CAMPUS QUARANTINE LIFE

Three students currently living on Hamilton College’s campus during the COVID-19 pandemic share what life is like on an empty campus.

Campus is an interesting place to be during the pandemic. We always talk about how we’re in the middle of nowhere in Clinton, NY but really, people have no idea until they’ve been on campus with nothing open within a 10-mile radius. Around 50 people are still on campus and we’re all living in Bundy. All other facilities on campus are closed and locked, except for Bundy café, where we get all our meals to-go. You would think that if you put 50 college students in one dorm, someone’s bound to have a large gathering of a sort but surprisingly (and fortunately), people are taking social distancing seriously. I have yet to see any groups walking around with more than 4 people. Sometimes people are sent to Bristol Center for a 2-week quarantine, like that one time a few students were exposed to an employee that tested positive, or when someone had a fever and everyone who came in contact had to be quarantined (they ended up testing negative, though). Whenever that happens, there’s like a buzz of caution and some fear that goes around the dorm for a few days. Krissi Kim ‘21

I look forward to my daily evening walks around campus, when I can finally leave my Bundy room. During the day, I see a good number of community members walking around campus; but in the evening, I can only run into deer, raccoons, or an occasional skunk. Seeing all the campus buildings completely dark and empty is a bit depressing, but it also makes me look forward to when those places will be bright and filled with people again.

Fiona Xiang ‘22 As an international student who cannot go home, I am living with another 50 students in Bundy east. I have never seen the campus this empty, and there are literally more squirrels than humans when walking around the campus. During the first month, I am amazed by the amount of support I am getting: students receive “care packages” from the residential offices that include daily supplies and hygiene products, 2 staff/faculty liaisons are assigned to each student who check in with me on a weekly basis, and all residents have a weekly zoom meeting to discuss life on the hill and if there are any community issues. Overall, my experience on the hill is really peaceful, though there is the occasional dispute over whether residents should be social distancing and wearing masks.

Tiffany Lopez ‘21

While this sunny and warmer time of year brightens up the campus, the absence of students has left Hamilton feeling emptier than ever. For the past week, I’ve been going on walks/runs every day, and I regularly pass by Clinton residents strolling through the Glen. It’s interesting how notable visitors on campus are right now, which heightens my nostalgia for the end-of-semester routine we would normally be experiencing at this time. Even though the feeling of loneliness prevails as we social distance in Bundy East singles, the administration and staff have been exceptionally helpful and accomodating. The food we’ve been provided at Bundy Cafe is surprisingly good, and we’ve been given several resources to stay sane and well here on the Hill (the staff even organizes self-care packages with face masks!). Life here has been pretty routine, as it has for all of us, but being on campus has allowed me to explore parts of it I never ventured to before and appreciate its beauty.

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Lifestyle Lifestyle Editor: Sammy Smock