After almost ten weeks on campus, our fall term is coming to an end. For some this might be welcomed with open arms, while others are savoring every minute they have left on campus. In a normal year, we would leave for Thanksgiving break and return for the start of winter term, but alas, this is no normal year. With a pandemic on our hands, there are many new normals in place, one being D-Term. 

With this being said, seeing our friends will be much harder during our time away. While there might be anywhere from five to thousands of miles between you and your closest friends, there are ways to stay connected, all thanks to the help of an application that we have all grown quite familiar with this year: Zoom. 

After frequently being on Zoom over the past 8 months, most of us are sick of these video calls. Yet, there are still new ways to have fun with the trusty video chat application. 

First, have a Zoom movie night! Invite as many people as you would like, grab some popcorn, screen share an agreed upon movie, and enjoy! While you might be in different states or countries, you can still watch the same movie and have a great time. 

Another great option is a Zoom slideshow party. Each person decides on a slideshow presentation they want to make and share them with the group over zoom. This is a funny way to stay laughing with those closest to you despite the distance. 

Two great holiday ideas are a Zoom Friendsgiving and Zoom Secret Santa. You can still celebrate these holiday traditions with your favorite people all thanks to video conferencing. For Friendsgiving, everyone would prepare their own meal. Reminiscing about times together and looking forward to the next time you will be in person, you will enjoy chatting about what is new in each others’ lives. With Secret Santa, everyone has their designated person, ships their gift to their assigned individual, and zooms in to open and enjoy their presents!

These are hard times and have been quite the adjustment for everyone on campus and around the world. The most important thing for you to do during D-Term is to stay optimistic. You might be apart from your friends, classmates, and peers, but you will be reunited together again. Cheers to another great term.