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Treated to lunch by your college professor? Why not? It’s 2020, and things certainly are different. 

In an attempt to continue caring for students during the pandemic, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Candace Hall, EdD, is meeting in person and online with her students over lunch, and at her expense. 

“It is crucial for me, both as their course instructor and program director, to acknowledge that the world is on fire,” said Hall, co-director of the College Student Personnel Administration Program (CSPA) and instructor in the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior’s Department of Educational Leadership. “So, I challenged myself to think about ways to continue showing up for students amid this crisis and to consider ways of creating space for students to process the ‘new normal’ while continuing their education.” 

When social distancing, stay-at-home orders and online instruction first became mandatory, Hall was checking in on her students via technological means. When summer session started, she thought of ways to do more.   

“I committed to having lunch with my practicum students,” added Hall. “Most of them are local or within driving distance. I want to see them in person, break bread together, and create space for them just to be. For those students who live out of state, I’m scheduling Zoom lunches. I order takeout meals to be delivered to their houses, so we can eat together and have conversation. All lunches are funded by me.” 

Strict social distancing guidelines are observed during the in-person lunch meetings, noted Hall. 

“I usually choose a park or somewhere outdoors on campus, but always near a body of water,” she continued. “We make sure to practice social distance and are always at least six feet apart from each other. I bring wipes to wipe down the park benches we might sit on and disinfectant spray. I wear my mask, which I always have with me, and have plenty of hand sanitizer. 

 “We talk about how their practicum is going, how their other courses are going, and what we’re looking forward to doing when things get better. We talk about life.” 

The lunches, which have been a source of joy for Hall, is her reminder to be conscious of taking care of others. 

“Recently, I attended a panel discussion on ‘Dismantling Institutional Racism,’” informed Hall. “One of the panelists, Dr. David Stovall, when speaking on self-care said, ‘Self-care is not just asking: Am I okay? It is a collective question of asking: Are we okay? How do we get to self-care?’ Since then, I ponder ‘How do we get to self-care?’ These gatherings and check-ins with students are my way of getting to that collective self-care."

Photo:
Candace Hall, EdD, co-director of the College Student Personnel Administration Program (CSPA) and instructor in the SEHBB’s Department of Educational Leadership, recently met with Ishmael Allensworth, graduate assistant in Housing and a student in Hall’s EDAD 554 practicum course. Hall, observing social distancing guidelines of being at least six feet away, checked in with Allensworth on Monday, July 6 on the campus of SIUE. Each were masked prior to taking the photo. The two met a few weeks earlier for lunch.