Interviews with SCU Freshman During COVID 19
Needless to say, this quarter has looked entirely different than any student at Santa Clara would’ve initially wished for.
For most freshmen, it has brought on a whole new battle in entering college online, especially when community is such an important value at SCU. The pandemic has tested students in many ways, and this quarter at Santa Clara definitely forced freshmen to redesign their first quarter in college. Freshmen took all different types of approaches for their plans this fall -- many stayed at home, many lived somewhere else entirely, and many moved to the Santa Clara area. Highlighting only a handful of students, we wanted to share what some freshmen have been up to this fall:
ON CAMPUS AT SCU
Name: Jack Fleischmann
Major: Undeclared in the Business School (from Seattle, Washington)
Experience: It’s hard to be unhappy in the California sun when you are from rainy Seattle. Jack Fleischmann is currently loving living off campus at Santa Clara with four other freshmen boys from Seattle. Jack’s time in Santa Clara has consisted of many day trips to Santa Cruz with other freshmen friends and studying outside of Benson. He hopes to join The Best Buddy Program when life heads back to normal and make a positive impact on the Santa Clara University community.
Name: Jack Byers
Location: off campus at Santa Clara (from Lafayette, California)
Major: Undeclared in College of Arts and Sciences
Experience: In search of independence and a change of scenery, freshman Jack Beyers moved just off-campus at Santa Clara into Parks Central Apartments with three other students. Although life is not as lively as it usually is in Claradise, Jack has really appreciated the time he spent here hanging out with his roommates and the other students living in his apartment complex. He hopes over time that he can broaden his cooking skills from frozen pizza to possible grilled chicken, but only time will tell whether or not he accomplishes this feat. Jack is thankful for being given the opportunity to gain some independence and knows that there are many good lessons to learn during this time. However, when life returns to normal he hopes to be able to join the intramural basketball team and get to know as many people in the Santa Clara University community as possible.
AT HOME
Name: David Rogers
Location: away from home in upstate New York
Major: Physics
Experience: David Rogers decided to take advantage of online school and move to upstate New York with a group of other freshmen consisting of one other boy and four girls. Although he definitely recognizes that digital learning is not ideal, he “feels like it is pretty easy to manage and allows for more free time”. With this extra time David and his housemates have been able to go on explorations to Niagara Falls and Ithaca. David definitely expressed that starting online college mid-pandemic has been strange. Specific to freshmen, he said, “it’s hard to know what you are missing out on when you have nothing to compare it to.”
Name: Augusta Grell
Location: away from home in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts
Major: Communications
Experience: Augusta has spent the quarter living on Martha’s Vineyard, an island off the shore of Massachusetts. She’s lived here with a good friend of hers who goes to George Washington and another friend at SCU. During quarantine, she found a new love for photography and writing. Along with working out, wellness, and blogging. (check out: www.ciaobyaugusta.com)
She’s wanting to get involved with the yearbook at Santa Clara, has been initiated into Alpha Phi this fall, and would be interested in joining The Collective. Overall, Augusta has said that online school has given her “time for myself to breathe in between classes.” On the flip side though, she’s said it's definitely hard to meet other freshmen at SCU on zoom, because it's awkward. She feels like it's hard to feel fully a part of the community at Santa Clara, but she also still feels excitement for the experiences ahead of her once she gets out there. This winter, she reapplied for housing and is hoping to find the time to talk to people who are SCU students to help make transition to campus easier.
Name: Priya Jain
Location: home (Los Altos, California)
Major: Web design and engineering
Experience: Priya Jain of the class of 2024, has learned to find the good in distance learning students were faced with this year. Although she decided to stay home in Los Altos, California for fall quarter she says that she, “really is enjoying the additional time with high school friends and family”. The flexibility that remote learning provides has allowed her to develop a passion for photography, photo editing, and social media. Additionally Priya has joined clubs offered at Santa Clara to connect her with other students like the South Asian Club and Harry Potter Club and is looking forward to getting even more involved once everyone is allowed to move onto campus.
Name: Paige Levinson
Location: home (Santa Barbara, California)
Major: Communications
Experience: Paige has been living at her home in Santa Barbara, California for the first quarter of college. Living at home, she really misses the social aspect of school living at home. But she also appreciates the convenience and comfort of home a lot. Her biggest note about school is that she is someone who wants to connect with her professors, and being online has made that much harder to achieve. At home, she spends most of her time focused on school and tutoring family friends. She also has home friends that are home she can see, along with visiting high school friends at their colleges. Overall, Paige has tried to take the time to “Explore Santa Barbara in ways that I have never been able to before and see what my hometown has to offer.” With that said, Paige is motivated to be in Santa Clara for the winter quarter. She’s hoping to have a spot in a dorm, but if she doesn’t get one she hopes to move to the area regardless.
