For many Sonoma State students and billions of people around the world, 2020 can’t end soon enough. This year has put everyone through an unprecedented stress test, and the true extent of the damage inflicted as a result of the combination of lockdowns, illness, fires, quarantines and economic disruptions remains to be seen.

We have experienced a rollercoaster of a year, a world-class competition of corruption and craziness that paraded as an election cycle, and a financial landscape that can only be described as ludicrous and illogical, as record stock market highs are manifest as if by magic, even though restaurants, bars and entertainment venues have been shuttered for months, and it is impossible to forecast trends in the midst of tumultuous regulations and obstructions to the free market. Everyone knows someone that has been impacted by the shutdowns of major industries, as millions have been laid off and lives have been upended across the globe. 

Through all of this turmoil and upheaval, students are left with the worst end of the deal. Opportunities to earn money are few and far between, and service industry jobs like bartending and waiting tables, that are typically the best paying options for students, are now a thing of the past. 

Tuition prices for online courses at four-year universities leave many students feeling cheated, and to those of us paying full price for a fraction of the amenities, it honestly feels like we paid for first-class tickets yet were seated in the baggage compartment of the plane. Sure, we will receive our degrees and “reach our destination,” but we’re not enjoying the immense offerings that come with interacting with diverse classmates, professors, deans and university staff. After spending months wrangling with virtual instruction after SSU went online in March as a result of the Coronavirus, it is now clear to students that Zoom and Canvas courses can never take the place of in-person instruction. 

Sitting at home in pajamas and meeting through an online platform is not a college experience. Taking social distancing to such an extreme is damaging in the long run, as social interaction and learning the intricacies of developing working relationships diplomatically is a skill that can only be learned through practice. 

Those graduating in 2020 are missing out on the hard-earned honor of walking across the stage in front of family and friends and celebrating their achievements with fellow graduates.

First-year students are unable to enjoy some of the most important rites of higher education. Campus activities and the ability to socialize and fraternize are an integral aspect of college life. Students need and thrive on the opportunity to work and party together, and the ability to relieve stress through much-deserved celebrations is an integral and vital part of university life, and the absence of these social events is disappointing and detrimental to our existence. 

These in-person interactions can not be understated in their value to students’ well-being. Some are looking for long-term love, while others are looking to have fun and/or hook up at parties and pub crawls, and it doesn’t matter what you’re looking for, it’s the act of looking and enjoying others’ company that makes life fun and exciting. Taking these experiences away from young adults is cruel and unusual punishment.

We are loving, social beings that build communities out of both desire and need, and the more we are driven apart by fear, ignorance and politics, the less healthy we are as a whole. In this time of extreme polarization and irrational fear, we must recognize that we are weaker when divided, and we must overcome our fears and reunite in order to overcome our obstacles. It is through the power of unity that our community can reach our full potential. We work best when we can look each other in the eye, communicate fully with facial expressions uninhibited by masks, and develop physical, emotional, and spiritual connections that allow us to better understand ourselves and the world around us. 

While the Coronavirus numbers may appear to be scary, as the media has their magic machine on full blast right now hyping mass fear and hysteria, it is important to remember that we have existed as civilizations for millennia, through the worst outbreaks with far fewer health care technologies than we currently possess. Humans are remarkably resilient creatures, and from a statistical standpoint there is absolutely no reason for society to be reacting with a sense of panic that causes more harm than the virus itself. 

If any good comes out of this god-forsaken year, may it be that society gains the mental acuity to see what is happening on a geopolitical level. At this point, everything should be questioned, and nothing should be assumed. If people are willing to take their newly found 20/20 vision and apply it to the bigger picture, critical thinkers will find it easy to see that the same actors benefit from most military ventures and crisis situations like the one we are currently enduring. By examining the means, motive and opportunity of any crime, one can follow the money and find the culprit. It is through education and awareness that the current cycles and vile nature of the status quo is defeated, as evil and ignorance are like cockroaches; when the light of knowledge shines, they flee back into hiding.

It is by coming together that we can overcome any challenge, no matter how insurmountable it may first appear. Divided, we are guaranteed to fail. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer insanity of the current situation, but present in the midst of this chaos are immense opportunities for leaders to step forward and offer progressive ideas and plans that benefit society and offer inclusive paths that create a sustainable future. Now is the time for benevolent, compassionate leaders to come forward and challenge the fallacies that lie at the root of inequality.