“I think it shaped my brain differently. I was in survival mode.”

Imani Ortiz graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee spring 2019, during the wake of COVID-19. Ortiz tells how the pandemic has affected her life after college. Before quarantine, I was planning a lot of celebratory things, graduating, moving out of state, working in my field (journalism) right away. The separation from the public sent me […]

“Even if I’m sluggish in the morning I’m like, ‘Hey, at least I get to go to school.'”

Graduate student Mary Beth Drabiszczak tells Grayson Sewell about navigating a new campus while it returns to in-person learning during a pandemic. (Grayson Sewell) With how crazy the past year, year-and-a-half, has been what would you say has had the biggest impact on you as a student? (Mary Beth Drabiszczak) I think, probably, having to […]

“I’m finally meeting more people and making real connections with them, too.”

Imanol Ruiz is film studies student at UW-Milwaukee. He talked with Cherita Booker about returning to campus during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Life back on campus has been different. I’m finally meeting more people and making real connections with them too. I enjoyed being alone and getting to have class from the comfort of my home, […]

“I was scared to come here, but now this place is just pathetic to me.”

For one freshman, the first few weeks of fall semester were marred by feelings of disappointment and anxiety. Zyhair Burkes came to UWM from Milwaukee Lutheran High School, where she says she encountered racism and insensitivity from staff and fellow students. In September, a video circulated of a UWM student using racial and homophobic slurs on […]

“It’s like I’ve forgotten how things work or how to act.”

Lauren Tomsa is a conservation and environmental science major and an art history minor. She transferred to UW-Milwaukee for her sophomore year in Fall 2020, and lived in Sandburg’s East tower for the academic year. Tomsa went from being a commuter at College of DuPage in Illinois for her freshman year to an online student […]

“Sometimes it does kind of feel like UWM isn’t always built for being a parent and a student.”

Clarisa Scott is a student at UW-Milwaukee who majors in education. She talked with Cherita Booker about returning to campus during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Booker) How has your experience been returning to campus during a pandemic? (Scott) My experience returning to campus is pretty positive, it seems like I haven’t really run into issues with […]

“Please, just go to your doctor. Stop coming to me for medical advice.”

Molly Kiley is a third-year biochemistry major at UW-Milwaukee. She told Lauren Breunig how the pandemic changed her relationship with science and her plans for the future. (Lauren Breunig) What drew you to studying biochemistry? (Molly Kiley) So ever since I was little, every like two or three years, someone that I’ve known has been […]

“The enforcement is where they really fall short.”

Thomas Raney is a sociology student at UWM. He talked with Ezra Quint life with covid at UWM. (Ezra Quint) How do you think UWM handled the pandemic? (Thomas Raney) I transferred to UWM during the pandemic last year and my first impression of the university was largely online. As far as I could tell […]

“Before covid started, I had an entirely different vision of what my future was going to be.”

Katie Hartman graduated with an Information Science and Technology degree at UW-Milwaukee during the Covid-19 pandemic. She talked to Elizabeth Charney about studying abroad. (Elizabeth Charney): So, you started the pandemic in South America while doing an internship, what happened? (Katie Hartman): I was doing my internship in Argentina when covid happened. When it started […]