Student Life on a Virtual Campus
SMC's empty campus during COVID-19 Quarantine. Tuesday, March 31, 2020. Los Angeles, Calif. Alex Ramirez Canales/The Corsair
Club Awareness Day for Spring 2020 was set take place on Santa Monica College's (SMC) main campus on March 12. This is an event where elected student club officers set up booths to promote what they have in store for the upcoming semester and to encourage new members to join. These plans were quickly forced to change as SMC President Dr. Kathryn Jeffrey sent out an email the night before, announcing that all spring extracurriculars would be canceled in response to the coronavirus and that classes would be moved online.
This news was met with a mixture of emotions from students including relief, uncertainty, and frustration. SMC Adelante Club member Christian Ortiz stated that he "felt as though our hard work and efforts were taken.” Adelante’s Inter-Club Council (ICC) representative Malachi Maldonado agreed that the abrupt shift was “difficult but essential” to preventing the spread of the virus.
Ortiz acknowledged that this transition may be even more challenging for others, stating that he is thankful to have dependable internet access although that “isn’t the case with other families, and maybe the school should take that more into account.”
In an effort to comply with social distancing and stay at home orders, people have become increasingly reliant on technology to foster interpersonal connections. Maldonado adds that his “biggest concern is the fact that many students don't have the option to stay connected.”
Several SMC clubs have committed themselves to transitioning completely online and sought out creative ways to stay engaged with students. The film club, for example, has set up an online chatroom using the Discord app, and hosts weekly movie screenings using the Netflix Party browser extension.
SMC Cheer is another club that has managed to stay active through the use of non-traditional methods. According to Grace Knight, the head of media production, the club continues to have practice twice a week through Zoom and have also incorporated a weekly mindfulness check-in to ensure the wellbeing of their members.
According to Knight, the cheer team has also made it a point to ensure that every member has the supplies that they need for daily life. Cheer has also started reaching out to an even larger audience by posting dance clips on TikTok.
“When we’re not on Zoom we are staying in daily contact through Whatsapp. There is essentially never a time that we are not talking,” said Knight.
When asked why she felt inclined to continue her involvement, Knight expressed that she views the club as a support system, and goes on to describe it as a “ray of light” during these difficult times. “It’s essentially my family at SMC,” said Knight.
Adelante’s Malachi Maldonado also emphasized the indispensable value he finds in maintaining a sense of community. However, despite the unexpected challenges, students seem to remain hopeful, as they continue to navigate life on a virtual campus.
“This club allows me to stay in touch with my culture and be with people like me. I think it's important for Latinx students at SMC to know that they're not alone,” said Maldonado. “We're looking forward to planning just as much in the fall."