Coping with a Crisis

In a matter of days, Covid-19 changed everything on Eye Street. Here’s how a tightknit community like Gonzaga is staying together, while keeping our distance.

Every Monday afternoon this summer, a group of about a dozen Gonzaga administrators and faculty logged onto their computers to join a weekly Zoom meeting called Reopen Gonzaga. Each of the staffers on the call was overseeing its own Task Force charged with a different aspect of bringing students and faculty back to campus in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Back in mid-March, Gonzaga—like many schools around the country— had made the difficult but necessary decision to shift to distance learning, moving all academic instruction and extracurricular activities online. Al though teachers and students did an amazing job of teaching and learning over their computer screens, the community desperately missed being with one another. An essential part of the Gonzaga experience—joking, laughing, just being together—was missing, and everyone wanted to get it back.

Gonzaga’s Facilities team, including Francisco Gonzales, worked tirelessly throughout the summer to prepare Eye Street for the 2020-2021 school year.

The teachers and administrators on these Task Forces were asked to re-examine life on Eye Street to make sure it complied with recommendations from public health experts and requirements from the D.C. Department of Health. They looked at everything—from parking and classroom configurations to extracurricular activities, technology, and student schedules. As discussions took place and plans began to take shape, it quickly became clear that Gonzaga’s urban location and historic buildings would make reopening particularly complicated.

“Gonzaga’s campus is old and crowded and we don’t have much open space,” says Stephen Neill ’89, Gonzaga’s Chief Operating Officer. “On a normal day here on Eye Street, it is chaotic and hectic—and that’s part of what we love about Gonzaga. It’s part of the character and the soul of the school. But we knew that all those things we love present real logistical challenges in our current environment. They’re not insurmountable, but they require us to rethink our daily life down here and make changes to virtually everything we do.”

Over the summer, Gonzaga’s Facilities team got to work clearing out and reconfiguring all of our classrooms and teacher work areas. Classrooms were measured for socially distant occupancy, markings were placed on the floor where desks should go, and a “teaching lane” was marked off in the front of the classroom.

At the same time, Educational Technologist John Kilroy and the Technology Task Force began install ing new cameras and microphones in all of our classrooms. Made by Logitech, the new camera system connects the classroom to those at home through video conferencing, allowing the remote user to engage with those in the classroom as if they were in the room with one another.

Directional arrows were installed all around campus, creating traffic patterns for students and faculty.

Students take part in socially-distant Retreat Team Training in late August.

“We wanted to make absolutely certain that there was the same educational experience and opportunity for engagement whether students are present physically or attending class virtually,” says Headmaster Mr. Tom Every. “This technology really achieves that goal. It’s remarkable.”

Each week of the summer brought another upgrade or change. New outdoor seating areas and tents were set up along Eye Street and Buchanan Field; directional arrows were installed all around campus, creating new traffic patterns for students and faculty; bathrooms and locker rooms were renovated; and daily health screening protocols were introduced. In addition, the school hired a second school nurse, Mrs. Amy Harper, to help manage and track potential exposure to the virus among our community.

In early August, Gonzaga and the Board of Trustees made the decision to begin the school year with academic instruction taking place virtually for the first quarter. However, faculty and staff would be on Eye Street, an important and significant step towards reopening. In addition, the schedule incorporated something called “G Days,” when students would be allowed to come to campus in small groups for co-curricular activities.

As the summer wound down, teachers, coaches, and staff were encouraged to think about creative, safe ways to bring students back to campus for G Days. “We knew student life would look different this year,” says Jim Kilroy, Gonzaga’s Dean of Students. “But we were energized by the idea of coming up with opportunities for students to come together in person again. Our goal became: How can we recreate some of that sense of community we lost last spring?”

As the first day of classes approached, the feeling around school was one of cautious optimism. “I am so incredibly proud and grateful to all the people who worked tirelessly over the summer to get us ready for the new school year,” says Mr. Every. “Despite all the challenges and obstacles that our students and faculty have faced, I’ve witnessed an inspiring level of resilience in the face of that disappointment. Gonzaga’s sense of community has and will continue to play a big role in carrying us through this challenging time.”

New cameras and microphones have been installed in all of Gonzaga’s classrooms.

Using the new video technology that was installed over the summer, Religion Teacher Brendan Hartnett ’97 leads a discussion from his classroom with students, who are at home.

Math Teacher Mark Howell ’73, Librarian Pam Valerias, and Religion Teacher Harry Rissetto ’89 catch up, at a distance, on the first day of faculty and staff meetings in August.

On Saturday, August 22, a group of students sat at desks in a classroom writing notes that would eventually be posted on a message board outside the Campus Ministry office. Written with the freshman class in mind, the colorful post-it notes said things like Stay Positive and We Are Strong Together.

The students were on campus as part of Retreat Team Training, a weekend-long program organized by Campus Ministry to train the students who would be leading this year’s retreats. Over the course of two days, more than 100 juniors and seniors came to campus in groups of 10 to take part in the training.

“The students relished the time being back on Eye Street and reconnecting with friends,” says Dr. Stephen Szolosi, Director of Campus Ministry. “Despite all that’s been thrown at these young men over the last few months, they remain hopeful for the year, determined to rise above, and confident that we will prove resilient.”

A few days later, more than 100 seniors came down to Eye Street for Gonzaga’s first official G Day of the year, a commemoration of the 1963 March on Washington. The following week, the junior class was on campus for an introduction to College Counseling and a chance to play some socially-distant games on Buchanan Field.

On the days in between, Gonzaga’s faculty and staff have been on campus, using the new video technology to teach from their classrooms, spending time in the new seating areas outdoors, and connecting with students over Zoom, Google Meet, and countless other platforms.

Father Gap LoBiondo, S.J. helped lead Retreat Team Training.

Seniors taking part in Gonzaga’s first G Day, a commemoration of the 1963 March on Washington.

New outdoor seating areas have been set up around Eye Street.

“The beginning of this school year has felt different from anything we have ever experienced before,” says Gonzaga President Father Planning. “But it is a delight to hear our faculty and staff teaching and interacting with students from their classrooms, and to see students returning in small waves to Eye Street. Over the course of the past few months, the dedication and creativity of our faculty and the determination and resilience of our students have been an impressive sight to see. We know this coming year will present challenges, but I am hopeful that our students will come away from this time with stronger bonds with both Gonzaga and each other.”