Let’s face it: Zoom calls are awkward. In those seconds between when you join the meeting and your lecture begins, what are you supposed to do? Prepare your pen and notepad? Sip your morning coffee? Ask how the professor’s day is going, even though you know every day is the same in quarantine? Or perhaps you resort to a small talk staple and describe the weather where you are.
For those of us on the East Coast, April has been pretty dismal. Strong winds, rain storms and even snow squalls have outnumbered our good-weather days. When classmates from California tune in from sunny backyards, it’s hard not to feel a pang of envy — even though if given a choice, we’d all choose Hanover’s cold, rainy spring.
With the Dartmouth community scattered across the world, a few things still bind us together. First, we’re all stuck in one place. By commuting less and staying inside, we’re giving the Earth some relief from human-driven climate change. Second, we’re all finding ways to adapt to the pandemic, even when that means sharing holiday dinners over Zoom. And third, we’re all thinking of what we left behind — of past Green Keys, newly budded friendships and the campus we can’t wait to see again. This week’s issue of Mirror is titled “April Showers,” but we hope it will bring some sunshine your way.
