The Silver Linings in Quarantine
Isaac Kitchen | May 3, 2022
Special to The Echo | iStock
When COVID-19 hit the US in March of 2020, everything seemed to shut down overnight — Warren Wilson College (WWC) included. The early spring break at the time meant students came back to campus in early March of 2020, right as the pandemic became a serious threat.
Warren Wilson shut down after only a week back on campus, forcing everyone to move inside and online within a matter of days.
The following weeks, months and now years were ones of daily stress and anxiety while trapped at home. However, there were still some positive benefits of isolation. Many people saw quarantine as an exhaustive process, but to some it was also a much needed step back, one that could help them reevaluate their lives.
While a general increase in stress, anxiety and loneliness was felt early on in the pandemic, it also showed people reconnecting with family and friends in ways that pre-COVID times did not allow. Being forced to stay indoors meant people had more time to relax, less to worry about with so much being shut down and more time to just think.
“It was so calming amid the chaos to not have to deal with traffic or overwhelming grocery stores. Everyone seemed a little more friendly since they didn't interact with nearly as many people,” wrote Harley Woods in response to a recent email survey asking for positive stories from quarantine.
Most responses cited something similar, using the quiet and isolation to get closer with friends and family.
“Almost everyday we went down to a dock and set up speakers and games to soak up the sun and watch all the wildlife around the Chesapeake bay, and at night we would have bonfires. Everyone had so much time to relax and do the things we never have time for in our fast society!” wrote Madeline Bouma.
Along with what people gained while off campus, there were efforts by crews and clubs to try and help people out, even if via a Google Meet. Student Activities, which wants to help students find a space to unwind throughout COVID, helped some students find people to be around or just a space to socialize.
Rain Larson, a member of Student Activities, said that switching crews at the end of last semester helped her develop a tightly-knit friend group while also working for her crew.
“It’s helped me make a lot more friends, I’d say,” Larson said. “The biggest thing this crew has helped me with is social stuff, which is really good, especially in a pandemic when that kinda thing can be really hard.”
Though Larson said she is typically an introvert, being on a crew that required her to be part of and organize events ended up being helpful when it came to the isolation, as it ended up becoming a way for her to interact with her friend group while also logging hours.
When the crew meets at the start of every semester, they set a goal.
“Our goal from the start of the fall semester was to just bring joy into people's lives through different types of programming,” said Jonathon Gonzales, supervisor of the crew.
Although Gonzales said the events they organize aren’t as popular as they used to be, they still feel like they have succeeded in the goal of bringing joy to people.
Certain events such as the board game night often attract a mid-sized crowd of friends who have all gotten to know each other through such events. Gonzales also said that they’ve done events such as a “bad art session,” for people who might not be talented at art but still need a place to decompress.
The most popular events have been movie nights which showed films such as Encanto and Turning Red. Even with events that weren't as popular, Gonzales said that it was still worth it.
“If three people showed up to an event, or like twenty people showed up to an event, it made a difference in somebody's life,” Gonzales said.
The Student Activities Crew hopes to bring back the larger scale events that took place before COVID. Different aspects of the pandemic, like room limitations, forced them to scale back on most events, but they hope to bring back events like music concerts that draw sizable crowds.
It also seems that clubs are once again growing in popularity now that campus is more open. With Student Activities helping to fund and advise clubs, Gonzales said that there are a growing number of new clubs that have started to come up with ideas for events or are just growing in popularity such as the skate, paddling and aerial clubs.
This comes after a drop in club participation due to campus shutting down in 2020, to now, where participation in outdoor clubs is on the rise.
Gonzales said that even with the limits of COVID, he’s thankful for the pandemic as a good learning opportunity and is looking forward to continuing to grow Student Activities as Warren Wilson opens back up more and more.
This along with a promise of larger scale events indicates a return to normal for many aspects of campus life disrupted by the pandemic.
