Freshman Dorms: Fostering Covid-Friendly Community in Gulley
Reported by: Molly Giesbrecht
Photographed by: Imogene Eagan
College isn’t just about going to classes and earning a degree. It is also about finding a community, making lasting friendships, and finding your place in life. This semester has presented a unique challenge to the social aspect of college life due to COVID-19-related restrictions on gatherings and community events. In an effort to develop and maintain a sense of community in dorms, Resident Assistants (RAs) have come up with new ways to get students involved. Some have opted for larger, dorm-wide events altered to follow regulations, while others are keeping things smaller and more personal. Delana Lincoln, the women’s RA for Gulley 2, commented on the first community event the dorm held. It was a cereal night, followed by a distanced dance party.
“We had pre-packaged cereals and pre-packaged milks, and we handed them out and then we sent everyone outside and said, you know, make sure to socially distance while you’re eating. We set up chairs outside and spikeball and cornhole and we just had a bunch of music going,” she said. “Then later in the night we switched the music to more fun dance music and had that kind of atmosphere. So that was a really fun organized event that we had that was COVID-friendly.”
Just across the hall, Nathan Brantingham, men’s RA for Gulley 2, has opted for a small-scale approach to fostering community with his residents. “I have tried to develop community in little ways, whether that be through sitting with different residents at meals, or chatting in the lobbies … I plan on meeting with all my residents once per month to do one-on-one’s which is also something I’m looking forward to. Just to be able to sit and work through things with residents that I went through as a freshman is so fun for me,” Brantingham said.
Whether through playing lawn games outside, sitting on opposite couches in the lobby, or individual hangouts and coffee dates, the first-year students living in Gulley have shown a strong determination and resilience in developing friendships despite any obstacles that may be in their way.
Having lived in Gulley her first year, Taylor Shirley, women’s RA for Gulley 3, was able to offer a unique perspective on the difference in dorm-life this year as compared to other years. “They have bonded within themselves very quickly,” Shirley said. “The girls on my floor all get along really well and they formed some really tight friend groups, which I think is awesome because those are the people they get to be around the most. So I’ve noticed there is a lot more community within our floor as opposed to across the building.”
Brantingham, too, reported that his residents quickly developed a close-knit community in his hall. “It may be harder to find spaces where we can meet or talk, but I think it has also forced people to be creative with how they interact and forced friendships to go deeper than before,” he said.
While developing these special friendships is vital to the dorm experience, one problem has arisen as a result. According to Shirley, as residents become closer friends and start hanging out with each other more and more, they have become more relaxed about wearing their masks around each other. It is important for residents and to keep each other accountable and make sure everyone is sticking to the rules in order to keep everyone safe and healthy.
Hopefully, with a decline in COVID cases, restrictions may ease up by the start of next semester, allowing dorm life to return to some sense of normalcy. But even if it doesn’t, RAs and residents have shown that they are willing to adapt and create new methods of fostering the community and friendships they have built so far this year. As Brantingham said, “Even with the crazy times, I would not have this year any other way.”