Ari's Fall 2020 Extracurricular Experience

Naturally, heading into this fall, I was dreading the lack of social interaction I was sure to experience. 

Of all the many wonderful facets of the Barnard College experience, one of the parts that stands out most to me is the community. Whether it be through late-night chats, gripes, and laughter with hallmates, exchanging phone numbers with a classmate and bonding over shared homework stress and post-exam relief, or joining a new club and finding a mini-family among its members who you will inevitably run into and wave aggressively at when walking across campus, I have found there to be no shortage of ways to build oneself a support network at Barnard. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, one of my biggest struggles in the midst of our sudden transition to online school last spring was that I was no longer surrounded by my community. These were people who were there to get me through the tough stuff, and I them. The people I could celebrate small moments of joy alongside, and without whom I couldn’t conceive of doing another semester of college.

But as the school year started, I began to realize that I had sorely underestimated the amount of community spirit that has persisted, despite our collective Zoom fatigue. 

Hillel, a center for Jewish life on campus, has been holding virtual worship services, developing discussion groups and cultural events that anyone can participate in, and mailing holiday-themed care packages to members living all around the United States and beyond. 

Theater, a cappella, music, dance, and improv groups have conceived of creative ways to continue on with their regular schedule of auditions and performances, albeit in a virtual format. 

Student publications, such as Bwog, are continuing to hold weekly meetings to pitch ideas while maintaining communication via Slack and other means, while political groups, such as CU Democrats, have continued with their organizing efforts and topical discussions online. 

And this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are countless opportunities to get involved with extracurriculars in the virtual space, whether you are looking for a cultural affinity group, a service group, a pre-professional group, an arts group, or any of the other multitudes of small communities that make up the larger Barnard/Columbia club network. 

What’s more, in my personal experience, I have found there to be a bigger emphasis on mental health and mutual care of fellow club members enveloped in our new, virtual culture, as we all attempt to navigate this confusing and difficult time apart. This includes having shorter meetings to cut back on screentime, creating intentional time to check-in on one another, and holding virtual game and move nights. Club social media accounts and GroupMe group chats are active as ever, in attempts to maintain normalcy or foster new modes of connection. 

Last night, as I logged onto my Zoom a cappella rehearsal, I felt a pang of sadness. I longed to be crammed into a tiny Lerner rehearsal room with my group, drilling tight harmonies until 11:30pm, after which we’d make our pilgrimage to JJs Place for curly fries and soft serve. And it’s true that nothing can replace those in-person memories. But by the end of Zoom rehearsal, I realized I was feeling the same sense of catharsis I felt during all those Lerner rehearsals from last year. We didn’t get to sing all together as an ensemble last night, nor could we go out to eat or study together afterwards, but we did get to relax, laugh, sing on mute, share weird stories, and take our minds off of other obligations, at least for an hour. I was reminded once again why the community I have found at Barnard has made my college experience so special, and why it is vital that we work to preserve our student community, throughout this semester and beyond.