On Campus Living: Navigating 2020

Reported by Natascha Lambing

Photographed by Danny Walker

NEWBERG, Ore. - Following the outbreak of COVID-19 and students’ quick departure from the George Fox University (GFU) campus last spring, big questions loomed in the minds of the student population. Would they be able to return to campus in the fall?

It turned out that the answer to that question was an astounding “yes,” with a commitment to student safety and the community for which GFU is so well known. However, that invitation came with strict criteria, from mask-wearing to social distancing procedures. Designed to keep students safe and healthy, these regulations have allowed students to be on campus. However, with so many new rules, the tight-knit community and “Be Known” promise that GFU promotes has taken a substantial hit. None have been more impacted than students who live in on-campus housing. New rules have prohibited them from creating connections that so naturally occurred in years past.

Some of the new rules for on-campus living this year include limiting the number of people in dorm lobbies, mask-wearing at all times, no visitation between dorm floors, and limiting trips off-campus as much as possible. This ultimately creates fewer spaces for students to engage with one another, whether academically or socially.

To upperclassmen like Evan Bonazolla, who have lived on-campus since coming to GFU and already have foundational friendships to lean on, these rules have made maintaining relationships difficult. It is hard to spend time with people he already knows, let alone form new friendships or expand on ones with budding acquaintances. He notes that there are less communal spaces, specifically a “lack of ping pong tables.”

This has led to students spending more time in their own living areas; in Bonazolla’s case, Weesner apartments. Having these limited interactions with others has made him more conscious of coming into contact with people outside his social circle and allowed him to keep in mind the importance of current safety measures. This has certainly impacted the way he engages with his friends and peers.

In contrast, the experience of incoming students is vastly different than that of any other first-year class. Entering college can be scary enough, but with safety measures that allow students to be here, the easy camaraderie typical of incoming students is lacking.

As said by one Resident Assistant (RA) residing in a first-year living area, it has been difficult “without having all the parts of Fox that make it Fox.” She noted that there have been “lots of effort by students and leadership” to foster community, but that there is still a lack of closeness between students because spending time in close proximity to one another is discouraged at the moment. Most students who are on campus, or even just attending classes, seem to be trying not to have too many expectations for the school year and simply appreciating being here when so many other universities are having to spend the semester online.

Being in-person this semester is a blessing to many and a stressor to others. For most, it comes down to trying to replicate the college experience that is so distinct to GFU’s campus. Community, relationships, and a high quality education, all built upon a Christ-centered foundation, are all included in GFU’s mission statement. Like many returning students, the RA “just wants to make it feel like home because it was for me.”