Sacramento State University reopens for the fall semester of the 2021-2022

Blog Post August 26, 2021

Tomorrow, Sacramento State University reopens for the fall semester of the 2021-2022 academic year. This is the first time that the campus will welcome vaccinated faculty, staff, and students to have in person instruction since the pandemic began. For nearly two and half years, instruction had migrated to an online platform. This was not an easy transition and I am personally very excited to be back in the classroom.

In Greece, students will also be going back to their schools as well. Education Minister, Zeta Makri was clear that classes would reconvene on September 13th, and would continue even if there is a confirmed COVID-positive student. No longer will schools be shut down nor will students be forced to go online for instruction. This is a seismic shift for a country that underwent a very stringent lockdown policy to deal with COVID. In both countries, administrators and state officials are beginning the slow process of bringing students back into the classrooms. The biggest challenge this academic year is the resistance against vaccination. Protests have been organized throughout Europe and the United States and politicians have struggled to side-step politics and encourage people to get vaccinated as a way to get ahead of the virus.

In Athens, protests have drawn large numbers and have led to violence. https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1167047/anti-vaxxers-clash-with-police-in-athens/

With claims of mixed messages, contradictory policies, hypocritical politicians, and a plethora of conspiracy theories to be found on the web, these protesters are frustrated and angry, but also misinformed. For some of the protesters, they validate their positions by employing ancient Greek texts. One sign read (written in English), “I would rather die having spoken in my manner than live in the manner you like. Socrates” https://www.lifo.gr/now/greece/epeisodia-sto-syntagma-sti-sygkentrosi-kata-toy-ypohreotikoy-emboliasmoy

I hope that this wish does not become a reality.

Katerina.