Amid a Global Crisis, A Campus Divided

While trying to access filtered water a few weeks after most undergraduates had been told to vacate campus, some remaining students were shocked to find that dormitory kitchens—where many filters are located—had been locked. So had common spaces,  study rooms, dance studios and academic buildings, all places in which they'd spent time with friends mere weeks before.  "Living on campus has definitely been a challenge when it comes to social experiences that I've cherished throughout the school year," said Maryam Ibrahim '23. With the exception of dining hall staff, "I go days on end without speaking to anyone."The Princeton University campus, once brimming with students running to class, sports games, study breaks, and dance rehearsals, has now come to a near-standstill—to mixed feelings. Amid this strange and unusual time, the Press Club conducted a brief survey and interviewed sixteen students within a wide range of class years and backgrounds to understand how students on campus have been feeling about the recent changes.

WHAT DOES CAMPUS LOOK LIKE NOW?

As of Apr. 20, there were 350 undergraduates—or under 7 percent of the undergraduate student body—remaining on campus, according to Michael Hotchkiss, the Deputy University Spokesperson. All academic buildings, sports facilities, and libraries have been locked with the exception of Frist Campus Center, where a lone television plays coronavirus-related news to rows of empty couches. Students swipe their own proxes at the one remaining dining hall, in which meals are served to-go in an assembly line of brown bags and disposable containers.As the coronavirus pandemic sweeps across the nation, those remaining have had to acclimate to a variety of changes in their new on-campus lives, which has led to a slew of mixed reactions across campus. 

“ISOLATING” VS. “NOT ENOUGH”: STUDENTS RESPOND TO SOCIAL DISTANCING POLICIES AND POSSIBILITY OF EVICTION

On Mar. 27, students remaining on campus received an email from Dean Jill Dolan and VP Rochelle Calhoun emphasizing that social distancing measures that were being enforced on campus were “not optional.” “What might seem like stern disciplinary measures are meant to keep you, the other students you’re sequestered among, and the staff members supporting your presence on campus free from Covid-19,” the email reads. “In fact, these new policies are designed to participate in New Jersey’s effort to “flatten the curve” and to reduce the number of deaths this virus can cause.”These measures include preventing students from visiting one another and eating in the dining halls, as well as locking all academic buildings. Directors of Student Life issued a more comprehensive list detailing what the statewide “Stay at Home” order, implemented on Mar. 21 by Governor Murphy, would resemble on campus, including instructions not to borrow personal belongings, play in sports that require shared equipment, visit friends off-campus, among others.Students who fail to comply with these policies “will not be permitted to stay,” stated Dean Dolan and VP Calhoun. “We’d rather not police anyone’s behavior, but we must rely on your commitment to observe all these new policies to keep yourself and others safe,” they wrote. “We’re trying to help; we don’t want anyone to be homeless.” Although there have been no public cases of students being evicted for breaking social distancing policies, the Press Club discovered through various interviews that there exists a sense of fear among those living on campus.The Club conducted a survey that gathered 25 anonymous responses to questions regarding campus conditions and student concerns. The survey, distributed in a group chat intended for students remaining on campus, revealed students’ varied perspectives.“Overall, it’s been stressful,” said Eli Berman ‘20, referring to the announcements. “I feel very watched. You feel like if you make a wrong move, you’ll get thrown out.” Enrique Zuniga ‘22 expressed similar sentiments. “I went from having housing insecurity to… having housing insecurity again? It’s not fair that the university is making all these decisions about housing when most of us have nowhere else to go,” he said.Celia Aranda Reina ‘21, an international student from Spain, returned home on Apr. 2 in part because of the emotional stress they experienced in isolation on campus. “Although I had moments of being super sad and depressed, I’d be more scared of the University [penalizing me for meeting with friends] than asking for help,” they told the Press Club. Other students have found the University’s social distancing policies to be more comforting rather than concerning.  “I think I’ve felt more safe that the University is enforcing this,” said Harsh Babla ‘21. “Having said that, I’ve been in groups of five to seven people, and [Public Safety] officers have passed by us but haven’t really said anything.” Ibrahim believes the University “is just playing its administrative role.” “In their minds, if you set rules there must be systems set in place if those rules are broken,” she said, “Just like any other institution would, especially in difficult times like these.”Michael Tran ‘23 said that “honestly, it feels like students are doing more of the policing than [Public Safety].” He referred to a Tiger Confessions post published on Mar. 24, in which anonymous individuals targeted either students who stayed on campus that were unauthorized to stay, or those authorized who were allowing others to stay in their dorm rooms.“I have been in touch with PSAFE and the university, and I hope for your sake you have left campus if you are not supposed to be here,” read one post. Another threatened to “go to the administration” if an unnamed individual let a non-approved friend remain in their dorm. “It’s not fair for all of us whose health is being put at risk. Please do the right thing!”“Living in a dormitory presents particular challenges for keeping people healthy because of the close proximity and shared spaces,” Deputy Spokesperson Hotchkiss wrote in an email to the Press Club. “We are serious about the consequences of disregard of these conditions.”

WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH AMENITIES AND ACCESS?

The majority of undergraduates have relocated to Butler or Whitman College and Scully Hall in an attempt to “alleviate the pressure” on staff who now work in skeleton crews, according to an email sent to remaining students on Apr. 15. The University has hired moving companies to help assist with the transition. For those choosing to leave, the University continues to provide boxes and packing tape free of charge, with eligible prorated refunds provided for those leaving before May 1. Beyond the Wilson side of the Butler-Wilson Dining Hall, Frist Campus Center is the only non-residential building on campus that remains open with prox access. Certain communal amenities within residential buildings—like kitchens and study rooms—have also been locked in order to reduce student contact. “I know a lot of students lost access to filtered water when the kitchens and kitchenettes were locked,” said Ritambhara Parajuli '22. Many of these friends, she added, were eventually given water filters after reaching out to their Directors of Student Life. Students who had purchased a meal plan for the spring semester received refunds for meals picked up from the dining hall post-shutdown, given that the dining hall is now open to all students regardless of whether they had purchased a plan. “I am grateful that we are given food every day, and that I have the opportunity to stay on campus,” said Brandon Callegari ‘21, “which is surely a privilege in a time when people are worried about food and resources.”Earlier on during the post-shutdown period, some students requested that the dining hall provide more food options for those with dietary restrictions. Lunch and breakfast bags—which accompany an entrée served in a disposable container—all included dairy and non-vegan products, such as butter chips, yogurt and boiled eggs, with students not permitted to open the bags before taking them for health and safety reasons. After several students approached the administration with their concerns, dining provisions have become more flexible. “They always had a meat and vegan option, but it seems like now they've been more mindful about accommodating vegans,” said Babla. “For example, instead of having a packet of boiled eggs in the to-go bags by default, they now have them outside. So you can pick one up if you want. The same goes for non-vegan desserts.” However, for students with more specific dietary needs, campus dining services have not been sufficient. One anonymous respondent of the Press Club survey shared their struggle with food on campus. “My diet is very particular, so it's hard to get a balanced meal from the dining hall when I might eat only one part of a meal kit offered,” they wrote. “I was planning on using the kitchens to cook for myself, and had no issue doing so and paying for my own food, except they decided to lock all the kitchens.”For students living in local off-campus housing, dining has become even more complicated.Sultan al-Habsi ‘22, who used to supplement his cooking with delivery and takeout, has found it difficult to find places to eat as more and more local restaurants are closing due to the Stay at Home policies. “If at one point most restaurants close, I might have to ask the University for help,” he said. 

ADJUSTING TO THE NEW NORMAL

As students enter the final month of the spring semester, they spend their days trying to find normalcy despite the uncertainty of the current time. Berman continues to work on their thesis project as a senior in the Music Department and takes walks in the nearby woods as much as they can, despite the fact that many parks have recently closed. Aditi Dhital ‘20 enjoys the fact that on-campus life during the thesis period no longer has the “same kind of stressed-out energy” as it does during a regular year. “This has actually made it easier to focus on my thesis and other things in my life,” she said.Students remain cognizant of the fact that, whether inside or out of the Orange Bubble, life is strange for everyone.“It’s not ideal, but nothing is ideal anywhere right now,” said Parajuli. Jimin Kang '21, Maya Eashwaran '21 and Yu Jeong Lee '22 contributed to the reporting of this piece.Keep an eye out on our blog for more COVID-19 related coverage coming out of Princeton’s campus: stories on surveillance, campus budgeting and more are currently in the works.