OBASEKI | Dealing With The Coming Pandemic

Something is spreading among the student population: a fast-approaching scourge that will inevitably infect a significant portion of Cornell and other schools alike. Specific to seniors, this condition risks a student’s mental, academic and even physical well-being. Often dismissed jokingly, “Senioritis” still yields serious consequences for a small portion of students whose life circumstances may compound in a perfect storm of depression, apathy and burnout.

In a time when a mental health crisis is inflicting our youth, a decline in motivation and academic performance is something we should all take seriously. Especially given that many of us will apply to graduate schools, we should stay vigilant about our academics. Whether you’re wide-eyed and optimistic about a future beyond college, or a hardened senior, dreary at the thought of one more winter in Ithaca, you mustn’t underestimate when and how you can be affected by senioritis.

TAARIQ-SIDIBE | You Are Not Lazy, You Are In A Pandemic

Some tasks that I once considered simple have now become taunting, such as starting an assignment, sending an email or eating three meals a day. Though the tasks themselves did not change, my perception of them and the conditions in which they were completed, have. Since the start of the pandemic, many students and workers have been forced to adjust to new, functional environments. But our “new normal” has presented itself with its own set of challenges including potential harm to our physical and mental health. According to a study by the CDC, “Three out of four Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 report poor mental health tied to the pandemic.” Moreover, the same study reports that “80 percent of students around the country say that COVID has negatively impacted their mental health, their spiritual health, and career aspirations”.