Goodbye to the old campanile logo that we all know and love and say hello to Tech’s surprising and somewhat controversial new logo.

Met with lots of backlash from the student body for its apparent poor design that looks like it was made in Microsoft Word, the new logo is a part of a campus-wide rebrand that is an attempt from the Institute Communications to give Tech a more “modern” and “inclusive” feel to its brand-identity and to better align its academics with its athletic program.

So what’s changed and why does it matter? For starters, the typeface now looks much more rounded and arguably more feminine and modern. A pro of this change is that the font visually shows a “lighter” and “creative” side of Tech compared to the previous font which appeared much more bold and aggressive with a masculine, industrial edge to it.

While choosing a more inclusive font was a great idea, many students agree that the specific font was not the right choice. Rather than representing a higher level institution, students think the logo’s font looks elementary and not as professional as the previous logo.

When placed next to the interlocking GT logotype, the font looks mismatched and slightly condensed, which results in a busy image rather than the originally-intended minimalist look.

In addition, the “T” in the logotype doesn’t line up with the “T” in the typeface, which looks like the words “Georgia Tech” were merely copied and pasted next to GT logotype rather than purposely placed there.

From a design perspective, we think that choosing a font in the same family as the logomark and realigning the typeface and the logotype would give the logo an overall more cohesive, professional look that aligns better with how the Institute wants to present itself.

Another change in the logo design is the color choice. Instead of a monochrome design like in the campanile logo, the new logo is now gold and navy blue, which reflects the recent change in Tech’s color palette to Tech gold, navy blue and white. We think that having two colors splits the image in half and doesn’t look as visually appealing or unified as using just one color. There is a design trend among higher institutions and corporations that’s moving away from the original, detailed logo designs and towards minimalism. If you look at prestigious educational institutions like Harvard and Columbia University, all of their logos and brand identities look virtually identical, with the university’s seal on the left and the university’s common name spelled out on the right in a simple font — Tech didn’t just think of this change overnight.

With the recent rise in Tech’s national ranking as a prestigious, well-known university, we think that the institute is trying to mold its brand to keep up with the other prestigious, household-name higher institutions to appeal to prospective students.

Between the addition of the exhibition hall and the new student center being built to getting rid of the Tech Trolley, one thing is for sure — campus is changing, and Tech is moving further and further away from the geeky school it used to be that many students knew coming into college only a couple years ago.

It feels like Tech is obsessed with competing and innovating, rather than fostering the quirks that makes the school unique. Before the start of the school year, the institute’s logo wasn’t something that many students thought about or had much of an opinion on. It was just something that was ingrained into everyday life as a Tech student, and students are now only paying attention to it because of the sudden change. We are not used to the way it looks yet, so it inevitably looks strange to us.

At the end of the day, it does not matter what font size or colors are in our logo. All the changes that are happening on campus are making it hard for students to feel at home here and find familiarity.

We want to preserve the Tech that we all know and love.

Upon returning to Tech for the start of the school year, there was something exciting about seeing books covering the shelves of Price Gilbert Library.

The sight of real, physical books fills students with a sense of optimism, a feeling for many that had long been suppressed over the past year and a half that took a toll on the mental health of many members of the Tech community.

A library holds more than just a collection of resources — it represents the university’s identity as a center of learning and innovation, a place where students turn to for information about the world around them.

With Tech being an “institute of technology,” it is no surprise that the university has reinvented its library to be an extensive online database.

Accessible from anywhere in the world, this online library holds a wide variety of articles, journals, archives and everything in between to aid students in their research and academic ambitions.

It is a reflection of Tech’s fundamental values as an institution — innovation, curiosity and the strive for excellence.

While an online library is a fantastic resource for its accessibility and wide range of resources, many students can agree there is something missing from Tech’s library. The experience of physically walking into a massive library full of books, old and new, and perusing through the aisles is comforting and nostalgic in a way that merely typing into a search bar on a database will never be, similar to the way that scrolling through an eBook off the internet can never compare to the sensation of flipping through the pages of a physical book in your hand.

Going to a library is more than just about getting resources; it is an immersive, sensory experience and a timeless escape from the outside world.

Yes, there are now books at Price, but the authentic library experience is missing. At Tech, the library is just a building, the books on the shelves are just placeholders and the immersive experience of a quintessential university library is replaced with a space solely intended to be a location to get work done on your laptop.

Tech’s culture of efficiency and progress is reflected in its spaces. If you go into most of Tech’s buildings, they all have a modern, technologically centered aesthetic with lots of metal, glass and neutral colors, and when combined with an online campus library, these aspects reflect the university’s values and goals.

While this is fitting and motivating for some students, it doesn’t have a human-feel to it which can have damaging effects on overall stress-levels and mental health. Just being around books has a de-stressing effect, so a book-filled library could provide students with a comfortable environment to feel more at ease.

Tech’s newly reinstalled physical library isn’t exactly what people think of when talking about a university library. While some colleges have multiple floors, and sometimes buildings, that have dedicated books sections for different areas of study, Tech just has three floors of the Price Gilbert Library with three bookshelves leaning against the wall.

The sections are not very large either, with what looks like less than fifty books in each section.

The biggest section is the computer science books section, which is ironic because it is filled with books that are outdated and full of information that can easily be found online.

There is a science fiction section near the entrance of Crosland Tower, but that only seems to be there for exhibition purposes. Tech’s library is not what we were hoping for, but the effort is appreciated.

The start of the new school year has without a doubt been an adjustment for everyone on campus. Whether you’re a first year coming to college for the very first time, a second or third year who has never experienced in-person classes or a fourth year who feels like their college experience has flown by, being on campus this fall in a quasi-pandemic state has been strange to say the least and no one has a true sense of “normal.”

In the 2020-2021 school year, Georgia Tech defied the odds of a successful pandemic school year with the help of regular COVID-19 testing, social distancing measures and the transition to an online learning format.

Despite all of the challenges thrown at us, Tech persevered, and life on campus molded its own new “normal” that has now left students and staff with the realization that traditional in-person classes may not always be the best learning environment as we had previously thought.

With the online class format, Tech students were allowed more flexibility and personalization in their schedules that had never before been available pre-pandemic.

The ability to take classes wherever you would like, whether it be in your bedroom, at the CULC with friends or sitting in a hammock on Tech Green, was a positive result of online learning that decreased students’ stress-levels of having to plan out time in their day to walk across campus to physically get to class on time, not to mention the anxieties that come along with sitting in a large lecture hall or asking a question in class.

It also created new study habits, such as rewatching lectures and pausing to take notes, that have allowed for students to learn at their own pace and are more mindful of the way that different students learn best.

Additionally, the online format broke barriers by opening up opportunities for students to get more involved with campus organizations that were previously unattainable due to location, in-person scheduling conflicts or transportation issues.

The need to physically be at a location to engage in an activity is now out of question, and this newfound accessibility can be extended to propagating education to people who otherwise wouldn’t have access to it. Online learning leveled the playing field for students and ultimately redefined what a quality education at Georgia Tech looks like, which is something that we as an institution should keep in mind going forward.

Of course, there were some downsides to last year’s online learning. Staring at a screen all day was draining, and students not having a routine place to be can leave some feeling unmotivated to leave their dorm or apartment. It was often hard to focus in class and motivation to attend and keep up with lectures dwindled as the year went on.

Mental health declined across the overall student body, as students felt more isolated than ever— many didn’t know anyone in their online classes and were never given an opportunity to learn the names and faces of their peers, which left them feeling disconnected from those around them and from Tech as a whole.

Now that classes are back in person, there is still some confusion as to what guidelines are put in place and how to go about searching for normalcy again. Unlike last year where masks wearing was strictly enforced, masks are merely “suggested” this semester, which has led to division across the student body and staff due to differences in comfort-levels, beliefs and courtesy of others.

It has also been challenging for students learning to adjust when it feels like there is no clear path, goal or campus unity guiding us in the right direction.

With everyone having different expectations of how the school year is going to look like, Tech is faced with yet another challenge of how to go about providing a quality, inclusive education and college experience that is mindful of the diversity of experiences and comfort-levels of its community at large.

While neither in-person nor online classes seem to be the perfect solution, a proposed hybrid class mode could act as a potential transition period that will give the Tech community time to adjust and come together again for a better future.

The Consensus Opinion reflects the majority opinion of the Editorial Board of the Technique, but not necessarily the opinions of individual editors.

During the 1968 Summer Olympics, U.S. sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos bowed their heads on the medal platform as the “The Star-Spangled Banner” played and raised their fists as a sign of protest. In his autobiography, Smith stated that the gesture was not a “Black Power” salute, but rather a “human rights” salute. Nonetheless, the demonstration has been referenced as one of the most political statements in the history of the Olympic games.

Years later, we are reminded of this instance through Gwen Berry, a track and field athlete, who recently competed in the women’s hammer throw final at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials. Berry sparked controversy as she turned away from the American Flag during the national anthem while standing on the podium after receiving a bronze medal. Prior to this, Berry also raised a fist during the 2019 Pan American Games, for which she was placed on probation.

After considering the historical context and the larger implications of individual demonstrations during the Olympic games and trials leading up to it, the Technique believes it is necessary to uphold the political neutrality of the 2020 Summer Olympic Games and maintain Rule 50 of the Olympic charter which partly reads: “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”

Berry claims that her protest was against the historical racism that the song represents and that she would not stand or acknowledge something that disrespected her people. While we believe that Berry had the right to demonstrate her beliefs during the U.S. trials, it is important to consider that not every athlete who will be competing at the international level of the Olympics has the same freedom to do so.

The ability to protest is a privilege that constituents of the United States have, but it is not a luxury afforded to every Olympic athlete by their own country, and one of the reasons why the Olympic games push for political neutrality is to protect athletes from political interference or exploitation. Rule 50’s prohibition from political demonstration on the international stage is also put into place to protect people from negative expressions, like someone raising their hand in a Nazi salute.

The Olympic games are undoubtedly political to a degree, with sports and politics being tied to national identities by raising a sense of pride for countries with award-winning athletes, but it is important to consider whether the Olympic stage is the best platform to express one’s personal beliefs or if there are more effective ways to do so elsewhere.

We find that there is enough value in making an international stage as apolitical as possible as a measure to protect athletes, for there is a thin line between expressing your personal beliefs publicly versus being used as a political pawn to push a country or politician’s agenda.

This semester, the recurring issue of whether or not to make a change to “The Ramblin’ Wreck” fight song has come up again.

In February we reported on the school chairs requesting that the word “cheer” be replaced with “join” in the line “Oh! If I had a daughter, sir, I’d dress her in White and Gold, And put her on the campus to cheer the brave and bold.”

Since then SGA held a referendum on the issue and undergraduate and graduate students were able to vote for or against the change during the March election cycle.

This vote came about after the administration suggested that students be involved in the decision. Although this vote will not make the final decision, it will be used to gauge how the student body feels about the lyric change.
The Technique Editorial Staff believes that although the change might make strides towards gender equality on campus, we do not believe it is the end-all-be-all in challenging sexism at Tech.

We believe changing the lyric is a slippery slope because not only are there other problematic lines in the fight song but also other traditional Tech songs.

If we change this one word, where do we draw the line on other modifications down the line? There are bigger issues at hand that need to be addressed and the changing of the song should fall near the bottom of the list.

We believe that even if this change is made, it may only be a form of performative activism.

Making this change may appease some students momentarily, but at the end of the day, more needs to be done. It is imperative that we don’t let this issue distract us from the bigger inequities between genders at Tech.

However, this push to change one word should not be dismissed as unimportant or as a non-issue.

This referendum has started a conversation among this generation of Tech students. The institution has changed quite a bit since the conception of The Ramblin’ Wreck” fight song and the world is now a much different place.

Tradition is not necessarily a good excuse for keeping lyrics that some individuals believe to be sexist. While our board does not feel strongly for or against the modification of the song, we recognize that changing this one word is one step towards feeling more included at Tech.

Likewise, we believe that not supporting this change and holding our institution accountable should not be seen as mutually exclusive.

Even if students feel indifferent towards whether or not the lyric is changed, we should all be able to recognize that gender discrimination is a real issue at Tech. Whether Tech changes the lyric and makes a big demonstration about it, or doesn’t make the change, we must hold our institution to a higher standard.

The fact that this issue continues to come up is significant in and of itself. There are many alumni that feel like it should not be changed because it didn’t bother them while they were here.

Some fight against the change as though every word of the fight song is integral to Tech’s traditions. With that being said, we believe that current students should have the most weight in making this decision.

Moreover, people will sing whatever they want and the changing of one word truly is a technicality. Even if it is changed in one place does not mean it will easily be changed everywhere.

The numerous naysayers will simply just not say the modified lyric. The same thing can also be said for those that are advocating for the lyric change. If the words are not ultimately swapped then they can still sing “join” instead of “cheer.” There is no one stopping individuals from saying whichever lyric they want.

All in all, The Technique Editorial Board believes that the issue of changing the Ramblin’ Wreck” fight song will not make or break the institution.

It’s less about what they do when everyone is looking and more about what is done behind closed doors.

There is a large gender inequality issue at Tech. It continue to prevail in both the social and academic spheres of the institution. Whether they change the lyrics or don’t will do very little for women at Tech as a whole, but there is a chance that it might detract from the issues at hand. If the change is ultimately made, the Board cautions against assuming that it solved sexism on campus.

The Consensus Opinion reflects the majority opinion of the Editorial Board of the Technique, but not necessarily the opinions of individual editors.

This 2021 undergraduate Student Government Association (SGA) presidential race has been like no other, and both Kyle Smith and Salmata Barrie and Sam Ellis and Ajanta Choudhury have run phenomenal campaigns. However, the Technique Editorial Board has decided to endorse Kyle and Salmata as the upcoming SGA President and Vice President.

One major element is that Kyle already has a year of experience under his belt, having already served as SGA Vice President during one of the most unprecedented times this Institute has ever faced. We hope that electing Kyle and Salmata will allow them the time to further their efforts that were slowed or suspended due to the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic. We also recognize the fact that many in their team are people not traditionally involved in top SGA leadership, and we are excited to see many fresh faces, including the extremely qualified Salmata herself. Finally, we were impressed with the thoroughness and feasibility of their one-year plan.

While Sam and Ajanta offer very specific and creative goals to create change on campus, in many instances, they do not demonstrate a clear plan and course of action for bringing these exciting ideas into fruition. On the other hand, Kyle and Salmata’s overarching goals are much more vague than Sam and Ajanta’s, but they more than make up for it by offering objective ways to measure their success within the broad goals. We believe that it is imperative to support the candidate that has the most achievable plan and not just the one whose ideas sound the most attractive.

More than each campaign’s websites and social media, the debate held by the Technique offered insight into what Tech could look like under the leadership of both candidates. We believe that leaders in the SGA should be approachable and passionate about what they do. These qualities shine through with Kyle, who, even after holding a stressful position in student leadership during a very difficult time for the Institute, is not only willing to do it all again, but take up a role with even bigger responsibility and higher visibility. During the debate, we could clearly see the passion that Kyle had for leading the student body. He was humble and transparent, admitting when he did not have an answer to a question and being realistic about the limitations of SGA. This type of honesty and accountability is what we look for in a leader.

Moreover, while Sam and Ajanta were enthusiastic during the debate and stayed dedicated to their platform, many of their promised goals, such as creating a bar on Tech Square, suspending ticketing on non-event weekends and raising the temperature of all the buildings, left us confused as to how they were actually going to get it done. Examination of their platform did not resolve those questions. Further, we wonder if some of these more outlandish ideas actually bring into question the campaign’s dedication to many more pressing issues on campus. While Kyle and Salmata’s goals are not as flashy and lofty as Sam and Ajanta’s, we recognize that they have a concise and, more importantly, transparent plan.

It should be noted that although we endorse Kyle and Salmata for President and Vice President, we do not think their platform is perfect. To improve their vision, we recommend a greater emphasis on mental health services, a more thorough plan for sustainability and a plan to better bridge the gap between student organizations and SGA.

After all the difficulties of this year, the student body needs candidates that make their individual voices feel heard and appreciated. We need people with the humility to admit they do not know everything. We need people who will prioritize fostering a more diverse and representative leadership at Tech. We need people who offer a unique perspective on the needs of campus. We need people who understand the limits of the President position and will pursue actually achievable goals. Finally, we need people who are transparent and communicative and have shown a willingness to defer to the opinions of the student body at Tech. Kyle and Salmata can be those people for the Institute, and we confidently endorse them for President and Vice President.

In the last year, many have relied upon social media as a means to escape from or cope with what seems like the world going up in flames. All within 365 days, we have lived through two pandemics: the coronavirus and systemic racism, both of which are still ongoing.

We watched our smartphones and other devices became our new best friends and for others their worst enemies. While there is a multitude of benefits to using social media during a pandemic, there are also numerous issues to take into account.

Because many people are still working and learning from home, it is no surprise that there has been an uptick in social media use.

For some, posting on social media is a way to vent their feelings and express themselves. Social media gives users the power to create the narrative that they want others to see.

It is hard enough trying to maintain relationships with friends and family, but attempting to platonically or romantically meet new people is in a league of its own.

However, because it is harder to meet new people, more single individuals are using dating apps making it less taboo. The pandemic has somewhat evened the playing field for those looking for love by promoting online dating.

Other platforms that prioritize communication between users like Discord have also seen a spike in users. This platform is most notable for creating some semblance of having group hangouts with friends. Another favorite app for communication is Snapchat due to its casual and low-stakes nature. The one thing both of these apps have in common is that neither of them makes users mindlessly scroll through content.

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Tiktok are some of the most addicting platforms because they are designed to suck users in and keep them coming back. It starts with just setting aside a few minutes between classes to see what is going on in the outside world, but it can quickly transform into an unhealthy obsession. These apps pump their users full of stress and anxiety all in the name of social and political awareness. Likewise, they offer a way to live vicariously through celebrity you want, but in turn, inevitably make users feel insecure.

The more positive side of using these apps is that they can be used as a tool of observation of others and introspection of your own behavior on social media. We are now able to gain much greater insight into people that we thought we knew in real life based on their online behavior.

Moreover, apps like Instagram have become slightly more casual in what everyday users are posting. A more raw and authentic photo instead of a professional allows for users to better relate and feel more comfortable being themselves online.

This past summer social media allowed anyone with access to a smartphone to take part in a civil rights movement.

The majority of those that partook in digital advocacy were well-intentioned and would attend in-person protests if they could, but there are a handful of users that viewed the Black Lives Matter movement as a trend. Those engaging in performative activism and riding on the coattails of those that actually care are a disgrace to the movement. Advocating for a cause is not something to check off your list. It is imperative that users understand an infographic before resharing it and take the time to recognize any content as misinformation before posting it.

This past year has changed social media behaviors in a myriad of ways. Users are more conscious of what they post and how it impacts others.

Social media has become a means to bridge the disconnect between ourselves and the outside world. Although it has its misgivings, without it we would most likely feel even more alone during these unprecedented times.

The current elected undergraduate Student Government Association (SGA) officials Brielle Lonsberry and Kyle Smith took office during an extremely unprecedented time last spring and despite that, have still managed to make great strides within the Tech community. In a time when transparency was needed most, they were there to bridge the gap between SGA and the rest of Tech’s student body.

During times of inevitable speculation, this administration made sure to set the record straight and provide concrete facts instead of tip-toeing around important issues. Whether it was advocating for Black lives or international students, this administration showed up for the Tech community.

Although the platform that Brielle and Kyle ran on past spring was not fully fulfilled, it is more than reasonable for them to have turned their attention to combatting COVID-19. A few of the major issues they planned to tackle were further implementing minimester, integrating mental health curriculum into GT 1000/2000 courses and launching the Menstrual Product Plan.

We recognize that other failed initiatives having to do with transportation may have also become secondary due to the mere fact that there are fewer people using the service because of COVID-19.

One specific initiative that SGA deserves to be commended for is their involvement in the “Wreck the Vote” campaign that served nearly 2,000 voters at McCamish Pavillion. They ensured that this polling place was entirely run by student poll workers and lead by SGA’s Vice President of External Affairs. Likewise, SGA’s involvement with the “Jackets Protect Jackets” program, where members handed out thousands of personal protective equipment kits the first week of school, left a notable imprint on students.

SGA President, Brielle Lonsberry, should be recognized for her spearheading of the Sexual Violence Advisory Committee and advocating for Title IX after the Department of Education brought forth reforms to sexual assault complaint procedures. This committee then partnered with other Student Government Associations within the USG system to back a Title IX reform that “prioritizes the mental health and well-being of survivors.”

Lonsberry was also responsible for leading surveys and focus groups pertaining to safely returning to campus in the fall. Moreover, she led and moderated town hall meetings that discussed pertinent issues like the rising of COVID-19 cases. After the Department of Homeland Security ruled to restrict international student’s visa lengths, Lonsberry advocated against it and wrote to senators Loeffler and Purdue.

Executive Vice President, Kyle Smith, was a student member of the Health and Safety Task Force and also met with President Cabrera over the summer to discuss students’ needs and concerns prior to returning to campus.

In June of last year, Smith also helped compose a statement with the Graduate SGA that backed the Black Lives Matter movement. Likewise, Smith was also behind efforts to reform GTPD and allow students to be involved in the interview process of potential GTPD candidates. He has presented GTPD with outreach approaches that will better serve all Tech students. Although we are quite pleased with all these efforts made and all their other contributions as well, there are still changes that need to be made. We believe that implementing mental health into GT 1000/2000 courses is crucial. Additionally, the Menstrual Product Plan should be more widespread than ten residence hall bathrooms. We would also like to see a push for more inclusive housing options for transgender and non-binary students.

This past year, Brielle and Kyle have had to lead us through numerous world events, but have managed to still run a transparent and successful administration. We believe that because of their leadership this school year has gone much smoother than expected.

The current elected undergraduate Student Government Association (SGA) officials Brielle Lonsberry and Kyle Smith took office during an extremely unprecedented time last spring and despite that, have still managed to make great strides within the Tech community. In a time when transparency was needed most, they were there to bridge the gap between SGA and the rest of Tech’s student body.

During times of inevitable speculation, this administration made sure to set the record straight and provide concrete facts instead of tip-toeing around important issues. Whether it was advocating for Black lives or international students, this administration showed up for the Tech community.

Although the platform that Brielle and Kyle ran on past spring was not fully fulfilled, it is more than reasonable for them to have turned their attention to combatting COVID-19. A few of the major issues they planned to tackle were further implementing minimester, integrating mental health curriculum into GT 1000/2000 courses and launching the Menstrual Product Plan.

We recognize that other failed initiatives having to do with transportation may have also become secondary due to the mere fact that there are fewer people using the service because of COVID-19.

One specific initiative that SGA deserves to be commended for is their involvement in the “Wreck the Vote” campaign that served nearly 2,000 voters at McCamish Pavillion. They ensured that this polling place was entirely run by student poll workers and lead by SGA’s Vice President of External Affairs. Likewise, SGA’s involvement with the “Jackets Protect Jackets” program, where members handed out thousands of personal protective equipment kits the first week of school, left a notable imprint on students.

SGA President, Brielle Lonsberry, should be recognized for her spearheading of the Sexual Violence Advisory Committee and advocating for Title IX after the Department of Education brought forth reforms to sexual assault complaint procedures. This committee then partnered with other Student Government Associations within the USG system to back a Title IX reform that “prioritizes the mental health and well-being of survivors.”

Lonsberry was also responsible for leading surveys and focus groups pertaining to safely returning to campus in the fall. Moreover, she led and moderated town hall meetings that discussed pertinent issues like the rising of COVID-19 cases. After the Department of Homeland Security ruled to restrict international student’s visa lengths, Lonsberry advocated against it and wrote to senators Loeffler and Purdue.

Executive Vice President, Kyle Smith, was a student member of the Health and Safety Task Force and also met with President Cabrera over the summer to discuss students’ needs and concerns prior to returning to campus.

In June of last year, Smith also helped compose a statement with the Graduate SGA that backed the Black Lives Matter movement. Likewise, Smith was also behind efforts to reform GTPD and allow students to be involved in the interview process of potential GTPD candidates. He has presented GTPD with outreach approaches that will better serve all Tech students. Although we are quite pleased with all these efforts made and all their other contributions as well, there are still changes that need to be made. We believe that implementing mental health into GT 1000/2000 courses is crucial. Additionally, the Menstrual Product Plan should be more widespread than ten residence hall bathrooms. We would also like to see a push for more inclusive housing options for transgender and non-binary students.

This past year, Brielle and Kyle have had to lead us through numerous world events, but have managed to still run a transparent and successful administration. We believe that because of their leadership this school year has gone much smoother than expected.

It is no secret that these past two semesters have turned every student’s life upside down, but now that we have a vaccination plan underway should we expect the fall semester to be any different? Although it seems as though we are moving closer to pre-COVID life, there are still many hurdles to overcome.

Recently, Tech football announced that come this fall Bobby Dodd would be going back to 100% capacity. This drastic change is most likely the first of many to come and although we all want to get back to a world where there isn’t a pandemic happening, we cannot ignore the facts.

Although we would rather leave behind the majority of the lifestyle changes that we have had to make in order to stay safe, there are a few habits we should bring with us into the fall semester.

For instance, having access to synchronous and asynchronous classes allows students to be anywhere from the comfort of their home. With the majority of classes being taped and available for rewatching, students no longer have to worry about being sick and missing classes or even missing just a minute of the lecture.

As long as class times are adhered to and there is not a clear disparate between remote and in-person workloads, then these formats will continue to be beneficial to students. Another aspect of campus life that has been made better by doing almost everything remote is being able to attend events that you would typically not be able to attend in-person. Being able to join a club meeting has never been easier and it makes you wonder why we always insisted on meeting in person?

Along with bringing class formatting similar to the spring semester, we should also keep masks mandatory on campus for the fall semester. Because the efficiency of the vaccination rollout is in the hands of the state and not Tech, we must be extra cautious when it comes time to return to campus. We also need to continue to clean high-traffic areas on a more continuous basis.

Almost every student can agree that COVID-19 has taken something from them either academically or socially. It could be as big as losing out on an internship opportunity or as seemingly minuscule as not being able to make any new friends. The Technique Editorial Staff has hope that each and every student will get to feel like they are apart of a whole again very soon. Whether that’s in the fall or a year from now, it depends on all of us. We are also optimistic that the Tech administration will do what is best for its students’ health and safety.