Tourists enjoy a socially-distant afternoon in the Yard.
When she lived on campus, Julia Welsh â23 spent most of her time focusing on classes and hanging out with friends.
Once the coronavirus upended her collegiate life, Welsh, who has lived at home in Philadelphia this past year, took on a slew of responsibilities outside of her coursework, including supporting her family financially, buying groceries, and completing household chores.
Overwhelmed, Welsh said she was forced to prioritize her obligations to her family over her academics, prompting her to drop one of her fall courses.
âI remember being really disappointed in myself,â Welsh said. âIf I was on campus, Iâd probably be able to focus more and I would have more time to not deal with family responsibilities and to focus on this class that I ended up dropping.â
D. Anthony Alvarez ’21, a member of the Harvard Latter-day Saints Student Association, has attended religious services at the same congregation off campus since he arrived at Harvard as a freshman.
This semester, Alvarez said he still attends services at that same congregation. Amid Covid-19, though, he must sign up to attend ahead of time, don a mask, and eschew singing, which can spread infectious particles.
As the College approaches the first anniversary of sending students home due to the pandemic, students said they have adopted new ways to practice their faith in the Covid-19 era, including attending reduced-capacity services, convening for religious conversations over Zoom, and seeking support from Harvard chaplains.