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Researching despite COVID-19 “We were encouraged to go up people at a time. Now, only one BY KATIE KEMP one stairwell and go down anothstudent can work under the “hood” Copy Editor er stairwell. One person in the elat a time. evator,” Jeffrey said. “They even “I am in a group of five people,

Wake up. Brush teeth. Eat breakexperimented with how hot they so instead of us all going in at once, fast. Get dressed. Go to class. could keep it in the building. Some we have to go in shifts,” Jeffrey Study with friends. Check in on days it was very hot and some days said. family. it was very cold.” After class, Jeffrey would ordi

Students develop routines to Despite the changes related to narily find a quiet place to study check off all the figurative boxes coronavirus, the summer groups with a few of his friends. for their day. were able to successfully advance “I am the type of person that re

With the progression of events their research. Jeffrey worked with ally loves to work with people,” since March, students are adding or Assistant Professor of Chemistry Jeffrey said. “I have had to change changing aspects of their routines Dr. Sharon Hamilton to incorporate my entire way of how I study bein order to preserve the safety of a more cost-effective replacement cause I can’t be around people as themselves and others. for the collagen used in wound much.”

Following the outbreak and rapdressings. Students are finding new ways id succession of coronavirus in the “Our lab was able to finalize a to connect with their peers while spring, many institutions, Ouachita working synthesis and create nanoremaining aware of safety conincluded, carefully considered the fiber mats containing our polycerns. Jeffrey is mindful of his own best ways to safely proceed with mer,” Jeffrey said. physical condition and that of his their respective missions amidst a Once everyone returned to friends when making plans to be pandemic. campus, one of the more obvious around one another.

The Health Monitoring and changes to students’ morning rou“We have had to learn how to Action Team (HMAT) worked in tines was incorporating a mask into connect with one another,” Jeffrey collaboration with Ouachita factheir everyday outfits. said. “I think Ouachita has a great ulty, staff and students to create a “I get up and get ready for support system to do that, but it’s series of regulations that allowed school and hopefully I have a mask going to be hard anywhere you the campus to resume face-to-face washed,” Jeffrey said. “If not, it’s go.” instruction for the Fall of 2020. going to smell like yesterday.” Many students are closely con

These regulations ranged from Instructors also prepared new nected to someone that is at a wearing face masks in buildings to ways to teach their material. greater risk of becoming sick. For social distancing measures and inGroup work and hands-on learnJeffrey, that someone is his mother. creased sanitation, to name a few. ing techniques look different now. “My mom is immunocompro

Among the first to experience Professors have even found ways mised . . . so I always try to be these changes were science majors to be heard clearly through their mindful of her no matter where I doing summer research on campus. masks and from increased distancgo and what I do,” Jeffrey said. “I

Students like Harry Jeffrey, a jues. Many classes have been reloam not going to go home if I know nior chemistry and biology double cated in order to accommodate the I haven’t been safe.” major from Conway, Ark., had to social distancing guidelines. In order for students to remain find ways to adapt and incorporate “Physics is a little different beon campus and continue face-tothese changes into their new norcause typically we are able to do face learning, they need to follow mal routine. group work and things like throw the guidelines set by the HMAT.

A group of students and profesballs to calculate motion and traThese regulations have stirred up sors worked on campus for about jectory, but now we are constricted changes in the everyday routines nine weeks in the summer before to Walker and we are all six feet of Ouachita students, but they also the rest of Ouachita’s population apart,” Jeffrey said. make aspects of being on campus, returned for fall classes. The dimensions and set up of like Jeffrey’s summer research and

These students were conducting some of the lab spaces used for sciOuachita’s community-driven atresearch in groups of two to three, ence classes restrict the number of mosphere, possible. with one professor per group. students participating at one time, “We are going to be the ones to

These small research groups so classes have to adjust. prevent us from being sent home,” were the first to experience what Jeffrey’s cell lab class works unJeffrey said. “Just do what’s right the new regulations would be like der vent hoods, and the space typwhen no one’s looking. It will be for the coming fall semester. ically accommodates one to two better for all of us.”

On the cover: Junior Harry Jeffrey works on his science research. Jeffrey was one of Ouachita’s summer research students, and one of the first to adapt to COVID protection measures. (photo by Hannah Smith) On this page: Jeffrey stands outside Jones Science Center, where he spent the summer. (photo by Hannah Smith)