To my college friends,

I hope you're all comfortably adjusted to this new reality. The transition to remote learning was an unprecedented step for all of us, and initially, nobody really knew how to process it. As our lives on campus come to an end for the time being, we're shifting to a whole different world. Aside from changes in academic conduct, however, another noteworthy fact came to light:

College students weren't able to send proper farewells to their friends.

URI students were on spring break when they heard the news. Before I left for break, I said goodbye to a few close friends. This was satisfactory because, at that point, I planned to see everyone in a week. As information about Coronavirus continued pouring in, colleges across the country were extending students' time away from campus. Initially, we were told there would be two weeks of online learning. After some time, the transition became permanent. Among other things, this meant that I wouldn't be able to see my friends at school again for quite some time.

Of course, things can change by summer and we can all hang out together during summer break. In the meantime, I'm struggling to believe that our next reunion could be up to six months away. I've developed such tight bonds in my time at college, and it's hard being away without a proper farewell. Facetiming doesn't have the same effect as being laughing alongside your best friends, or huddling together in the library, sitting next to the very person who can help you prepare for the big test.

With that in mind, I stress this point to all my college friends: I can't believe how abruptly our time at school came to an end. While I know it's for the right reasons, I can't help but wish I could be back together with all of you. To my senior friends and all those who are graduating, you will be missed on campus in the fall. Go out and change the world. To everyone else, I look forward to seeing you back at URI when it's time.

Keep in contact and we can pull through this together.