‘Feeling so isolated’: Coronavirus alters Stanislaus State dorm life for students
Angelica Maghinay is living alone for the first time during the coronavirus pandemic at the place she has called home for the past five years: California State University, Stanislaus.
She is one of the 160 students remaining in the dorms, which are still open for residents who have nowhere else to stay, need a room to focus on their studies or want to be near work opportunities.
About three-quarters of the residents this semester moved out, said Renee Giannini, interim director of housing and residential life. Those who remain no longer gather in the college dining hall, know when required internships can begin or support many of their peers in person.
“I went from living a life with roommates, having a bunch of people around and being super social to...just me and my support animal,” said Maghinay, 23. “That’s been a really big adjustment — not really knowing what to do with feeling so isolated all the time now.”
Stanislaus State social life, learning changes
The experience differs from the times she stayed on campus for entire winter and summer breaks, Maghinay said, partially because of the workload from classes that moved online. As a philosophy senior graduating in May, she said learning dense material can be difficult without in-person discussions.
The closure of campus libraries and computer labs along with social distancing guidelines also prevents her from meeting with the philosophy club, which connected Maghinay with her classmates.
“I’m such a participating kind of person, that’s how I learn,” she said. “I really need that interaction whether it be with students or the professors to validate where my ideas are going, that I’m analyzing correctly, or just to hear the ways that other people are interpreting text and how they’re putting it into their own words.”
The cancellation of campus events can also make it difficult to stay motivated, said Donovan Orozco, a resident assistant who is still working and living in the dorms. The 20-year-old had planned to celebrate the end of the school year at the Warrior Day Festival, which includes lives performances and activities, but the pandemic forced the university to cancel it.
“ I don’t really have anything to look forward to,” Orozco said. “When you have something to look forward to it makes the school year less stressful because you’re like, ‘OK, finals week is coming up and I have this many assignments, but I have Warrior Day in two weeks so I’m going to get through this.’”
Public health guidelines also prevent Orozco from bowling in Turlock with friends, shopping in Modesto or meeting people at campus eateries. Instead, he uses his meal plan to order food, picks it up from the campus cafe and eats in his room. Without a kitchen in his room, the takeout service is a primary way he gets cooked meals.
Despite the changes, Orozco decided to continue his job on campus to support college dorm residents who cannot travel back home. Instead of in-person game nights, Orozco said he invites students to virtual events, such as an exercise session over video call.
Connecting with family outside Turlock
Wonuola Olagunju, 23, also chose to stay as a resident assistant to provide support and stay focused on school. Returning to Fresno could be distracting, she said, and the drive isn’t long if she needs to check on her family.
The psychology senior calls her mother, who works as a hospital nurse, every day to make sure she is healthy. If her mother tests positive for COVID-19 after being exposed to the virus, Olagunju said she would probably need to return home to help around the house.
“Her hearing my voice and me hearing her voice is really what motivates us,” Olagunju said. “...I just know that everything is OK. It keeps me motivated and allows me to do what I do.”
As a resident assistant, Olagunju takes turns being on call in case students in the dorm need help. So far no one has requested intervention for roommate conflicts related to the coronavirus, she said, and the remaining students on her floor seem to be supporting each other more than before.
Students mostly keep to themselves, Olagunju said, and it is common to be the only person in the laundry room or exiting the building at any given time. But she does see Turlock families hang out by the campus pond and ride bicycles through Stanislaus State without staying six feet apart.
“It’s kinda concerning,” she said. “When school is in session, you would rarely see people walking through campus but every day I feel like I see 20, 30 people walking around or running through campus.”
Coronavirus delays student’s internship
In March, Matthew Marquette decided to stay in the dorms because a required internship was supposed to start that month. The pandemic has indefinitely delayed the start date, however.
A master’s student in public administration, Marquette planned to intern at for the Turlock City Manager’s Office, fulfilling a requirement to graduate in August. The 26-year-old said he understands the safety reasons behind the delay and still wants to work there, but dealing with the unpredictability is tough.
“For me, that’s been the most frustrating part of the whole COVID-19 situation because it’s just the uncertainty of when [the internship] is going to begin or is it even going to begin at this point,” Marquette said. “Or is it going to be so far down the road that it would just be better for me to try to convince my professors and ask them if it would be possible to waive the requirement?”
While Marquette considered returning home to Topaz, located in Mono County near the Nevada border, he said it makes sense to stay at the Turlock campus. The Modesto-area has more career opportunities than his hometown, Marquette said, and he can look for work while finishing his classes.
Unlike college students in the middle of their programs, Marquette said he is more worried about how the pandemic will affect the job market than how long classes will be online. He has applied to dozens of entry-level jobs, he said, but has not heard much back so far.
This story was originally published May 4, 2020 at 2:02 PM.
