Collected Item: “Fall 2021: Another Semester of Transition”
Give your story a title.
Fall 2021: Another Semester of Transition
What sort of object is this: text story, photograph, video, audio interview, screenshot, drawing, meme, etc.?
pdf, email
Tell us a story; share your experience. Describe what the object or story you've uploaded says about the pandemic, and/or why what you've submitted is important to you.
Returning to campus in Fall 2021 after three semesters at home has been interesting, to say the least. It has been a semester of transition and relearning for students, faculty, and staff. Fall 2021 semester has required learning to be away from family again, living in dorms, being in a classroom, etc. As a first-time resident assistant during this time of great change and uncertainty, there has been a learning curve. Being a resident assistant and working for the office of residence life has made it clear that covid-19 changed the way students experienced college. It's evident that the current student population (first-year students to fourth-year students) do not share a “normal” first-year experience. Fall 2019 first-year students never experienced a complete spring semester on campus. Fall 2020 first-year students had the option to live on campus but all classes and all or most campus resources were virtual. Fall 2021 first-year students are the first group to experience St. Mary's as it is now with its current policies. As a resident assistant during this time, it is imperative to take these unique experiences into account when serving as a campus resource. Covid-19 has also required the implementation of policies to keep the community safe. For the dorm halls, resident assistants are the ones to uphold and enforce policies that require residents to wear facemasks outside of their personal living spaces. So, in an already complicated and uncertain time, resident assistants must hold each other and their peers accountable.
Use one-word hashtags (separated by commas) to describe your story. For example: Where did it originate? How does this object make you feel? How does this object relate to the pandemic?
#coveryourfangs, #fall2019freshmen, #residentassistant
Who originally created this object? (If you created this object, such as photo, then put "self" here.)
Office Of Residence Life, St. Mary's University
Give this story a date.
2021-08-16