The COVID-19 pandemic has brought massive changes to everyday routine—from beloved restaurants shuttering to daily wearing of face masks and shields. Ateneo, a home for many students, also closed its gates and moved learning to the virtual space. While the lockdown brought many dormers back to their families and away from Katipunan, some Ateneans have chosen to ride through quarantine in the Cervini Hall. Three Ateneans share their stories of spending the online first semester onsite but isolated.
What once was
Junifer Sombilon Jr. (3 BSM AMF) and Micheal Jayson Renfrew (3 BS CH) have been in Cervini for over 10 months since the announcement of quarantine in March 2020. Renfrew, who hails from Zambales, is used to spending time away from family so quarantine in Ateneo has not been too much of an adjustment. Butuan native Sombilon Jr. also shares that he doesn’t experience homesickness as often because of Ateneo’s similarity with his hometown.
Rojons Evangelista (2 BS CH-MSE) has also been away from Zambales since his freshman year in 2019. Before the pandemic, he would spend his days eating his favorite egg tarts with blockmates at Cervini Cafeteria, or blocking out the noise of fellow students in the Ateneo Residence Halls (ARH). The silence on campus, according to him, has been saddening.
For all three dormers, what brought Ateneo to life during on-site classes was the constant bustle of people walking to classrooms or offices, sharing meals at the cafeterias, and playing games in the open spaces. The sense of community was well and alive even in each student’s individual routine being surrounded by classmates, orgmates, and friends.
“After attending lectures, me and my friends would go and work on our acads either at a nearby coffee shop or the library. Other times we would just go out to eat or watch a movie to unwind,” shares Renfrew.
It was also easier to establish a consistent routine in previous years because of set schedules to follow. Sombilon Jr. would spend after class hours on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays with the Ateneo Blue Raiders for flag football practice then proceed to study with friends. Some students like Evangelista would have daily routines detailed down to their sleeping hours.
“Wake up at 5 AM, drink coffee and eat one to two slices of bread. Prepare pumasok ng 6 am, 7 AM review for a test, 8 AM first class sa Schmitt for Chem,” he recounts. “Afternoon, several classes then a lunch break. After that, more classes tapos babalik ako sa dorm para maligo, dinner ng 7 PM then matutulog. Gigising ako ng 12 [midnight] para mag-aral ulit then matutulog ng 3 AM. (Then I’ll go back to the dorm to shower, have dinner at 7 PM then nap. I’d wake up at midnight to study and sleep at 3 AM.)”
The current reality
With the declaration of nationwide quarantines came major changes in old routines. Although all three dormers have grown accustomed to observing the academic year in the ARH, the isolation due to the online setting was completely new to them. They share that the major factors that made remaining onsite a compelling choice were safety, security, and practicality. For Evangelista and Renfrew, going home would be a risk not only to themselves, but to their loved ones as well. All three also claim that they feel safer on school grounds because of the protocols established by the University.
“I feel secured here. It’s become a second home already,” Sombilon Jr. says. He shares that he feels completely comfortable in the dorms, and he doesn’t feel restricted when it comes to doing leisurely activities. Above all, the assurance of a stable internet connection was a determining factor for the dormers, seeing that it was a necessity for online learning.
The potential of the new online learning system excited the dormers at first, but the enthusiasm quickly fizzled out over the first semester. “When I realized we had to do this indefinitely, I started feeling lonely,” Evangelisalta shares. Other challenges included modified laboratory classes and difficulty in understanding complicated lessons.
Finding a balance between work and rest has also been challenging, Sombilon Jr. says. “The workspace and home separation is difficult, you can get easily distracted. You’re able to easily procrastinate and you think there’s no direct consequence, because your professor doesn’t see what’s on the other side of the camera.”
Despite these setbacks, they each have found strong support systems to keep them grounded. Sombilon Jr. shares that the resident advisors, guards, and other dorm personnel have all been making sure that dormers felt right at home. As a scholar, Evangelista draws strength from Pathways to Higher Education and the Ateneo Schools Parents Council. Renfrew feels especially grateful towards his friends who have been supportive and thoughtful all throughout.
The three dormers also find the comfort of home in companionship. They bond with their roommates through hobbies such as cooking, listening to music and gaming, and spend time with their loved ones virtually, whether through Discord study meetings or catch up calls.
“These somewhat serve as distractions for me whenever I start to feel down and I want to take a break. When I immerse myself in these activities, I feel like I’m in a different world,” Evangelista shares. He notes that these interactions make dorm life bearable.
Renfrew says that the holidays spent with his roommates deepened their bond, as they were all in similar situations. According to Sombilon Jr., it is through sharing food that he and his roommates have established a sense of community.
Nonetheless, these shared consolations are not the “home” that they’ve pictured, but rather a semblance of it. This is especially true for Renfrew, who craves stability, and Evangelista, who mentions that he longs for the familiarity of his hometown. “For me, home is still my house and family in Zambales. I already have a routine in the dorms but it’s just not the same.” On the other hand, Sombilon Jr. considers home to be anywhere he feels safe and comfortable, likening it to a safe haven.
These comforts offer the dormers solace from the anxieties the remainder of the academic year brings. All of them wish to further adapt to the online platform, and hope to cope by exploring their hobbies further and remaining connected to their loved ones.
Hoping for home
Amid the challenges of spending an online semester quarantined in the ARH, these dormers have managed to find glimpses of home. Whether they conceive it to be a particular place or nowhere at all, they encounter home in the comfort of new hobbies and companionship, whether physical or virtual.
As the community gears up for another semester online, the three dormers will continue to call the Ateneo grounds home for as long as they can. No one knows for certain when students, faculty, and staff will return to Loyola Heights again. Many Ateneans, however, remain hopeful that Ateneo will welcome them back sooner, rather than later.