College drop-off ritual changes
August 18th, 2020The tradition of dropping off college-bound students looks much different this year, when it’s happening at all. Parents have long cherished the process of bringing the entire family on campus together to dine, socialize, and most importantly spruce up the new college student’s living quarters. Sadly, this and many other first weekend traditions have been impacted by the social distancing crucial to wellness on campuses this fall.
In the article linked below from The New York Times, you can see how students and parents are adapting to the changes in procedures and policies of college drop-off. Although boarding schools aren’t referenced in the article, they, too, are changing the drop-off process in many instances. Being flexible and innovative is the only way to live life in 2020. We wish all students a healthy and successful start to this school year, whether in person or online.
Article referenced below from The New York Times, published July 29, 2020 and written by Julie Weed.
The New College Drop-Off
Maureen Rayhill of Seattle sounds like a public health official as she describes the current process for coronavirus testing, rattling off research she’s done on in-person testing centers versus mail-order companies and how their turnaround times for results compare. But she’s not. She’s a mother, just trying to get her oldest child to college.
The poignant annual tradition of college drop-off — parents driving the new, nervous college student to school, bringing along brothers and sisters to see their sibling’s new home, setting up the tiny dorm room together, sharing one last meal with the entire family, then waving goodbye as the almost-adult runs off with a big pack of possible new best friends — has become the latest family milestone rendered almost unrecognizable by the coronavirus pandemic.