A Letter From a Soon to be Former Spartan

I would like to start by saying that you are not alone. You may feel extremely overwhelmed, exhausted, and disappointed. Many of us feel the same, and although we may be apart, we feel this together.

My name is Ariel. I am 20 years old, I’ve changed my major more times than I can count, I have two cats, and I struggle with depression. Over the past 7 months, things have not been easy, and I say this for everyone. The pandemic has taken a mental toll on everyone, and on top of the weather getting colder, it only gets worse for most. Being shut off from friends and family, missing birthdays, holidays, the casual comfort of getting an appetizer sampler at the local Chili’s with your best friends no longer an option… There are big things and small things that you never thought you would’ve taken for granted.

When I learned that we were returning to school for the fall semester, I was hopeful but also terrified. I wanted to be back on campus to see my friends, have class with my favorite professor, study with my best friend in the library study rooms, all of those little things that I loved about campus. But also, I was scared of the public spaces I once enjoyed. I knew that a full campus of students only posed more of a risk. I knew that things would not be the same as it once was, and also not as safe as it was before. I contemplated returning for weeks. I weighed the option of just sticking to online this semester. But this being my last semester at York, I knew I owed it to myself to return for one last round.

Basically, everything was normal for me when we returned to campus. Well, the “new normal”. I did my best to not leave my apartment often, opting to choose to be online for the professors who allowed it, and reluctantly going to the classes in-person when it was mandatory. My roommates as well, rarely left unless it was essential, and the few people in and out of our apartment except for ourselves were also doing the same measures of safety. Everything was easy to adjust to. Until September 30th.

September 30th, our college president announced a “fall break”. The email came as a surprise, because originally we were all under the impression that our annual fall break was cancelled. After reading this email, I was upset, angry, and unsettled. Even though we have had all of our breaks taken away from us, we were still finding outlets for ourselves. The few remaining in-person activities on campus were an escape from our constant workload. Taking away our breaks may ensure that less students are leaving campus, however it also leaves very little room to find a mental break. This semester we are already expected to run at full academic capacity, with very minimal opportunities to step away from our screens. Our new and improved “fall break” from the college has taken away those opportunities, reducing capacities even more, limiting dining use to strictly take-out, banning us from visiting friends, cancelling all events and limiting any other interaction outside of our bedroom walls. While these in-person events are cancelled, we are still expected to continue going to class in-person. We are piled with our heavy workload, with little escape, and still a huge demand from professors and staff. The new “fall break” seemed like a mockery from our president; the break we used to use to our advantage to recharge had now turned our once welcoming campus into a prison.

While these new regulations are in place, we are still being charged our activity fees in our semester bills, as well as full priced dining, and full priced tuition. Despite the lack of activities, limited dining hall use, and lackluster hybrid class operations, we are still paying in full for what was once a great education, but is now being diminished to something we could easily obtain at a community college.

With these new implications, the college is claiming to do this for our safety, yet refuses to address the faculty within our walls that ignore the regulations. The ones who are supposed to be ensuring our safety, those being paid to look out for our wellbeing, are blatantly ignoring CDC Guidelines, while still demanding we attend in-person classes and provide our undivided attention. This is not at all for our safety.

I know I am not the only one who is hurt by the lack of sincerity from our administration. I personally reached out to the president about these concerns, and only received an informal response full of spelling errors and disrespect. This is not how administration should be responding to the students paying thousands of dollars to attend YCP. The students that make our college what it is. Without us, York would be nothing. They cannot treat us as if we are not the soul of YCP.

I’m sorry. I’m sorry our administration is failing us. I’m sorry that you’re homesick. I’m sorry that you’re struggling under the weight of too much. I’m sorry professors are not allowing a break. I’m sorry that you want to go home. I’m sorry for those of you who struggle with maintaining mental health like me, and I’m sorry for those of you who may not feel as if you’re struggling, but just miss your normalcy. You are not alone, and we all stand together. That is why it is important for you to voice your concerns.

Speak up and speak out. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that your voice isn’t going to be heard. Stress to our administrators that their lack of care for us will not be tolerated. Fight for your education to be worth the amount that you’re paying to be here. Fight for those who are struggling; If not for yourself, for your peers. We are Spartans. Now is not the time to forget that.