8 minute read
Variety
The F lat Hat | Tuesday, September 8, 2020 | Page 5 S a f e l y S o c i a l i z i n g
S tudents craft creative ways for safe social activity this fall through @covidculture
Instagram page
COVID-19 has impacted life at the College of William and Mary in innumerable ways, touching daily life everywhere from classrooms and dining halls to student-run extracurricular activities and part-time jobs. But the novel virus’s consequences perhaps most directly fall on the shoulders of social life at the College — which has had to adapt significantly as students pursue social distancing, wear masks and limit large gatherings as mandated by the university.
To help their peers understand COVID-19’s ramifications for student life in Williamsburg and brainstorm creative ways of incorporating social distancing into their daily routines, five College students have launched a new social media campaign designed to facilitate these important conversations. Their account, @covidculture, has garnered more than 1,000 followers on Instagram since its creation in early August and features tips, graphics and advice for navigating campus life with safety and intentionality.
Sophia Hernandez ‘21 serves as @covidculture’s content head, and helped create the campaign alongside Solongo Bayarmaa ‘21, Allie Moyer ‘21, Henry Netter ‘23 and Olivia Koenig ‘22. Hernandez said the page was born from concerns over young adults’ adherence to social distancing and mask protocols this summer, especially given the lack of any formal etiquette for how to discuss COVID-19 safety with peers.
“During the summer, I noticed that many of my peers were not following social distancing whatsoever,” Hernandez said in an email. “As someone who comes from New Jersey (the second COVID-19 hotspot), I was trying to understand why they were blatantly disregarding this new way of life. I realized that the CDC gives us guidelines to socialize six feet apart and wear masks, but ignores the implications these guidelines have on all the intricate social interactions we have in everyday life. In other
ETHAN BROWN // FLAT HAT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
words, students didn’t incorporate social distancing into their routine because it’s just awkward, and there was no common etiquette.”
Hernandez decided to address this issue by dispelling the awkwardness surrounding social distancing procedures. “...We realized that someone needed to spell out and help students visualize what a safe college experience looks like, before we get to campus,” Hernandez said. “We then gathered a couple of like-minded students, and got to work.”
Hernandez noted that the page’s engagement has sparked as students return to Williamsburg, with the bulk of its new followers originating from the College. However, students from other universities are also among those engaging with @covidculture’s content, demonstrating a nationwide demand among young adults for advice about how to successfully balance best health practices with social interaction.
Among @covidculture’s key objectives is conveying to students that abandoning social distancing and mask requirements while around your ‘quaranteam’ — a term used to describe a small group of friends that choose to neglect public health guidelines while in each other’s company — fails to take COVID-19’s spread and severity into account.
“We are mainly concerned about students making uninformed decisions that affect the safety of our community and the lack of a culture where social distancing is standard and personal health and safety boundaries are respected,” Hernandez said. “For example, people are using justifications such as ‘it’s just my quaranteam,’ without considering the actual amount of people in the quaranteam based on households involved.”
The page’s content focuses on three main strategies for integrating social life and COVID-19 conscientiousness, employing different infographics and arguments to
COURTESY IMAGE / @covidculture
articulate them. The first is to accurately convey how the virus spreads, which Hernandez said will help students as they seek to minimize exposure risks in social situations with their peers.
The second overarching tip is for students to map out their social interactions, keeping close account of who they interact with over time. Hernandez said that @covidculture highly recommends that individuals exercise caution with their friend groups, even with peers that have been safe around others.
Lastly, @covidculture encourages students to maintain their perspective throughout the fall semester, especially since many members of the College community, including immunocompromised students and faculty, face higher risks of developing severe symptoms. While adapting to new social situations may prove difficult, Hernandez emphasized that it is a labor of love that ultimately preserves the university community best.
“Remember why you are social distancing,” Hernandez said. “This is an inherently isolating time, and there will be a time when you are tempted to forgo all precautions. Remember that your actions directly affect yourself, those you love, and the community. You have a responsibility as a member of this community to protect those who cannot risk getting COVID-19.”
Furthermore, @covidculture exists to remind students that they can still have fun, make memories and meaningfully immerse themselves in campus life during the pandemic, provided they are willing to do so safely and creatively — a challenge the page is more than willing to meet.
PENNE FOR YOUR THOUGHTS:
REBECCA KLINGER // FLAT HAT SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR
After going home in the spring, I got to eat my mom’s good but repetitive cooking — sorry mom — or I cooked dinner myself, which almost always meant Asian night. I had gotten really good at preparing stir fry and Mongolian beef. Upon moving back to Williamsburg, I had to completely restructure my cooking style to accommodate only myself. I utilized a rice cooker and have been making extreme amounts of fried rice without a recipe, relying on my limited knowledge of Asian foods. Earlier this week, my legs brought me into the pantry, and while blankly staring at the shelves, I rediscovered a box I had placed on the floor back when I first moved in. Last semester I was gifted a box full of ramen packets, and never put that ramen to use. Now, I have so much ramen to eat, and I need a little variety in my life. Thus, I have come up with three ways to prepare ramen noodles.
1. Ramen Tartar
This is my go-to depression snack: when I can’t cook myself food but know I should eat, this is usually what I eat. This snack helped me survive living in Richmond Hall, a hike from any dining hall. All you will need for this one is a single pack of ramen, and maybe a plate if you want to contain the crumbs. This dish puts the “raw” in ramen, and has very simple steps. First, I’d suggest you get a plate or paper towel. This step is entirely optional but recommended due to the sheer crumbage of this dish, but if you can’t leave your bed, your chest should do just fine. Next, open your ramen package and place the brick on your desired surface. Depending on your flavor palette, you may want to sprinkle a desired amount of the seasoning packet on the brick (the seasoning is very concentrated, I would not recommend using more than half and maybe slowly add it in little by little to make sure it is spread evenly), I don’t do this step anymore because it adds to my prep time. Lastly, break the ramen brick into bite-size pieces and munch.
2. Classic Ramen
This one is easy, just follow the directions on the packet.
3. Someone Call PF
This one has been my personal favorite, but does require cooking materials and extra foods, which makes it less dorm-friendly. Living off-campus was probably the healthiest decision I’ve made in my college career, not just for my mental health — I could not imagine trying to live on campus during this time, props to all that are navigating that. This recipe is probably done best without measurements, rather adding the ingredients to taste, but I’ll give you this recipe as a starting point. The most important thing to remember while making this dish is that we all have different palettes and you can add or remove anything you want.
N S END OODS
Tips for turning your upsetti spaghetti into a gourmet ramen concoction worthy of fine dining
Directions
To start, follow the instructions to prepare “Classic Ramen” noodles. When this is done, strain your noodles. To maximize efficiency, you can prepare the other ingredients while waiting for your water to boil. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, water and sriracha. In a pan on medium heat, add the oil then sauté the onions and garlic. Add the egg to the onions and garlic and scramble these all together. Next, add the frozen peas and corn, then add the noodles and soy mixture to the pan, mix to evenly color the noodles in sauce and spread the vegetables and egg throughout. This is where you should taste a noodle and figure out if you need to change anything.
If the soy sauce is too heavy, add honey; if the noodle is sticky, add water; feel free to mix in extra spices as you please — maybe more sriracha — random spices from the cabinet, this is truly your time to shine and make this dish the best possible taste for you.
Right before taking your noodles off the heat, mix in some scallions, then plate your masterpiece.
This last step applies for every dish: make sure you clean up after yourself. If you hate this step, I would suggest sticking with Ramen Tartar, which results in the least amount of dirty dishes. Don’t be the person in your living situation that leaves your mark all over the kitchen. If you’ve made it this far, good on you, and I hope you are able to learn something from my nood tips.
