Class of 2025 Hopes for a Normal Semester
Class of 2025 out on the football field. Courtesy of Marist College
Extensive COVID-19 safety protocols prevented the Class of 2025 from having a normal college search experience. Many college campuses were closed to visitors, with Marist being one of the few hosting limited amounts of tours each week.
When Jenna Miller ‘25 found Marist her junior year of high school, she knew she was in love with the school. Despite Marist being her number one choice, she was unable to look at some schools that she was interested in.
Benji Krause ‘25 had a similar dilemma. He could not visit many of the schools he was interested in, making his decision of where he wanted to spend the next four years even harder. Krause was shocked at how large the campus is.
“I chose based on classes and the environment around the campus but would have liked to choose based on how the campus looked,” Krause said. “It was hard to do that with covid.”
Fortunately, for the 2021 fall semester, Marist College began loosening COVID-19 protocols due to the success of campus-wide vaccine requirements and high vaccination rates in New York. Miller and Krause both don’t mind having to wear masks in class.
Like most college freshmen, Miller was eager to meet new people and try new things. “College is a big transition and I feel like freshman year, you really change and grow from that kid in high school to all of a sudden, an adult,” Miller said.
Freshmen are enjoying integrating themselves into the Marist culture by joining clubs. Coming from a small, private school with limited club selection, Thomas De Block ‘25 loves that there is such a wide variety of clubs to choose from. Krause agrees with De Block, getting involved in as many clubs as possible.
Miller is excited to join clubs that pertain to her major. “I am very excited to be joining the Teachers of Tomorrow Club,” Miller said. “I am an Elementary Education major, so this was [very interesting] to me.”
Miller, Krause, and De Block collectively agree that the only COVID-19 limitation that still affects them is still having to wear masks in classes and inside buildings. They are optimistic for the upcoming school year, hoping to get as much of a normal college experience as possible.