We come to you today to propose a course of action that’s been weighing on the hearts of many Vols all over the world. Being at home, while trying to finish the remainder of our college courses for the semester has been both rewarding and overwhelming. Many people, at first, saw it as a period where they could spend more quality time with family, and catch a break from the noise of our busy campus. But after being at home for so long, there are implications that many are now forced to face. For instance, some people don’t have reliable access to internet or technology in general, they don’t have the means of providing meals for themselves everyday, there are some who have horrible relationships with the people they are being forced to live with, they are surrounded with the trouble they initially escaped by going to school, and many are subjected to being at home all the time because they don’t have any type of escape (friends, family, jobs, etc.). 

Because of all this, my colleague and I want to propose that you guys return to in-person classes for our Fall 2020 semester. To some, being at the University of Tennessee was the only escape they had from the things they felt trapped by. Having that sense of independence, community, and freedom is something that we all desire to have back, and we hope that you guys are empathetic enough to see where we, as students and as young people, are coming from. 

Thanks.