This fall, students across the country began their first year of college in the middle of a pandemic.
Prior freshmen never had to worry about sanitary precautions and social distancing guidelines, but students must now stay on top of these procedures, which aim to keep people safe and healthy.
“To stay safe, my roommates and I wash our hands constantly, use hand sanitizer every time we enter our room, and wipe door handles down after every time we touch it,” said freshman Victor Dipierro.
In an effort to keep students and faculty safe, many classes at Sacred Heart use the hybrid method, which consists of half in-person classes and half online classes. In some cases, students have classes completely online. This can lead to conflicting Zoom calls for some students.
“My direct roommate and I usually take turns going to the common room when we are both in class on Zoom. That way we don’t get in each other’s way,” said Dipierro.
Others say they have found alternative ways not to distract one another when they are both in class.
“We really have no issue with this,” said freshman Kelly Nolan. “My roommate will put in her AirPods and sit at her desk and I will listen to my Zoom from the computer speaker at my desk.”
Some students say the inability to interact with people in dorms other than their own may not be the worst thing. It allows for students to create a deeper bond with their roommates.
“I think we have gotten even closer this year with all of the time we spend in the room due to the coronavirus restrictions for sure,” said sophomore Robert Fizino.
Many students say that by being restricted to their specific dorms, they find it hard to socialize in other spaces due to the risk of getting COVID-19.
“We always make sure to wear our masks before leaving our room,” said Nolan. “We also try our best to hang out in the common room when we want to socialize with more people than each other.”
Some students believe that utilizing larger spaces to congregate with a small group of people is one way to stay connected with friends. It also provides opportunities to meet new people.
“I figure, if I want to see a friend, I will go on campus and meet up at a dining hall,” said Fizino.
The Pioneer Promise is a list of vows that the university expects all students to uphold. It highlights the importance of maintaining social distancing, wearing a mask at all times, limiting the number of people present in a dorm or house, and keeping track of close contacts in the event someone contracts COVID-19.
Despite these regulations, many students say that their spirits are high, and they are grateful to be living on campus and taking some of their classes in person.
“At least we are here at school getting to spend time with roommates, as well as getting in all of our classes,” said Fizino.
