Welcome back to another edition of Bearcat Chats.
And, we are talking to parents today as move-in is complete.
I'm Jacob Wilkens and we are thrilled to be joined by Linda Solomon.
She is the Parent Family and Event Coordinator.
Rafael Diaz has a son who graduated Binghamton in 2018; Rafael Jr.
And Matt, who is entering his junior year.
And Sherry Rozansky, who also has a son Matt and during his senior year . . .
Hi everyone. Thanks so much for joining me.
Hello Jacob. Thank you. Hello.
Yeah, Linda. [Nice to be with you today].
Yeah, Linda. Let's start with you (and I).
You've been working furiously to get ready for the Move-in . . . to complete the Move-in.
Now that it's complete and classes are started, what are the things you are hearing from parents?
What sort of, has been your takeaway, as we get the semester going?
Well, I mean, we are excited that Move-in happened.
And, we've heard some great feedback from parents and family members - just about the process.
As you know, it was over the course of a week.
Seven days, so . . .
So, it was a little less, you know, crazy.
And, parents and family members felt great about the process.
I think what comes now is parents go home.
Parents were sad, having to leave their students here at Binghamton.
Especially this year; being so different.
You know these are also the first-year students; who are also the ones that didn't get the perfect graduation that they even wanted from high school.
So, so there's a little bit of obviously, sadness.
I think parents are also really excited.
What I've been hearing from parents mostly is you know, they just want to make sure their student is connected to activities . . .
Some apps. You know, how do they meet other students?
What kinds of things can they get involved in.
And, there's even some questions right now now, just because classes did recently start.
So, there's some questions, you know about professors, or how classes are being taught.
Just hearing from others.
They like to talk a lot with each other on parent Facebook pages, to get information.
So, I chime in, I send them to appropriate websites and sometimes it's just the transition.
It's a little bit hard right now, after dropping their students off . . .
especially for our first-year families.
You know, you bring up a good point Linda, because of the spring.
You know, it is sort of a double-whammy that these parents went through the whole experience . . .
in the spring with the unorthodox high school graduation.
Rafael, for you and your younger son Matt; he obviously had his spring semester disrupted.
What have the conversations been like between you and your family?
Or, the two of you?
Over the course of the summer, getting ready for his junior year?
I think most of the discussion has been focused around the uncertainty of, regarding this pandemic.
Just exactly, you know, how to get a total grasp of how things have to be open, every single day.
So, just having that uncertainty that's there, it brings about anxiety for the younger folks.
And, it doesn't allow them to actually you know, really enjoy the way college is supposed to be enjoyed.
You know, you do send them there for their schooling, but they also interact with social media and interact with their peers . . .
and classmates and roommates and stuff like that, so that . . . that particular piece of it, has become one of the major issues, just that uncertainty.
The anxiety behind it.
And, just having them understand that you know, it's a total different world in the way you interact now.
You know, it's not the crowded bars or crowded classrooms or crowded gyms.
It's something that's totally different and you have to adjust your lifestyles around that.
And, just make the best of it as much as possible, so that you are not overwhelming you know, mentally and physically, with all the uncertain questions behind them.
I do want to share that you know the joy of leaving my office today around 4:30/5:00 o'clock and seeing on our Peace Quad . . .
a huge group of students in a big circle, sitting on the grass.
They had their masks on, but you know, there is some of; we are still seeing that on the college campus.
We're still seeing students hanging out together.
We're seeing them interact with one another.
We're seeing them throwing frisbees and things like that, so . . .
So that, I just want to assure you know our parents and families that those things are still happening.
Obviously, it's in a whole different way.
Sherry: You know one of the; every parent is concerned, "Is my child safe?", pre-pandemic and obviously that awareness has been heightened.
What gives you reassurance as you send your son back for his senior year?
Well, you know Matt's a yeah, a senior and he had to come home early from his semester abroad because of the Pandemic.
So, and it was a real nail-biter trying to get him out of a foreign country and home before the borders were closed.
So, we went through a lot of worry last spring and the fact also, that he would stay healthy, while he was there . . .
as the Pandemic kept creeping forward.
I think with Binghamton, there's a real sense of trust that we felt from the moment we dropped him off as a freshman, throughout you know all of the semesters he's been there.
He's had a wonderful, enriching experience.
He's been safe and healthy and made good friends.
And has made connections with professors.
And, I thought that throughout the summer, Binghamton did an excellent job in communicating to parents . . .
Coming up with a really detailed plan. Going forward with the plan.
There were lots of different iterations and I think the final one, they're doing as much as can possibly be done.
I mean I still feel everyday, you are waiting for the phone call or the email that something might change.
Because there are a lot of people who are still interacting, but I don't know - there is something . . .
And you know, my husband is a Binghamton alum, so we definitely have a predisposition towards Binghamton, as well.
So, there was a level of comfort bringing him back to a place that we had a connection to.
And, it's shown that our trust has been repaid.
You know, I mean our son has had a fabulous experience.
So, and we've went over everything and talked about all of the precautions and safety, as much as we can.
But, still recognizing they're 21-year olds; 22- year olds; 18-year olds.
And, that's a really tough stage of life to do what they have to do.
Raphael, you're nodding your head. You know communication is always a funny discussion that's unique to each family.
Hey, can I call - you know.
No. You're bothering me, but actually, no, you're not calling enough.
How do you sort of manage that dynamic?
Yeah. I guess it is a tricky and slippery slope; that just making sure that you are communicating enough with them . . .
but not becoming too overburdened and overbearing and making them not enjoy the experience, so . . .
It's a give and take. You still do as much as possible and whenever I guess you feel that they just need a little bit of space . . .
Say, "Okay." I'll give you a call later or whatever it may be.
But, you definitely have to have the communication, just to make sure that they are aware that you are there for them, to give them support when needed.
Don't think that you are going to ride this pandemic out on your own . . .
just because you are not in the same house or you still have you know, the support of your family at home.
That you could call whenever you want and just make sure that that communication channel is never broken.
So, it can become tricky, but for the most part, you still want to make sure they are there whether you have the . . .
You are there for them whenever your support is needed for them, so.