STUDENT ONLINE

The
WOMENS SOCCER
CHOICE IS NOW EXAMS:
TEAM ADVANCE
SERVING HELPFUL OR
TO SEMIFINLS

Tartan
WAFFLES HURTFUL?
SPORTS CULTURE TEA

November 2,
Since 1978 2021

MORE THAN A PAPER. Vol. CXL

No.9

Radford
University's
Student-Run
Newspaper

RADFORD STUDENTS
CELEBREATE HALLOWEEN
CULTURE | PG. 8

| @RUTARTAN ONE FREE COPY | RUTARTAN.COM

2 | The Tartan Caitlin Billman, Editor In Chief // cbillman1@radford.edu

S T UDE NT -RU N N EW SPAPER

J O IN R A DFO R D
U NIV ERS IT Y' S
NEW SP AP E R,
T HE T AR T AN
Start your journalism career today!

JOIN US!
MONDAY & FRIDAY
4 - 5 P.M.
TYLER HALL 025
Scan here to apply
Writer? Artist? Journalist? Are you just
interested in getting involved on
campus? Join us for weekly meetings to
begin networking and creating!
www.rutartan.com Tuesday, November 2, 2021 | 3

CONTENTS THE TARTAN

NEWS + CULTURE + THE TEA + SPORTS
Editor-in-Chief:
Caitlin Billman
cbillman1@radford.edu

Staff Writers: Abigail Morin, Stephanie Perez, Victoria

Boyd, Jessica Britton, Courtney Johannes, Libby
05 SENIORS TO RECEIVE GRADUATION CORD
Bowman, Kaitlyn Stephens, Isabella Dominesey,
Caitlin Billman, and Dustin Staples (weather)
BY DONATION TO SCHOLARSHIP
For a full list, go to:
rutartan.com/wordpress/contact.
05 PRIORITY HOUSING APPLICATION LIVE
As we are just about a month left of the fall semester and preparing for
the spring term, it might be time to start thinking about next year’s
housing information.

07 RADFORD
WINS
RADFORD'S MENS SOCCER
On Oct. 23, Radford’s Men’s Soccer team won against Gardner
Webb. The men’s soccer team has had a hard time lately with
losses and ties but won 3-2 this time.

WHO WE ARE
The Tartan is published on Wednesday during the Fall
and Spring semesters and is free of charge. One copy per
person. The Tartan’s circulation is 1,500 (750 Fall 2021)
01 ON THE COVER

04
and currently distributed at more than 29 locations on
and around Radford University. The publication is printed
at Shenandoah Publishing House in Winchester, Va. The
Tartan may be distributed by authorized distributors only. HALLOWEEN SCAVENGER RADFORD UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
Contact us to be a distributor. Tyler Hall Room 025, 301
Tyler Ave, Radford, VA 24141, 540-831-5474; Fax 540-
831-6725; Student Media Advertising, P.O. Box 6895
HUNT BY DINING SERVICES CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN
Radford VA, 24142.
KAITLYN STEPHENS| THE TARTAN
The Tartan is part of Highlander Student Media and is
completely student-run. As a newspaper, The Tartan
reserves the right to address, explore and delve into
issues that affect Radford University student body and
the surrounding area. Advertisements in The Tartan
publication do not reflect the views of The Tartan nor
Radford University, and the views, opinions, and articles
reflected and shown in The Tartan are separate from those 08 RADFORD UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
views and beliefs of Radford University.
CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN
MISSION STATMENT Radford was full of witches, superheroes, and everything in
The Tartan is a student-produced weekly newspaper
maintained in order to provide the Radford University between this Halloween. Many Radford students celebrated this
community with important news issues as well as to Halloween by getting dressed up and going to local restaurants,
educate students. The newspaper exists to provide an
experiential ground so that students can attempt to achieve like Sharkey’s and BT’s.
a balance of technique, experience and professionalism as
well as courage in journalism, layout, staff development,
leadership and management. As a newspaper, The Tartan
exists to provide a fair and balanced version of the news to 10 ONLINE EXAMS: HELPFUL OR
06
Radford University and the surrounding area.
HURTFUL?
ADVERTISING
The deadline for all advertising is 5 p.m. on Tuesday
before the desired issue of publication. Ads must be
print-ready and in PDF format; files must be delivered
09 College students have been using the internet to assist them on online
exams at universities across the country. So, posing the question: Is the
“COVID-19 generation” of college students getting the most out of their
via e-mail at smads@radford.edu. Please visit our website
www.rutartan.com/wordpress/advertising for more HIGHLANDERS STUDENT CHOICE IS education?
information, including rates and payment methods.

CORRECTIONS
ADVANCE TO NOW SERVING
The Tartan is committed to correcting errors that appear in
the newspaper. Those interested in contacting the paper
for that purpose can send an e-mail to tartan@radford.
SEMIFINALS WAFFLES
edu or call the main number, 540-831-5474, to make a
correction to any section.
The Highlanders will First up were tacos, but
SUBMIT LETTER TO THE EDITOR
advance to the Big South Student Choice is now
Place an ad here.
We prefer letters that are 200-400 words and take as
their starting point an article or other item appearing in semifinals. After their serving waffles.
The Tartan. They may not have been submitted to, posted
to or published by any other media. They must include regular season, the Students’ voices matter at
the writer’s full name — anonymous letters and letters
written under pseudonyms will not be considered. For
verification purposes, they must also include the writer’s
Radford women’s soccer Radford with food, so
e-mail address and phone number. Letters will be edited
and used at the discretion of the Editor In Chief for
team entered the Big much that Radford
length. Authors’ individual editorials do not necessarily
reflect the opinion of The Tartan or Radford University. Go South tournament ranked decided to add a place
to www.rutartan.com/wordpress/letters-to-the-editor/.
number four out of six where students can vote
EDITORIAL POLICIES
“Our Opinion” pieces are written collectively by members teams. on what they want to eat...
of The Tartan Editorial Board. The Editorial Board is
comprised of the editing staff, the Tea writers, and
other Radford University students. These undergraduate
and graduate students represent multiple class levels Here is your
and different political, cultural, ethnic, and religious
backgrounds. Members may or may not belong to a variety Tartan 7-Day
of student organizations. The Editorial Board is open to all
RU students who apply. Forecast and
COVERAGE REQUESTS Night Time
Requests for coverage and tips should be submitted by
email to tartan@radford.edu or by visiting www.rutartan. Forecast for the
com/wordpress/submit-news-tips-and-events.
week October 20
- 26, 2021.

We train future journalists, editors,

radio producers, news anchors and
even entrepreneurs through our
*This forecast is always
ever-evolving student-run media subject to change!
outlets. By Dustin Staples
www.ruhsm.com dstaples1@radford.edu
4 | The Tartan
Halloween Scavenger Hunt by Radford University Dining Services
B y K a i t lyn S t e p h e n s ’22
kstephens15@radford.edu connect with students through
O
n October
25, Radford
University
Dining Services
placed bags of goodies all over
campus for students to find.
Students raced around
campus, trying to find the 17
bags hidden both indoors and
outdoors. The scavenger hunt
was meant to be a fun activity
for students during the week of
Halloween.
The bags were filled with
Halloween candy and activities,
as well as Radford Dining
merchandise.
Jade Sutherland, the Radford
University Dining Services
marketing manager, was excited
to talk about the event.
Sutherland said, “activities
like this are meant to help
us connect to our campus
community through both
culinary and non-culinary
experiences. We want students
to have activities to look
forward to, and we find that
hosting events by surprise
brings a pop of joy to the day
of the participants that was
Caitlin Billman, News Editor // cbillman1@radford.edu // News
unexpected.”
Dining Services wants to
activities like this that can bring
happiness into a student’s day.
Dining Services does
surprise events like these often.
So far, there have been four
scavenger hunts and 25 other
surprise events. Two days after
the scavenger hunt, Dining
Services gave students free
caramel and candy apples.
According to Sutherland,
“seeing the smiles on the face of
our student, faculty, and staff is
the best part of our job and why
we continue to host events on
our campus!”
If you’d like to participate
in activities like this in the
future, follow their Instagram
for updates.
Dining Services uses student
feedback for future events. So if
you enjoyed this event, let them
know!
“Our overall goal of the
Radford Dining Program is to
bring food and community to
the heart of our campus. Create
Photo found on Dining Services Instagram
memories and experiences that
students remember forever
and pass down throughout the
years,” said Sutherland.•
Advertisement
www.rutartan.com Tuesday, November 2, 2021 | 5

Seniors to Receive Graduation Cord by Donation to Scholarship

B y C o u r t n e y J o h a n n e s ’22
cjohannes1@radford.edu  

A
s we approach
the end
of the fall
semester and
the beginning of the spring
semester, we will be saying
goodbye to our beloved
seniors.
Some have spent all four
years roaming the campus, and
others have only spent part
of their time here at Radford
University.
It is all the same, as they
are the ones we will look to
when figuring out our next
steps.
Senior and Student
Government Association
President Grace Hurst have
been diligent about leaving a
mark for this year’s graduating
class and the graduating
classes that follow.
In an email Grace Hurst
sent to the senior student body,
she says, “I invite you to join
Seniors
can make a small donation,
as little as $20.01, to the
scholarship.
In return, they will get
to wear a philanthropy cord
across the stage when they
receive their diplomas.
If you wish to contribute,
you can make your donation
online at The Hive or in-person
at the Bonnie on Tuesdays
from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Not a senior? No worries,
you can participate by giving
feedback, suggestions, or just
observing.
Meetings for S.G.A. are
held every Monday at 5 p.m.
in the Bonnie, room 250. In
addition, students can find
information for zoom meetings
at RUInvolved.
Make your mark today!•

Photo by Joshua Hoenhe| Unsplash

me in making a difference for
the next generation of Radford
University students by making
a gift to the Highlander Senior
Class Scholarship.”

B y D u s t i n S ta p l e s ’22
Priority Housing Application Live Until Nov. 30 dstaples1@radford.edu  

A
s we are just
about a month
left of the fall
semester and
preparing for the spring term, it
might be time to start thinking
about next year’s housing
information.
According to an email sent
out Friday, Oct. 29 by Radford
University’s Housing and
Residental Life, the housing
application launched Monday,
Nov. 1, in the OneCampus
housing portal.
During this time, students
will have the opportunity to
apply for priority housing
until Nov. 30 to update any
information, start forming
roommate groups and sign the
According to the email,
if students miss the priority
deadline after Nov. 30, they
will not be eligible for priority
housing then assigned by the
Housing and Residential Life
to non-priority applicants in
the available spaces provided.
After the Nov. 30 deadline,
students will then have to
wait until Jan. 26, 2022, for
information sent to their
Radford emails about selecting
timeslots and room for priority
applicants, according to the
email.
Once that information is
disturbed, Feb. will include
important notes regarding
students who want to live on-
priority students, according to
the email.
According to the email,
non-bound students will also
have the Nov. 30 deadline to
apply for priority housing. All
non-bound priority students
will have a window from
Feb. 1-5, 2022, to select an
apartment unit before it is
available to other students.
The only difference to on-
campus students is that the
non-bound students will not
be guaranteed their application
exception will be approved.
These students will have until
March 15 to cancel for any
reason, according to the email.
If you have any additional
Photo by J Dorian Le Sénéchal | Unsplash

residential student agreement.
Students will also have the
opportunity to pay for a down
deposit of $100 to reserve the
room of choice, according to
the email.
campus. This process will
occur in the online housing
portal and will remain open
until 5 p.m. Feb. 15. After that
date passes, the room swap
will begin on Feb. 16 for all
questions about next year’s
application, you can contact
the Office of Housing and
Residential Life at 540-831-
5375 or email res-life@
radford.edu.•
Sports
6 | The Tartan Kaitlyn Stephens, Managing Editor // kstephens15@radford.edu // Sports

Radford University Athletic Media

WRITE FOR US!

RU an established or fledgling
The Highlanders Advance to Big South Semifinals
journalist? Or maybe you just the Highlanders’ defense never South Semifinals. The game will
love to write, and this might B y L i bby B o w m a n ’24 gave up. Senior goalkeeper, kick off Thursday, Nov. 4, at 7

T
be your first time showcasing lebowman@radford.edu
your hidden talent? he Highlanders will
advance to the Big
Want to bring your opinions South semifinals.
and unique views to the mass- After their regular
es? Love the idea of reporting season, the Radford women’s
on and off soccer team entered the Big
campus news, voicing your South tournament ranked number
opinion on topics ranging from four out of six teams. Coming
movies, laws, and on the many off a six-game win streak, the
fun and sometimes unusual Highlanders fought for the win
attractions going on around against Charleston Southern.
campus? Then give Radford This game was the second time
University’s Student-run Radford played this team in the
Newspaper a shout and email same week. While it challenged
to Editor-in-Chief the players, it did not stop them
Caitlin Billman from securing the win.
cbillman1@radford.edu Saturday continued the
Highlanders win streak and
shutout streak with a 2-0 win. This
game showed the Highlanders’
talent on the defensive and
Tic Tac Toe offensive win. Leading a solid
Lauren Seedlock, provided p.m. For updates on the Radford
many saves that kept Charleston women’s soccer team, follow @
Southern from scoring any goals. RadfordWSOC on Twitter.•
Radford’s defense that stayed
tough the entire match only
allowed four of the Charleston
Southern’s eleven shots to be on
goal.
“It’s tough to beat a team
twice in one week. A lot of credit
to Charleston Southern and some
of the changes that they made. At
halftime, we decided to change
things up a bit because of what
they were doing, and I thought our
team did a good job of adapting to
what we tried to do. I’m proud of
this team; that’s seven games in a
row without getting a goal scored
on them. I’m very happy with our
team and proud to advance.” said
Head Coach Ben Sohrabi.
The Radford women’s soccer

Photo courtesy of Radford University Athletics

Radford team, Grad student Lily team will be in Buies Creek,
McLane and Senior Reese Degnan North Carolina, to play Campbell,
scored for the Highlanders. the next team they’ll need to
On the other end of the field, defeat to keep going in the Big

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www.rutartan.com Tuesday, November 2, 2021 | 7

Radford’s Mens Soccer Team Wins!

B y R o s i n a A n d r i x ’25
randrix@radford.edu

O
n Oct. 23, Conference. The team plays Longwood at Cupp Stadium on Nov. 4 as the second game of the conference.•
Radford’s Men’s
Soccer team won
against Gardner
Webb. The men’s soccer team
has had a hard time lately with
losses and ties but won 3-2 this
time.
The men’s soccer team
has a phenomenal goalie who
blocked several shots on the
goal from the other team. The
soccer team also does a great
job of communicating with each
other when they are out on the
field.
Many friends and family
were cheering the boys on as
they fought for the win. One
player, Patrick Siczek, a senior
at Radford, even had a group
of girls cheering him on. They
were enthusiastic when the
team won the game.
Parents were very verbal,
too, cheering on their sons and
encouraging them the whole
time.
If you are worried about
getting confused during the

Photo courtesy of Radford University Athletics

game, some announcers narrate
the players’ scores, names, and
numbers as they are switched
on and off the field.
The men’s soccer season
has begun to wrap up as
they’ve started the Big-South
Advertisement
Culture
8 | The Tartan Caitlin Billman, Culture Editor //cbillman1@radford.edu // Culture

Arts and Entertainment in Radford

Radford University Students Celebrate Halloween

5. This student was dressed
B y K a i t lyn S t e p h e n s ’22 as a baseball player.

R
kstephens15@radford.edu
6. Bob the Builder, can he
adford was fix it?
full of witches, 7. A toy alien from Toy
superheroes, and Story and Pennywise.
everything in 8. These students went out
between this Halloween. as Tinkerbell and a maid.
Many Radford students 9. These girls celebrated at
celebrated this Halloween Sharkey’s.
by getting dressed up and 10. These students dressed
going to local restaurants, like as an old couple, winning a
Sharkey’s and BT’s. gift card from Sharkey’s (on
Senior Jesse Burdette, cover). •
said “It was so fun to see all
the costumes students were
wearing. I got to meet a lot of
students I never would have.”
1. These Radford University
students were dressed as
Bonnie and Clyde, and Woody,
of course.
2. These students posed for
a picture holding a copy of the
newspaper!
3. A hippie and “drunk

Photos courtousy of Tartan Staff

Ross” from Friends.
4. These girls celebrated
Halloween dressed as a fairy
and “purgers.”

1 3 6 7

4 5 8 9
www.rutartan.com Tuesday, November 2, 2021 | 9

Student Choice is Now Serving Waffles

B y S t e p h a n i e P e r e z ’25 concept with various waffle flavors, choose between Chick-Fil-A, Au seeing what Student Choice has in
scperez@radford.edu toppings, and combo options” in the Bon Pain, Dalton Kitchen, and the store.

F
irst up were tacos,
but Student Choice is
now serving waffles.
Students’ voices
matter at Radford with food, so
much that Radford decided to add
a place where students can vote on
what they want to eat, called Student
Choice. The name has changed
from Tu Taco to Iron Waffle.
Student Choice: Iron Waffle is
located in the Bonnie. It is open
from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on the
weekdays and from 12:00 p.m. to
12:00 a.m on the weekends. Student
Choice is located where Create
used to be. It opened at the start of
the Fall 2021 semester and quickly
became one of the most popular
places to eat on campus.
Radford students can vote
Radford University Dining Services
Facebook post, or Smash’d, which
was described as “an advanced
take on the fan favorite potato bar.
Potatoes are baked, smashed, and
then topped with a variety of tasty
toppings of all types,” also in the
Radford University Dining Services
Facebook post. Voting lasted from
Oct. 5 to Oct. 7. After that, the
whole university came together and
voted for the waffles.
Tu Taco, while long asked-
for by Radford students, waffles
are much more popular among the
student population. Many students
are excited about this change in
menu.
For the first three weeks, the
lines were long. Then, finally, the
line is bearable to go and try the
food. The choices for toppings are
Student Choice: Iron Waffle. For other articles about the food
Even for those who are not an on campus, visit The Tartan online.
early bird or want breakfast in the For future updates on what
afternoon, Student Choice: Iron Student Choice will be serving,
Waffle serves waffles all day. They follow The Tartan. •
also are now making French toast.
Even though they cause extra on
a student’s meal plan, the toppings
are sweet additions to a meal.
Many students in line always get
toppings because it elevates their
waffles or French toast. Toppings
include everything from fresh fruit
to chocolate. The Iron Waffle’s
toppings will satisfy any cravings
for any type of sweet tooth.
All waffles and French toast are
made fresh and exactly to order, so
the wait is longer than other on-
campus restaurants. Try Wendy’s,
Papa John’s, or Chick-Fil-A for
those on a time crunch, which are

Photo by Stephanie Perez | The Tartan

from three choices: either keeping
Student Choice as Tu Taco, the
Student Choice option at the time
of voting, Iron Waffles, which
were described as “a lunch and
dinner focused brunch themed
visible from the line. However,
they only have options that are for
breakfast and lunch.
Being able to have a breakfast
place on campus finally is excellent
for those early birds. They can now
faster options.
Right now, Student Choice has
Radford’s attention, and students
and faculty alike are eager to see
if they can continue this trend.
Everyone is looking forward to

RU Involved in Campus Life?

Here is a list of events to look
forward to this week:
Tuesday, Nov. 2
· • Delta Zeta Field Day:
From 5-7 p.m. on Heth
Lawn, Delta Zeta will host its
philanthropy week of field day
outside activities. This friendly
competition will allow donations
to go towards the philanthropic
partnerships.
(Delta Zeta)
• Cyber Defense Club:
From 6-7 p.m. in Curie
Hall (142), you can join in
the fun by learning more
about cybersecurity.For more
information about the club,
sign up for their newsletter by
joining the organization on RU
Involved or the Discord sever at
https://discord.gg/adDWvMy
(Cyber Defense Club)
Wednesday, Nov. 3
· •Interfraternity Council
Meeting: From 12-1 p.m. in
the Bonnie Combo Room (248-
250), a weekly business meeting
is held for the Interfraternity
Council (IFC). Guest are
welcome to attend and learn
more about the IFC, as well as
share campus/local events or
provide information about other
campus/resources locally.
(Inter-fraternity Council)
•Delta Zeta Field Day: From
11 a.m.- 3 p.m. on the Bonnie
Plaza, Delta Zeta will host its
philanthropy week of collecting
money for their philanthropic
partnerships through coin wars
and fun activities. This will
continue all week long at the
Bonnie Plaza. Come out and
show your support.
(Delta Zeta)
•Zuzu African Acrobats:
From 7-8 p.m. at the Bonnie
Auditorium, Radford Student
Programming and Events
(R-SPaCE) will be hosting
a Zuzu African Acrobats
performance. This will feature
traditional Kenyan acrobatic
skills
(Radford Student
Programming and Events
{R-SPaCE})
•Baptist Collegiate
Ministries (BCM) Lifehouse:
From 7:30-8:30 p.m. at the
Baptist Collegiate Ministries
(BCM) Lifehouse, you can join
in their weekly bible study as
they are going through the Book
of David this semester.
(Baptist Collegiate
Ministries {BCM} Lifehouse)
Thursday, Nov. 4
•Delta Zeta Field Day: From
11 a.m.- 3 p.m. on the Bonnie
Plaza, Delta Zeta will host its
philanthropy week of collecting
money for their philanthropic
partnerships through coin wars
and fun activities. This will
continue all week long at the
Bonnie Plaza. Come out and
show your support.
(Delta Zeta)
Thursday Night Worship:
From 7:30 - 9 p.m. at the
BCM Lifehouse, Come join us
for worship and a message led
by either our campus minister
or our associate minister! We’ll
start at 7:30 and afterwards,
we’ll have a time of fellowship!
We’d love to see you there!
(Baptist Collegiate Ministry)
Friday, Nov. 5
•Feel Good Friday: Self
Care Awareness: For the first
Friday of the month from 8 a.m.-
12 p.m., the Center for Diversity
and Inclusion (CDI) and a
partnership with the Student
Recreation and Wellness (SRW)
teaches and help learn about
restoring self-care practices to
begin a new month. There will
be restorative events located in
multiple locations, however,
this will be start at the CDI in
Heth Hall at 8 a.m. for a light
breakfast and check in. Other
events that will be hosted, but
not limited to are yoga, hiking,
meditation, and organization/
planning.
(CDI and SRW)
· The Tartan Newspaper
Meeting: From 4 - 5 p.m.
in Tyler Hall, Room 025 or
on Zoom, Radford’s weekly
student-run newspaper, The
Tartan, features news and
information about Radford
University and the surrounding
area and is distributed both o
campus and around the city.
Saturday, Nov. 6
•Aux Cord Wars:
From 7-11 p.m. at the Bondurant
Auditorium, Zeta Phi Beta and
Radford Student Programming
and Events will allow students to
have the opportunity to expand
their music option by competing
with one another to find the best
song selected genre.
(Radford Student Programming
and Events (R-SPaCE) and Zeta
Phi Beta)
Sunday, Nov. 7
Sunday Mass with Catholic
Campus Ministry: From 9 – 10
a.m. at the Catholic Campus
Ministry at Radford University,
Join us for Sunday Mass
conveniently located on campus!
We are located in a storefront
(don’t worry, we have a nice
chapel!) next to Moe’s/Jimmy’s
John’s on Clement Street. Our
celebrant is Fr. Charles from St.
Jude Catholic Church. (Catholic
Campus Ministry at RU)
Monday, Nov. 8
· The Tartan Newspaper
Meeting: From 4 - 5 p.m.
in Tyler Hall, Room 025 or
on Zoom, Radford’s weekly
student-run newspaper, The
Tartan, features news and
information about Radford
University and the surrounding
area and is distributed both o
campus and around the city.
The tea
10 | The Tartan
Editorials and Opinions
OPEN
POSITIONS
The Tartan is looking for dedicated,
fast-learning, and self-suffient
student who can set their own
standards or goals for what they
would like to contritbute to The
Tartan.
• Section Editors
• News, The Tea, Culture, and
Sports Writers
• Website Manager
• Staff Photographers
• Joker Writer
• Comic Artist
• Editor In Chief
Interested?
For more information, head to
Tyler Hall Room 025
Monday - Friday
10 a.m to 5 p.m.
tartan@radford.edu
RU Aware: China
produces more
pumpkins &
pumpkin seeds than
any other country in
the world.
Looking for
Tartan Archives?
Rediscover the history of the
Tartan through exploring all the
way back to 1910, when it was
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to when it was rebranded as The
Tartan in 1979.
Go to rutartan.com and select
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Quote of the Week
“In a gental way, you can shake the
world.”
– Mahatma Gandhi
Online Exams: Helpful or Hurtful?
B y J e s s B r i t to n ‘23 our careers,” says the student. Open-book
jbritton8@radford.edu   exams can retain the course material they
are learning, but it is still concerning that
College students have been using the they are not actively learning. •
internet to assist them on online exams at
universities across the country. So, posing
the question: Is the “COVID-19 generation”
of college students getting the most out of
their education?
Since March 2020, when covid swept
the nation, college students were either
required or suggested to take courses
online, which meant exams would also
be administered online. The rise of online
and “open-book” has many wondering
if students are learning and retaining the
information at their full potential. On many
occasions, professors allow “open book
exams,” where students can use their notes
and textbooks.
After interviewing students and
professors at Radford University, it seems
that concerns about cheating are at the
forefront of many minds, and questions
arise about whether college professors
should return to in-person exams. Many
students use online or open-book exams as
an excuse not to study the material, causing
them not to preserve the information being
taught.
The concern is, are those students
getting the most out of the material they are
learning? Dr. Scott Dunn, a communications
professor at Radford University, shares that
there are some advantages to online test-
taking, “I think the biggest advantage is
allowing students to take the exam wherever
they feel comfortable. Test anxiety is a
major issue for a lot of students.”
When asked how he will help students
remember that learning the material is
most important, Dr. Dunn said, “I think
the most important thing is to understand
what the professor expects from you. If
an exam is online and open-book, there’s
a good chance that the professor wants
you to apply the concepts you’ve learned
rather than just memorizing vocabulary,
and you should keep that in mind as you’re
studying.”
One Radford University student, who
wants to remain anonymous, is concerned
that doing his exams online will limit his
ability to learn all the material because
he can simply look up his answers in his
notes or textbook and won’t retain the
information. But, on the other hand, he
Photo by Andrew Neel | Unsplash
knows that it’s an easy way to get answers
correct without putting much thought into
the questions on the exams.
When asked if he thinks using outside
resources to help students pass their exams
will affect their careers in the future, the Food locker in Starbucks on
student feels that it’s unlikely. “We have
Radford University’s campus
access to all the information we need for
www.rutartan.com Tuesday, November 2, 2021 | 11

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