Students struggle with being behind a screen all day, not able to walk around campus, run into their friends, or wait in a 30-minute line for coffee. Professors, as well,  have been dealing with this same struggle in their own way. I want people to look at my piece and better understand what we are going through. It is easy not to see these struggles. In these past semesters, it has been hard to connect with each other like we used to. It is almost the end, and we still feel like strangers to one another.  

This piece shows the faces of struggling students. These faces are filled with emotion, and they tell a story. I chose to use cardboard as a medium for my work. When you think of cardboard, many may think of it as a cheap material related to college students’ struggle. College students are known for being financially unstable. Especially in this time, many are struggling and making do with what you have. The cardboard gives a raw, natural feel to the piece.  

These are the faces of some of my closest friends; we talk almost every day about what we are going through. Some of the faces are crying; some are emotionless.  Everyone is affected in different ways by this pandemic; we are all feeling the stress and uncertainty of daily life under quarantine. For me and my friends, the stress is about online schooling. I think it is essential to share how students are feeling about this journey in an effort to make a more human connection beyond the screen.