Student Union
- By Dora Mekouar
COVID-19 Diaries: We're Supposed to Be Empty-Nesting
We’re supposed to be empty nesting.
After our youngest went off to college last fall, my husband and I settled into a low-key routine that, for the first time in 21 years, centered solely around us. Our daily life became a bit more relaxed now that it wasn’t driven by our children’s schedules, high school activities, or the daily inquiry whether the boys would be home for dinner and then trying to come up with a meal they'd eat.
Initially, my husband and I worried about suffering from empty nest syndrome, which the Mayo Clinic describes as “a phenomenon in which parents experience feelings of sadness and loss when the last child leaves home.” And we did feel a little melancholy after dropping our baby boy at school.
But there was also a deep sense of relief and accomplishment that we were closer to achieving one of our major life goals — raising two well-adjusted, responsible and loving young men who were well on their paths to adulthood. Ultimately, that’s every parent’s job. From the first time we drop our children at preschool or put them on the school bus, we begin the process of teaching them to eventually leave us, to become independent adults in the world.
Now, all my husband and I had to focus on, day-to-day, was one another and our jobs. I anticipated traveling more for work now that I didn’t feel the need to be physically present for my children.
We even celebrated our new phase in life by booking an “empty-nest-moon" to London and Paris. We got a great deal. For the first time in years, we were able to take a dream vacation in the off-season at unbelievably low rates. Here was a very bright side of empty-nesting. We immediately started talking about planning another getaway in the spring.
But then COVID-19 happened. The boys came home for spring break and never went back to school. My youngest felt cheated out of his freshman year and the joys of dorm life. My eldest, a junior accounting major, was supposed to spend the summer visiting potential employers across the country — from Boston to Florida and Texas. Now those externships are happening online.
And my husband and I are cooking a lot, again. Where we’d been picking up a roast chicken or making omelets when we didn’t feel like making dinner, now we’re cooking more than ever since no one is going out to eat.
However, the isolation brought on by the pandemic has also given me a gift — time with my almost-adult sons that I would have never had otherwise.
In all likelihood, my 21-year-old won’t live at home fulltime again, since he’s already received some excellent job offers. But now, most mornings, he comes by my home office with a cup of coffee in hand. He settles into a comfortable stuffed chair and we chat over morning coffee. My younger son might stop by my room while I’m watching TV or reading before bed. He’ll stretch out across the bed and talk for a while.
I also have more insight into their college life —what their classes are like and how much stress can surround their exams.
We all eat together as a family every night — something that hasn’t happened in years due to their school activity schedules and part-time restaurant jobs. My boys are two-and-a-half years apart and have vastly different personalities and interests. They didn’t fight much growing up, but they also weren't particularly close during their teen years. Now they spend more time talking and relating to each other.
I normally spend most of Mother’s Day with my own mother because the boys are usually working. I would see them for part of the day, after they had worked the Mother’s Day rush at the restaurants. This Mother’s Day, both will be home all day. The youngest will make dinner and they’ll both play Scrabble with me, although they hate the game and refuse to play with me any other time of the year. We will laugh and spend this unexpected time together that we would not have had if we weren’t isolating at home.
On all fronts, our family bond is deepening and strengthening.
I have all the joys of having my children at home and none of the burdens. They don’t require constant attention and they mostly look after themselves. I don’t have to worry about homeschooling them; the boys retreat to their rooms for long periods of time to work on their college courses. It’s all good. Very good.
Isolation isn’t fun. But it’s given me the sweetest, most unexpected of gifts, more time with my children before they go out into the world to become whoever and whatever they were meant to be.
See all News Updates of the Day
- By Reuters
US reviews Columbia University contracts, grants over antisemitism allegations
The administration of President Donald Trump said on Monday it will review Columbia University's federal contracts and grants over allegations of antisemitism, which it says the educational institution has shown inaction in tackling.
Rights advocates note rising antisemitism, Islamophobia and anti-Arab bias since U.S. ally Israel's devastating military assault on Gaza began after Palestinian Hamas militants' deadly October 2023 attack.
The Justice Department said a month ago it formed a task force to fight antisemitism. The U.S. Departments of Health and Education and the General Services Administration jointly made the review announcement on Monday.
"The Federal Government's Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is considering Stop Work Orders for $51.4 million in contracts between Columbia University and the Federal Government," the joint statement said.
The agencies said no contracting actions had been taken yet.
"The task force will also conduct a comprehensive review of the more than $5 billion in federal grant commitments to Columbia University."
The agencies did not respond to requests for comment on whether there were similar reviews over allegations of Islamophobia and anti-Arab bias.
Columbia had no immediate comment. It previously said it made efforts to tackle antisemitism.
College protests
Trump has signed an executive order to combat antisemitism and pledged to deport non-citizen college students and others who took part in pro-Palestinian protests.
Columbia was at the center of college protests in which demonstrators demanded an end to U.S. support for Israel due to the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel's assault on Gaza. There were allegations of antisemitism and Islamophobia in protests and counter-protests.
During last summer's demonstrations around the country, classes were canceled, some university administrators resigned and student protesters were suspended and arrested.
While the intensity of protests has decreased in recent months, there were some demonstrations last week in New York after the expulsion of two students at Columbia University-affiliated Barnard College and after New York Governor Kathy Hochul ordered the removal of a Palestinian studies job listing at Hunter College.
A third student at Barnard College has since been expelled, this one related to the occupation of the Hamilton Hall building at Columbia last year.
Canada’s immigration overhaul signals global shift in student migration
From Europe to North America, nations are tightening their immigration policies. Now Canada, long seen as one of the world's most welcoming nations, has introduced sweeping changes affecting international students. The reforms highlight a growing global trend toward more restrictive immigration policies. Arzouma Kompaore reports from Calgary.
Trump administration opens antisemitism inquiries at 5 colleges, including Columbia and Berkeley
The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five U.S. universities including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, the Education Department announced Monday.
It's part of President Donald Trump's promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than the Biden administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. It comes the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.
In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.
Along with Columbia and Berkeley, the department is now investigating the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University and Portland State University. The cases were opened using the department's power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of investigations, which stem from complaints.
Messages seeking comment were left with all five universities.
A statement from the Education Department criticized colleges for tolerating antisemitism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that followed. It also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating "toothless" resolutions that failed to hold schools accountable.
"Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses," said Craig Trainor, the agency's acting assistant secretary for civil rights.
The department didn't provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism. The hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia's Minouche Shafik.
An October report from House Republicans accused Columbia of failing to punish pro-Palestinian students who took over a campus building, and it called Northwestern's negotiations with student protesters a "stunning capitulation."
House Republicans applauded the new investigations. Representative Tim Walberg, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he was "glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students."
Trump's order also calls for a full review of antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department since Oct. 7, 2023, including pending and resolved cases from the Biden administration. It encourages the Justice Department to take action to enforce civil rights laws.
Last week's order drew backlash from civil rights groups who said it violated First Amendment rights that protect political speech.
The new task force announced Monday includes the Justice and Education departments along with Health and Human Services.
"The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found," said Leo Terrell, assistant attorney general for civil rights. "The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump's renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools."
- By VOA News
STEM, business top subjects for international students
The Times of India breaks down the most popular subjects for international students to study in the U.S.
STEM and business lead the pack. Read the full story here. (January 2025)
- By VOA News
Safety and visa difficulties among misconceptions about US colleges
U.S. News & World report addresses some of the misconceptions about U.S. colleges and universities, including the difficulty of getting a visa.
Read the full story here. (January 2025)
