The academic calendar for 2020-21 began Aug. 17 for Bluffton University, which is earlier than past years. University students have been attending class for a little over two months without any scheduled breaks in the calendar.
Tyson Goings, director of Residence Life, said while residential students are away on break, the dorm showers, lobbies and restrooms will receive a thorough cleaning. Individual dorm rooms students stay in will not be touched since personal belongings will still be in there.
With extended scheduled breaks on campus, students typically have the option to fill out an extended-stay form to stay on campus if they don’t wish to/can’t go home. Goings said this year is going to be different from the years past regarding the forms.
“With it being an abnormal year, we are trying to look at reducing the amount of students that we have on campus,” said Goings. “There’s certain criteria or situations that would arise for us to allow students to stay.”
Goings wants students to understand that once they leave campus, their special fobs to get into the dorms will be turned off so students cannot go in and out of the dorms if they didn’t complete an extended stay form.
Goings said the process of taking belongings home should still be the same as in years past. Students should only take what they need or specifically want from their rooms since they will return in January.
Deborah Yoder. Photo courtesy by Deborah Yoder.
Sophomore Deborah Yoder is from Canada and lives in Ropp Addition. She said she hasn’t been home since before coming to Bluffton at the start of the semester in August.
Immediately when she gets back, Yoder has to quarantine for two weeks due to the travel customs amid the pandemic. She appreciates how long the winter break will be since she will have time to spend with family after quarantining.
“I also have a lot of books I want to read, so I will be checking out books from the library and taking them with me,” said Yoder. “I am considering getting a part-time job, but I am not 100% sure I’ll do that yet because I might just want to relax for a little.”
Rona Stafa a junior who lives off-campus in a home with senior citizen residents who she helps to take care of.
Rona Stafa. Photo courtesy of Rona Stafa
Stafa is from Albania and hasn’t been home since she came to Bluffton two years ago. She hasn’t seen her parents for the same amount of time, but often video chats with them to get closure. Stafa has a sister who lives in Florida who she has taken the time to go see to be around more familiar faces.
Over break, Stafa plans to be with her sister and nephew in Florida because she said we all need to be checking in on our family and being with them over the holidays if possible.
Stafa wished there could’ve been some sort of break this fall because she felt overwhelmed and stressed with the amount of work she seemed to receive very closely together. She said she is looking forward to the break and likes how it is more extensive than the past breaks.
