Opinion | Behind the screens: why it’s necessary to return to in-person classes

Taylor Yukiko Sato, junior broadcast journalism and documentary major

One year into the pandemic, students at Chapman’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts anxiously await the return to campus. Television and film production classes are both challenging and disappointing in a remote setting. 

Without access to film facilities and equipment, our education is only a fraction of what we signed up for. However, I still spent hundreds of dollars in lab fees for Dodge classes this semester. Learning Avid Media Composer in my “Editing I” class via Zoom while running the program on a single monitor is nearly impossible. 

As a transfer student, I wonder if my time at Chapman will be taken seriously in the workforce. Will employers in network television feel my education was adequate when they realize I spent half of it online? I’m not sure if even my professors believe distanced learning is satisfactory. For programs that require hands-on experience like studio production, students are more than ready for in-person instruction. I especially empathize with students who cannot access the Dodge College equipment or afford to buy their own to match their needs. High-functioning computers, cameras, microphones, tripods and lighting are necessary in film and television production. 

At the end of fall semester, my laptop began to fail and I couldn’t edit my final “TV Production: Location” class project in Adobe Premiere Pro without my computer shutting down. If we were allowed on campus, the use of editing bays would have saved me the stress of completing my final on a faulty laptop. Luckily, I used my unemployment money to purchase a new one in the spring, but not everyone is so fortunate.

Technical aspects aside, it’s more challenging to create community and build relationships in a virtual setting. We’re missing out on the personal interactions that happen before, after and in between lectures. We’re told that the network we develop in college is a precedent for success in the future, but creating these relationships over Zoom is more awkward than sincere. Remote learning has also stripped us of collaborative projects. Not only does this increase our workload, it’s preventing us from learning from our peers. There’s a creative flow that’s unmatched when we build off each other in person. 

I applaud students for persevering through this challenging and unprecedented time. We are doing our best in a circumstance that has cost hundreds of thousands of lives. We grieve those who are no longer with us. We want the best for our community, but I also believe we can return to campus safely. California is getting ready to open gyms, restaurants, movie theaters and theme parks. University students should not be left behind.