Being a college student during COVID-19

Greek life chapters at the University of Oregon are responsible for more than 35 percent of COVID-19 cases in Lane County. They have been subjected to an onslaught of judgment and criticism as the usual partying and socializing is seemingly unaffected by the pandemic.

There are currently 22 fraternities and 15 sororities affiliated with the university and with some housing facilities closed down while others remained at full capacity, there has been a wide range of responses from the chapters. Many members currently feel as though the public has the wrong perception of greek life as a whole.

Ally Grimaldi, a senior member of Gamma Phi Beta, is currently living in the chapter’s housing facility and shared that she feels safe, comfortable, and truly trusts her sisters that live-in too.

“If I wasn't in a Greek chapter during all of this, I think that I would feel really lonely,” Grimaldi shared. “I think that the pandemic has obviously made connections really challenging but having those smaller bubbles makes it less socially isolating.”

A lot of the Fraternity and Sorority Life organizations have created a home away from home for their members who returned to campus and have helped to enforce social distancing guidelines during this time.

Chapter housing facilities are more than just where members gather to eat meals or have meetings, these buildings are many members’ homes. The live-ins have had to wear masks in their own homes and are restricted on who they can see outside of the facility.

Kappa Delta, a sorority at UO, closed its housing facility prior to the beginning of the academic year and is still enforcing statewide mandates as well as guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control through their Vice President Standards – the elected member in charge of risk management and monitoring member behavior.

Haley Cook, the current VP Standards shared a bit about what her role in the chapter is right now and what it means to her to do her job well.

“As VPS, it is extremely important to me that our chapter is doing its part to ensure the health and safety of our community,” Cook said, “My job entails making sure our members know and understand current COVID guidelines and are following those guidelines, along with all of the standards Kappa Delta sets for its members to.”

Sorority and fraternity members have recognized that what is going on in the world right now is larger than themselves. Many chapters have used their outreach to promote health initiatives and urge community members who are not in Greek life. This has become increasingly more difficult as case numbers rise and people grow tired of sitting at home. 

Natasha Weiser, a sophomore member of Delta Delta Delta sorority, commonly referred to as Tri-Delt, spoke about how every day starts to feel mundane and repetitive.

“It’s the same cycle, the same day, the same thing, getting up and doing the same routine so I have gotten kind of sick of it,” Weiser said, “Everyone’s doing stuff that they aren’t supposed to but I feel like it is getting worse over time because everybody is getting more angsty.”

Along with being members of sorority houses, these women are students at the university – many being in Clark Honors College.

“I have really enjoyed the overlap of the honors college and panhellenic because there are so many incredible, badass women in the CHC and Greek life,” Grimaldi said, “In terms of academics Greek life definitely pushes you to excel and the honors college obviously does too.”

During this time, college students have had to adjust both socially but also academically and this has had massive implications when it comes to the smaller-sized, discussion-based courses that CHC is so well known for.

Weiser has been a part of Tri Delt and a student at UO for just over a year but has seen drastic and obvious differences between the last academic year and the few months that passed in this year already. She has felt tolls on her social interactions, academics, and emotions that social distancing and isolation create.

“The social aspect has been impacted. I personally have not been doing too well, it’s definitely hard to wake up and do the same thing again,” she shared.

Weiser talked a lot about how her classes do not feel real or meaningful anymore. It has been difficult for a lot of students to adjust to never interacting with fellow students every day like they normally would, both in and out of the classroom.

“I go on zoom and it’s expected to turn on your camera because it’s a discussion but as soon as the professor says you can turn off your camera, everybody does and nobody talks,” she said.

The women can recognize that their professors are doing more than expected to make Oregon students’ lives easier during the transition to virtual education. However, many CHC students miss Chapman Hall, the home of the honors college on campus, and cannot wait to get back to being in an actual classroom together.

“With virtual learning, it has been difficult to have the conversations we would be having if we were in person,” Cook shared, “I can’t wait until I can be back in a CHC classroom to engage in a true conversation with my peers.”

The pandemic has weighed heavily on both the academic and the social realms of college life and no student has been immune to feeling its effects. Greek life chapters have had to dramatically change their norms alongside their members having to juggle figuring out an entirely new way of going to class. While errors have occurred and coronavirus cases have increased, students are learning to do what is best for their educations as well as the well-being of the community around them.