Future Presidency: Who Will Provide the Solution for COVID-19?

By Christy Kim

Covid-19: a nation-wide pandemic that has completely transformed the climate of the United States in both lifestyle and politics. The resolution of this pressing disease has become a hot button voting issue among the different generations of voters.

As the 2020 Presidential Election comes to a conclusion, it is important to note the different strategic plans each candidate has in store to finally put the case of COVID to rest.

The Republican candidate and current president, Donald Trump, is critiqued for his general attitude and dismissal of the current events at hand. He has specifically contradicted top public-health officials by saying that masks are voluntary and blaming increased testing as the source for the rise in COVID cases.

Trump’s administration has gone as far as saying that asymptomatic people did not need to be tested, despite the fact that asymptomatic cases can also pass along the virus even without noticeable symptoms.

The Democratic candidate, Joseph Biden, has contrasted the aforementioned opinions by emphasizing his desire to let scientists lead the response to the coronavirus as we know it. He has affirmed and highly encouraged the practice of wearing masks diligently and promised to expand testing.

100,000 contact tracers?

There are specific categories within approaching COVID-19 that are essential to note when it comes to the ways voters picked. When it comes to the CDC, or the Center for Disease Control, Trump has often downplayed the recommendations of the CDC scientists on reopening businesses, testing cases, and mask wearing. On the Democratic front, Biden has a plan for hiring more disease detectives at the CDC.

Another important category is contact tracing. Trump’s current actions have been to deter any additional funding for contact tracing, whereas Biden’s plan is to enlist at least 100,000 contact tracers to help with the spotting of new cases throughout the country.

In terms of alleviating the financial burdens, Trump has put the CARES Act into motion. This provides payments to individuals who earn up to a certain amount of revenue. Biden has proposed an emergency fund that would offer tax refunds and cash payments to vulnerable Americans.

COVID Vaccine Will Be Free

Despite their political spectrums and differing opinions on this particular issue, Trump and Biden also have their points of agreement. They both believe that a vaccine should be free for all Americans. Biden has pushed an incentive for emergency funding for loans for small businesses and grade school education during the pandemic.

It is crucial, now more than ever, to consider both candidates in order to make a difference with COVID-19. The world has been on pause for months, and cases have begun to rise yet again. The 100,000 new COVID cases per day have shattered the ceiling.

The newly elected president of the United States will have big shoes to fill, or continue to fill. Experts say it is imperative to hold onto hope. People need to believe that actions will be taken, campaign promises will be kept, and a difference will happen. Regardless of whoever wins, Americans agree it is time for COVID to end.

Homeschooler in the Real World

Emma Folts, a sophomore at Wheaton College, shares her experience about her transition into college and how homeschool has both helped and hindered her.
How has your homeschool experience benefitted you, especially in your transition into college?
I think the one thing that homeschooling did that was really helpful as I entered college was that it taught me time management. As a homeschooler I had the same freedom as a college student has to put things off during the day and go see a friend instead. Since I had that experience, I knew the cost of that.
Also, personal responsibility and accountability with assignments. I feel like a lot of the other students had more expectations for gentler grading and that the professor would give them retakes or extensions, but that wasn’t something that ever happened to me in school. That learning curve wasn’t added because I never had it the other way. I think another thing was that because I was homeschooled, I was familiar with the format of teaching and then studying on my own.
Did you see any issues with your transition socially?
I think that homeschooling had two ramifications for me socially. One was helpful, one was hurtful.
It was really helpful because as a homeschooler, I had spent a lot of time realizing and developing who I was as a person and learning to recognize people who were being themselves, and those were the people I sought out as friends. Friendship as a homeschooler takes a lot more investment. I knew I was choosier with my friends which made me a lot less anxious and a lot more content.
The only real negative impact of the social bit was that I was really used to getting to choose the time I got to spend with people. As a homeschooler I spent a lot of time with people, but that time was controlled by me. As a college student, I found that you can’t really control the time you spend with people and alone time is not really available. Learning to deal with that was a lot harder than anticipated.
Any last comments on homeschool and how it has affected your college experience?
I think homeschooling is really helpful, however it does take a slightly increased amount of advocacy with your peers when you’re entering into college. I think a lot of people come in with certain assumptions about homeschool, especially students. You’re going to get a lot of, ‘oh my gosh, you don’t seem like a homeschooled person!’ [You can’t] take that too personally and explain your experience so that friends can understand it’s an important piece of you, though it might not look like the homeschooling that they’ve seen.
My encouragement to anyone who is a homeschooler transitioning into college is to realize the benefit that you have having been homeschooled, and to realize that the bit of advocacy and explaining that you need to do with your peers is totally normal and that it’s not a big deal. Once they understand your experience, it’s not something I’ve experienced being looked down on for.