Office of Student Affairs is Optimistic about a Normal Semester

In-person events planned by Student Activities will be returning this fall. Source: Marist Student Activities Instagram @marist_studentactivities

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the responsibilities of the Vice President of Student Affairs, Deb DiCaprio, multiplied. The Office of Student Affairs oversees sixteen areas of student life, including dining, housing, campus ministry, and entertainment, in a normal semester. They never expected to have to manage students in quarantine and isolation or to schedule daily health services check-ins for these students.

The Office of Student Affairs spent a majority of the 2020-2021 year in the planning process because each week brought the unexpected. “This was not our real job; it became our real job,” DiCaprio said. “Everybody stepped up and took on another responsibility because somebody had to do that.” 

For the first time in over thirty years, the Office of Student Affairs was unable to offer trips to see a Broadway show, discounted movie tickets, or even rides to coffee houses. DiCaprio admits that the 2020-2021 academic year was “awful for students, families, and most of the people who work at Marist because they were unable to have the experience they expected.” 

Dutchess County reported August 2021 as very high risk for COVID-19 transmission for the unvaccinated according to the New York Times. DiCaprio still feels optimistic for the fall 2021 semester. With a vaccine mandate at Marist, in-person events are returning. An activities fair is planned within the first two weeks of classes. Plays, lectures, and sports games are also making a comeback. The block party, fireworks, and family weekend are traditions that were sorely missed and now making a comeback.

The Office of Student Affairs is planning on paying homage to the bonding activities the class of 2024 lost due to health safety guidelines. There are plans to take a picture in the shape of 2024, for the class olympics with resident hall vs resident hall, and for the students to meet at a class social. The Office of Student Affairs is working with the class of 2024 officers to build a sense of unity for the class. 

Mackenzie Boric ‘24 is ready for the opportunity to connect with her classmates. “It's a great idea to make up for so much we lost,” Boric said. “The sense of normalcy it’ll bring for our class will ease us into this school year and the rest of it.”

Favorite activities that began during the pandemic will be integrated into the “normal” semester. Theater events could be streamed online for sold-out shows. DiCaprio is also hoping the theater club will agree to extend their performances a couple extra days. The online cooking demonstrations with Sodexo chefs will most likely continue. Along with a return to in-person counseling and health check-ups, telehealth services and online counseling will be offered.

DiCaprio continues to watch the patterns of COVID-19 with hopes that when classes begin, the risk of COVID transmission will decline. She does not want to implement the same safety lockdowns as the 2021-2021 semesters, but is forced to rely on the county and state guidelines to make such a decision. Those who went through the process of getting a vaccine exemption will be required to wear masks, but the state recommends masks for those who are vaccinated as well.  

“The worst thing we hope is going to be wearing masks indoors,” DiCaprio said. “We don’t want to go beyond that. We don’t want to shut things down. That would be wrong to do.” 

Similar to how it changed the workplace, COVID-19 reinvented the way events are planned. College is the time for students to learn how to navigate in-person situations in a professional setting. The pandemic caused students to lose these opportunities due to safety precautions.   

With the hope of hosting an event-filled semester, DiCaprio is optimistic for the busy year ahead. The office is merging the offerings of in-person and online events to appeal to all students, giving an opportunity for all students to be involved with campus life.

“I would love to walk around campus where nobody wears a mask so you could smile at people,” DiCaprio. “You lose a lot when you can’t see facial expressions.”