Abigail Semple is the Student Government Association’s executive treasurer for the 2019-2020 academic year. 

I wish this wasn’t happening. I wish I could finish my senior year on campus, I wish I could have all the traditions that the graduating classes before me had, I wish I could be with my friends in groups larger than 10. And I know we all wish we could get some sort of reimbursement for classes moving online. But unfortunately, this sucks and we can’t have all our wishes granted.

Tuition is our college’s main source of income. Even though many of us are currently continuing our education from home, our professors still need to be paid, our staff still need to be paid, for the students who are unable to go home the lights in the building need to stay on and meals still need to be prepared.

I understand the frustration from students, none of us signed up for this. We didn’t pay tens of thousands of dollars to take our classes online. But, the world didn’t sign up for Covid-19.

Our administrations are doing their best, making decisions that are both in the best interest for the health and wellbeing of students while also working to ensure a degree from Emerson College means something. Covid-19 is going to cause a lot of schools to close permanently, I don’t want Emerson to be one of them.

Our endowment is tiny. I know no one wants to talk about donating right now, but in a few years when you get a call from Emerson College asking if you would like to donate think back to right now. Our endowment allows for scholarships, creates opportunities for students and allows for our college to give financial assistance.

In these dark and uncertain times we need to care for one another, we need to stay informed, and we need to be understanding when it comes to the difficult, unfavorable decisions being made.