by It was March 11, and it had all gone down the drain. For many, it was shocking and terrifying. Earlier that week the campus was thriving, it was getting warm, and students were hosting outside get-togethers and getting along after a stabbing on campus a month prior.
Although the sun was shining and spring break was just days away, the campus looked like it had just been through the apocalypse. People were scattering and returning to their homes.
Like many students on campus, Area Coordinator Jennifer Brown of HCCC Housing was in disbelief and shock about the school closing.
You can only imagine her relief and happiness when she found out the college was reopening for the fall.
“For a while nothing was clear and there was a lot of miscommunication between everyone involved. It was all scary until the end.” Brown said about the moments leading up to the school’s reopening. Due to COVID, the answer to how the school would reopen, if it would at all, was unclear. Students had sent in their security deposits, packed their suitcases, and even booked transportation to get to campus. These students were calling Brown almost every day wanting information. Nevertheless, campus did reopen and Move-In Day was a success with the help of the ResStaff.
With COVID, there are concerns with a new year. Brown worries for the freshmen and students who value being social. Usually, ResLife hosts events to make students feel welcomed and make friends but that isn’t allowed this semester. Because of this, the ResLife staff is working hard to find ways to get students to connect with each other. But there are still fears that linger–will a student catch the virus and spread it throughout the campus? Will students follow the guidelines given to them? Brown and the rest of the campus community can only hope for the best.
