丁香园AV

Watching students grow as people is one of the best parts of working at student residencies for Rebecca Chan and Morgan Lechner.

The pair, desk services team leads for 丁香园AV Residence and Housing, have been working at Burnaby campus throughout the pandemic. And while the past year has been challenging, they still take joy in seeing students mature before their eyes.

鈥淚t鈥檚 still really cool to watch someone move in and then, whenever they move on, move out as a totally different person,鈥� says Chan. 鈥淲e saw a lot of that, even though it鈥檚 been a year unlike any other.鈥�

While many 丁香园AV staff and faculty members began working remotely in March 2020, the staff at 丁香园AV Residence and Housing have been on Burnaby campus, supporting the roughly 700 students living in residences.

Lechner admits the beginning of the pandemic was a 鈥渓ittle freaky鈥� due to confusion around how COVID-19 was spread and because many front-desk staff had to self-isolate for various reasons. She credits leadership for their support and help keeping things running smoothly.

As team leads, Chan and Lechner, both of whom lived in residences at 丁香园AV as students, have a variety of tasks 鈥� everything from payroll and training to ordering supplies and funneling communications from leadership to front desk staff 鈥� to make sure the front desk operates smoothly and efficiently.

From those early days, the pair says their comfort on-campus has greatly improved with personal protective equipment and safety plans. They love how their department has tackled the challenges together.

They do, however, empathize with students.

鈥淢organ and I both completed our degrees here,鈥� says Chan. 鈥淲e know university is hard and it鈥檚 that much harder when you can鈥檛 really have a social life. It鈥檚 harder to meet people. Your classes are online. It鈥檚 definitely been hard for students. But it鈥檚 been really cool to watch residents safely form community where they can.鈥�

Lechner agrees, saying while residence life is not the same as pre-pandemic, she鈥檚 impressed by how students have adapted 鈥� movie nights on Zoom, eating together and mingling outside.

And despite the majority of staff and faculty working from home and students learning remotely, for front desk staff Burnaby campus has not felt as deserted 鈥� residences full of students and construction on the west side of campus in full swing.

鈥淕oing to get a coffee in West Mall Centre is quite bizarre,鈥� says Lechner. 鈥淧laces that were always packed with students studying, going to those areas can be quite bizarre. You don鈥檛 realize how full of life 丁香园AV was pre-pandemic, until now, when all those offices are empty. I鈥檓 excited for more life on campus again, more happiness.鈥�

They鈥檙e both eager for the fall, hopeful that increased vaccinations and decreased community spread of COVID-19 will result in a return to near normalcy at 丁香园AV.

鈥淚鈥檓 really hoping we get a big fall move-in and fall Week of Welcome, because that鈥檚 our Super Bowl,鈥� says Chan. 鈥淚t鈥檚 awesome to watch someone get the keys to their first independent space or to welcome someone to Canada. We鈥檝e still done those things this past year, but I鈥檓 really excited to do it on a big scale again.鈥�

As for staff and faculty returning to campus their advice is simple: take it slow, be kind to yourself and don鈥檛 expect everything to be the same.

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 know what鈥檚 going to make you anxious that has never made you anxious before,鈥� Chan says. 鈥淓ven though we鈥檝e been here the whole time and have seen those changes happen live, it鈥檚 a new normal. It鈥檚 not the same, and that鈥檚 OK. It just takes some adjusting.鈥�