QuinnFindley

The 1918 Spanish Flu and 2020 COVID-19 viruses have many similarities, however. The school quarantine for the flu lasted a mere few weeks, whereas the current has covered months. Now, schools across the world have the technology to continue education during a pandemic; the answer to all questions, Zoom. 

This fall semester colleges and universities have been thinking of creative ways to allow the school to continue, some adapting to a “hybrid” schedule in which students partially study through zoom and in person. Schools are requiring students to be tested before entering campus and trying to limit contact with other students. 

At the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, positive cases are updated every day to inform the student body of what is happening around them. Right now, the university is following a hybrid system. Grace Olsen ’20, living on campus right now, said that, “It depends on the class, but for most of them we have to zoom two days a week and are in-person on the third.” 

However, Creighton University’s classes have been 90 percent in person. To keep the students safe, the university has put in place multiple safety precautions. The President, Father Daniel Hendrickson, explained, “We have people who are quarantined if they’ve tested positive, and people who suspect any kind of exposure or they sense symptoms. They can quarantine on an isolated area of campus, or stay at  the Hilton DoubleTree.” 

Soon, Creighton will be setting up a mandatory testing system. Father Hendrickson said, “Our new testing program will operate like a lottery. It’s a way to test randomly around campus to reach all the different populations.” In order to keep everyone on campus as safe as possible, testing will become more common. 

High school students around Omaha have been following all types of schedules. Marian’s hybrid system currently allows the students to be in person for roughly half of the week. Omaha Public Schools are completely remote for a few more weeks, giving students iPads and internet access if needed. Some schools, like Papio La Vista and Millards schools, are fully in-person. However, all schools practicing hybrid and in-person learning are requiring students to wear a clean mask every day. 

All schools have had to adapt to the current changes. Luckily, compared to 1918, technology has grown to allow learning to continue. Remote learning has changed the day-to-day life of students nationwide.