2020: Students Adapt to New Normal

Editor’s Note: This is the third installment of a five-part series about how the WPI community remained strong, stayed the course, and innovated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Part 3: Student Life: How students adapted to a global pandemic that upended everything from projects to artistic performances and commencement.

From taking care of each other, designing solutions to stay connected, and using their talents to re-imagine projects, WPI students made significant impacts on their community during 2020. Those who had planned to travel to project centers found ways to collaborate remotely. A beloved tradition for first-year students — crossing Earle Bridge— went forward but with social distancing. Theater performances were re-imagined. A Lego Minecraft replica of WPI provided the backdrop for a commencement ceremony, and when some students fell sick or quarantined because of their exposure to the virus, others stepped up to comfort them with care packages.

• Students Explore Sights, Smells, History, and Art of Romania…Remotely

Students who had planned to travel to Romania for Interactive Qualifying Projects during the spring found a way to explore the country’s culture remotely.

• If You Build It, They Will Graduate 

Interactive Media & Game Development students built a virtual WPI for their commencement and collected diplomas amid lightning, fire, and the occasional potato.  

• Shining a Light on WPI Theatre, VOX Takes “The Show Must Go On” to a Whole New Level with Virtual Cabaret “Lights Up”

No in-person cabaret? No problem! Students created a virtual show with songs from the heart.

• WPI Students Develop Lean Testing Ideas

Student teams focused their projects close to home to evaluate the university’s COVID-19 testing process and make recommendations for improvements.

• Care Packages for Students at Risk of COVID Help Ease the Solitude of Isolation 

Mindful of the emotional toll of the pandemic, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship partnered with a local church to comfort students in quarantine and isolation.

Local and national media captured snapshots of how the WPI community learned and adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic: 

• WBZ News Radio 1030 – April: WPI Students are Building Engines at Home  
• Worcester Telegram & Gazette – Aug. 30:  WPI Freshmen Keep Up Tradition with Annual Bridge Crossing 
• National Park Service – Nov. 6: Turning Obstacles into Opportunities, Glacier National Park 

Coming tomorrow: WPI researchers keep exploring and innovating during the pandemic, and even create one of the earliest 3D maps of the novel coronavirus.

-Colleen Wamback, Lisa Eckelbecker