COVID-19 has made some aspects of social life on campus difficult, but it’s not impossible to safely spend time with your friends.
Since my friends and I are quite busy during the week, it's hard to make time for each other, so we plan for the weekends. While it is nice to grab dinner together and catch up on the week’s activities, we are used to having game and movie nights, so it has been an adjustment. Luckily for us, every weekend brings a new activity that enables us to hang out safely.
While we may not be able to hang out in each other's dorms, there are still plenty of great opportunities to relax from classes and participate in some great activities. Many organizations on campus have taken on the initiative of planning some great events to create and maintain some great vibes!
One of the many organizations that put on some of these activities is the Office of Student Enrichment. For Valentine’s Day, they let groups come in for thirty-minute increments and decorate their own cookies. Even though it was a short time frame, it was nice to engage in a fun and low-stress activity with the people who I consider my support system on campus.
Another organization that is putting on activities over the weekends is the Gender Relations Center (GRC). Last semester, they hosted an event where students could make their own mosaics on mason jars. It was a little messy with the glue and small pieces of tissue paper, but it was a great bonding experience!
The University has also provided some great spaces on the quad where students can safely hang out with friends while staying warm. The newest editions are North and South Lodge. They are large tents with floor-to-ceiling windows, so you can stay warm while watching the snow fall outside.
The other week, the University hosted an event where students could make their own stuffed animals. It was a sight to see 18 to 22-year-olds stuffing a soft penguin with polyester fiberfill. It was very nostalgic and reminded me of many trips that I had taken to the Build-A-Bear workshop when I was younger. Now, I have a cute and little stuffed friend that sits on my desk while I do homework!
An underrated place to find great events is in your dorm! In my dorm, Johnson Family Hall, our Resident Assistants (RAs) plan some great weekend programming. Last weekend, we had a “Shrek and Slime Night,” where we made slime while watching the movie Shrek. Also, since we didn't have a traditional Fall Break, our hall staff hosted a “Faux Fall Break” where we had a small activity each night. These events are also a great way to meet new people in your dorm!
I, along with many other students, am grateful for the effort that organizations on campus are putting in to give us an enjoyable semester. It is not easy yet they constantly are coming up with such innovative events that I always feel that there is something fun to do