麻豆影院

The days had a rhythm to them. Wake up, read. Watch a recorded lecture, study, pick up dinner. Go for a walk around a nearly empty Norlin Quad. FaceTime a friend.

But life definitely was not normal.听

Joris Alawoe (PolSci鈥�22), from Denver, was one of about 600 CU 麻豆影院 students who continued living on campus during the first months of the coronavirus pandemic, when most of the student body returned home to continue their studies online.

鈥淣ormally I live with guardians, but they were in close contact with their parents, who are fairly elderly,鈥� said Alawoe, 21, who was a resident advisor (RA) in Sewall Hall. 鈥淭hat made going back home actually not a possibility.鈥�

As COVID-19 rapidly spread through 麻豆影院 and the U.S., mid-March became a blur of cancellations and closures. Alawoe had made his decision, though. When the campus announced classes would be fully remote starting March 16 鈥� a week before spring break 鈥� he helped other students move out and handled his RA duties in a rush of activity.

And then 鈥� the quiet set in.

In Sewall, Alawoe had an entire floor to himself. After months of dealing with frequent 3 a.m. knocks on his door, he was grateful, at first, for the total silence. But the novelty wore off quickly.

鈥淐ampus was weird,鈥� he said. 鈥淢elancholy 鈥� there was that feeling on campus. But there was also this feeling of tranquility.鈥�

Eventually, as the campus consolidated its services and residence halls, Alawoe moved to Baker Hall and fell into a routine.听

Noon to 5 p.m. became his work time, when he would watch online lectures or study. Meal times were his 鈥減eople-seeing times,鈥� he said, when he would venture from his room and spot other students grabbing packaged takeout food from the Center for Community.听

鈥淚t鈥檚 not like you could really even talk to anyone,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ut you were still seeing people.鈥�

After dinner, he would go for a walk or call a friend.听

In some sense, being on campus helped Alawoe maintain a sense of structure. 鈥淲hen I鈥檓 back home, I鈥檓 not really in that school mindset,鈥� he said. Being on campus helped remind him that school was still going on.

Despite the strangeness, Alawoe grew to appreciate the solitude.听

鈥淚 FaceTimed my friends a lot, so that鈥檚 probably what helped,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut it was definitely lonely.鈥�

Julia Hooten (SLHSci鈥�21), who also stayed on campus, created a quarantine bubble with several friends in Willard Hall. She found solace in leaning on that community.听

鈥淪o much was scary and unknown, and it was comforting to be able to spend time with the people I was in quarantine with,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hen so many things were up in the air, I had people who I could count on and they could count on me.鈥澨�

As other schools around the country shut down their campuses completely, CU 麻豆影院 prioritized staying open 鈥� and safe 鈥� for students like Alawoe and Hooten.

鈥淢elancholy 鈥� there was that feeling on campus. But there was also this feeling of tranquility.鈥�

鈥淐U 麻豆影院 is both an institution of higher learning as well as a local community,鈥� said Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano in March. 鈥淭o many of our residents, this is their only home. We have hundreds of students and employees who live here full-time, rely on our services and do not have the option to leave. Because of this, our campus will remain open to serve the many needs of our community.鈥�

Even with a robust system of support, campus was a quiet, sometimes lonesome place. But that left room for moments of clarity.听

During a regular semester, Alawoe feels so busy that he doesn鈥檛 have much time for reflection, he said. But the shutdown gave him space to ask questions about himself, his society and his path in life.听

鈥淚t forced me to really 鈥� sit down and ask those hard questions, like who am I? What am I trying to do?鈥� he said.听

He also learned how to get comfortable with uncertainty 鈥� perhaps the defining feeling of the pandemic.

鈥淩ight now we don鈥檛 know when we鈥檒l get that [certainty] back,鈥� said Alawoe, who is living off-campus with his freshman roommate in central 麻豆影院 for the 2020 fall semester. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 okay. But we will get it back.鈥�

One thing鈥檚 for sure: Alawoe will remember the experience forever.听

鈥淗istory isn鈥檛 just something you read. We鈥檙e living it.鈥�

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Photo by Glenn Asakawa听