The campus-wide reinstallation of canopies began on April 3 and was completed on April 19. The canopies are in place to provide additional spaces for students and classes to gather within COVID-19 restrictions. There are 28 canopies in total scattered around the campus.
Dean Martinez stated that the canopies were set up in the fall in order to “have more classrooms and meeting spaces available because of the need to de-densify the classroom occupancies.” Many professors chose to conduct their classes or office hours under the canopies during the fall semester as long as the weather permitted. Their use was popular among both faculty and students. Roger Wakeman, Associate Vice President for Facilities and Planning, noted that the benefit of the canopies is their ability to “provide both formal [classes] and informal gathering spaces where the indoor COVID protocols don’t apply.”
Alexia Assimakopoulos ’22 had a class under the canopies last semester. “I enjoyed being outside for class, as this was never something I expected to happen during my time at Hamilton. It was nice being able to take in the beautiful Hamilton scenery while simultaneously partaking in class. I’m hoping I’ll be able to have a class outside again, maybe even during non-COVID times.”
In addition to being used for academic purposes, the canopies are also popularly utilized for dining and social gatherings. Students are even allowed to reserve select tent spaces in the evenings for designated student activities.
Since the advent of COVID-19, indoor dining is limited in not only its capacity but also its atmosphere. The normal, jovial mood and loud indistinguishable chatter of Commons is obviously no longer present. The tents allow students to share meals with more of their friends while sitting in Adirondack chairs and not having to converse through plastic screens, which provides a sense of normalcy. Additionally, there have not been as many designated or covered outdoor seating, gathering, or dining options in previous years. The canopies have provided a new campus space during a time when spaces are mostly being taken away or limited.
Theo Karavolas ’22 took advantage of the canopies for their social capacities. “I think the canopies really helped create more social spaces around campus during the fall semester. Since we were not allowed to enter into each other’s residence halls until nearly the end, it was nice to have the canopies as a meeting place during the warm weather. I enjoyed meeting friends, doing work, eating, and just relaxing under the tents.”
Some changes have been made to rectify issues that arose surrounding the canopies last semester. For example, outside of Siuda House — the Admissions building — a hard surface was constructed under the tent in order to avoid mud accumulation. This floor will be left up through the summer months. Additionally, six canopies were installed on existing pavement or stone tiles. This was done in an effort to erect the canopies ahead of schedule in areas that would still have soft ground.
The administration is considering keeping the canopies around in a post-COVID-19 world. The tents have found favor with all members of the campus community. They have also allowed more of the beautiful campus to be utilized and appreciated. Mr. Wakeman shared the following statement:
“The canopies were very well received last summer and fall as a way to meet outdoors in the COVID environment. I started getting questions in January about when they could be back up. We needed to wait until April to get through the heavy snow season. The goal is still to have a place for outdoor covered gatherings where the COVID issues are reduced through the circulation of being outdoors. We will evaluate the future use of canopies over the summer.”
Needless to say, the additional canopies this semester and their diversified locations provide many opportunities for students to gather for a variety of purposes.