On Wednesday, March 11 2020 the College of William and Mary announced that it would be implementing an emergency protocol in response to the COVID-19 epidemic. In an email, President Katherine Rowe informed students that classes would be moved online until April 3, but that students could remain on campus. Eight days later on March 19, the administration announced that online classes would continue through the rest of the semester. Additionally, they announced the closure of residence halls, and that all students living on campus had to leave on-campus housing by March 25th. With that announcement, those William and Mary students who were still on campus had to go home.
The students who lived in off-campus housing though, were faced with a choice: return home to their families like so many of their classmates or stay in the houses they had planned to spend their year in (and in most cases, had signed leases for). This project explores the experience of those students who made the decision to stay in Williamsburg. As one of those students, I sought solidarity and understanding amidst the uncertainty of those early months of coronavirus in the United States.
Fathia Dawodu sits on the steps outside the apartment she moved into after having to vacate on-campus housing. She said the process of moving off campus “was stressful because it was a waiting game. We knew we’d eventually have to leave campus but we were waiting it out to see what the administration would say.” Once she knew she would be able to get refunds on the money she would have spent on on-campus housing, it was much easier to make plans moving forward.
Fathia said that part of the quarantine difficulty is the pressure she feels to be productive and stay busy. That feeling is exacerbated by the expectation on students to complete schoolwork at the same level as they were before so many changes happened.
Elizabeth Smith stands outside her off-campus house. Like many other students who decided to stay, Lizzy chose to do so not only because she was paying rent, but also in an attempt to maintain some sense of normalcy. “It makes me feel not as lost. It makes me feel grounded to be here,” she said.
As a senior, Lizzy feels the loss of her senior year especially keenly: “I feel like I was robbed of my senior year. I’ve worked so hard to get to this point and the traditions I’m missing out on weigh on me.” That sense of loss is compounded by the toll all of the change and the shift to online classes has taken on her mental health. But, Lizzy made a point to emphasize how lucky she feels to still be on campus and to have all the privileges she does. She said she’s taking the days as they come - good and bad.
One unifying theme among the students I spoke to is the feeling of privilege. No matter what their situation was, they all spoke about how lucky they felt - not only to be able to stay around campus, but the knowledge that their situation could be much worse. Almost every student mentioned trying to focus on the positives as much as possible and expressed gratitude for the things they did have - their health, internet connections, time outside, time with people they care about, the ability to pay rent.
Leonor Taylor Grave on the back deck of her house in Williamsburg. Coming back after a year of medical leave, Leonor was already nervous for this, her last semester at William and Mary. She came back dedicated to doing well in her classes and wasn’t expecting to have to transition to online learning. “The shift to online classes was scary just because I didn’t know how I would adapt to it...There’s a completely different energy in when compared to in-person classes. It’s not the same as sitting in a room with other students.”
Despite spending a lot of time recognizing the ways in which she feels lucky, Leonor can’t deny the ways that COVID-19 has taken a toll on her: “I spent an hour yesterday just reading obituaries. I go between feeling like things are fine to feeling really panicked that some pain or some cough means something bigger. It’s an unmooring time.”
Noah Freye and Erin Mckeown sit together in front of Noah’s off-campus house. Noah is immunocompromised and decided that staying in Williamsburg was the safest place for him to be. “I’m lucky to have people I care about in Williamsburg that I can safely visit without worrying about contamination.”
Erin found out that William and Mary was going online while in Paris, France for spring break. She made the decision to come back to her off-campus house in Williamsburg and spend two weeks almost completely alone in her apartment self-isolating. “It was worth it because I knew at the end of those two weeks, I would get to see my boyfriend Noah. If I had gone home, I wouldn’t have known when I was going to see him next...The unexpected part of all this is the way it has made spending time with the people I care about more meaningful.”
Many students decided to stay in Williamsburg as an attempt to cling to some sense of normalcy. COVID-19 has thrown so much in the air, that its comforting to be in familiar places. From losing out on senior traditions, to having internships cancelled, to have Peace Corp start dates moved, to suddenly becoming long-distance with significant others, this abrupt transition has meant different kinds of change for different people. For those students who could, staying in Williamsburg means holding on to one part of their plan for this year.
One of the oft-repeated appeals of staying in Williamsburg is the town itself. Like many people around the country, some students have taken the opportunity and spend time outside and going for walks. A number of students mentioned finding comfort in the beauty of Williamsburg in spring. For Emily Saylor, its important to “try and find parts of this that are happier. One of those things is talking long walks through Williamsburg and appreciating all the sights.”
Emily Saylor, Katie de Luca, and Morgan Perigard sit out in their backyard. All three of them emphasized that their choice to stay in their off-campus house instead of going home primarily had to do with the need to prioritize their emotional wellbeing and the hope that they could hold on to the last remnants of their senior year. Emily summed up the decision, saying that “if none of this was happening, I would be here right now and I would be with these people.”
Morgan said that she finds some comfort in knowing that so many people are experiencing the same thing. “It’s a very unifying time. Not just as the country and the world, but as seniors specifically. It’s not just the people in this house, its not just the people at this school, basically every senior in America right now isn’t getting their senior year.”