As Covid-19 continues to rampage through the United States, Linfield approaches one year since its previous Covid shut-down, enacting home quarantine and isolation for nearly every student. Yes, one year ago in mid-March, the coronavirus forced our campus to close. Students were sent into an online, distanced way of learning that still remains at least partially in place.

As we approach a year since Covid-19 shut down the country for the first time, students are reflecting on what they miss most about the world they used to know. While the hassles of masks, constant disinfecting, and not being able to see one another regularly are all annoying aspects of the pandemic, what students are really missing is human contact and connection. 

Students responded to an Instagram survey with their longings to see people again. Several mentioned missing regular touch, like being able to hug their friends without risking one another’s lives in the process. Seeing partners, family, friends, and the elderly also fell high on the list. 

Collectively, our community misses concerts, events, and on-campus projects that would previously have allowed group gatherings and contact (which is a no-go in current times). People miss indoor dining, live theatre, Disneyland and other theme parks, and being able to vacation like normal. 

Without a doubt, our student population is craving the ability to love one another in ways we used to be able to. The days previous, in which we weren’t constantly monitoring for a deadly virus and changing every aspect of our personal lives to try to stay safe. It is growing old fast, and we are all clearly missing the ways we used to be able to live.