Staring on Feb. 12 from 3:30-4:30 p.m., the Housing and Residence Life department will be hosting a virtual bingo night for students that are in quarantine to engage students with community events during their isolation period as they recover from COVID-19.
The idea was brought up during the Fall 2020 semester as students who tested positive with COVID-19 were placed in the quarantine dorms in Spalding Hall. Claire Torongo, housing marketing manager, along with other Housing and Resident Life members thought that holding a virtual event would help incoming freshman and others in quarantine pass the time.
“Being in a space by yourself for two weeks is a long time,” Torongo said. “It’s not an ideal first two week experience for living in the residence halls.”
Virtual Bingo will be held every alternating Thursday and Friday from 3:30-4:30 p.m. with up to 14 people being able to participate per event. Comparative to the Fall 2020 semester, this semester has seen little participation due to the low numbers of quarantined residents.
“We haven’t had much participation this semester,” Torongo said. “But that’s because the quarantine numbers have been low, which is awesome.”
Dana Sengstock, a sophomore majoring in biology, was apart of the percentage of students who tested positive and placed in quarantine during the fall semester and said that it was difficult being in isolation for two weeks.
“It was lonely and boring,” Sengstock said. “But I fortunately had friends come say hello from the window and FaceTime. I also took many naps.”
According to the CDC’s webpage on mental health and COVID-19, being isolated can result in increased stress and anxiety. For students who are put into isolation alone in an unfamiliar setting, it can be difficult to adjust to both during and after quarantine.
“It made it a little hard to readjust when I got out. It gets weird, socially, when you don’t really talk for two weeks,” Sengstock said. “There’s only so much you can do with the situation at hand. Just keeping the students from detaching is hard enough without quarantine involved.”
The CDC lists healthy ways to cope during this time by doing activities such as taking a break from social media, taking care of your body and connecting with others.
“During times of social distancing, it is especially important to stay connected with your friends and family. Helping others cope with stress through phone calls or video chats can help you and your loved ones feel less lonely or isolated,” the CDC said.
With events such as Virtual Bingo, students will be able to stay safe during their quarantine period and still connect with others. While this experience is not what the typical college experience is for many, as the pandemic continues to go on, finding ways to accommodate safety and normality is an adjustment many will have to do.
For more information about Virtual Bingo and other events hosted by Housing and Residence Life, go to The Hub to sign up for events or connect with someone in the department.
