Students of the Pandemic
On January 21, 2020, the CDC confirmed the first case of COVID-19 in the U.S. Two months later, states across the nation initiated lockdowns to halt the spread of the virus. While the global pandemic appears to be ending after two long years, we nevertheless continue to feel its impact on campus as the 2021-2022 academic year comes to a close. What was it like to be a college student during the COVID-19 pandemic? What unique challenges emerged for Wells students? How did life on campus change when students were able to return? How did students make sense of the social policies and political controversies that emerged during this period? Students enrolled in Professor Renfrow’s introduction to oral history course during the Spring 2022 semester collected oral histories from their peers to answer these and other important questions. This collection captures the challenges students faced, as well as their incredible resiliency, during the pandemic. The course and this collection were supported by funds from the Endeavor Foundation.
