I’m guessing at this point in time, almost all of you have dealt with Covid-19 in regards to work or school, so I thought I’d offer what my school is doing to balance safety with college life.
After what I assume is much debate, Boston College is allowing in-person classes and is allowing students to live on campus. This is great news for me because I find online learning to be much more difficult, not to mention that without other students around I have less motivation to do work. With that said, I will have online classes in addition to in-person and hybrid classes, but because I will be surrounded by other students who also have online classes, I think I will find focusing much easier than I did at home. The basic understanding is that if a class can be in-person it will be, but if there are too many people or the professor or TA isn’t comfortable in-person, then a class will be online.
In addition to managing classes and fixing classrooms to be equipped for hybridization (when one group of students is online while another is in class simultaneously), the administration also has to set up move-in and dorm protocols. Not much changed in terms of dorms, aside from a few buildings being all freshmen, when before some sophomores lived there too. Forced triples however were suspended this year, which I think is so lucky for the incoming freshman, as the fear of a forced triple is THE WORST. For the Newton campus, there will be increased shuttles so students can get to class on time even though buses have to follow social distancing rules. One quick note on buses is that last I heard, the grocery shuttle will not be operating in the fall due to more buses being needed for the Newton route. The other two issues with dorms are reduced elevator capacity, and that some dorms have communal bathrooms. I won’t be living in one of those dorms so I don’t have any additional information, but I’m guessing people will be encouraged to wear masks when possible, and may not be able to leave their toiletries in the bathroom. That’s just my guess though!
In terms of moving in, BC has scheduled everyone for a move-in slot, which will follow a strictly regimented routine. First, if a student has a parent/guardian/sibling/friend helping them move-in, the student will be dropped off at Conte Forum for Covid testing, and once that is done, they will pick up a meal slip. From there they will walk to their dorms where their (let’s just say family member) family member has dropped off their stuff. The student will then pick up their bag of 4 meals from a location near them, which also has important residence hall info such as the dorm door codes. While this is happening, the family member will drive over to the residence hall and either unpack everything and go park, or unpack and wait for the student before moving everything in. It is a bit unclear whether or not the car stays outside the hall during the entire move-in process as there will be carts that people usually take straight to your dorm, but we will have to see what happens due to Covid restrictions. Once everything is moved in, students will unpack with their family member, and once that is done, the family member leaves, and the student quarantines until their test result returns negative. It it returns positive…well, you will probably be moved right into quarantine housing! If a student does not have someone helping them move in, they will just leave their stuff at a gate outside of Conte, and then move it over themselves/with a cart. Nota bene: BC has said a student is only allowed one person to help them move in.
Before I address the whole dining situation, I would like to report that my friend moved in early, and sent me a picture of what her meal bag contained: A couple sandwiches, grilled chicken with quinoa, a bagel, peanut butter, cream cheese, a cookie, a brownie, a salad and dressing, an orange, an apple, hummus, pretzels, baby carrots, a couple bars, a hard boiled egg, and chips. While that’s not the best thing ever, there are good, healthy options, so I think I will manage to survive. Plus BC brownies are to die for, so I am now much more excited at the prospect of my quarantine meals!
What BC is doing for food is organizing the dining halls with reduced seating and a one way line for buying items. What we know so far is that some of the dining spots will not be open because the new guidelines use more staff members, and each of the main dining halls (Lower/Corcoran, MacElroy (Mac), and Stuart) will have the same meals as each other. The menu will rotate on a three-week schedule, and the menu will be available to scan while you wait in line. The Rat will have to go items, Addie’s might be mobile order only (? unclear?) and Eagles will have the same daily menu as Mac, and it will be open for lunch and dinner. HOWEVER! The one thing that I think will keep me not eating chicken with two sides every day is that GET Mobile, i.e. mobile orders, will be offering more custom made menu items, which I hope will include bowls and salads from Eagles. The downsides of mobile ordering is that you have to go pick it up (no delivery), and you can only get a friend’s food if they send you their receipt for proof. It is also slightly frustrating that the GET Mobile orders will take about 30 minutes (on average) to get ready, so I will probably be ordering food during class so that I can grab it when I want it without anything getting cold! Lastly, it is important to note that BC will be trying to put out more outdoor seating, in order to make up for reduced indoor seating. This is great for the fall and spring, but I’m not sure if there are any plausible ways to increase communal eating spaces for the winter.
The last piece of adjusted college life will be participating in clubs and such. Unfortunately, we do not know too much about activities with regards to reserving rooms, but it has been encouraged to make everything virtual. My smaller clubs are hoping to do some outdoor meetings, although I think that everyone will try to do that, so I’m not sure how that will go. BC has announced that the activities fair will be virtual this year, but I think that will make joining clubs very difficult for freshman, as you wouldn’t get the same vibes online that a club has in person. Additionally, tryouts for improv clubs or dance teams will be very different as well…I can’t wait to see how that goes!
Some final notes are that the gym will be open, so I look forward to meeting with friends there to work out, but I’m not sure if classes will be run. Additionally, the libraries will be open both for studying and for those in zoom classes, but food and drink will not be allowed because they require you to take off your mask. As far as testing goes, BC will be conducting random testing after the initial test, and students will be required to self-monitor. If you end up testing positive, BC will move you to quarantine housing where you will be taken care of, unless you decide to go home, which is encouraged for those who live close enough to do so. I’m not sure how you are supposed to get your stuff if you do test positive, so, as my sister’s school recommended, I will probably pack a ‘quarantine bag’ with daily essentials, to make moving into quarantine housing easier in case it is needed – I hope it isn’t!
All in all, campus will be very different this year, but I hope that we will be able to make it work safely and successfully! Despite some of the adjustments being annoying or frustrating, I am so grateful to be going back, so each time I lament the dining hall options or am frustrated with online classes, I will try to remember that BC is trying it’s best to make the year as great as it can be!
Disclaimer: I don’t own the BC Logo
Leann I Am 