Sophie Smith Editor-in-chief slsmith@willamette.edu Willamette’s Mark O. Hatfield Library is accepting contributions to its new special collection, titled “COVID: Experiences, Thoughts & Feelings.” Students, faculty and staff members may contribute pieces of work that reflect their experiences living through the COVID-19 pandemic. The collection, which is the first digital collection of its kind at Willamette, is intended to reflect contributors’ experiences living through this unique time, both by sharing their experiences with others and by preserving these experiences for future community members to read. Contributions should be original and are encouraged to be thoughtful and creative. The library’s website says some contribution options include “sketches, audio recording of music, a recorded dance performance, a photograph, poem, story or essay.” The library is accepting submissions through May 31. After that, the library will create a digital exhibition featuring selected contributions. The collection includes both a public and historical collection, and interested contributors can submit their work to either or both sections. The public collection is currently available for Willamette students, faculty and staff to access. The historical collection, however, will not be shared publicly until 2025.  Stephanie Milne-Lane is the processing archivist and records manager for the Willamette Archives and Special Collections. According to her, the historical collection’s embargo, or delay in its publication, allows people to contribute to the collection while still keeping their work private for the time being. “The five year embargo allows submitters to share, but to have their feelings/thoughts kept private as they continue to process the raw emotions that come with living through COVID-19,” wrote Milne-Lane in an email.  When the historical collection is released in 2025, some submissions will be added to the digital exhibition. Those who submitted content can contact the Archives to request their contribution be removed from the collection. Submissions should not be larger than 1GB, and should be sent in one of the following kinds of files: .docx, .pdf, .jpg, .png, .wav, .aiff, .mp4 and .mov.  Every piece contributed will be included in the collection, but library staff members will determine what pieces to feature in the publicized digital exhibition.  Milne-Lane said that if someone is interested in contributing to the collection but would like their contribution to remain anonymous, or if they have a submission that can’t be digitally uploaded, they can email her at smilnelane@willamette.edu. Currently, the collection can only be accessed by Willamette students, faculty and staff, although in future years it will be available to a wider audience.  Milne-Lane said this is the first time the library has digitally collected community members’ submissions for a collection.  “The current health crisis forced us to innovate and initiate digitally collecting so that Willamette students—wherever they are at the moment—can contribute to the collection.” Willamette students, faculty and staff can contribute their work to the collection at https://libmedia.willamette.edu/academiccommons/covid/ .

Jasper Jones News editor mgjones@willamette.edu The Residence Hall Association (RHA) is working remotely to provide residents with entertaining and remote events while also working with other campus organizations to provide students with support and resources.  RHA’s General Assembly meets weekly to brainstorm and plan events, along with other ways to support students. At these meetings, Executive Director Aidan Lawrence-Devine (‘22) reported that they assign meeting themes, like asking assembly members to come to the meeting with their best Zoom backgrounds or stuffed animals, to create a more lighthearted and fun atmosphere.  There are multiple upcoming events already planned, including a self care event on April 30 and a Jackbox game night on May 6, both from 7-8 p.m. PST. Lawrence-Devine encourages students to follow the organization’s Instagram page, @Willamette_RHA, to stay updated with future events and to access the Zoom links that are placed in its bio the day of each event. “RHA’s programming is intended primarily for residents, but we never have any restrictions in place on that. We want to be as open and flexible to Willamette students as possible,” explained Lawrence-Devine.  The General Assembly also voted to give financial support to the Bearcat Pantry and Emergency Fund.   “We recently coordinated with the SOAR Center and Bearcat Pantry to get a bunch of shelf stable food for residents on campus and people in the community,” said Lawrence-Devine.  After being informed that the Community Action Fund for Equity and Sustainability (CAFES) was allocating funds to the Emergency Fund, RHA was inspired to do the same. They ended up reallocating “a large portion of our remaining semester budget to the Emergency Fund,” said Lawrence-Devine. “A portion of that money was marked specifically for residents who are seeking the Emergency Fund, just because that is sort of our function as the Residence Hall Association, the majority of it is available for any Willamette student.”  Lawrence-Devine feels confident that RHA is in a good position to start next semester out strong, even with the uncertainty of what Willamette University will look like at that time. He said RHA is already working on programming for next semester by collaborating with Mental Health Advocacy student leaders to facilitate mental health events for first-year students.  “RHA is committed to supporting our residents through the end of the year in whatever capacity we can. We also want to make sure that RHA is well-prepared to meet whatever challenges the next academic year will throw at us,” said Lawrence-Devine.

Jasper Jones News editor mgjones@willamette.edu The Willamette Events Board, a student-run organization that plans numerous events and activities throughout the year, is still dedicated to providing entertainment even though many students have left campus. Recently, WEB has distributed paint-by-number activities and Harry Potter themed stuffed animals and activity kits to students living in Salem.  “Our goal is to keep students engaged and motivated by providing different activities to express themselves,” said WEB President Cynthia Ramirez (‘20). Ramirez also reported that most student employees have returned home or are living off campus, but a few are still on campus. Those students can help by distributing items around campus and by tabling at Goudy. WEB also plans to offer essential oil roller balls in five different scents as well as lavender sprays. They will also begin providing blue light glasses to students.  “We also thought it was important to provide blue light glasses for students because staring at a screen can be really tiring on the eyes. We have about six different designs that are super cool and trendy,” said Ramirez.  Ramirez also said that they are working on community events, like Kahoot and Jackbox games.  All of these ideas were brainstormed and organized during their weekly Zoom meetings.  Here, they have also continued the discussion of planning for StarJam, an event that was supposed to happen for the first time this spring, but is now moved to September, along with planning other events that will take place in the fall.  Ramirez wants the student body to know that students who live on campus are welcome to pick up the items they are offering, and if anyone has suggestions on how to make these items accessible, to let her know.

Dawn-Hunter Strobel Lifestyles editor dsstrobel@willamette.edu All Willamette students have had to adjust their expectations for the end of their year with the switch to online learning, but one group that has been hit particularly hard by the changes is the cohort of graduating students in the middle of their thesis classes. For many, the switch to online learning has been a significant obstacle to getting work done, but all who were interviewed believe they will be able to complete a finished product in time for the end of the year. Alongside the stress of thesis, seniors also reported mourning the loss of their final few months at Willamette. Joya Biebel (‘20) is a film major in the studio art thesis class who will no longer be able to present her work in the Hallie Ford Museum of Art at the end of the year.  “After having worked on it for six months and having it be just completely cut off so close to the end was really heartbreaking,” she said. “Losing our studio spaces was really sad. We had to pack all that up. It’s just really unsatisfying. I know my parents are really bummed that they won’t be able to go to a show. I had a whole bunch of family that was going to come.”  Biebel’s work has had to change format from an in-person installation to an online showcase, where most of her work is shown through videos on a website that the class is building. The class is still planning to have an in-person installation at some point over the summer or next spring, but the details of what that will look like have yet to be finalized.  Yaakov “Koby” Wood (‘20) is a history major whose thesis requires him to work with physical archive collections in the library. However, as the news came out about switching to online classes and that the library was closing, he made electronic copies of everything he needed from the archives.  “It took like two and a half days of just sitting in the library and taking pictures of everything. [With the library’s machine] you have to load it up and scan it over and over. But I’m glad I did that, because now I have access to that digitally here [at home],” he said.  Wood’s lack of access to the library has prevented him from accessing books that other historians have written about the time period he is researching. “A big part of a history thesis is placing your thesis within the context of the greater historiography of that subject, and I can’t really do that because I don’t have access to that other literature as much,” Wood said. “What really matters is where I’m placing it between all the books that I need to place it between, and I don’t really have access to books, so that’s the biggest hindrance.”  For Reagan Dreiling (‘20), most of her experimentation for her biochemistry thesis was done before spring break, so losing access to the labs did not fundamentally change her work. However, she said, “My situation with my experiments aren’t the same as everybody else’s. Some could have been working on them sooner and some later, or maybe were counting on this time to do it.”  All seniors interviewed reported difficulty working once online learning began. Natasha Milligan (‘20), a Japanese major, reported not working on her thesis for three weeks after online classes started.  “It was terrible. Everyone’s feeling a lot of different things right now, but I personally was very worried and very anxious and very stressed. So I kind of hit a roadblock with my thesis. Even though we had class on Zoom… I don’t even know what I did in that hour period, to be honest. I was just so stuck,” she said.  Jasper Jones (‘20), who works for the Collegian, reported a similar experience with her creative writing thesis. “I didn’t do any work for two weeks. Creative work in general can be really stressful. You get in your head a lot thinking that you’re not good enough or that this will amount to nothing. Some days waking up and feeling totally fine and other days waking up just knowing that there’s gonna be no way you can get yourself to get up and work.”  Wood reported running into difficulty putting effort into his thesis because of a lack of access to Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) medication. “I’ve switched healthcares to the school healthcare option and that means that I have to go to a doctor who has to recertify my prescription, but I can’t go to a doctor to get my prescription recertified [because of COVID-19],” he said. “It would be so great if we just had universal healthcare and I could just go in and go ‘Hi, I have ADD, these are my records, please give me a prescription.’” This situation has resulted in Wood having to calculate which days to use his medication in order to have medication during the times he needs it more than others. Despite the difficulties, these seniors said they felt supported by their advisors. Biebel noted that she was very grateful for Professor Alexandra Opie’s support in the midst of all the other work she has to do as the chair of the studio art department.  According to Wood, his advisor Seth Cotlar has been “really accommodating and very understanding and very pragmatic about the realities of the pandemic and what all of his students, not just me, have access to.”  Dreiling said one of her professors talked with her over Zoom for an hour to help her download data analysis software onto her computer that she otherwise would have been able to access in Olin. Though all who were interviewed reported feeling that they would be able to finish their theses on time, many expressed sadness about their time at Willamette ending as it is.  Jones said her experience with thesis has been wrapped up in a lot of grief. “I wanted to have graduation and those events that celebrate me and my accomplishments because I feel like we all deserve to be celebrated, and a lot of that was wrapped up with my thesis for me. I’ve been waiting to have the chance and the space to be able to create something like this.” She then added, “I’m doing this task that is definitely the hardest thing that I’ve ever done on top of going through the hardest part in my life.” Dreiling said, “Sometimes I’ll be scrolling through Facebook and see one of my professor’s profiles or a picture of everybody from when we were all living in the dorms, and it’ll hit me again that I don’t get to have the quality goodbyes to these people that I would like to have. I don’t know when I’ll see everybody again. I feel like all of our goodbyes got cut short.” She added with a laugh, “I didn’t know my last Bistro cookie would be my last.” For Milligan, the cancellation of graduation was very sad because she is a first generation college student. “Graduation itself was a really big thing for me, and being able to have my parents come to my university and see where I’ve been living and see my professors was really a big thing for me, so not having that was really hard,” she said.  For Wood, celebrating the end of his college career with his family and friends was also a big deal. “I was really looking forward to all of my housemates' families being here and all of us meeting each other, my parents meeting my housemates, and all of us hanging out and, honestly just drinking together and eating together and enjoying our last week celebrating together during that week after finals are over.”  For graduating seniors, the task of completing a project that is meant to be the cumulation of their time in college in the midst of a global crisis is no small feat. Many have had to work around lack of access to library and lab materials, as well as the end of year showcases that were intended to be the bulk of their thesis presentations. All seniors have had to juggle transitioning to working online with the stress of entering the workforce in an uncertain economy. The difficulty of the circumstances does not affect everyone in the same way, but those interviewed reported that they would continue to march on in the face of uncertainty.

Olivia Frenkel Staff writer okfrenkel@willamette.edu The switch to online education has not been an easy transition for most. From shaky internet connections to lapses in motivation to the awkward two seconds between when the professor says goodbye but hasn’t clicked “end meeting,” students everywhere are learning to adapt to learning remotely. However, some of these adaptations entail more changes and frustrations than others. Many students pursuing STEM majors have left behind research projects and lab proposals and are now pursuing their education in different ways. One of these students is Daniel Fang (‘21), a chemistry major with a focus in biochemistry. In his experimental biochemistry class, he explained, “We’ve been learning about what the general experimental procedure would have been like by using previous years data to simulate the actual data analysis.” However, since he is not doing the actual experiments himself, he said that the quality of education, though it is the best it can be considering the circumstances, does not equate to the practical knowledge he would have otherwise gained. For seniors working on their thesis, distance learning has taken an even bigger toll. Lauren Stiles (‘20) is a graduating physics major who was in the process of completing her research lab and thesis experience. She had originally designed a 3D-printed flow cell that contained a metal sample that would be shot by a laser, which would create nanoparticles. However, the labs closed before she was able to 3D print.  “I have been using supplies I find around the house and my completed design uses tupperware and cardboard boxes. The saddest part is not getting to test my design with the laser,” said Stiles. She considers herself lucky that she was able to bring home supplies, but said, “ I miss having the people around me that would drag me to the library or physics hearth and just motivate me in general.”  Despite her frustrations, she is appreciative of her professor’s support. “My thesis advisor has started using Asana [an online project management service] to assign us tasks which has broken down the daunting process of writing and presenting a thesis into more manageable steps,” said Stiles. “We have Zoom calls four times a week. I showed her my working design and know how excited she was, so that made me happy.” Lila Faust (‘21) shares frustrations similar to Fang and Stiles. She was in the process of writing a white paper, which is an in-depth research paper on a specific area of science that is not well-known, and was unable to continue as she had hoped. “I’ve gone from working with a friend to study the reproductive behaviors of newts to researching alone by reading papers and drawing pictures,” Faust said. She had been studying newts for the last year. “I don’t think I’m getting quality education just because of the kinds of classes I am taking,” she explained. “It feels like I’m not really learning the material and I’m just doing the work for it.”  Cameron Taggesall (‘21) described the changes made to their classes, but also emphasized the support of her professors in the physics department. “I’m in an advanced lab techniques class that used to be hours long in the labs with lasers,” she explained. “Since we can’t be in-person, the professors sent each student electric kits for us to work with.” Though it is inherently more difficult to learn through the use of these small circuits, Taggesall said that the troubleshooting process has been made easy through the professors’ hard work. “We have to show them our work through Zoom with bad camera angles and bad camera quality, but it really is the best it can be right now.” For students everywhere, but especially for those taking classes in STEM, it has been understandably difficult to accept the changes that have come with distance learning. Walking away from lab experience and year-long research proposals is not something STEM students expected to do this semester, and by no means has it been easy. However, Willamette students, despite the difficulties, have found ways to adapt the best they can.

Jake Procino Staff writer jprocino@willamette.edu Nearly all sports played at Willamette require some type of specialized footwear. The student-athletes who wear these shoes put them through so much strain that they often rip apart at the seams and explode at the shoelaces.  Before anything else, the student-athletes need to obtain their shoes. Different sports have different methods, which is usually determined by the coach’s discretion. In some sports, like football, the student-athletes choose their own footwear. For others, that’s not the case: senior softball player Jocelyn Glasgo said, “We are able to choose a size and then the coaches order them… We don’t really get a say.” Unlike jerseys, however, student-athletes have to fund their own footwear. Senior football player Shaan Amin said, “Shoes are expensive. It’s usually on the student-athlete to provide shoes.” Those costs can run up as their shoes are put through the ringer. Amin said, “I have had my shoelaces explode and the stitching come apart on the shoe.”  Glasgo said that for softball, “We get new cleats and turf shoes every season. A lot of times new shoes aren't needed for some positions, but for pitchers, their shoes get worn down a lot and they have to buy new ones each year. My pitching shoes rip open towards the end of the year and after every pitch they get filled with dirt.”  Some student-athletes often utilize two pairs of shoes throughout the season. A lot of student athletes are like Amin, who have both practice cleats and game day cleats. Others have two pairs of cleats, each for different playing surfaces.  Glasgo said in softball, “We have turf shoes that we wear for indoor practices as well as practices when we are on the soccer field if it has been raining and the field is wet. And we have cleats for games or the practices when we are on our field.” Different sports require different equipment, and shoes are no exception. Sports like softball and football require spikes to move different directions. Amin, a football defensive back, described his needs for footwear: “I need cleats in sport in order to grip the turf while changing directions.” Amin also commented on the spectrum of football cleats, saying, “Some specialized cleats emphasize support while others emphasize speed and agility.” Softball also uses cleats, though since the sport uses a playing surface than football does, Glasgo said their cleats differ a bit: “The spikes are usually metal but you can wear molded ones. [Right-handed] pitchers get the toe of their right cleat dipped in a rubber mold. This covering helps protect the cleat from the constant friction on the material when pitching.” With the standardizations of uniforms and the limitations of the NCAA, shoes are one of the only outlets for self-expression on the field. Some opt for a Sharpie personalization, as Glasgo described: “Some [players] write on the back of their cleats, but for the most part we have to stay uniform.”  Some student-athletes clean their shoes, but others don’t. Amin said, “Dirt and scuffs add character.”

Noah Dantes Managing editor ngdantes@willamette.edu There are several valid reasons why people have to shop online during this time: many items that are hard to find at physical stores right now can be purchased online, people who are struggling financially need to find the best deals possible wherever they may be and many people have pre-existing conditions that make it especially risky for them to go to a physical store. Online shopping during the pandemic, on any legal site, Amazon or otherwise, is ethical if the shopper is obtaining essential items. While it is easy to cast judgment on those who shop for nonessential item s online, this is a time that calls on us to be as forgiving and understanding of others as possible—we are all impacted by COVID-19 in different ways. While some may question the business practices of companies such as Amazon, this is not the time to be promoting boycotts or condemning customers of such online businesses. COVID-19 is an existential threat to many, and peo ple who are struggling, be it financially, with their health or otherwise, have enough problems on their plate without the additions of boycotts and social judgment. The online retailer Amazon, for example, has a larger and more diverse stock of items than its retail counterparts, and offers many discounts and deals for its customers, according to Forbes. Without the services of online sellers such as Amazon, many shoppers would be left without essential supplies. Ethical debates about online shopping should be encouraged in a normal world, but in the face of a pandemic, it is important to carefully weigh what debates are necessary in the face of the crisis before engaging in them.  The treatment of essential workers, including employees of online retail companies, is certainly one such necessary debate. A March 31 Washington Post reported, “In recent weeks, workers, unions and attorneys are seeing a dramatic rise in cases they say illustrate a wave of bad employer behavior, forcing workers into conditions they fear are unsafe, withholding protective equipment and retaliating against those who speak up or walk out.” These concerns are real and widespread, but that doesn’t change the fact that the services many companies, including online retailers, are providing right now are necessary. Even if we avoid boycotting exploitative or unsafe companies right now, we can continue to advocate for their workers by pushing for legislation ensuring workers’ protections, creating petitions and more. However, given these companies’ essential role, ethical debates concerning the existence or use of Amazon, Target and other large online retailers need to wait. Because it can be ethical to shop online during this time, we should avoid any outright protest or shaming of online shopping choices without considering a person’s reason for their purchase. The issue then becomes a question of which purchases are ethical and which aren’t. However, the line separating what is essential and what is not can be hazy—needs vary from person to person. While some people may be quick to shame the online purchase of items commonly considered nonessential, such as video games, fashion products and more during this time, there are workers who rely on these products for income, such as YouTubers, influencers and more. Maybe one needs the newest headphones for work, or a new book for school. Generalizations concerning what is essential and what is not is harmful to many groups of people, beyond these specific examples. We should carefully look at each individual situation before making any judgment. Beyond income, many use nonessential products to comfort and entertain themselves. Items used for comfort and entertainment are considered nonessential, but many of these items can feel essential. In the days of social distancing, many are facing anxiety and are feeling isolated. Such nonessential products can help people cope with the times, feel connected to others and increase their happiness. It is true that every package poses a unique risk to distribution, delivery and mail workers, and it is important for people to consider that fact before they make their online purchases, but any legal purchasing decision should be left to each individual to make free of harsh social judgment. There are certainly people who act without thought for others, such as those who have recently bought hundreds of rolls of toilet paper, but there are ways other than condemnation to get someone to change their ways. A kinder way to get someone to change their actions is to talk to them in an empathetic way. Instead of calling out and condemning selfish and thoughtless shoppers, we should instead show them kindness and ask them to consider their purchase's impact without judgment. The risk for mail center and delivery workers, while real, is mitigated by the actions of mail centers across the country. Mail centers, including Willamette’s, are taking extraordinary measures to keep both their workers and those they serve safe. In an email, Willamette mail center employee Connie Ames said the mail center has reduced its hours and now only has one staff member on duty at a time, not including the work-study students working at the windows, when the mail center is not busy. While they have kept all their normal services open, including the Amazon lockers, all workers are wearing masks and gloves and are continually wiping down all of the work surfaces. They use disinfectant wipes, spray bottles with disinfectant, linens that are bagged and sent to be washed and sanitized by Facilities and keep a good supply of gloves and masks. They are no longer requiring signatures for package pick-ups. Ames described the package pick-up process in the email: “We have placed blue tape 6+ feet from the two service windows and customers are asked to stay behind the line while we assist them with their mailing and receiving. We place packages on the counter of the service window, then step back and let the recipient come forward past the blue line to retrieve their items, or to pay for their stamps/mailing, etc.” Willamette’s mail center is not the only one keeping its employees as safe as possible. Many post offices now have stickers on their floors asking customers to stay six feet apart and take many cleaning and safety measures, as described in an April 1 Vox article. The United States Postal Service (USPS) has also released a statement regarding COVID-19 on its website. In the statement, the USPS detailed a long list of safety and adaptive measures it is taking, many of which are similar to the measures the Willamette mail center has taken.  People are feeling nervous to go into public areas: according to Digital Commerce, online orders went up 52 percent from March 22 to April 4. Given the intensive safety measures taken by mail centers around the country and the fact that visiting a store in-person involves sharing space and air with many other individuals, ordering packages online can be safer than visiting a physical store.  This is not to understate the risks that distribution, delivery and mail workers are facing. The risk they face is very real, and their services should be appreciated and respected. They are fulfilling a truly essential service during this time, for many people do rely on online shopping to receive items necessary for their survival. Mail centers everywhere are facing unique challenges and pressures, and individuals should do their best to be understanding and considerate of this. However, there is no universal definition of what it means to be considerate in this situation: it is possible for someone not to order the newest computer, while someone else may need it for work. It is possible for someone not to order anything that requires a signature, while someone else may be forced to sign for a package carrying a prescription medicine, for example. Individuals should be able to decide what is essential to them without fearing harsh judgement. The people out there who aren’t considering the consequences of their actions could use some advice, but that advice doesn’t need to be judgmental or hostile. We are all trying to survive COVID-19, a situation unlike anything our society has ever faced before. Just as much as we need to be considerate and thoughtful of each other, we also need to be understanding, forgiving and supporting of each other during this trying time.

Jasper Jones News editor mgjones@willamette.edu Elizabeth Larson (‘21): Portland Section scholarship from the American Chemical Society The Willamette website explains this award by writing, “This prestigious regional award supports promising undergraduate chemistry majors in their senior year of college.” Claire Verstrate (’20): U.S. Student Fulbright  The program’s website writes, “The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides grants for individually designed study/research projects or for English Teaching Assistant Programs.” Vertstrate will be traveling to Japan for the program. Nicole Kates (‘20): Coro Fellow “The Coro Fellows Program develops emerging leaders to work and lead across different sectors by equipping them with knowledge, skills and networks to accelerate positive change,” the program’s website writes. The program offers its fellows positions in multiple disciplines, like nonprofit work or political campaigns, to achieve these goals.  Professor Stephanie Degooyer: Burkhardt Fellowship Next year DeGooyer will conduct research at UCLA, receiving a $95,000 stipend for her work. She will be finishing her book, “Acts of Naturalization: Immigration and the Early Novel.” Mark and Melody Teppola Prizes for Creative Writing Students were given the opportunity to submit one poem, creative nonfiction or fiction piece to be judged by a professional writer. A different judge was assigned to each genre. Winning students were awarded a cash prize.   Poetry: 1st: “Darling” by Lani Southern  2nd: “Sunday Night” by Jasper Jones  3rd: “At risk of making this a poem about my mother” by Dawn-Hunter Strobel Nonfiction: 1st: “To Bask in the Unknown” by Ryleigh Norgrove  2nd: “Breath” by Michelle Doty 3rd: “Dear Rosa” by Elyssa Morales Fiction:  1st: “Every Little Thing” by Claire Alongi  2nd: “What Would Simon Say?” by Mason Kelliher 3rd: “Cracks in the Silence” by Lily Painter

Jasper Jones News editor mgjones@willamette.edu After brainstorming multiple ways to keep the Bistro’s doors open during the COVID-19 crisis, on March 23 the beloved student-run coffee shop and social hub closed for the rest of the semester. This sudden closure not just about the loss of the products and services the Bistro offers, but the loss of work for several student employees and a safe space for many community members.  Bistro’s management, including General Manager Tania Palafox (‘20), worked to adjust the coffee shop’s services and functionality as the severity of COVID-19 in Oregon and around the world became more clear. The week University President Steve Thorsett announced that classes were going online, Palafox sent an email to Bistro staff outlining extra cleaning and sanitation guidelines to ensure the safety of employees and customers. A few days later, management made the decision to reduce the Bistro’s open hours and make all orders to-go.  Palafox reported that management brainstormed ways to stay open by finding alternative ways to sell products or introducing new products, but ultimately, there was not a large enough customer pool to keep the business afloat. Since campus switched to distance learning, a large portion of students have returned home, and employees are not to be on campus unless necessary.  Palafox said: “It mainly came down to the number of people that would still be on campus. Even though we met to discuss business ideas or alternative ways to sell products that maybe we haven’t sold before that might sell better… Even if we tried all of that, it just kind of came down to there wouldn’t be enough customers.” Palafox also reported that she wanted to keep the doors open for as long as possible in order to offer hours and pay to student employees. Bistro employees can clock sick hours in order to still earn some income for the rest of the semester. Students can use their sick hours until they are depleted.   The Bistro was open for one week after classes moved to online. The Collegian spoke to Maya Rousell (‘20) and Maggie Grogan (‘20), two baristas who worked that week. Both of them reported that business was slow, and Grogan specifically commented on noticing a drop in profits. They also both expressed that they felt safe while working, especially due to the extra cleaning and sanitation protocols that were in place, like washing hands in between every task and wiping down door handles regularly. Rousell and Grogan both emphasized that they felt management did an excellent job at making the needed decisions and communicating them to the staff.  The week before spring break is when social distancing started in earnest for Oregonians, and Rousell spoke to the importance of customer interactions during that time: “There was a lot of loneliness that week because suddenly people were kind of stuck and not really supposed to see each other. That’s when each customer interaction felt so important. Because you could tell people were just kinda dying to talk to somebody, you know, a lot of people, like regulars, who would normally just get their stuff quietly were standing there for several minutes, like kind of processing and talking to me.”  Both Rousell and Grogan are graduating seniors, and spoke to how the unexpected closing of a place they frequent both to work and relax has felt.  When talking about leaving their last shift, Rousell said, “I think that felt kind of sad and I guess just anticlimactic. I thought with the Bistro being such a significant marker of my time in college, I kind of thought that like the last week working there, or just the last shift, would feel a little bit more closed and done. Like, I would be able to say some goodbyes and celebrate.” Grogan also noted that there are many friends and acquaintances that she interacted with mainly in the Bistro that she was not able to say goodbye to.  “The Bistro is a job, but it feels more like another essential kind of home piece that I’m figuring out how to find closure from,” said Grogan.  Grogan shared that she found a little bit of closure by writing on the chalkboard walls, “Thanks for being a home.”  Palafox reported that the management team will still be able to work some hours as they proceed with hiring new staff for the 2020-2021 school year and training incoming managers.  Maria Del Rocio Ortiz Chavarria (‘21) is currently the Bistro’s financial manager and will be the general manager next year. Due to the Bistro’s closure, the incoming management team will not be able to train in the space. Palafox said the new management usually starts their new jobs around three weeks before the semester ends, so that if they run into any problems, they have the support of the former managers to help them problem solve or answer any questions. Next year’s managers will not have that opportunity.  When asked about how they feel starting to be general manager next year without the regular training, Del Rocio Ortiz-Chavarria said, “[Tania] says a lot of the things as general manager you do learn as you’re doing the job itself. So there were a lot of things she didn’t know until she started the position.”  Del Rocia Ortiz-Chavarria later said, “In my head everything seems so stressful and I’m like, ‘Oh, I don’t know how is going to look like.’ But it’s actually through Tania who’s like, ‘I think everything will work out.’”

Voting for ASWU president and senate opens Thursday, April 16 at 8 a.m. and closes Friday, April 17 at 5 p.m. The Collegian has not edited the candidates’ bios. Alanna Kelly This candidate did not choose to submit a photo or bio. Landry Ferguson Hi, my name is Landry Ferguson and I am part of the class of 2021. I use they/them pronouns and am involved in many organizations on campus. I am the current President of both the Disability Advocacy Club and the all-gender service organization Delta Chi Beta. I am also a member of the fraternity Phi Delta Theta. I have been the President of the Disability Advocacy Club for two years and was the Vice President before that .As ASWU President, I would strive to ensure ASWU Senate is a place for accurate and fair representation for each respective class. To do this, I would like to bring an equity-centered lens to the position of President of ASWU as well as learn more from my fellow students about what struggles and hardships they may be going through. I have demonstrated leadership experience that I believe would be beneficial for this position and hope to be able to work cooperatively with the Executive, Judicial, Finance, and Senate branches to create a better ASWU.  Ezra Gabbert My name is Ezra Gabbert and I’m a rising senior here at Willamette. Raised in Eugene Oregon, I was homeschooled almost my entire life, and it was my dream to acquire a college education in Oregon, and Willamette just felt right. At Willamette I’ve been involved with multiple student organization and have held multiple leadership positions through such as being a Resident Advisor for the eastside dorms, having served as the president of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity as well as the Vice President of the Disability Advocacy Club, and even worked to grow the annual fund through my work at Bearcat Chat. I value hard-work, dedication, and integrity in myself and within others, I believe these values coupled with my aforementioned leadership experience has prepared me with the skills and demeanor necessary for the position of ASWU President. As ASWU President you can expect me to focus on growing lines of communication and understanding between ASWU and the student body, increasing transparency between the student body and administration, and garnering student involvement and pride throughout campus. I hope I can count on your support in the special election, and I can’t wait for fall 2020!  Claire Mathews-Lingen Claire Mathews-Lingen is a Sociology and Spanish double major and has served on ASWU as a senator since her first semester at Willamette. If elected president Claire would work to amplify efforts of environmental clubs on campus to build a Willamette climate action plan. Claire believes that student involvement through every step of decision making at Willamette is crucial in making out campus an equitable place for all, please join her in making our campus and community stronger and more resilient for all, vote Claire for ASWU President.

Olivia Frenkel Staff writer okfrenkel@willamette.edu Famed writer Mark Twain once said that “Books are for people who wish they were somewhere else.” As the weeks in quarantine gradually accumulate, many Willamette students have turned to reading to pass the time and to escape from a world ridden with COVID-19. One avenue to do so has been through book clubs. As students made their way back home, Nicole Kates (‘20) created a virtual book club for friends, swim teammates and acquaintances alike.  “Because there are so many things coming to an end right now, creating something new felt important. It’s a really great way to be able to bring together people who had to go home,” said Kates.  For their first few sessions, Kates chose to read “Born a Crime” by well-known comedian Trevor Noah. In his book, Noah reflects on his dangerous life as a mixed individual in South Africa during apartheid, yet he does so with the very evident use of comedy. “Noah does a really great job of infusing humor into very adverse situations and so I felt like this was a really relevant fit for our circumstances,” says Kate. Caitlin Forbes (‘20) is a member of the book club and has enjoyed her experience thus far. She agreed with Kates on the importance of humor within the book and added: “It’s taught me to continue to look at things through all perspectives. There’s huge intersectionality between race and so many other aspects of human life, and getting such a unique perspective from an individual who lived in a world that was torn apart into two different sections and kind of being that bridge has been really impactful.” Other students have immersed themselves into reading on an individual basis. Jade Macer (‘23) has been influenced by books her entire life. Her mother is a middle school librarian in Seattle and was recently featured on Seattle’s local news for providing a sanitary drive-through library for her students. Macer’s love for reading is evident, as she said,  “You get so many different lenses through these different characters and their thoughts and feelings, and this is so helpful especially now with understanding people and their frustrations. It’s also just fun to get out of your house!” She highly recommends the book “A Hope More Powerful than the Sea,” written by the United Nations’s Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications Melissa Fleming about a girl named Doaa from Syria who became a refugee on a fishing boat set for Europe. Evan Segimoto (‘21) has started reading a book called “Denali” by adventure photographer Ben Moon, which documents Moon’s relationship with his dog during their struggles with cancer and subsequent treatment. “Reading allows people to share experience in great detail, especially in this book,” said Segimoto. “I think in this moment in time, it’s important to be reading and taking a break from screens to occupy our minds in a more creative sense where you get to build this new world in your head that the author is illustrating with their words.”  Rey Takahashi (‘23) has always been an adamant reader. Since quarantine began, they have read “Wicked Saints” by Emily Saints Duncan, a young adult thriller and fairytale, and “We All Looked Up”  by Tommy Wallach, a fictional coming-of-age story. Though they have many favorites, they highly recommend the thriller “The Woman in the Window” by A.J. Finn, saying, “It’s actually going to be a movie soon, so there’s more incentive for everyone to read it! I really love the thriller genre in general and this one had a really good plot twist at the end and the writing style was really addicting.” said Takahashi. They commented on the importance of reading especially in the context of quarantine, saying, “Books are definitely important, since we’re all somewhere we don’t really want to be. If you have one that’s really good, it passes the time in a more educational way. There’s also just so much that books can offer, especially compared to a T.V. show. I feel like you have to look deeply more into it, because books have no visual aspect so you have to be more invested.” Many Willamette students agree that reading during this time serves as a necessary outlet. It gives people a way to learn and reflect upon the experiences of others in order to revisit their own lives with new perspectives. Though the stress of COVID-19 has reached everyone, books are always a way to temporarily escape.

Noah Dantes Managing editor ngdantes@willamette.edu Willamette’s transition to distance learning on March 16 required professors to alter their courses and students to adapt to those changes. Distance learning, while challenging for most professors and students across disciplines, poses unique challenges to several classes in the arts, including studio art, theatre and ballet. Following the implementation of social distancing measures, the Theatre Department has cancelled the rest of its shows for the semester. According to first-year Nikolette Olson, the current plan of the department is not to run the play that was cancelled next semester and instead start fresh. Olson was to be an assistant stage manager for the cancelled play, “Blood Wedding.” Olson spoke to some of the difficulties facing her classes: she is currently in “a Meisner class, which is an acting class that is especially focused on connecting with your partner and being in the same room with them.” Junior Gabriel Honeycutt is also in the Meisner class. “We do all the exercises, we’ll break off with partners into breakout rooms. The struggle is you have two to three things you're looking at the same time, partner, webcam and script. If you look at a webcam you give them eye contact, but you can't see their eyes.” Honeycutt said that while mutual eye contact is impossible over Zoom, it’s essential for Meisner work. He added that the class would be even more difficult if the students in the class weren’t already comfortable with each other. Olson shared a similar sentiment, saying, “What the class has become is less about the actual practice of Meisner work and more about the theory, but as someone trying to strengthen performance skills, it’s pretty unfortunate.” Senior Claire Read described some of the challenges faced by studio art students. Before distance learning, all studio art classes met twice a week for two hours, with Fridays serving as designated studio days, where students had three hours to work on their various projects. Most of the time in class was dedicated to having students create art in the same space, which is something not possible under distance learning. Students are now creating art by themselves. “My etching class still meets at the same time, just as a check-in thing. Keeping up regularity. Classes are a lot shorter, less than one hour, and my last three etching classes have been optional. If we have questions we can ask them there,” Read said. She’s been taking advantage of the optional classes so far: “I’m very much a verbal processor and need to talk things through with other people.” Read is also in a printmaking class. One project got removed from the syllabus “and we just have one more for closure. It’s very hard to do the typical things we do—the professor made packets to take home with the supplies. They worked very hard before distance learning to get everyone the materials.” Distance learning has also posed a challenge for many seniors in studio art working on their theses. Normally, seniors display their theses at Hallie Ford but, due to social distancing and the museum’s closure, this cannot be done. “We’re looking to post online on a website and present our work [in person] after it’s all over. A lot of us do interactive work so it’s hard. We’re trying to document everything so we can present later,” Read said. However, Read said that her professors have been accommodating. The professor of the etching class, Kathryn Cellerini Moore, helped Read make up one of the mandatory classes she missed over office hours. “My professors have been really good with communicating with me,” she said. According to her, there are several grants out for artists right now, which is something she only found out through social media posts by her professors. Senior Maggie Grogan described how her ballet class was organized before distance learning: students would begin class on a ballet bar and would be led through several moves integral to ballet by professor Anne Joslin, including plies and tendus. If the student was comfortable, Joslin would give physical contact adjustments to their form.   “This is one of the most important things in ballet. They are a lot easier than verbal corrections because you can feel it,” Grogan said. These physical contact adjustments are impossible to have under distance learning. The class itself is no longer live. Instead, Joslin “sends out videos of her dancing, usually a bar warmup. She’ll go through every exercise, she’ll give us queues verbally and since the class has gone on for a few months we know the verbal queues. At least with the timing people know terminology,” Grogan said. Then, students record themselves completing the exercises and send the video to Joslin for corrections. Grogan commented on the extra work necessary by Joslin: “She has to watch everyone’s videos individually. It’s not as great as in-person, but it puts more pressure on her than us. She has to go through all these videos and email us individual notes... She has a great attitude about it.” Honeycutt is also in the ballet class. He commented on the difficulty of the new class format for him: “For ballet, I have to move my furniture to record. I’m a tall guy in a small apartment. I don’t have someone to record me, and I do it from my phone.” However, he said that Joslin has been accommodating and understanding of the challenges he faces.