{"id":8926,"date":"2020-08-25T16:50:02","date_gmt":"2020-08-25T20:50:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/2020\/08\/31\/students-faculty-embrace-new-normal-during-first-week-on-campus-since-march\/"},"modified":"2024-07-24T15:14:03","modified_gmt":"2024-07-24T19:14:03","slug":"students-faculty-embrace-new-normal-during-first-week-on-campus-since-march","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/students-faculty-embrace-new-normal-during-first-week-on-campus-since-march\/","title":{"rendered":"Students, faculty embrace \u2018new normal\u2019 during first week on campus since March"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe data-src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/450175834?color=ffffff&amp;byline=0&amp;portrait=0\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/450175834\">Furman Focused || Fall 2020 Underway<\/a> from <a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/furman\">Furman University<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\">Vimeo<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Masks, social distancing, phased return, fall sports postponed until spring \u2013 Renee Neves \u201921 knew so much would be different when she returned to Furman this month. What she didn\u2019t know was how much would be the same.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe second I rolled in, it felt so great to be back \u2026 I have loved these small interactions of just passing by someone and saying, \u2018Hi.\u2019 They\u2019re so life-fulfilling and life-giving in a way I never realized before,\u201d said Neves, a sociology and Spanish double major who lives in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. \u201cIt just feels so normal getting to hang out, laugh, joke, dance, doing little things.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Neves and her classmates haven\u2019t been on campus since March, when it was closed to help stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. But while the return of students certainly adds some long-overdue familiarity to life, make no mistake: Things are still very different. Some professors are teaching their classes remotely, second- and third-year students still haven\u2019t arrived (they\u2019ll arrive in September), Furman remains closed to the public, and, as Neves noted, \u201cYou can\u2019t see anyone smile.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_46528\" style=\"width: 435px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46528\" class=\"wp-image-46528 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/218\/2022\/08\/Skateboarder.jpg\" alt=\"Student rides skateboard beside Furman Lake\" width=\"425\" height=\"239\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 425px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 425\/239;\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-46528\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A student checks his phone as he rides a one-wheel skateboard beside Furman Lake during the first week of classes.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Still, what she loves about Furman is worth the inconvenience.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was looking forward to feeling that sense of home and community on campus, and that definitely has been the exact same,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Incoming <a href=\"https:\/\/news.furman.edu\/2020\/08\/18\/safe-fall-is-top-priority-incoming-sga-president-griffin-mills-21\/\">Student Government Association President Griffin Mills \u201921<\/a> had a similar experience.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s as strange as I thought it was going to be \u2026 The campus, it\u2019s still as beautiful as ever. It\u2019s just as nice to go for a lake walk. It\u2019s as nice to hang out outside with your friends. I can still go for runs on the Swamp Rabbit,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s been an adjustment getting used to the new ways of the Dining Hall, Trone (Student Center) and the PAC, but it feels like the new normal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Seating arranged to facilitate physical distancing is just one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/furman-focused\/\">many changes Furman implemented<\/a> to reopen as safely as possible. Others include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Requiring face coverings in academic buildings, common spaces and hallways of campus housing, including laundry rooms, lounges and housing units when guests are present. Face coverings should also be worn outside in most cases and when driving with passengers.<\/li>\n<li>Encouraging thorough and frequent hand-washing lasting at least 20 seconds.<\/li>\n<li>Changing HVAC filters more often and maximizing air exchanges to optimize the percentage of outside air.<\/li>\n<li>Requiring students and employees to complete safety training and commit to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/furman-focused\/social-responsibilities\/\">Paladin Promise<\/a>. Students must also review <a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/436460638\/cb621fed2a\">the Return-to-Campus Guide for Students<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Developing enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocols for common areas and frequently touched surfaces consistent with\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/index.html\">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Quarantining for 14 days any student who tests positive for COVID-19 or meets the criteria for exposure.<\/li>\n<li>Strongly encouraging all students, faculty and staff to remain in the Upstate South Carolina area during the Fall semester and to leave campus as little as possible.<\/li>\n<li>Offering remote instruction, which 11% of students have chosen this semester.<\/li>\n<li>Launched a new website, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/furman-focused\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Furman Focused: Fall 2020<\/a>, that lists policies and procedures put in place to increase safety and decrease the risk of COVID-19 transmission and includes regular updates as they become available.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_46536\" style=\"width: 435px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46536\" class=\"wp-image-46536 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/218\/2022\/08\/Dining-Hall-1.jpg\" alt=\"An aerial view of socially distanced students in the Dining Hall\" width=\"425\" height=\"239\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 425px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 425\/239;\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-46536\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students observe social distancing in the Dining Hall.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>That\u2019s a long list, and the only way it will be effective at keeping COVID-19 away from Furman\u2019s campus is if unprecedented discipline is shown in the face of a nearly unprecedented pandemic. Several institutions around the country that started in person have reverted to remote-only learning because of outbreaks, and Furman has sent a few students home for not adhering to the Paladin Promise.<\/p>\n<p>Students are encouraged to report violations, but ultimately individual decisions are the most important part of the equation. Both Neves, student director of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/shucker-leadership-development\/\">Shucker Leadership Institute<\/a>, and Mills are student leaders, and they and others in similar positions are trying to drive home the importance of accountability.<\/p>\n<p>Neves said the problems at other schools caught her attention and strengthened her resolve.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt does make me worry in the sense that you see that and think, \u2018Wow, that could easily be us,\u2019 and it makes everyone reevaluate how they\u2019ve been doing their part,\u201d she said. \u201cI definitely think it serves as a moment to stop and reflect and think about how you\u2019ve behaved and how you should be behaving.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEveryone is kind of on the same page of making sure that everyone is wearing masks,\u201d Mills added.<\/p>\n<p>Director of Student Involvement and Inclusion Jessica Berkey-Barnes supports taking the coronavirus seriously, but her job is to make sure the Furman experience is fun, too. Her first week was spent answering questions and supporting first-year students.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a little bit of a slower pace than it had been in previous years, but I think that was actually a benefit because it allowed the students time to become comfortable on campus,\u201d she said. \u201cI relied on our orientation leaders a lot to inform new students about these policies and expectations, and we really impressed on them the importance of being role models \u2013 and I think they stepped up to that challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Berkey-Barnes said many seemed better able to accept the safety procedures once they understood why they were in place.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey have a lot of questions, but I feel like if I or others have taken time to sit down and talk them through the intent behind certain decisions, they get it and are comfortable with it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>The weeks leading up to campus reopening were \u201coverwhelming\u201d as Berkey-Barnes worked with her student team to completely reimagine orientation and student life while remaining engaging. The first and top priority was to help first-year students get to know campus and each other.<\/p>\n<p>Virtual scavenger hunts took them to physical locations they would need to be familiar with or might not find on their own, while other virtual activities such as trivia, bingo dance parties and even a physically distanced escape room allowed them to interact. Whenever it was possible to do it safely, students were encouraged to meet and socialize in person, and Berkey-Barnes said many more activities along those lines will be announced in the coming weeks<\/p>\n<p>The Furman University Student Activities Board also offered ideas, including ways to create a sense of community by engaging both on-campus students and those who are taking classes remotely.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey have a good plan to focus on first-year students over the next few weeks to help them get to know each other, because we realize, again, when you\u2019re 6 feet apart and wearing a mask, that can be more difficult to do,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/academics\/music\/facilities\/lakeside-amphitheater\/\">The Lakeside Amphitheater<\/a> is likely to be a hub for many activities. Berkey-Barnes said there will be movie nights in addition to morning yoga and painting classes, which have been already offered. \u201cWe actually bought a bunch of hula hoops so we can set those 6 feet apart,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s an easy place for us to spread ourselves out.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_46539\" style=\"width: 210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46539\" class=\"wp-image-46539 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/218\/2022\/08\/Warnig-sign-vertical.jpg\" alt=\"A sign warning students not to rearrange furniture\" width=\"200\" height=\"355\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 200px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 200\/355;\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-46539\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A sign warning students against rearranging furniture and reminding them to practice social distancing.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>For Professor of Sustainability Science <a href=\"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/people\/geoffrey-habron\/\">Geoffrey Habron<\/a>, the biggest challenge in his classroom has been maintaining the student collaboration necessary to create a successful learning environment. The pods of six tables with four students each that he has traditionally created don\u2019t meet social-distancing requirements, and some of the students in the two classes he\u2019s teaching are attending remotely.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately, technology is available to clear the hurdles.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI use two computers. One is to connect to the projector so students that are remote can see what\u2019s going on in the classroom and the students that are in the classroom can see the students who are online,\u201d he said. \u201cI also have another laptop that\u2019s showing me, because otherwise they can\u2019t see me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Habron spent much of the summer applying lessons he learned in the spring to improve this experience, and so far, so good. For him, it\u2019s been exciting because it\u2019s all new.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI want (students) to be just as excited about Furman and about our projects \u2026 I want to be able to demonstrate to them that we\u2019re not going to change at all as far as our expectations, and if there\u2019s any way for this to enhance their learning, then that\u2019s what I\u2019m trying to do,\u201d Habron said. \u201cNot just get by and bring it back to normal, but (see if there) is there any way to make it better.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Associate Professor of Chemistry <a href=\"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/people\/karen-l-buchmueller\/\">Karen Buchmueller<\/a> is also viewing a unique situation as a unique opportunity by incorporating COVID-19 into her curriculum.\u00a0The No. 1 thing for her is that her students stay safe.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe No. 2 thing is that I hope they learn some practical chemistry that they can take with them, which is why I&#8217;m teaching about COVID-19,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is biochemistry, which we can tackle from a chemical point of view, and we can talk about some of the small-molecule drugs that are being developed. We can talk about hydroxychloroquine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>One sentiment shared by all is that nobody wants to be sent home again, which is a powerful motivator to live up to the Paladin Promise.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat I\u2019m encouraging students to think about is the fall is going to be different, but if we are smart and if do everything right, by the time we get back in the spring everything will be at least somewhat back to normal,\u201d Mills said. \u201cThere are a lot of incentives to do good this fall.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Buchmueller said students are very serious about wanting to be here.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt doesn\u2019t mean that poor choices might not be made, but a lot of people know they want to get in the lab to do research,\u201d she said. \u201cThey don&#8217;t want to be at home.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Neves had a family member die from COVID-19, so she views doing her part to stop the spread of the disease as a moral obligation to more than just Furman.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLooking at the numbers, I think there\u2019s probably a good chance I wouldn\u2019t be deathly sick (if I were infected),\u201d she said. \u201cBut for me at least, that doesn\u2019t take away from the fact the way I should be responsible for others, because there are other older individuals who could get it and get really sick.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_46520\" style=\"width: 1323px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46520\" class=\"wp-image-46520 size-full lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/218\/2022\/08\/20200818_Orientation_Freshmen_Painting-5.jpg\" alt=\"Students take a painting class in the Lakeside Amphitheater\" width=\"1313\" height=\"739\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1313px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1313\/739;\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-46520\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">First-year students take a painting class in the Lakeside Amphitheater as a part of Furman&#8217;s Fall Orientation 2020.<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Furman Focused || Fall 2020 Underway from Furman University on Vimeo. &nbsp; Masks, social distancing, phased return, fall sports postponed until spring \u2013 Renee Neves \u201921 knew so much would [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":265,"featured_media":18802,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,53,37,5,30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8926","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-department-page","category-chemistry","category-earth-environmental-and-sustainability-sciences","category-top-four-news-1st-story","category-top-stories"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8926","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/265"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8926"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8926\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33281,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8926\/revisions\/33281"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18802"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8926"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8926"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8926"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}