Dear Virginia Tech,
My home away from home. Your heavy rainstorms that lull me to sleep night after night and your bright rays of sunshine that stripe the Drillfield and beckon flocks of students to lay on your always green grass.
Why do you let your students suffer in their darkest hour? Why do you turn a blind eye to those struggling to finish their third assignment of the day as the worry about next month’s rent creeps behind?
Have you heard of the ones with relatives who have passed from this virus? Did you know that they refuse to spend time letting their tears fall for fear of falling behind in class? Are you aware of the disproportionate Wi-Fi signals across households, lagging day after day, that leave many lost and frustrated? There is more to be done than send weekly emails full of words that float across the page but register no meaning to their recipients.
I know that I am not alone when I say that I demand action. Year after year you promote Giving Day and celebrate it like a national holiday; students and supporters of our prized university rush to your aid, but can you say that you have done the same?
Virginia Tech helps apartment complexes advertise first and foremost to students. There are bi-annual off-campus housing fairs and flyers left and right. Why is it that they fail to consider the mental and financial stress their residents have undergone since online classes began? Most amenities have closed and clubhouse hours are limited. What if your janitors only promised to clean up the important stuff? Would you honestly continue to pay full price for a portion of what you bargained for?
Your students are begging for answers and help. I urge you to provide them with the care that you claim you have.
Sincerely,
A nervous wreck of a student