After coming back from my semester abroad in Washington, D.C., I knew there were many things I would have to readjust to, such as adapting to different dynamics and seeing new faces around. What I did not expect to adapt to were the changes that took place in Student Life, now known as Student Affairs.
Student Life has always been a place of comfort for me, and I have made many valuable memories there. Ever since my first semester at GU-Q, Student Life has been a department I visited almost every day, either to say, “Hi” to the staff or to relax and complete schoolwork. Office hangouts, making matcha in the pantry, and late nights in Student Life are some of my most cherished moments at GU-Q. This was a time I spent with others with no care for any external stressors.
However, what made Student Life special were the various interactions I had with people I have not interacted with otherwise. Student Life provided a space for people to naturally interact with one another. I would say this was especially prominent with the arrival of the SDOs, Zain, Malak, and Thanos, as their office was always open to students for a chat or for us to just hang out. It created an open environment for all to come in. This, in turn, brought us closer to other Student Life and Student Development staff members, who would occasionally step out of their offices for a quick chat. In these moments we were able to talk about anything—campus life, student concerns, recent events, or life in general.
One vivid memory I have is sitting on the couches in the general area, going over my to-do list. As I sat there, a group of students gradually joined me, some were student workers taking a short break, others were waiting to meet with a staff member, and some had just stepped away from the bustle of the atrium for a breather. It was a mix of people that you would not typically see hanging out in the atrium. I clearly remember our conversations, especially one about our respective religions and the overlaps between them. At some point, even Jibin Koshy, a Student Life staff member, joined in to share insights into his own religion. I remember thinking, “Wow, this is the most Georgetown conversation I’ve ever had.” After this memorable interaction I found myself creating new relationships, people I did not know before, I now can say hi to when I see them in the hallways.
The question is: Would this conversation have happened anywhere else? Definitely not, and we all know it.
So, imagine my surprise when I walked into Student Life on my first day back at GU-Q and saw an entirely different department layout. It felt as if the space was no longer welcoming.. Don’t even get me started on the “waiting area.” The closed-off vibe completely threw me off. How could a place change so much in just one semester? What warranted this change? What happened? Questions swarmed my mind as I no longer recognized the place in front of me.
It has been almost three months since the start of the semester, and I can count the number of times I have visited Student Life on one hand. One hand, compared to the countless times I visited before my semester abroad. The attachment I once had to the department has greatly diminished to almost nonexistent. Now, instead of going to Student Life and meeting people outside my social circle, I find myself staying within my bubble and comfort zone. The lack of spaces for students to naturally connect with others outside their social circles only reinforces cliques, something the university has been trying to combat since my first year. Yes, we were never a perfect community, but we were also never this divided.
To be clear, I am referring to the space and environment rather than the actual operations of Student Life. I do know that there are various complaints about the efficiency of Student Life, and I am not here to invalidate anyone’s experience. However, I do not believe making the department less approachable was the right decision. This is an issue that needs to be resolved internally and not by making external changes, this simply feels like a punishment directed at the students. The space is less cluttered now, but at what cost? Now, there is a greater disconnect between Student Life and the student body, one that diminishes its very essence: the students.
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