Having the Gatton Experience During COVID-19

By the fifth week, most Gatton students have developed their academic routines. Juniors have adjusted to college life while seniors have fallen back into their old Gatton patterns. Academics are important, but they are not the only part of the Gatton experience. Here, I have comprised a guide of ways to fuel your soul at Gatton:

1. Find a new event on campus!

WKU has a variety of events on campus. Right now, we are celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month and LGBTQ+ History Month. COVID-19 has moved many events online, but with the power of resilience and Discord, we have found new ways to celebrate.

 Interested in watching sports? As WKU students, we have the ability to support our favorite Hilltopper teams. We are currently in football season, so many Saturdays are spent socially-distanced in the L.T. Smith Stadium.

2. Try new food!

Bowling Green has a plethora of amazing restaurants within walking distance of Florence Schneider Hall. Students love to explore different cultures through local cuisine. Some favorites among Gatton students include Thai Thai, Simply Ramen, and the Boba Lounge and Cafe. We also have the ability to take trips to grocery stores in our area. Many crafty Gatton students have cooked entire meals using only rice cookers and microwaves. I, personally, have been perfecting my cake-mix and applesauce mug cake recipe.

3. Attempt something new!

Gatton students may be known for being STEM-focused, but we all have the ability to try something new at Gatton. We regularly have weekend activities like “Painting with Bob Ross” and “Making Origami Butterflies.” If you want more arts and crafts, we have student-run clubs during the week. Do you like painting? We have a weekly “T-Paint” club, where members can paint whatever their hearts desire. Do you want to write an article for a newspaper? Check out the “14th Green” Gatton newspaper. Gatton is a great environment for testing out new hobbies. For example, I just wrote this haiku about Gatton:

Gatton is so great

I love being here with friends

Did I do this right?

Hopefully, this guide helps students find new ways to shake up their Gatton experiences.  These are not the only ways to enjoy time outside of academics, but they’re a good start. COVID-19 may have made expanding our horizons more difficult, but, together, we can find new ways to safely have fun together.

-Laura Hanna