From left to right: Xinmeng (Brenda) Duan ’22, Claudia Davila ’20, Zicong (Chris) Li ’21 and Jinze Mi ’23.
Nearly all Holy Cross alumni have experienced life on a bustling campus, from noisy, packed dining spaces to hilly paths teeming with foot traffic. But when the pandemic forced students to return to their homes last March, a small group of mostly international students remained on The Hill for six months, experiencing a Holy Cross like no other in its long history.
“[For international students,] there’s a lot of adjustment that goes on, even in a ‘normal year,'” says Christina (Tina) Bi Chen, assistant dean of international students. She notes that the culture shock that comes with living in a new environment can leave students feeling even farther from home: “It’s everything from ‘Can you get your favorite candy or your favorite comfort foods?’ to ‘When you look out your window, does it look like a completely alien place?'”
Chen, known as “Dean Tina” to students, says that despite the challenges, she sees international students thrive across all majors, programs and activities at Holy Cross — in many cases, while speaking their second language.
Last March, international students faced a new hurdle: daunting barriers to returning home, ranging from getting travel authorizations to navigating travel restrictions. “There is a lot to think about — you don’t just pack up and leave,” Chen says.
More than 60 international students were ultimately unable to make it home to their families, prompting Holy Cross to offer them the option of continuing their on-campus room and board — something Chen notes not all higher-ed institutions immediately offered at the time. She credits a team of “unsung heroes” from multiple College offices and divisions with making it all work, especially chef Linda Jesse and Neil Domina, assistant director of residential dining; Ed Coolbaugh, assistant dean of students and director of residence life and housing; and Ryan Grant, senior associate director of residence life and housing. Major transitional projects included moving students into two-bedroom apartments in Figge Hall, each with its own full kitchen, living room, dining area and bathroom; surveying students on their food preferences then converting Kimball Dining Hall into a fully stocked “grocery store;” gathering rice cookers, pots and pans for use in the students’ kitchens; and much more.
By St. Patrick’s Day, Mount St. James, normally home to about 3,000 students and 1,000 employees, was empty, save for the students who would soon move to Figge, the Jesuit community, two construction crews and a handful of employees from departments such as public safety, dining services and facilities. It would remain that way for the next six months.