Being back at Penn State, my home away from home, is a very bittersweet feeling. I am so happy to be healthy and reconnect with all of my friends that decided to come back to campus this semester. I get to walk downtown and see campus life once again- only this time there are some unusual things that must take place compared to previous semesters.

One main thing that is different is everybody wearing masks. I have seen almost every person downtown wearing a mask, which is good because I know that wearing a mask will allow my fellow students and I more time on campus (which is a VERY limited amount of time with online classes). Another unusual thing is the layout of the HUB. For any PSU student, you are well aware of how busy the HUB can get during certain times of the day. Now, it feels like a ghost town. The tables are spread 6 ft apart, there are more hand sanitizing stations, and best of all barely a line for food, including Chick-fil-A. Walking around campus and seeing empty sidewalks can be little disheartening, and it almost feels like classes have not actually began since it is very empty.

I know this will be Penn State's new normal, but I'm waiting for the day where Penn State will go back to its natural feeling.