Magazine ~ Fall 2020

Magazine ~ Fall 2020

Yoga Club

Photo: Olivia Marie Mast ’23

Semester Interrupted: Finding Connection in Community

By: April Feagley, assistant director of communication

Spring break. Normally, it marks the halfway point of the spring semester and a welcome respite from the routine of classes. That didn’t happen in 2020.

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Yoga Club

Photo: Olivia Marie Mast ’23

Semester Interrupted: Finding Connection in Community

By: April Feagley, assistant director of communication

Spring break. Normally, it marks the halfway point of the spring semester and a welcome respite from the routine of classes. That didn’t happen in 2020.

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“I never would have thought something like this would happen in my lifetime, especially during college,” said Rohan Bandekar ’22 from Pune, India.

Awareness of the spread of coronavirus, or COVID-19, began to rise in the U.S. at the end of January as coverage of the outbreak took on a new tenor.

“It seems like a lifetime ago,” said Samantha “Sam” Hong ’21 from Chalfont, Pa. “I remember hearing about COVID-19 on social media and in the news. I never thought of it becoming as big as it became. It was a news story.”

“13 people tested positive at the same resort I was in, on the same day. It was only the beginning of the pandemic.” Alanna Leidig ’21

For Rohan, COVID-19 was both very remote and very close to home.

“When I first heard about COVID-19, I was not very concerned and it seemed like a faraway problem—something that wouldn’t reach or affect me,” he said. “However, when I started seeing countries shutting down their borders, including my own country, I realized this was bigger than what I thought it would be.”

Alanna Leidig ’21 from Tyrone was preparing for a trip to Denver, Colorado, with her boyfriend and her cousin to visit family.

“The news was filled with reporters and doctors from China, Italy, and other countries expressing their concern of what they were calling the coronavirus,” said Alanna, who is studying biology. “Over spring break we got the amazing opportunity to spend a whole day at the Keystone Ski Resort before heading back home. However, I was unaware at the time that this moment would impact me immensely. Days after the ski resort I returned back home to enjoy my last few days with my family before heading back to Juniata. I immediately received an article about corona from my aunt which stated that 13 people tested positive at the same resort I was in, on the same day. It was only the beginning of the pandemic.”

Sam had been keeping in touch with her friends as she spent her spring break at home and knew that international trips had been canceled. How the rest of the semester would go was a frequent topic of discussion. The prospect of not returning to campus seemed extremely unlikely.

Rohan Bandekar ’21
Rohan Bandekar ’21

Rohan was volunteering with Habitat for Humanity in West Virginia. Focused on their project, it never occurred to him or the other students on the trip that COVID-19 would impact their return to Juniata. News of colleges shutting down and emails from the College changed that assumption.

“We were placing bets on what was going to happen,” said Sam of her conversations with her friends. “I was still of the mindset that there was no way we would be learning remotely. We were expecting to go back.”

Spring break was extended from one week to two, with a tentative return date communicated with the advisory that plans were subject to change as conditions progressed.

Since many other colleges were setting similar plans into motion, Alanna followed the messaging from her boyfriend’s college and gained insight from his aunt, who is a faculty member at another institution.

“Their universities were planning to move to remote learning due to the virus. This is when I first realized that our spring 2020 semester was coming to a halt,” she said. “After the announcement of Pittsburgh University and Pennsylvania State University to go virtual, I knew Juniata would soon follow, along with other campuses.”

The move to remote learning was anxiety-inducing and left students mourning the spring semester they had hoped to enjoy.

“It was crazy to see all of the potential we had for the rest of the year fall away,” Sam said. “It was pretty sad.”

Many students, like Sam and Alanna, were already home when they learned they would begin remote study. The situation for those students who were unable to return home was difficult.

“I didn’t have a place to stay. My country was shutting down its borders and the college was closing its residence halls,” said Rohan, an Integrated Media Marketing student. “One of my friends invited me over to his house to stay. Living with strangers—who became my family, finding a work-friendly space for classes in someone else’s house, and managing classes, work, and personal life during a disruptive time were some of the challenges.”

Stable internet service was a vital component of remote learning and in high demand once nearly everyone was working and studying from their homes.

Alanna Leidig ’12
Alanna Leidig ’12

“It was challenging to share the Wi-Fi with the family. My mom had to work from home and my sister was a senior in high school who also had to switch to remote learning,” Alanna said. “We experienced all of the Wi-Fi problems possible, from lagging Wi-Fi, to slow Wi-Fi, to the ‘connection lost’ Wi-Fi. It was a challenge in itself for months.”

Students shifted gears from being at home on break to being at home and at school simultaneously and trying to balance the demands of family and college coursework.

“I’m the oldest daughter in an immigrant family, so it was hard to balance schoolwork with fulfilling my responsibilities to my parents, grandparents, and siblings,” said Sam, whose individualized Program of Emphasis (POE) combines biology and sociology. “I had to remind them that I needed time to do work for school.”

Sam found support from faculty and friends, eked out time to work early in the morning and late at night, and learned to adapt and multitask, making space in her basement to take part in classes via Zoom.

A heavy credit load and getting used to new ways of participating in group work and discussions—which included accommodating classmates in varying time zones—added complexity to the academics.

“It took weeks to come to the realization that we weren’t going back. I watched my close friends have games and seasons taken from them,” Alanna said. “I watched my family members and friends sit in front of a television screen to turn their tassel. The virus kept progressing but adapting to the new ‘norms’ was the only way to work around the challenges faced.”

“My parents back home were obviously worried, but they knew I had people here who cared, loved, and supported me through everything. I am grateful.” Rohan Bandekar ’21

The pain of being 8,000 miles away from home during a global pandemic with international borders closed was eased by Rohan’s best friend’s family and his Juniata family.

“I knew I wasn’t alone, so the challenges didn’t seem so challenging after all,” he said. “I consider myself so lucky to have spent quarantine at my friend’s house, with his family, their dog, Bruno, two really cute cats, and a snake named Slinky. They became my family, my support system, and there was not a single day during the quarantine that I felt lonely thanks to them.”

An unexpected upside to quarantine and lock-downs was the opportunity to grow closer to family members and to enjoy simple pleasures.

“Little things became heartwarming and special,” said Sam.

Faculty members went above and beyond to help students succeed, offering encouragement and support round the clock.

“There were so many staff members, professors, and friends who reached out to me personally, offering to help with anything,” Rohan said. “My parents back home were obviously worried, but they knew I had people here who cared, loved, and supported me through everything. I am grateful.”

The disrupted spring semester drew to a close and it was announced that in-person classes would resume for the fall.

“One of the best parts is being back on campus as a senior. In the summertime, my friends and I were afraid of missing out on this experience,” said Sam. “It’s great to be back, to be together, and to have some kind of normalcy. Juniata is a community. We care about each other deeply and we create connections with our fellow students and the faculty. If I had to be anywhere, I’m glad it’s Juniata.”

Samantha Hong ’12
“Little things became heartwarming and special.” Samantha Hong ’21

Testing protocols, social distancing, and changes to campus life instilled confidence as well.

“The best part about being back on campus is the community. I believe Juniata has done the best job out of the Pennsylvania campuses in regard to safety. The guidelines put in place are concise and help provide us with access to in-person education,” Alanna said. “Through all this hardship, our community still presents itself with a welcoming atmosphere and support. I’m thankful to be back on such a beautiful campus with such beautiful people.”

The return to campus felt like a homecoming after so many months.

“Juniata is made up of people, and being around these people again makes me feel strong, supported, and loved,” said Rohan. “I love this place, and I love the people who make this place home. It’s good to be back.”