymore.
