Illustration by Evan KirkleyWithout a doubt, spring term at Portland State stands out. Despite remote learning, students are still finding ways to connect. Clubs are organizing virtual meetings, groups are finding new ways to be active and students are exploring different ways to connect on a personal level.
"This is a huge transition for everyone, navigating staying home and attending a remote PSU. But, we are surviving!” says Aimee Shattuck, assistant dean of Student Life and director of Student Activities and Leadership Programs. “Students have been grateful for how fast the campus community was able to transition. Many students have been able to stay connected to student groups and programs or to find new ones now that they are all online.”
Shattuck says it’s hard to make the transition and everyone’s going at their own pace, but students are grateful that community still exists.
Students are utilizing online connection platforms like Zoom, Google Hangouts and Netflix Party and turning to social media for new ways to interact.
Here’s what five students had to say about remote learning and making connections this term.
Dylan Jeffries, senior, studying English, editor-in-chief of Portland State Vanguard
Jeffries serves as the editor-in-chief for PSU’s student newspaper, the Vanguard. The paper has had to transition to remote work in an instant, while navigating the reporting challenges that come from covering a pandemic and its impact on students.
“Through all of this, I've learned how to navigate through online tools that I was previously unfamiliar with. I'm now much more comfortable communicating with people over video.
What I've also seen as a positive is the way our team at Vanguard has put in so much effort to continue doing what we do. Without skipping a beat, we were able to transfer all of our processes to remote work — which took a lot of brainstorming and work, but we were able to do it pretty seamlessly. Despite the circumstances, we were able to grow together as a team, and I think we'll come out of this as stronger reporters, writers, designers, etc.
By the way things are going, it looks to me that we may be working remotely for quite a while. But I've seen a lot of sympathy and kindness rise to the surface in these difficult times. I think if everyone continues to embrace kindness and respect and understanding by making an effort to help those in need, we'll make it through this okay. That's not to say it won't be immensely challenging — it may be one of the most difficult experiences some of us have ever gone through — but we will make it through this.”
Nayeli Naranjo-Robles, junior, studying marketing, works with Portland State Professional Sound
Portland State Professional Sound is a student-led service working providing sound, lights and production for events on campus as well as regular concerts designed to bring students together. The inability to gather in crowds poses an obvious challenge that Naranjo-Robles and her peers are working through.
“Students have been connecting through podcasts, live streaming through Twitch or Instagram, and utilizing services like Zoom or Netflix party. One outlet that I am hoping to start soon is a music blog/club, kind of like a book club but with albums instead of books.
Everyone learning and getting accustomed to interacting virtually stands out positively to me. For some people, it would be draining to go out or feel weird to virtually chat with a friend but now that a lot of tools and programs are available and known to the public, we can continue to create strong relationships with our peers. This also opens up a lot more options in terms of accessibility.”
Warren Gunn, transfer student, studying mechanical engineering, volunteer coordinator with the Student Sustainability Center
The Student Sustainability Center typically hosts numerous events every year to engage students and create positive change on and off campus. As volunteer coordinator, Gunn has been thinking about alternative ways students can get involved and positively impact the city.
“The SSC has always used Google Drive, and that’s now become the primary repository for information. We had a pretty full roster of events scheduled for this term — such as guest speakers, a resume workshop, and documentary screenings — and are moving many of them to a virtual environment. Ultimately, we see this as an opportunity to reach a wider audience and engage with students who may not have normally had the time or ability to attend our events.
Our center is very ‘hands-on’ in terms of the work we do. We have one task force that manages many of the gardens you see around campus, we have another group that takes care of our beehives, so the question was always: How do we keep these groups engaged without being able to do some of this work? Coincidentally, all of the student groups are in the process of developing a new strategic plan, so we’ve taken this as an opportunity to revisit and revise some of our programming and operational practices in order to improve the experience for students once we’re back on campus.
In a somewhat ironic twist, I actually feel more connected to my peers. We’re all going through this shared experience together, and I’ve formed small groups in many of my classes in order to ask questions of each other, review class materials and homework, and to also just vent about the highly unusual situation we’re all in. Knowing that there are others who are also struggling to adjust has helped with some of the anxiety we’re all feeling.”
Kyle Leslie-Christy, senior, studying urban and public affairs, ASPSU president
Leslie-Christy recently took over as Associated Students of Portland State University president. The governing body usually meets weekly to discuss issues impacting the student body and make recommendations. ASPSU now meets virtually and is exploring alternative ways to reach students as well as volunteer efforts during campus-wide days of service.
“We have been using campus-wide emails to update the student body on what we are doing to advocate for them and provide avenues for communication. Internally we have been thinking about engaging each other by continuing our bonding events by doing a teach-in where we teach each other something we otherwise wouldn't know about each other, collating pictures of us picking up trash in our own surrounding areas, etc.
The ability for us to work in our own small areas, take pictures of our trash pickup, and create something together stands out as a really positive way for us to continue doing our ASPSU days of service. We have really had to work fast and hard to get our meetings public while still taking into account barriers for those who are trying to disrupt our meetings.”
Jaksen Krahnke, senior, studying marketing, president of Athletic & Outdoor Connect
Krahnke oversees Athletic & Outdoor Connect as the program’s president. AOC has been exploring ways to engage students with video content they create with professionals in the industry, such as a recorded Facetime chat with an industry leader or hosting a Zoom chat.
“I think the thing that stands out for me so far is the students' ability to adapt and work around the current situation. It is unfortunate we are experiencing a time of minimal to no engagement, but I think understanding the magnitude of the situation and how groups, leaders and our student population have responded to that has been graceful, positive and motivated.
I think we need to continue to stay calm and relax. These things pass with smart practices and working together as a society to avoid any possibilities of harm or bad health. So, I commend my peers for what we have done as a whole and urge them, as they have been urging themselves, to stay motivated. What you learn from this world may be a problem now but will set you way better off for whatever is next in life.”