Like every university, this spring we had to quickly and messily convert our honors classes at the University of Arkansas to a virtual delivery format. By the May intersession, most of us were still feeling shell shocked but Dean Lynda Coon (UA Honors College) soon realized the power of virtual engagement as she gathered faculty and experts for a pop-up class called Pandemic. This panel of a dozen experts, as well as Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, took on the crisis even as it was (and still is) unfolding. Sessions explored the current medical and political scene, the history of pandemics, an introduction to zoonotic viruses, the economic impact of the crisis, as well as the public health implications locally, nationally and internationally.
In a light bulb moment, we realized that the virtual class format was also ideal for including students from our other Honors Arkansas schools. (Honors Arkansas is a consortium of honors deans and directors from programs across all honors programs in the state.) We were delighted to welcome students from John Brown University, the University of Central Arkansas, Arkansas State University, Northwest Arkansas Community College, Arkansas State University at Mountain Home and Three Rivers, as well as National Park College. While the virtual format has its challenges, we would not have been as easily able to quickly and inexpensively gather these students together in a traditional class format.
This gathering gave us a forum for a variety of student voices that we were able to showcase both as LinkedIn articles and on our Honors College blog. Take a moment to read some of their great articles linked below.
Read UA student Jonah Rapert’s understanding of the economic impact of the virus, and Sophia Gesualdi’s take on the supply chain issues best typified by the shortage of toilet paper. Jenny Wong works to understand scapegoating in the rush to understand who is to blame for the crisis. Sarah Svoboda, a senior from the University of Central Arkansas gives us insight into the Chinese perspective on the virus. Mandeep Kaur, a UA biochemistry and Spanish major, warns of the danger in using maps as fact.
Students from Arkansas’ two year colleges exemplified the excellent caliber of students at these institutions. NWACC’s Niala Gotel examines the current climate of xenophobia and the case for holistic thinking. Lauren Malte, transferring from Arkansas State University at Mountain Home to UA Fayetteville, begins with the wet markets as she relays the consequences of animal to human spillover. Finally Olivia Schapp, a recent transfer from NWACC to UA Fayetteville, cautions us about human-animal transmission as when she suggests that collaboration can save our cats during COVID-19.
The pop-up Pandemic Forum truly demonstrated the power of seizing opportunity in the midst of great challenge. As our leader at the UA Honors College likes to exhort,
“What is next??”