Winthrop’s Wofford Hall has been a quarantine zone for students who did not have the option to go home if they were potentially exposed to COVID-19. I was quarantined in Wofford for over a week and my experience there is not one I would like to repeat anytime soon. It was not the
worst living situation I have ever had, but it certainly was no vacation.
Upon receiving a notice from Residence Life that a student needs to be quarantined, they are allotted a decent amount of time to pack up essentials like bedsheets and school work. The student is then supposed to proceed to the back doors of Wofford Hall, attempting to avoid people along the way, where a campus police officer buzzes them into the building. Upon entrance, one cannot leave for any reason except medical emergencies.
My room was on the first floor which made it convenient to move in all of the things I would be needing in the week to come. The rooms in Wofford are rather drab and in desperate need of cleaning. I found used cotton swabs on the floor of my room and dust coating the appliances. I cleaned the room, which took about an hour, until I found my quarantine space adequate. Then, I unpacked my things.
The bathrooms were fairly average and are routinely cleaned according to Residence Life, however, I found many hairs and lint in the showers. I was shocked when I turned on the sinks and went to brush my teeth only to discover a steady brown stream of water gushing out. I can only assume that it was dirt or mud blocking the pipes in the building.
Not every aspect of living in Wofford is bad; there is some joy in that three meals a day are provided to residents via student couriers. My Residence Life coordinator made sure ahead of time to ask me about my meal preferences and had them brought to me accordingly. The meals are provided by Thomson dining services and include the normal array of choices one might normally see there. The portion sizes actually surprised me as they were much larger than I would normally get myself. I found myself gorging on cookies and pizza far more often than I usually would, but what else did I have to do while being stuck in there?
By far, the most challenging part of quarantining in Wofford is the social isolation that starts to creep in the first few nights of staying there. I would not recommend this option of quarantine to someone who has severe claustrophobia, I do not have claustrophobia but even after the first
night I began to feel caged.
It can be difficult to stay motivated during quarantine. I frequently slacked off and had very little energy to accomplish any tasks. The inability to leave and take a walk to blow off steam is frustrating and confining. Speaking to friends and family over the phone was the best way I was able to find encouragement to keep pressing forward.
Overall, I am thankful to Residence Life for allowing me to stay in Wofford while I quarantine. There is much to be desired with the accommodations but it certainly could have been much worse. I suggest that students socially distance from each other and refrain from large gatherings unless one desires to spend a week in Wofford.
Photo by Olivia Esselman
