As first-year UD students began college in Fall 2020, they had to cope with isolation and adjustment to online classes alongside the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing social unrest. Julia’s poem, "2020," captures this experience:
What started with hope and dreams anew
became fear, passion and sadness too
a promise of campus, I took it for granted
late library studies and dining hall antics
Instead I’m at home fighting for what’s right
for Breonna, killed in the middle of the night
4 deaths of loved ones later, I’m grateful to survive
but am I living or am I merely alive?
Nina’s digital artwork also addresses the experience of transitioning to UD as a new college home, even in a remote environment.
Rachel Wang’s Zoom-inspired drawing explores the ways that students sought to make connections during online learning. She writes, "The Zoom Grid View resembles the online learning format. Although there are separate boxes, they come together to form a bigger illustration. Some of the grids also highlight certain aspects of UD: 1743, Protect the Flock, Delaware Blue Hens, etc. Even though we are not together on campus, UD strives to build a welcoming community for new students."
In "Please Wait," Sarah acknowledges how "everyone’s life is on hold." She explores the challenges of constantly using technology for all aspects of life, writing, "I wanted this picture to represent my experience as a college student right now. Since everything is digital, I feel overwhelmed. I work on everything all the time, and it's a bit much."
Olivia Joswick’s drawing illustrates "what every college student in 2020 thinks about daily." She writes, "I'm not the best artist, but I tried to depict what it's like being a college student, more specifically a freshman in college, this semester with all of the restrictions due to Covid-19. I believe the restrictions are necessary to contain the virus, but I certainly wish that things were different. My drawing includes a college student at their computer with a mask on thinking about in person lectures, sporting events, and being around friends having fun."
Geraldine Lara-Silva’s reflection outlines her experience as a first-generation college student in Fall 2020. She writes, "I incorporated three different characteristics that include some barriers, how I am currently feeling, as well as a self-reflection. I added pictures/emojis of how to describe my goals and what I have talked about in the image."
In her digital artwork, Katherine Paez creates "a representation of my mind at UD as a freshman and online. It is a mixture of emotions with a bunch of confusion and just SOME of the sources I use to learn."
