COVID
Caroline Hall connections: Residence Life adapts to new restrictions
Words Emily Cabaltera | Photo Ally
son Gebauer | Design Ann Tran
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or cannot due to quarantining are still able to attend alking through Caroline Hall, an eerie events virtually. lead silence hangs in the air. Doors that “If you're isolating in your room or you don't feel The closed. to residents’ rooms remain safe coming, that's fine,” Lauren Nylund, resident floor lounges that were once filled with the sound assistant, said. “All the supplies will get dropped off. of laughter remain silent. Signs reminding students You can follow along in real time on Zoom, and then are to wear their masks and remain socially distant submit or keep whatever work or products you get.” posted outside the elevator, kitchen and lounges. Some memorable aspects of programming in the The COVID-19 pandemic that shook the Mount residence hall can no longer be happen due to COMary campus in March changed what it meant to VID concerns. live in Caroline Hall. The lively energy from semes“I was kind of bummed out that the events that I hing eye-catc the for ters before is nearly gone, except wanted to do are not possible in the variation that I bulletin boards created by the resident assistants. wanted to do,” Nylund said. “We have to minimize On the third floor, the large bulletin board is decofood consumption. Any food we do has to be preand rated with a colorful tree made of orange, yellow packaged.” letters holds ine red paper. Across the center, a clothesl In past years, resident assistants were each assigned for sements Adverti y’all.” fall, of the phrase “Happy a night of the week where they would host an event. events held by resident assistants and other campus The weekly events ranged from watching The Office organizations are plastered across the board. to study nights. Due to COVID, these events are no really to been just “This semester, (the goal) has longer possible. pump out the programs, really let students know that “It would be hard to make them socially distant re,” anywhe go didn't Life ce Residen that here, we're overall, we are trying to minimize in-person conand, Bryn Bowden, assistant director of student engagetact,” Nylund said. ment and residential living, said. “We really value Taylor Roberts, resident assistant, designed an we're what see to them want I them (residents). event called Pen Pals to connect residents and accominvolved in. We want to be there for them.” modate these new requirements. Residence Life has been working hard to offer “I wanted to get into doing pen pals myself, so I followwhile the all programs for residents to enjoy, thought that would be a really cool thing to do here, ing COVID-19 safety guidelines. especially with COVID,” Roberts said. “It's not all in “You have to be able to socially distance in spaces,” person, but it's not all online. I thought that it would that Bowden said. “We're trying to really make sure be a really good hybrid program to do, especially for we offer as much space as we can with programming, the first month.” so a lot of our programs are in the Caroline Hall Roberts hung brown paper bags on the doors of ” lounge. participating resident that contained all of the each to Students in the residence hall who choose not letter writing materials they may need. Participants of attend events in person because of COVID concerns
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10/21/2020 7:45:56 PM
