Spring Semester

 

I was on campus yesterday over at Salt Lake Community College. I had gone over there because there is a kiosk for my credit union which makes retrieving cash a lot easier than either trying to get cash for the market using my bank card or jumping the bus going to the credit union itself, which I might add is very convenient in that it's just one bus transfer away. Convenient yes but still, pain in the butt specially in this cold weather. Yesterday was the first day of classes this semester. Everything was working at the student union even the cash machine. Over the holiday break I tried to use machine and it was out of commission not anymore. There were lots of kids run around, not as many as one would think for first day back but I guess a lot of students are online learning.

I was glad to note the cafeteria was functioning. The grill was the only thing operational the other food service part of the student union wasn't working but you can still order breakfast, hamburgers and a host of sandwiches. No pizza but the coffee bar was open and functional. Masked students were everywhere many asleep in their usual spots on the many booths scattered around the cafeteria. I enjoyed being back. I had not intended, really to entertain the notion of taking a class this spring but the young bodies buzzing back and forth began fanning a low key academic ember. I thought to myself for five bucks I could take a course and just sit in. You remember last year took the art class. It was challenging, not the art class per se though the art class really was too, but the process to take the course. I had spent a lot of time getting my ducks in a row to take the course. I had not even thought about taking another course until this day. Suddenly, I wanted to use my student number and enroll in one course or another in order to better identify with this group of folks. I wandered through the bookstore looking at art supplies and school supplies in general. I looked at the spring line of clothes all embossed with the school logo – – my way of saying, “hey look at me! I belong”. I wandered back to the front of the student union by the information kiosk and asked when classes would begin. I was informed classes begin today and there is still time to enroll. I think the young person who assisted me and backed away from the window. She also had informed me that some of the classes were in person while others for virtual and some were both. It all sounded very complicated enough so that I wasn't sure if I wanted to try classes this spring. Maybe, after I get my vaccinations up-to-date and feel relatively safe in the “after time”. I don't know if I will ever feel that safe again. But still I like to have a valid reason to be on campus and to feel like I'm still alive. I think I better wait on good unvaccinated just so that I don't get that Covid sucker punch to wreck my whole summer…