Oh, great. Is every editorial going to be about COVID-19 and how we all have to be strong for one another? We’re still deciding. In the meantime, however, we understand how disconnected our community feels when we aren’t even allowed to talk to each other in close proximity. What we may have taken for granted in the past, like having face-to-face conversations, is on hold until who knows when. Now we’re left yearning for times that are no more, and probably won’t be for a good while.

Our first-year orientation — our meaning the class of 2021 — included a little something called Play Fair. We had no idea what Play Fair really was, or what it would be like, but hall by hall, we were all led into the gym. We formed a line and were met by administrators excitedly pumping hand sanitizer into our hands. It was a little odd, frankly. What were we about to do? Why did we need to sanitize our hands not once, but twice?

Then we discovered for ourselves: Play Fair was a part of orientation that if held today, would ensure all of us got COVID and a trip to an already overcrowded hospital. We shook hands, yelled at the top of our lungs, were within a few inches of each other, made secret handshakes with people we just met. Play Fair was a germophobe’s worst nightmare, but play we did.

The current first-years, of course, and probably a few years of first-years to come, won’t get to have this memory that is so ingrained in the minds of the class of 2021. Oh, sure, it’s a gross and awkward memory, but it’s one we hold onto nonetheless.

We understand that this year is different, but one thing is certain: The Trinitonian is committed to ensuring that the students of Trinity are able to hold onto a sense of normalcy. We’ll keep doing our job as we would were there not a pandemic keeping us physically apart. But as our new comic strip says, we are closer than ever. Upperclassmen are still here to guide you and answer your questions about love, toxic roommates or how to balance your schoolwork. So reach out, ask for help and make mistakes. It’s all part of learning and being a first-year.

Too many students make the mistake of believing that you have to come into college with your life figured out. You know, like in the movies. But we’re not in a movie; this is real life. In real life, people experience painfully awkward moments and learn from them, and though it may feel like the end of the world, it’s not. Strike up a (safe and socially distanced) conversation with an upperclassman, and you’ll find we have a lot of embarrassing stories to tell. So stay safe, stay encouraged and know that we at the Trinitonian will do everything in our power to give everyone a sense of normalcy.