Dealing with the Loss of Physical Contact in College: What It Means to be a College Student in Times of Minimal Physical Contact
By Dominique Hall
The Coronavirus
The American college system revolves around physical contact. As students on campus, we need physical contact to network with individuals on a professional level, physical contact to complete assignments, and physical contact to build relationships.
Coronavirus is a respiratory illness that is spread through airborne germs and has quickly started a global pandemic. The virus began in December of 2019, and as of August 2020, there have been millions of positive cases in America. This pandemic has caused our everyday lives to change and minimal physical contact to be the new normal. Because the coronavirus is an airborne virus, there have been social distancing state guidelines, in Nevada, that mandate us to practice being six feet apart. Additionally, a mandate of no more than 25 people in a given space has been enforced.
As a college student, these mandates are devastating.
Physical Contact and College
Physical contact is important to college students. It’s the college experience. Attending class, on-campus events, and interacting with other students to find a sense of belonging is hard to achieve without physical contact.
I didn’t realize how much I appreciate in-person learning until it was gone.
After the 2020 spring break, the University of Nevada, Reno, moved to remote operations. This means, no gym, no student union, no in-person classes. At first, this was great! Having school be online meant we didn’t have to show up on-campus, professors were extra flexible, and school finally didn’t seem to be a priority. The happy feelings I had started to shift when I had realized what was meant to be a one-week remote operation, turned into the entirety of the spring and summer semesters.
Things just weren’t the same.
No one knew what was to come. There were reports saying the virus could not survive in weathers over 80 degrees and we anticipated to return back to normal by summer. Unfortunately, those turned out to be false.
A spring semester that was supposed to be a victory lap for winning student body president, turned into feelings of loneliness and worry.
As a college student, interacting with my friends and going to gatherings were things I was used to doing almost every day. With this behavior I had encompassed for the past two and a half years, shifting to minimal contact was something I was/am not a fan of.
Physical contact is healthy for our mental health, especially as a growing adult.
College Hookup Culture
Physical touch, through acts of intimacy or for comfort, grows relationships and is also a part of the college experience. Finding love and being comforted by friends have been taken away by this virus and have a negative impact on my life.
Hooking up is a part of college culture. Of course, not everyone is sexually/romantically active in college, but it is a huge part of American college culture. Going to parties, or simply experiencing new places and finding someone you are romantically interested in is important for the development of young adults.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, this part of college culture has become almost nonexistent.
I feel as though it is irresponsible to have any physical touch or contact with any new love interest I may meet. This puts a strain on potential relationships and hurts the chance of me meeting someone new.
Throughout my college career, I have always had someone that I was romantically seeing. With a recent “break up” I have found myself feeling more lonely than ever because I know it will be risky to see someone new because of the virus. When you meet someone new, you don’t know where they have been or if they truly don’t have symptoms of the virus. Coronavirus is so devastating to our health, that I don’t want to even risk contracting it because I want to romantically see someone new.
This worry makes me want to try working things out with previous romantic partners, just to fill the void of feeling lonely and having such minimal contact.
New Normal
No one knows when coronavirus will end and we don’t know what the long lasting impact of the virus will be. What we can assume is that we are embarking on a new normal. Face masks will be mandatory, and social distancing will be recommended.
Minimal contact will be the new recommendation and guideline for minimizing the spread of the virus, and this will be devastating for college culture and students like me. This new normal means having minimal options for finding new relationships, whether that be platonic or romantic. It will be difficult to trust a stranger you want to get to know, but don’t trust that they don’t have the virus.
Going to different places will be a hassle. No more house parties with many people to mix and mingle. No more bars to have fun and socialize.
What will we have more of? Masks. Masks that hide our face. Hide our makeup that we take pride in and masks that are an inconvenience.
This new normal will keep us safe and healthy but is an inconvenience in my personal and social life.
Dominique "Dom" Hall is a senior at the University of Nevada, Reno, studying journalism with hopes of attending law school after undergrad. Dom is passionate about public service and currently serves as the Associated Students of the University of Nevada's Student Body President. When she's not representing students, Dom loves to listening to podcasts and enjoying scenic views.
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