the virus. French said that has made it tough to
interact with professors.
College-organized activities include cookouts,
yoga classes and hikes, but French said the
masks and social distancing requirements make
it hard to form friendships.
Some students formed “germ families,”
cliques whose members hang out and party
together unmasked but don’t let other
students join.
French said he eventually found his own group
of friends, but said some freshmen are having a
tougher time.
Em Enoch is one of them. A reserved 18-year-old
from Indianapolis, she has already decided to go
home and finish the rest of freshman year with
online classes.
Like at least 13% of U.S. teens, Enoch has a
history of depression and said with all the virus-
related campus restrictions, “being here has
made everything feel like the world is ending
even more than it is.”
Though there have been no confirmed COVID-19
cases on the Warren Wilson campus, she avoids the
dining hall and other places that seem too risky.
“I don’t leave my room often, so I feel
like I’m confined to this little space of
existence,” Enoch said.
Still, Art Shuster, the college’s counseling
director, said there’s been a smaller than
expected uptick in students struggling with
isolation and anxiety.
These are not new issues for a generation that
sometimes relies on social media for connection,