Centenary College of Zoom
On March 10, 2020, Centenary’s Marketing & Communication team created a new page within the navigation of the College’s website and added the page’s first content, a message from Dr. Christopher L. Holoman. “Dear Centenary Community,” the message began, “I want to inform you of what Centenary is doing in response to the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).”
Way back then, everything was indeed novel. Scrolling through the list of archived updates in the COVID-19 section of the website – which quickly grew beyond that first initial page – is an incredible and often unsettling reminiscence of decisions and measures that seemed unthinkable at Centenary a few weeks (and in some cases, a few days) before they happened: “Athletics suspended…Classes suspended…Stay at Home Order…First day of remote instruction.”
“The professors did a fantastic job at accommodating students and using what resources they had to keep momentum for us.”
Dylan Scott, Junior
Future historians will find the official campus updates helpfully chronologically arranged and catalogued on the Campus & Community Messages page in the COVID-19 section of the web. But these pronouncements of event postponements, policy changes, virtual gatherings, and still-uncertain futures are not nearly the full measure of the experience of Centenary students, faculty, staff, and alumni during the COVID-19 pandemic. The stories below help to bring to life more fully what it meant to live, learn, and work at Centenary during a time of uncertainty, fear, frustration, discovery, ingenuity, and collaboration. It was – and remains – all of those things.
Students reflect on remote instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic
In early March cases of COVID-19 were increasingly reported across the world. As the virus moved into Louisiana, businesses, schools, playgrounds, libraries, and restaurants all began to close in an effort to slow the spread of the disease. Centenary made the decision to pause instruction for a week while faculty and staff adapted course material to be delivered remotely, and classes then resumed in the new format.
Students had the option to return home or stay on campus during the remote instruction period. We asked several students to share their experiences during this unexpected and historic moment.
For first-year Emilie Adams, remote learning allowed some much-needed time with her family. She and her family had plenty of time to bond with both parents working from home and Emilie and her high school sister both completing courses online. Centenary is six hours away from Emilie’s home in New Orleans and she had only been able to go home on holiday breaks. “We did things like playing Uno and Monopoly for hours, getting a kiddie pool to help cool off in the heat, trying new recipes, and having weekly movie nights. The time home definitely helped me realize that the most memorable moments don’t need to be the most extravagant. They just need to be with the right people.”
Remote learning helped Emilie learn better ways to focus and how to manage her time. Professors made helpful suggestions, such as finding areas to study that were free from distractions or even studying outside to get fresh air. “What helped the most was that once they (professors) knew I needed additional support, they continued to check on me and see how I was doing. Having that support through them helped me a lot.”
Audrey Gibson, a junior from Austin, Texas, was studying abroad in France when COVID-19 cases began to increase and was just getting comfortable in her new environment before having to return home. She had to return to the United States amidst travel restrictions and nationwide closures. After a train ride, an Uber, two flights, and over 20 hours of traveling, Audrey was back home in the states.
Despite her experience being cut short, Audrey was able to experience the culture before returning. She lived on her own in a new city, met new people, spoke French daily, and was able to experience classes in a different environment. She was also able to travel to London, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, and multiple cities in Belgium while abroad.
Once back in the United States, she participated in all of her classes online. Due to so many of her classmates being in different time zones it was difficult to utilize Zoom – an online video conferencing platform - to hold virtual face to face meetings. Most of the correspondence took place by e-mail. “Once, the only time that everyone in the class was available for a meeting was 3:00 a.m. my time - so I had to wake up in the middle of the night to make the call!”
Read about how Audrey was able to participate virtually in a prestigious research conference this spring.
Dylan Scott, a junior from Benton, Louisiana, is a full-time student studying biology and an EMT for Balentine Ambulance Services. As an EMT Dylan has experienced and cared for COVID-19 patients firsthand. “Serving as an EMT during the pandemic has been rewarding. COVID-19 has been challenging to deal with. I wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) all the time now. Seeing and transporting so many patients afflicted by the disease has been a unique experience. Some patients have seemed relatively healthy, but other patients with COVID-19 require advanced life support. It has been rewarding to help those who need it during this challenging time.”
Dylan had to balance his job as an EMT and adjust to remote learning amidst the pandemic. Motivation and time management were two challenges he faced during the remote instruction period. By learning to treat his home as a study space instead of only a place of relaxation, planning other activities ahead of time, and the help and support of his professors, he was able to adjust. “The professors did a fantastic job at accommodating students and using what resources they had to keep momentum for us.”
Remote learning allowed Dylan more flexibility to listen to recorded lectures on his own time, and creating fun Zoom backgrounds was an added bonus too!
Read more about Dylan’s experiences as an EMT.
First-year student Jazzirae Robinson was not a stranger to online courses, but adding in the stress of a pandemic was certainly a new twist. She found that the amount of screen time made retaining information from courses challenging. By making study to-do lists, setting individual deadlines for herself, and using flashcards, Jazzirae was able to overcome this challenge. “I learned new skills in comprehension, organization, social media, and writing with some of my classes. The improvements led me to learning more about planning ahead and taking action in our society as an educated individual through technology and its platforms.”
Having extra time at home also inspired Jazzirae to dream up some plans for the future. She was influenced by her Social Technologies course, which explored topics such as social media metrics and trends, how content goes viral, and how to use this knowledge to create positive social change. Jazzirae has joined a Facebook group that strives for change and has been studying the metrics of videos, reposts, and images. She also enjoyed spending some extra quality time with her mom trying out new recipes and watching movies. This summer, Jazzirae was looking forward to returning to campus and using all the new skills she’s learned. “My new cooking and time management skills should assist me in my return back to campus life. I'm looking forward to working around the problems we're facing in a healthy and friendly light.”
Staff Spotlight
Shirley Hill, a member of the Sodexo food service staff at Centenary, went above and beyond during the spring semester to assist the 20-25% of students who remained on campus after the move to remote learning. Her team leader shared, "If she saw anything at all that needed doing, she just did it. She worked any area that needed someone, or any job that was necessary." Hill is one of the many Centenary staff members who helped create a safe and caring environment for students during a time of great uncertainty.
Faculty Spotlight
Chris Ciocchetti – Philosophy and Black Mirror, May Term 2020
Dr. Chris Ciocchetti, professor of philosophy, discusses his experience teaching the course Philosophy and Black Mirror remotely during the 2020 May Term. Black Mirror, a British dystopian science-fiction series that examines the perils and unintended consequences of technology in the modern world, provided rich and at times unsettling material for Centenary students to dissect in the midst of a global pandemic that forced them to rely on technology as never before.
Cory Wikan – Introduction to Music Education, May Term 2020
Dr. Cory Wikan, professor of music and acting Dean of the Hurley School of Music, shares some observations about the ins and outs of teaching a music course online this spring...along with a demonstration of some common Zoom mishaps!
Anne-Marie Bruner-Tracey – Intercultural Communication, May Term 2020
Anne-Marie Bruner-Tracey, director of intercultural engagement, taught Intercultural Communication online during Centenary’s 2020 May Term. With an enrollment of 29 students, she encountered many challenges, surprises, and learning opportunities for both the students and herself as an instructor. Bruner-Tracey, a Centenary alumna herself, is proud of the work that she and the students accomplished to replicate a Centenary community online under less than ideal conditions.