The pandemic brought a lot of changes in our work environments and that includes the changes in business hours. At St. Mary's University, these screenshots show the hour alterations to on-campus facilities, since January, and the new rules that are to be followed by all.

The pandemic no doubt brought a lot of mental stress into student's life. The result of this stress was the mental health support, via St. Mary's University, reaching out to the student population, as well as the ministry aiding in the mental health of students.

The Student Emergency Fund at St. Mary's was part of an economic relief through the CARES act; where students got financial support via the university. I personally used this fund to help pay for school and basic necessities, like food and bills. It was a relief that students, like myself, were able to obtain this financial support throughout the pandemic and it's still available for all students.

Online was the new way of providing lessons, assigning classroom activities, and laying out information for students across all ages. Sites like google classroom, canvas, blackboard, and seesaw suddenly became teachers and professors only way of providing students with a "classroom". In the first picture we see an example of an elementary school platform, in the next image is a middle school layout, and the final image is of the new college format. All three platforms provided students with a visual way to remain in contact with their educators in a time where we couldn't meet. They were our way of adjusting to the new situation we were all stuck in. However, despite providing us with the benefits of being connected without having to meet in person, there were still a few shortcomings. Because of the lack of in person class we couldn’t form connection with each other. That was a struggle for kids and teachers/professors alike. There remained a barrier between each other.

From my senior year in high school to my Freshman year in college, the way I would attend class had drastically changed. However I wasn't alone in this change. Students, teachers, and professors all around the world found themselves having to adapt to a new form of teaching. A tool that we all had to learn to use was zoom. Unable to attend in person class led to the development of this so-called new “classroom”. Across the world we would now find ourselves logging in to zoom on our computers to attend class. For many of us, me included, the college experience had simply become waking up in my room.

In the Center of International Programs, during Summer 2021, some decisions had to be made in the office. Due to internal changes, some applications could not be processed, and I-20s could not be developed. Between 10 to 20 undergraduates and graduate students had to be deferred to have more time to issue their visas. This impacted students as some had already made arrangements to come and each case had to be taken into consideration and also be taken personally. The Center of International Programs has over 20 students preparing to go to the university by Spring 2022.

On August 9th, 45 students (approx.) came to the first international student orientation. During the session, they explained how to maintain the visa status, more information about working in the university, and health recommendations and guidelines. They were also asked to leave their documentation for the following scanning and complete some forms during the session. This session was the first one after COVID-19 appeared in the US.

Each of the members of the flight to Guayaquil, Ecuador, was deeply connected with the purpose of traveling which was to be present with the neighbors in Ecuador. Some of us thought that the main purpose of the course, Empower: Ecuador, was to travel. To some extent it was, but after the trip cancelation, we realized there was also another greater purpose. The greater purpose was to grow in vulnerability, spirituality, and in self-reflection. To learn how to be vulnerable with others and share your journey in life and understand how God was working through all the messiness was really hard, but through this course, it happened. The trip cancelation was very sad but because of it, we learned how to be connected despite the distance. Letters were sent from us to each of the neighbors in Ecuador, zoom meetings were held with the team in different ways, and journals were written with our most inner thoughts and reflections. Additional to this, each of us got a voucher to travel for the rest of the year, which in my case I used to travel to see my loved ones in Puerto Rico and Arizona. Seeing my loved ones probably wouldn't have happened if it was not for this voucher and I was very grateful for it. Yes, it was bad that our trip was canceled but many blessings came out of this. During COVID-19 many bad things happened and are happening, however, many blessings and good things also happened and are happening. I think it is very important to also share those good things to motivate others and push each other up out of all the darkness. To express this story I am sharing a screenshot of an email that confirmed the trip cancelation and that also announced to us that we were going to have a voucher to travel. The email was from our leader Clare.

With the distribution of the vaccine everyone thought things were going back to normal. The pandemic seemed like it was coming to a close. Institutions were beginning to lift the indoor mask-wearing requirements for vaccinated individuals per the CDC's announcement. St Mary's University was one of these of these places. Unfortunately with the rise of the Delta variant St. Mary's had to revoke their decision regarding masks a few weeks later. It was back to "normal" mask-wearing policies no matter what your vaccination status. I, like many others, was disappointed by masks being required again. Too often I had been made late by trying to find a mask to take or even running back to my house or car because I forgot mine. Or ran embarrassed out of a store because I forgot to wear one the entire time I was shopping. I also missed putting on makeup below my eyes, a ritual that helped me feel more put together. They're simple, silly reasons for not wanting to wear a mask anymore but to me they represented normalcy.

This image shows how much almost everyone underestimated the pandemic. It also highlights the uncertainty it brought. Most thought we were just getting one extra week of staying home. We would be heading back to campus after that so we were grateful for the extra vacation time. Little did we know that there would be no end in sight for this pandemic for almost two years. No one knew how long it would last or exactly how much it would affect our everyday lives. Procedures constantly changed as institutions tried to figure out the best way to respond to this unprecedented situation. I think this image would spark student memories of the reaction they had to similar school announcements. Many people were on vacation and came home to a total shift in society like panic buying. My family was in Mexico at the time and in the middle of the vacation the hotel switched from open buffet and people roaming to encouraging people not to interact with others. Before my family left my stepdad had bought some nonperishables to store. I didn't know why he did this and thought this was silly and just a habit from his Red Cross responder days. It turns out he was correct in predicting people would flock to the stores once institutions started practicing preventive measures. This image is just one of the many that demonstrate how people's lives began to change during this time.

I personally worked as a COVID 19 screener for South Texas Veterans Affairs. During that time we as COVID screeners were required to wear face shields and masks on our face for more than eight hours a day. After reading the article I posted from the CDC -- it now does not seem like it was a requirement at all for health workers to wear the face shields. I preferred to wear the ones that were much lighter. They were also face shields, but they were not in a shape of a helmet, they were lighter, and easier to handle as we screeners went from one job station to another. During the pandemic, while employed as a COVID 19 screener-- if we were caught without wearing the helmet (face shield) our jobs were threatened. We were only allowed to take the face shields off intermittently, for example, while at lunch.

These text stories are from St. Mary University's Rattler Newspaper. These articles relate to the pandemic and my theme because they are discussing how students are adapting from the previous year(s), whether it be dealing with changes to online vs. in-person lectures, new policies to promote safety, or anything else. This theme is important to me because I was still in high school during the start of the pandemic, so I had to go through lots of adaptations, not only because of my transition into college but also because of the ongoing pandemic. When I decided to attend St. Mary's, lots of things were still uncertain, for example, whether or not class will be held in person or virtually, mask and vaccination mandates, etc. Chloe Presley is the contributing writer, and Adrianna Mirabal is responsible for the graphics.

These text stories are from St. Mary University's Rattler Newspaper. These articles relate to the pandemic and my theme because they are discussing how students are adapting from the previous year(s), whether it be dealing with changes to online vs. in-person lectures, new policies to promote safety, or anything else. This theme is important to me because I was still in high school during the start of the pandemic, so I had to go through lots of adaptations, not only because of my transition into college but also because of the ongoing pandemic. When I decided to attend St. Mary's, lots of things were still uncertain, for example, whether or not class will be held in person or virtually, mask and vaccination mandates, etc. The opinion editor is Seana Barclay and the photographer is Adrianna Mirabal.

Classes in Fall 2020 were either fully virtual or hybrid. In hybrid classes, the professors would have to put the projector with some students being on zoom. This was a good idea because it helped students be safe and at the same time learn. It was also challenging because sometimes professors would pay more attention to the students that were in the classroom and not the ones on zoom. I took this picture a year ago to show my parents how classes were working. This was something my parents appreciated because they saw that St. Mary’s University was using all their resources to help students continue their studies. They liked seeing me continue my college experience in a different way but not fully virtual. I saved this picture for over a year to see the changes the world was going to have during the pandemic. I am glad we are finding new solutions and making changes with still being careful with COVID-19 guidelines.

I want to begin that looking through google website I found some interesting images that went well with what I believe are very important reminders of how and when the pandemic just hit San Antonio. This is important to me because it is a reminder of when businesses/schools were closing and people were losing their jobs and being furloughed had no clue where this pandemic was taking us and so many people lost their homes, no way to put food on tables, or pay bills, etc. Not knowing if we would ever come back to the job we once had and relied on for many years a change that no one knew how it would impact our lives dramatically. For me personally at my employment when I received an email that they will soon let people go from their jobs or furloughed I was worried out of my mind, and a constant thought, of “What will I do if I lose my job.” Something like this can never be forgotten and is a reminder of how our lives can change due to a pandemic that no one ever thought would ever happen and not even prepared for.

When being part of the program Empower: Ecuador at my school, we were preparing ourselves to travel to Guayaquil, Ecuador to be present with the families in the community. The families in the community were called our neighbors. Prior to traveling and meeting families in person, each person from the class was given a bookmark with a picture of a neighbor and a brief description of who they were. We were supposed to pray for the person selected and have him/her in our hearts until we meet them in person. Due to COVID-19, we were never able to meet these people whom we felt very close to and it was very sad. Therefore, we were tasked with the beautiful idea of writing letters to them about our prayers and best wishes for them in times of trouble. After a couple of months, I received a message through Messenger, and to my surprise, it was the person I wrote the letter to. She was thanking me for the letter and for how happy she felt when she received it. Also, she shared the desire to get to know me more through social media. It was a beautiful moment and proof of how we could connect with each other despite the social distance. To express this story I am sharing a screenshot of a conversation through Facebook (messenger) with a neighbor from Guayaquil, Ecuador. She is telling me that she received the letter I sent and how grateful she is for it.

I was part of the group of student that was preparing themselves emotionally, spiritually, and physically to go to Ecuador and be present with a community in Guayaquil. During this class and for the entire semester we were in retreats together, reading, journaling, and sharing our hearts with each other. We built a community and were deeply connected with the mission of the program and the desire to go to Ecuador and meet the neighbors. However, exactly a couple of days before traveling the lockdown happened, and the plans were canceled. We did not know that the world was going to change so suddenly and immediately. I clearly remember the meeting we had to announce that the trip was canceled and how most of us were filled with sadness and crying. Afterward, we kept being in connection to Ecuador with our prayers and writings. We even wrote some letters to our neighbors in Ecuador. So, this story is to reflects how we can be in connection and engagement with others even during times of depression and distance and how in specific this program had to adapt through COVID-19. To express the story I chose the screenshot of an Instagram post from the Community Engagement Office at St. Mary's University.

This is a screenshot of my theology class syllabus including the newly included "face mask policy." I think this is important to include because even though all professors need to include the same information about mask policies, there are some who have just included what needed to be and other who have mentioned it in other areas of their syllabus. It's also interesting to see that this could be the first major change made to some of the professor's syllabi in some time. I submitted this item because it's a part of people's reaction to this pandemic and it heavily influenced changes in our "first-day of class routine." Coming back to school in-person after a whole year online, it was interesting to see how professors were now sharing more personal details about why they are being more careful, checking that students are wearing masks correctly, and some professors being more strict or lenient with the food/drink policy.

Assignment prompt given to St. Mary's University Students in HS 3390A taught by Lindsey Passenger, Fall 2020

During the coronavirus pandemic, financial inclusion is more critical than ever. Small businesses are vulnerable to the health and economic impact of this global pandemic. They are less likely to have access to quality and affordable health care and paid leave to care for sick family members or themselves. Without appropriate savings, credit, and insurance it will be hard for them to weather the storm and deal with business disruptions and maintain a stable livelihood. Small businesses are at the heart of America's economy but hundreds of thousands of them have been pushed to the brink of failure due to Covid-19. I live on the southside of San Antonio and here there are multiple small businesses that I see everyday. Recently, I see signs in front of businesses that speak to me and worry about the families it is going to affect with the closure of the business. Since the pandemic most businesses do not have the cash flow for three months of expenses.

On March 18, 2020, President Trump signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). This act provided additional flexibility for state unemployment insurance agencies and funding to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic. This act requires certain employers to provide their employees with paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons that relate to Covid-19. To receive these unemployment insurance benefits, you need to file a claim with the unemployment insurance program in the state you work. Employees everywhere are put on sick leave everyday due to coronavirus. This act gives them more support and sanity to help them in their day to day lives whether it is to help support family or pay expenses.

The CDC earlier this year released an article on employer information for office buildings. The article starts off with how employers can protect their staff and others and slow the spread. First and foremost a covid-19 workplace health and safety plan should be created for the business. They recommend an evaluation the building and mechanical and life safety systems to determine if the building is ready for occupancy. Second identify how workers might be exposed to covid-19. Identify any workplace hazards that could increase the risk of spreading. The inclusion of all employees in communication plans as well and contractors if any are involved. The CDC also encourages the education of employees and supervisors about steps they can take to protect themselves in the workplace.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on their website has some advice for the public on how to stay safe in general during the pandemic. Some precautions include keeping rooms well ventilated, avoiding crowds, cleaning your hands, and coughing into your shoulder. They also go on to explain how you should avoid the threes C’s; spaces that are closed, crowded or involve close contact. They do not suggest having gatherings indoors, if a gathering is needed the WHO recommends to meet people outside and wear your masks. In the midst of all of this they do not want you to forget the basics of good hygiene. They promote regularly washing your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or wash, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth and clean and disinfect surfaces frequently mostly those which are regularly touched. They finish off by knowing what to do if you feel unwell. They lay out the symptoms of covid-19 and tell people if they experience any of these to self isolate themselves.

While some restaurants have opened their dining rooms there are still some places that are only to-go or pick up only. This past weekend I traveled from San Antonio to Houstonand visited a few restaurants. Most of them allowed customers inside but Taco Flores was only doing pick up only. The small restaurant is in tune with the coronavirus and has raised their standard of cleanliness to protect their customers and employees. These changes included changing their orders served in disposable plates, individual containers for their sauces, one time use of plastic utensils are available for every order among others changes. With these smaller family owned restaurants we see a higher level of safety when running their day to day operations. They also expanded the way their customers can still enjoy the dishes they love without leaving the safety of their homes. They have expanded to the food app Grub Hub. This is a great way for the community to stay connected to the restaurant.

The last few months of the pandemic has gotten out of control to a point where I do not even like to go out to eat. I mostly have home cooked meals or order food to be delivered to my house. The 1st of December was my brother's birthday and we decided we were going to have a nice meal for him. He chose where he wanted to eat and he chose Kona Grill. When arriving there we had to be put on a waitlist to get seated. They did not allow us to wait in the restaurant but outside to enforce social distancing. When we were being seated I was looking around and they had followed the CDC recommendations and had tables six feet apart and had a reduced capacity. During dinner I had to use the bathroom and there was a sign saying any person experiencing symptoms were not allowed in the restaurant, employees were mandated to wear masks at all times and customers were asked to wear masks when possible. Within the restaurant it is known that when you are at your table a mask is not required but when not at your table a mask is highly suggested to be worn.

As bars and restaurants continue day to day operations all over the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers consideration on their website in ways they can reduce the risk for employees, customers and the community. These establishments will collaborate with their state and local health officials on how to implement these considerations. When considering these ideas they are meant to supplement and not replace any state or local health and safety laws. The longer people interact with one another the higher risk of spreading covid-19. One key take away from the article that stuck out to me was the spacing that the CDC recommends and that I see mostly in restaurants and bars today. Capacity has been reduced and tables have been moved six feet apart to slow the spread.

The World Health Organization released a document on March 3rd, 2020 and it gives advice on how a company should deal with the coronavirus. Within the document it highlights four main topics, simple ways to prevent the spread of covid-19, how to manage covid-19 when organizing meetings and events, things to consider when you employees travel and finally getting the workplace ready for covid-19 in case it arrives in your community. The WHO recommends that companies make sure that the workplace is clean and hygienic by wiping down surfaces that are frequently touched and used. Also promote that everyone is washing their hands. WHO recommends also to have a plan of attack of what to do if someone becomes ill with covid-19 in the workplace.

Sometimes social distancing is hard to do at all times. It is especially important to wear a mask when unable to stay 6 feet away from others since covid-19 spreads mainly from people who do not acknowledge the 6 feet requirement and have close contact with one another. While masks offer protection to yourself it also provides protection to those around you. Lowe’s provides its employees with Lowe’s specific make to stay safe. Lowe’s also provides masks to the public who do not have a mask. All one has to do is go to customer service and ask for a mask and we will happily provide one. With this there are some customers that come into the store without a mask and refuse to wear one. We still have to provide great customer service while being safe. In these situations we have to do our best to practice social distancing.

This is one of the many ways Lowe’s is doing its part to make sure their employees and customers are safe. Throughout the store these signs are a great reminder that everyone needs to comply with the requirements of maintaining a 6 foot distance to protect themselves and others from the spread of the illness. The placement of these are in prime locations where the store sees the most traffic. Social distancing is important for not just everyone but especially those who are at higher risk for severe illness for coronavirus. Social distancing crushes the curve, which means that these protective practices slow the rate of infection. As employees we are motivated everyday by our managers to enforce social distancing as much as we can to make customers feel safe while shopping in our store. Along with the signs we also have an automated message that plans periodically to remind the customers to social distancing and how important they are to us and always to have a Lowe’s safe day.

________ is a sophomore at S. Mary's University. He was able to sit down over zoom and do an interview with me to talk about his experience of online learning during the pandemic. He goes into depth about the changes in the class structures and the changes in his college experience.

An interview with Cynthia Lopez, a St. Mary's University employee in the Blume Library

St. Mary's University are the Rattlers, represented by Rattler Man. St. Mary's used this image of Rattler Man masked up to encourage students and our campus community to #CoverYourFangs. This is the iconic image that I'll remember from this campaign.

Alpha Sigma Tau Founders day is November 4th and is celebrated every year as the day the sorority was founded. This year because of covid it was celebrated over zoom and the chapters Alumnae joined the current sisters to celebrate.

Greek week is a week-long event in which all the sororities and fraternities participate in the events and compete to win the greek week trophy. Most of the events were held online due to covid, and one of them was the popular online multiplayer social deduction game Among Us. Alpha Sigma Tau new member Jess Calvillo a sophomore, forensic science major, talks about her experience during the greek week event. "Due to covid changing so much this semester, an activity posed for Greek week was a game of Among Us. I personally love Among Us, so using it to bring everyone in the greek community together was brilliant. Everyone was able to have so much fun and get to know each other by trying to uncover who the imposters were! I got to meet people I have never even talked to before and was able to grow connection in the community!"

Alpha Sigma Tau bid day was held over zoom is and this event is meant to welcome all the new members and help them get to know all the current sisters. The theme for this bid day was "Dreaming of Alpha Sigma Tau" and the zoom event was filled with ice breakers and games!

Sofia Almanzan is a freshman, political science major from El Paso and went through recruitment this semester to become an initiated member of Alpha Sigma Tau. In this oral history, she describes her experience in Greek life during COVID and how it affected her personally, having come from a border city.

This is the Alpha Sigma Tau recruitment video that the sorority puts forth to interest potential new members and encourage them to join the Chapter.

In this interview, I, Hailey, interview Briana who is an international student in London, UK. She talks about how her coping mechanisms for dealing with stress, anxiety and sadness have shifted due to COVID and the nature of the virus. She gives some great tips for staying mentally healthy during such a tough time, especially for international students, or student very far from family.

In this interview, I, Hailey, am interviewing Sofia about how she has handled stress before and after COVID. I ask her about how she's made adjustments to her coping mechanisms and how she is handling graduating during COVID and having been abroad during COVID as well. The COVID-19 pandemic uprooted a lot of our lives and our plans we had for the future. It is about making adjustments when necessary and learning to cope and be positive!

This interview is with one of my closest friends. Although we talk all the time, and are a part of each other daily lives interviewing her in this kind of almost formal format and asking her very pointed questions that I don't typically ask was a bit eye opening. I already knew a lot of what she said, but to hear it all laid out and not intertwined and in bits between the busyness our lives really opened my eyes to how much our lives has had to change because of COVID-19, even as we continue to chug along. I think this is important to know because so often we're bogged down with continuing to go though the motions and check boxes we forget to slow down and think about the circumstances of out situation with COVID.

This article gives some context as to what "zoom fatigue" or "tech fatigue" is. It's not something I've really considered before this year. My previous years of having mainly online classes, were still broken up by at least one or two in-person classes, along with the other distractions of going the store or visiting family, and doing something fun or interesting, without the anxiety of getting severely sick, or getting my loved ones sick. The article also includes some basic "how to fight tech fatigue" tips which I think could be useful, however, this type of advice can easily fall into the one-size-fits-all category. This needs to be avoided, because there is a wider range of diversity and accessibility, and for some people the "20,20,20" rule, simply doesn't work.

When the Fall 2020 course schedule was announced at St. Mary's I ran to see what type of classes I was going to have. There were 3 options either online, virtual, or a combination of virtual/in-person. My course with Dr. Root was scheduled to be a combination class. I had a lot of fear about going back to campus and especially going to class in-person. I reached out to Dr. Root with the hope that he would allow staying full virtual. Thankfully he was understanding of my situation. This email is the conversation that we had over the situation Screenshot of an email by Dr. Root

I chose this article because it touches on some issues I faced myself on a much smaller scale. Zoom class meetings can be, for whatever reason, intimidating. They create a different type of social anxiety than when in a class setting, where things can be more relaxed, or tension eased quickly. The communication barriers of having to mute microphones to hear one another, technical issues, and just not wanting to be the focus when you see your screen light up, and also still wanting to contribute can get stressful quickly. It also can be uncomfortable, staring at all of your classmates all at once, and also trying to focus on your professor. I also enjoyed how the professor in this article discussed his methods of improving his online lectures, and trying to ease those social tensions, and create a sense of normalcy for his students despite the vast array of challenges faced.

Before spring break in March 2020, our rhetoric class was very discussion and in-person interaction-based. When we were told that our classes would be moved to online for the rest of the semester Professor Delgado was the first professor that I got an email from. His email made me feel reassured that the transition was going to relatively easy. This email represented a professor acting fast to ease the worries of their students. PDF of the emails sent from Professor Derek Delgado

Dr. Poyo talks about the process of converting his classes online. Teaching these past two semesters has changed his opinion about online classes. Through the help of St. Mary's University and the History Department, he was been to tackle the difficult job.

This is less of an entry and more of a summary of how my year has gone? I'm trying to write without too much filter, to really capture the raw emotions of the pandemic. It's been a weird, and rough semester. A positive is that due to the pandemic, I was able to get into a school I had been interested in for quite a while. I wasn't sure I'd be able to get in, but I had a much better chance of doing so, than I did before when online classes weren't offered for my major. I did get in, at the last minute and picked my classes the day before the semester started! I needed a laptop, which were certainly in short supply, but luckily there were some available. When my laptop was stolen, and a webcam was a more immediate option for an older computer, that was more difficult to obtain. I hadn't even considered that they were in short supply but almost every cheap to middle priced webcam were sold out. I definitely didn't think this is what my first semester of graduate school would be like when I started. One class ended in a project showcase that felt far differently than it would have had we been able to present in person. Juggling the semester and also working at night was certainly not something I expected to be doing. During the nights we (my coworkers and I) would be frantically trying to stock canned goods, paper goods, and other items in high demand, just to watch it all be bought within 30 minutes of the store opening for the day. This is also on top of trying to run the store normally. It was very surreal to go in and see shelf after shelf empty and ransacked, as if a hurricane was on the way. All in all, I'm not thankful for the pandemic, but being able to find positives, and to be grateful for the opportunities afforded me is healthier than focusing on the negatives.

This interview shares the perspective of not only a college student learning during the pandemic, but also a student athlete. Preston Potter strives to maintain his job, his grades, and also stay in athletic shape, while also trying to keep a sense of team brotherhood while staying safe. We explored how he tried to juggle all of this, stay sane, and lead a normal life. Preston gives a positive outlook on the struggles and challenges he faces, focused solely on achieving a dream career of being a professional baseball player. It is a unique look into how different students are handling the many balls they have in the air between work, school and practice.

The freshmen experience has changed tremendously because of COVID-19, and this has forced the majority of them to adapt and change their routines in this new online learning environment. Attached is an interview with a St.Mary’s freshman’s experience as an online student, and how she has adapted to her environment in order to be successful in college during a pandemic.

St. Mary’s University (a liberal arts college) is filled with students struggling to find a balance between a new online learning environment and the pandemic, and there is a group of students who in particular have had a hard time. The freshmen of St. Mary’s is this group. This interview tells the experience of a freshman, and how she is handling this unique college experience.

Staying connected as a commuting student has been hard this semester. St. Mary’s University usually holds events quite often for commuters throughout the year but due to covid these events have been put on hold. Recently, St. Mary’s Campus Activities sent out an email on how students can still stay connected in times like this. They have created a Commuting Rattlers GroupMe we can join. This lets us stay linked in with other commuting students and still have a way to interact with each other. We can join the Commuting Rattler Council through our Rattler Tracks. Here we can discuss our Commuting life at St. Mary’s. I feel like these are all great ideas to stay connected. It makes you feel like you are still socializing and being engaged with your community with a whole new twist to it. St. Mary’s also hosts events (Commuter specific and regular events) and are a great chance to stay connected to every aspect the campus has to offer.