From the day I started classes at Eastfield, I was amazed with the atmosphere of college life. Staff walked around on their down time to help students find their way through the campus. Students were excited to learn and become familiar with this community.

There were a variety of clubs, such as the Anime Club and the Communication Club. I was excited by all the activities the college offered and wanted to be part of things and within my third semester I became president of theDigital Media Club. I became active in as many school events as possible thanks to the convenient listings of all events for the month posted in each restroom stall.

Many activities were well planned out and were able to attract large crowds of students to participate. My first three semesters had me feeling pride in both my choice to return to school and my choice of school.

Once the pandemic started and we all have to do virtual classes I had my set of worries as to how this would affect my education considering the last time I took an online class I didn’t due to well.

As soon as I heard we would start opening classes for the fall semester I did not hesitate to register, and my excitement grew. My main expectation was now that we were merged into one college, we would have a larger sense of community.

With this time in isolation, I had expected the college leaders to have time to plan and be ready for the reopening of class on campus. I had gotten my vaccine and agreed to wear a mask while being present on campus all to have the chance to jump right back into a community I had come to love. What I found was a lot of disorder that has left many students just like me in a state of disappointment.

I had already expected this fall semester to start off with very few students present considering we are still far from the end of this pandemic. What I did not expect was to encounter confused faculty due to the lack of communication from higher ups, leaving many educators unable to answer questions pertaining to classes, college activities and even the graduation process.

Many activities are being spread to cover all campuses but no form of advertisements for these events are easily found, leaving many students unaware of campus activities until the day of. Many clubs still listed on the website are no longer active and have left students with no reason to stay on campus after their classes are over for the day. The Digital Media Club alone had around 15 active members before the pandemic and currently has only six members.

This leaves students who are about to graduate with a lack of pride and many other students with a sense of needing to look for a better college experience elsewhere.

My hope still has not been diminished, as a student in her last semester at Dallas College I would only ask that communication be established from administration to faculty and staff. It’s not a blame game situation but a chance for us as one college to look at this semester and learn how to grow as a community.

There is much work to be done but not all that weight is solely on the college. Students have the power to restart clubs and plan events that can help the college as a whole become closer.

The message must be stated clearly that Dallas College should not hinder but motivate all students and faculty to come together to voice concerns and find solutions that help get our college going in the right direction.

–Stephanie Kircher is a graphic designer and a digital media major