鈥淟OCKDOWN,鈥� 鈥淎SYMPTOMATIC鈥� and 鈥減ivot鈥� are some of the phrases that have entered the vernacular over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic鈥攑hrases most of us would probably prefer to never hear again. It would also be a relief to no longer need the words 鈥渃hallenging鈥� and 鈥渦nprecedented鈥� to describe the times in which we are living. But it鈥檚 the phrase 鈥渘ew normal鈥� that we seem to struggle with most, perhaps because even as we begin to emerge from the pandemic, whatever the new normal is going to be is still a moving target. In response to this prolonged uncertainty, one word has risen to prominence: resilience.
Dalhousie鈥檚 Athletics and Recreation Department, headed up by Executive Director Tim Maloney, has focused on resilience throughout these difficult times. Recreation facilities at Dal normally see more than 700,000 visitors pass through the turnstiles each year and play an important role in the daily lives of people in the community both on and off campus. For rec facilities to comply with closure requirements and capacity restrictions, flexibility was paramount. 鈥淚 think the team of coaches and staff quickly adopted the philosophy that we were going to make the very best out of whatever this situation presented,鈥� Maloney says. At times, that meant operating at 25 per cent of usual capacity and by appointment only. It meant student athletes working out virtually with soup cans standing in as dumbbells and with backyards, chairs and sofas standing in as training grounds. Despite the frustration and sense of loss this occasionally caused, particularly among student athletes facing a cancelled final season of their careers, for the most part a positive mindset was the prevailing one. 鈥淔or graduating students, that was the last time they were going to be putting on a Dal jersey, so it was a difficult way to end their careers,鈥� Maloney says. 鈥淏ut I think they were appreciative and understanding.鈥�
One of these student athletes, Shamar Burrows (BA鈥�21), #24 of the Dal Tigers men鈥檚 basketball team, might have missed his final season as an undergrad, but he鈥檚 returned for the 2021-22 season as a master鈥檚 student in Public Administration. He鈥檚 happy to be back to in-person classes and to be back on the court. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited to have team bonds and to get to know all of my teammates. We鈥檙e all excited about it.鈥�
"[We] quickly adopted the philosophy that we were going to make the very best out of whatever this situation presented."
Burrows鈥� sentiments are echoed by many at Dal. The month of September is a rich and lively time on campus when the energy and excitement are palpable. For new students, leaving home and heading to university is a major developmental milestone. Because learning was all online last year in response to the pandemic, this year a double cohort made its way to campus for the first time. And students aren鈥檛 the only ones returning. Many of the faculty and staff who worked away from campus throughout the pandemic have been leaving their home offices, makeshift or otherwise, and making the commute to campus, at least on a part-time basis. They鈥檙e catching up with those who鈥檝e never left, who鈥檝e remained on campus for the entirety of the pandemic to keep the physical spaces of the university running and ready for the return. What this means is that everyone in the Dal community is in a period of transition鈥攕o, that along with the predictable excitement that comes with fall and the return to classes, there also lingers a sense of uncertainty and concern for the safety of the community, feelings that are much less predictable.
PART OF WHAT makes these times so challenging is that we derive meaning from our relationships with others, and nearly everyone has experienced moments of disconnection and isolation over the past two years. Dr. David Pilon, the director of Counselling and Psychological Services says there鈥檚 a feeling of anticipation, that it鈥檚 time to reclaim our world, but that people will need a chance to get used to fewer restrictions at their own pace. 鈥淪tress is the impact of difference,鈥� he says, 鈥渁nd how we perceive change informs whether we see difficulty or opportunity.鈥� There has certainly been no shortage of change during the past two years. In addition to the global COVID-19 crisis, we鈥檝e witnessed watershed moments in terms of conversations around climate change, around race and civil rights. 鈥淭here may be some challenging waves to come,鈥� says Dr. Pilon, 鈥渨hen we exhale and allow ourselves to think: 鈥榃hat did I just live through?鈥欌��
Dr. Pilon鈥檚 advice on how to deal with the stress that comes with uncertainty and to foster more resilience? Vulnerability and compassion. He says the way forward is to allow ourselves to appreciate how we鈥檝e responded, adapted and learned from our experiences over the past two years, and to approach ourselves and others with extra thoughtfulness. 鈥淲e have a nurturing and caring community at Dalhousie. We need to be aware and mindful of where we are at both individually and collectively.鈥� Which means, as we make our way through a period when even commonplace situations feel unfamiliar, as we continue to navigate challenges, it鈥檚 more important than ever that we give ourselves time and space to focus on resilience so we can contribute to forging our new normal.
This story appeared in the DAL Magazine Fall 2021 issue. Flip through the rest of the Fall 2021 issue using the links below.