Last weekend, Reagan Yates, a junior film and television major, tried to fly back to Chicago after visiting her family in Houston. However, due to the ongoing government shutdown, Yates missed her flight home after waiting almost two hours to get through the security checkpoint.
Although Yates is a part of the “CLEAR” program that allows her to bypass the standard ID check process, TSA staffing shortages have made security lines much longer than usual.
Yates is among many travelers who are facing mounting issues with airline travel across the country. In addition to the prolonged security lines, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered airports like O’Hare and Midway to reduce their flights by 10% by the end of the week.
Several students told the Chronicle they are scared that they will be unable to make it home for the holiday season.
“The worry and fear of this happening is shared with everyone,” said Amelia Lutz, executive vice president of the Student Government Association and a junior film and television major. “I think it’s a huge stress all around for students.”
Bailey Milligan, a senior film and television major, said she plans to fly back to Florida next weekend to visit her family. However due to the flight reductions, she is “freaking out” since she might not see them until the end of the semester.
“I really want to go see my family since it’s a good time of year and the next time I see them won’t be until mid-December,” said Milligan.
Although she acknowledged that four weeks may not seem like a lot of time, Milligan said that she has been looking forward to seeing her family as soon as possible.
Milligan, who is also a resident assistant at the Arc, relates to several of her residents who share a similar sentiment.
“It’s definitely popping up where I’m seeing more residents who are more homesick and won’t be able to go home because of this,” she said.
Maple Luna, a sophomore acting major, is worried about whether or not they will be able to make it back home to Georgia.
Luna said they would feel isolated and upset, missing out on time to spend with both their family and friends who they haven’t seen since the end of summer.
“Especially if everyone else can go home or a bunch of other people drive home, I’m just here by myself and I would be spending the holidays alone,” Luna said.
Not only are students concerned about visiting home for the holidays, they are also worried about making it back to campus in time for the end of the semester.
“If I were to get stuck on one side, I would rather get stuck here in Chicago so I can keep going to school,” said Zadyn Higgins, a first-year journalism major who planned on going home to Maryland for the holidays.
Even if the government shutdown were to end, flight cancellations would still persist until safety metrics improve, according to the Associated Press.
“I want to encourage any students who are experiencing flight cancellations to find community within each other and their friends,” said Lutz. “There’s absolutely something to be said for found family within the time we are in right now.”
With this in mind, SGA’s LGBTQIA+ Town Hall and the Disability Advocate Town Hall will be hosting potluck-style Thanksgiving events on Nov. 14 and 21, creating opportunities for students who aren’t visiting home to spend time with people on the holidays.
Additionally, the Center for Student Wellbeing offers counseling and consultation services along with 24/7 mental health care via TimelyCare to support any students struggling with homesickness, anxiety or feelings of isolation.
Copy edited by Matt Brady
