In the college’s efforts to follow COVID-19 protocol and open campus safely, they neglected to actually orient first year students to campus. A lot was going on for the college, what with the pandemic and all, and student safety was their first and seemingly only priority. I’d’ve liked to know a few, basic, ridiculously simple things besides COVID-19 info, though. Here’s what Whitman College neglected to tell me on Move-In Day:

1) Where to Get Food

A map was provided in my welcome bag and all the buildings were labeled. I, however, didn’t know where I was on the map in relation to any of the buildings, which made finding Cleve extremely difficult.

2) How to Get Food

It would’ve been so easy to drop a link to the hours of operation for the dining hall. But that didn’t happen, so when I found Cleve, it was already closed and I couldn’t get lunch. A bunch of doors were locked and there was no signage for where to enter. I’d never used my swipe before, and while using it is extremely simple, the first go-around was stressful as hell. 

3) How to Get Wi-Fi

What with online school and all, being able to connect to Wi-Fi seemed like a pretty important, pretty easy thing to communicate to us. I found out how to connect through a long chain of mutual friends ending in an athlete living in Jewett who had been on campus already for two weeks. It’s crazy that a Comfort Inn can more effectively distribute Wi-Fi to its guests than Whitman College. 

4) COVID Protocol 

Honestly, what was going on for the first two days? Cleveland was a mess. No one was social distancing. Everyone was hungry, tired, confused and gathering in clumps. Was I supposed to use Everbridge? Could I be around other people? Despite their focus on covid safety, the lack of communication backfired and safety efficacy was fucked.