The Unlikely, Unexpected, & Wonderful

McKenna Snow
Class of 2024

(12/2020) Not only was fall of 2020 my first semester ever at college, it was a semester unlike any the world had ever seen. I dove headfirst into an accelerated semester comprised of in-person and zoom classes, complicated daily schedules, a six-hundred-mile distance from my family who lives in Kentucky—and all taking place in an atmosphere of optimism and resilience amidst a pandemic. Who would have thought that my first semester of college would have all those elements at once? I certainly would not have guessed that. But nonetheless, though it was a semester like no other, I loved it.

There were so many good things about this semester for me. The ability to go to the nightly adoration that is offered on campus was indescribably powerful. Adoration—time spent in silence with the Lord to reflect and pray—was such a place of comfort for me all semester. And the friends I made through my classes, roommates, and campus ministry are some pretty amazing people. I am already looking forward to spending the spring semester with them.

The pandemic did pose tests to keeping the doors of the Mount open for sixteen weeks straight. Like the faculty and staff, the students took on unprecedented responsibilities to make it work; for us this meant limited gatherings, less in-person lectures, and learning material at a rapid rate because of the accelerated semester. No fall break, either—just full-speed ahead for sixteen weeks straight. If anyone ever wanted to cultivate the virtues of perseverance and determination, this semester at the Mount was the place to go about it. Our resilient community worked hard to maintain the normalcy of higher education as best we could. This upkeep gave freshman like me the ability to not miss out on studying the liberal arts the way they were meant to be studied: in person, on campus. And sure, we did have to zoom in to study them sometimes—but I will take half-on-zoom and half-in-person over all-online, any day of the week.

Personally, I learn better in a classroom setting, with real human beings in front of me. I had wanted to go to college, live on campus, make friends and get as much out of my classes as possible. Even though many elements that typically comprise a "normal freshman experience" were atypical, the Mount’s efforts to make this semester as normal as possible were deeply appreciated. I also liked that because the lectures were recorded for zoom, I could go back and watch them to study better. The hybrid learning experience had some unexpectedly nifty elements.

The restriction of close-contact sports actually presented unlikely opportunities for me to discover new hobbies. Would I have signed up to play intramural badminton if it had been a "normal semester"? Probably not. I would have signed up to play intramural soccer instead. But because badminton was the option presented to me when soccer couldn’t be, I chose to just go for it as something fun to try. Even though I hadn’t played since I was about eight years old, playing intramural badminton with my friends was so much fun. It was a lighthearted sport, and created friendly competition that I thrived on. I plan on making it a regular hobby for my roommates and me next semester.

I also spent a lot of time outside this semester, given the limited options for indoor gatherings and activities. My friends and I loved going on walks, hiking, and visiting the grotto that’s connected to the Mount. My roommates and I also joined the astronomy club on campus, got to stargaze, and study the moon together using some spectacular telescopes. What better ways to cultivate friendship, curiosity, and philosophical and theological conversation, than by experiencing the wonders of God’s creation together? Next semester, I will definitely be spending a lot of time out and about the beautiful outdoors of the Mount campus with my friends again. The pandemic’s challenges drew me outdoors much more than I anticipated this semester and I am grateful for it.

At one point in the semester, there was a necessary restriction on mobility on campus that required my roommates and I to remain in our dorm for four days. Initially we were frustrated; who likes being told to stay indoors for any extended amount of time? But we quickly realized we shouldn’t spend our time together steeping in negativity. Within the first day of the restriction, we elected to make the most of the extended time we were having to spend together. We seized it as an opportunity to deep-clean the dorm, to study more intensely, get more homework done than usual, and then reward ourselves with fun movie nights. We played games, had meals together, and listened to music together. On the last night of the restriction, the four of us even threw a little Christmas decorating party for ourselves; we cut paper snowflakes together, put up white Christmas lights we had been saving, and listened to Christmas music. Usually, I think Christmas music should be played after Thanksgiving—but given our circumstances, we made an exception and, of course, sang along to every word of "All I Want For Christmas is You" by Mariah Carrey. I honestly had a lot of fun despite the situation; we really made the most of it.

This is why I refuse to be ungrateful or complaintive of this unusual first semester. I want to look back and focus on what was good about this semester. How could I let negativity overpower these happy memories and friendships that were made? I learned so much and made so many wonderful friends. I deepened my relationship with Jesus through the sacraments available on campus, and through trusting in Him amidst all struggles. He drew me to pursue virtue when I didn’t always want to, and I am so glad of that. From this semester I know and understand these things all the more fully: Joy is a choice. Perseverance is a choice. Now, more than ever, these virtues cannot be thrown out the window just because times are frustrating. Actively choosing joy over negativity can bring about some of the best memories and friendships one could ever know, even in the most atypical of situations—or in my case, even the most atypical of semesters.