Chapter News

CHAPTER NEWS Adapting ASDA to a School Year Under Quarantine

by Clara Kohlmetz, class of 2023

Anyone who knows me knows I hate “ not knowing. ” I will sometimes Google the plot of a movie during the opening credits. I relished the fact that I read the Game of Thrones books long before the show and knew exactly what was coming for The Young Wolf (and honestly, I’ m still not over it). Spoiling books and movies doesn ’t affect how much I enjoy reading and watching them. However, the uncertainty of not knowing how things will end drives me crazy.

Uncertainty defined these past few months under quarantine. Many dental students, myself included, are Type A. We love to plan, make schedules, and know exactly where we will be in the next five years. These days, I’ m sometimes not sure what will happen in the next five hours. As the president-elect for our ASDA chapter, that uncertainty presented a unique challenge for the upcoming year. We could no longer simply plan the same events from previous years safely, forcing us to come up with new ways to engage our members. The first few weeks into quarantine, my goals for ASDA shifted from improvement and innovation to relevance. Who would want to attend virtual ASDA events without the free food?

I’ m only half-joking about the food, but I did go into this summer with some hesitation. The pandemic caused such drastic change, and I was worried ASDA would be the last thing on the minds of both officers and members. Thankfully, our officer team proved me wrong. During the summer session alone, ASDA hosted half a dozen events. From essay prep for predentals to a virtual cooking class to a Q&A with national ASDA leadership, our officers continue to amaze me. We also made improvements to our website, social media, and organization as a chapter. To address membership engagement, we worked on providing events with better and more relevant content. Rather than seeing quarantine as a barrier to participation, we viewed it instead as an opportunity for improvement. Virtual events allow more members to attend, including students from other District 9 schools. Since we no longer need to pay for venues or food, we can hold more events during the semester. We also primarily focused on wellness and social events that allowed our members to escape their apartments, at least for a little while. Once the fall semester begins, we hope to tailor our events based on membership feedback. ASDA exists to serve its members, and we will continue to do so virtually or while 6 feet apart.

Dr. Spears shows off the culinary masterpiece he created during our virtual cooking class.

Over the past few months, uncertainty became my constant companion. Though I may never stop reading the last page of a book before the first chapter, I no longer feel as anxious about my future or the future of Houston ASDA. Everyone can only do their best. As long as we strive for that, everything else will work itself out. We plan to continue hosting excellent events throughout the year, and I feel lucky I get to work with such excellent team members to make them happen.