From the 1st of September, in accordance with government orders, physical classes were once again permitted and the gates of WCC reopened for students, initially for those in the science stream and later for others too. The campus of WCC, which resembled a ghost town during the lockdown, began to see life and activity once again, with the return of students, but not without new and necessary features such as hand-sanitizing stations, implementation of social distancing which required students to sit apart, maintaining safe distance from one another and of course, facial masks that are a mandatory requirement.
Speaking to Catharine Selwin, a final year Psychology student, who is glad to be back in physical classes and finds it a more comforting environment than attending online classes, she feels the campus is just the same as before, apart from COVID safety regulations, and renovation of Doveton House, Auditorium and Chapel. She also mentioned that though the canteen is now functional, it is less crowded than before.
Also speaking to a resident student Rowena about what was new in WCC hostel, she mentioned that there were new biometric devices, such as fingerprint scanners for entry into the hostel. Hostelites were instructed to take necessary precautions and use safety measures, such as washing and sanitising hands, to prevent spread of COVID-19. More stringent restrictions have also been implemented with regard to receiving visitors during the pandemic.
Regarding the protocol for departments during the pandemic, Dr. Annie Kuriachan, Head of Department of English stated, “The Department has adhered to COVID-19 regulations and so we have our masks, maintain the required distance always and sanitise the place constantly. We also send the daily vaccination statistics report to the Government.”
About online classes, Dr Kuriachan had this to say: “I am happy that the Department has the ability and competence to adapt to the present times and also to preserve the rich legacy of a time-tested academic tradition. But we still have a long way to go.”
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