The Current | Vol. 31 Issue 16

January 5, 2021 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 10 Opinions Living to work We need to talk about how Americans are working their lives away. It’s hard to place when this happened, but at some point, we shifted to be almost entirely work-centered society. Working- classAmericans are stuck in a rut. There’s this cycle that we go through. This monotonous routine to life is found throughout most of the country. You work Monday to Friday, catch a two-day break on the weekend, and then, it’s back to work on Monday -- and the cycle repeats and repeats and repeats. Until when exactly will we be doing this? The average American is predicted to retire in their early tomid-60s. Does this mean that, until then, we’re all just supposed to work two-thirds of our year away, every year for 40 years? It’s worth questioning. Why do we spend so much of our lifetime working? Consider how much life we’re missing out on. In the grand scheme of things, the break thatwe getonweekendsoroccasionalnationalholidaysare mere glimpses of what we should be experiencing regularly. Not only that, but taking time off of work is almost frowned upon. It’s been ingrained in us to prioritize productivity over our wellbeing. People would rather face a hit to their health, physical or mental, than risk potentially offloading more onto their team or face retaliation from managers in the formof reduced hours and pay. Why shouldpeople feel anxious about calling in sick for the day? Why should new parents feel concerned about their job security after starting a family? Why do we operate as though life gets in the way of work, rather than simply being a part of it?Why is it that people with somuch life ahead of themso often revert to dreaming about what they’ll do when they retire?Why has our society allowed this to happen? Why does it feel like we’re not simplyworking to live, but living towork? By: Nyla Whyte Contributing Writer Fears in the new year By: Chloe Rousseau Contributing Writer 2020 has, for sure, been a whirlwind of a year. It has been a year of unexpected surprises and many of those haven’t been good. I feel as if I can speak for many people when I say that 2020 was a year that tested our strength as individuals as well as the strength of the country. This year has been a prime example of the fact that no one knowswhat the years ahead hold, but no matter how much negativity and stress 2020 has brought, we need to move on in a positive direction and begin 2021 with heads held high. Last year, the world experienced COVID-19, which has disastrously affected people on a physical level. However, moving into 2021 in a positive light is not just about moving on and assessing one’s own physical being. Alot of it can be a mental game as well. Assessing my mental state and knowing that I have made it, reassures the strength and power that I need to begin the year on the right foot. 2020 was a year of many defeats, but what matters is assessing myself and understanding that many defeats don’t leave me defeated because I’m still here and still going. It’s all about knowing that 2020 was simply an obstacle, not an endpoint. It’s also crucial to take inventory of the good things. Many people can get so caught up in what they have unfortunately lost that they lose the ability to realize what is still in front of them and the many good things that are still present. Again, this goes back to moving on in the sense that it is amental game. Coming to realization with the good that is still present, such as still being able to attend college and work towards a wealthy career, have a job and being able to work or have a relationship to lean on, can help one see that they have definitely not hit rock bottom and there is still room for growth and new signs of light. There are also various ways that people are physically moving on from 2020 and beginning 2021 with a clear mind. An example, which has become very popular through TikTok, is the #lettinggoplate trend. This is a great way to leave the stress of 2020 and any negative feelings from We can move on from 2020 the year behind by buying cheap ceramic plates and using a marker to write down what one wants to express in an effort to leave it behind and move on from it. Once all feelings are written on the plate, there comes the stress-relieving part of smashing the plate on the ground. This method is great because the plate smashing symbolizes letting go and is the first step to growth and starting new. Every year is a fresh start. It is important to move on from 2020, both physically and mentally, and allow 2021 to be an opportunity for new areas of growth, understanding and happiness. By: Bella Ameiorsano Contributing Writer Like many students, I have completed my winter registration and noticed that many of the classes do not say BlendFlex or online when enrolling. It shows the typical information: day of theweek, time, location and themidtermand final dates and times. No information has been released yet on what NSU plans to do for classes in the winter semester. There is still no information on if classes are in person or still BlendFlex or how many students are going to be allowed in a classroom at a time. All that we know is that there is no spring breakandtheschoolrecommendsthat,ifyouwent home for the winter break, you should stay online for 14 days, if possible upon the reopening of the campus. They also recommend not attending any large gatherings such as Thanksgiving, Christmas or other holiday parties and staying up to date with local COVID-1x9 guidelines. It is pretty nerve-wracking for me and my family not knowing how the winter semester is going to play out. Cases are on the rise again for COVID-19 as it was predicted by scientists and there are rumors about students who may have had it and plenty of students who are going out to places where there are large gatherings. I also have seen many students not wearing masks properly or at all while on campus and walking through theUC, which I finddeeply concerning. Seeing how ‘over it’people are now, I can only imagine it is going to get worse, again, before it can get better. Canceling spring break is not going to stop some people from spring breaking at Fort Lauderdale or Miami beach. There are vaccines that are now effective for protecting from COVID-19 for everyone, including seniors. I worry that the school will be closed again by halfway through the winter semester, if NSU does not enforce policies more strictly. When the school closed last year, I was forced to go home and was only given 24 hours to pack as much as possible and get off campus. I was on a camping trip four hours away from school and I had to cut it a day short. Going home was devastating for me. I was ripped away frommy friends and freedom. The last thing I want is to lose my only freedom: going to school every day and working on campus. PHOTO PRINTED PERMISSION BY F. SHABAN Starting the new year in celebration and growth