COVID-19: And It’s Affect on Journalism Professor at UNK

Journalism lecturer Rob Breeding expressed with me the affects of COVID-19 he’s experiencing yesterday, via Zoom.

Breeding teaches News Writing and Photography, Writing for the Media and Advanced Reporting and Editing. He is also the faculty adviser to The Antelope, UNK’s student newspaper.

From not seeing his students throughout the week, to a change in work environment; it’s safe to say life as a professor has drastically changed in this past month.

But Breeding has found light during these times of uncertainty. He says, “one of the silver linings in all of this, is that I’ve really been able to reconnect with my daughter in a great way.”

Breeding expressed his concern about how his daughter was living in Boston earlier this year. Rob knew when things were starting to unravel in New York, he needed to get his daughter out of Boston. “We’ve pretty much been isolated since,” says Breeding.

Since UNK’s recent campus closing due to COVID-19, Professor Breeding is working from home. “The university allowed me to take my computer home. So I grabbed the box of books that I knew I would need.”

And that’s when things gets real; when the university tells you to grab your necessities and get out out.

But none of this makes up for the fact that this pandemic stripped relationships away between students and professors a month before graduation.

“I miss being in the classroom. And I think that makes sense. There’s a couple of aspects of that. One of which is I really thrive off the interaction I have with students,” said Breeding.

With this being Professor Breedings second year at UNK, he’s created relationships with faculty and students within the Communications Department.

“I’m starting to sort of assemble a cohort of students who know me fairly well and are comfortable talking, visiting and being in my office. And I I miss that aspect of it. I’m naturally more of an introverted kind of person, but in my role as a journalism instructor, I get to be extroverted. By the nature of the position. And so that’s good for me.”

It just goes to show that professors aren’t taking this pandemic as an “extra month of summer vacation,” but rather are upset on how sudden everything just stopped. Sporting events, school events, in-person classes and now public parks are closed.

And that’s something seniors will never get back. Whether they are in high school or college, closure isn’t possible for some of us, during these trying times.

“I kind of realized after, there’s a certain number of kids that I won’t ever see again,” said Breeding.

“Usually there’s more of a process where you say goodbye to people. And in this case, we just didn’t get to say goodbye. They’re just suddenly gone. There’s a few students that I’ve had for a couple years that I know are graduating.”

This is just one of the many sad truths and affects of COVID-19 on both professor and student life.

But, as the days continue to go by day-by day, maybe this time should be used to be still with ourselves. Allowing ourselves to better understand ourselves and others. Although closure isn’t something that is absolutely necessary, it is nice.

So I think it’s important to stay connected and reach out to peer, friends, neighbors and mentors. During these times of isolation, we must remember our strengths and how we can still find light in the darkest of days, as well as maintain relationships with those who were cut off abruptly.