Editor’s Note:
This is the third installment of a five-part series about how the WPI community remained strong, stayed the course, and innovated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Part 3: Student Life: How students adapted to a global pandemic that upended everything from projects to artistic performances and commencement.
From taking care of each other, designing solutions to stay connected, and using their talents to re-imagine projects, WPI students made significant impacts on their community during 2020. Those who had planned to travel to project centers found ways to collaborate remotely. A beloved tradition for first-year students crossing Earle Bridge went forward but with social distancing. Theater performances were re-imagined. A Lego Minecraft replica of WPI provided the backdrop for a commencement ceremony, and when some students fell sick or quarantined because of their exposure to the virus, others stepped up to comfort them with care packages.