The Times to Remember
Image courtesy of The Catholic University of America
By Ava Burkat
Their first semester at the Catholic University of America will be one the Class of 2024 will never forget. While upperclassmen are busy navigating a semester fully online, the freshmen have faced obstacles of their own after being welcomed to campus this fall. Catholic University’s freshmen have shown that all of the challenges that come with transitioning to college can and must be faced, even with the added difficulties of the pandemic.
It is extremely quiet on campus without the upperclassmen. Freshmen have had to go without the social and moral support that these students could provide. However, upperclassmen did more than their fair share to make sure the freshmen had the best possible experience. Many freshmen have gotten to meet their resident assistants and student ministers in-person through safely arranged coffee chats, dinners on the lawn, Bible studies, and craft nights. Many other first encounters with upperclassmen and peers had to be virtual.
“I really think they did their best given the circumstances. I’m super thankful that freshmen were allowed on campus,” said freshman history and secondary education major Rebekah Rowe. “Adjusting in sophomore year would be really hard. I feel so bad for the seniors.”
Orientation advisors met with freshman students over Zoom, discussing all of the excitements and challenges that come with becoming a Cardinal. They collaborated with the Program Board to host a number of virtual events including bingo, trivia night, and PlayFair. Attending these events online was a strange adjustment for everyone involved. Social interaction is different through a screen. It was a true team effort to make sure that freshmen were still able to form the relationships that will last a lifetime.
“It was pretty impressive how everyone, OAs and first years, took this new year in stride and still made the best of it,” said orientation advisor Isaiah Bayliss.
After orientation, the beginning of classes brought on its own set of obstacles. Not only do freshmen have to learn where all of Catholic University’s classrooms are located, but they must also keep track of which ones are in-person and online! Many students are tackling a schedule of classes that changes weekly, if not daily.
Many classes are now offering a mix of virtual and in-person instruction. Half a class might receive an in-person lecture on one day a week, while the other half comes in another day. Larger group discussion days may require that everyone be online. Some teachers, after a few days of in-person classes, decided it was best for the students to remain online for the semester. Online classes continue to be an option for any student or teacher who has health or travel concerns.
Professors and students have had to work together and adjust to this “new normal.” It is often difficult getting to know students who you can only interact with virtually, or in-person as little as once a week. No one can ever anticipate when Zoom will decide to work or when the wifi will cooperate. One evening, a thunderstorm threatened the internet connection and the possibility of having online classes the following day.
The unpredictable class schedule has continued to make forming friendships difficult, but it is not impossible. After a long two weeks of quarantine where almost all social interaction was over Zoom, students were thrilled to finally meet their peers in person and leave campus. It finally started to feel like “school” when freshmen could have meals together, go to a classroom together, laugh together, and engage with professors in-person.
“The community at CUA has been very welcoming and has provided me with so much information, to better transition into my first year of college,” said freshman biology and dance major Eden Ingram.
