As the semester winds down to a close, Danforth Campus has become more and more deserted. On a sunny Saturday morning, Student Life photographer Morad Suliman and I walked around campus to interview and photograph anyone we could find, hoping to show and tell the story of who’s left amidst the silence. Each person found value in their time on campus, with varying sentiments about false expectations, going home or ways they’ve found to cope with the quiet. 

Aisha Ali

Year: Freshman 

Hometown: Wyckoff, NJ 

Major: Finance

Morad Suliman | Student Life

“I expected campus to have a lot more people on it all the time. And while I would say it’s still fun to be here, there are times in the evening where it gets really, really quiet. I think it was right after [Bear’s Den] closed campus, and you got like 5 p.m., which is normally a really busy time, and they’ll just be no one outside. To begin with, I was going to go home on Dec. 18. But I think after the 40 got really dead, I just decided I [would] pack it up and go home sooner.” 

Michael Ferzoco

Year: Freshman 

Major: Chemical Engineering

Hometown: Wellesley, Massachusetts

Morad Suliman | Student Life

“I’ve been biking. It’s easy to be cooped up in your room and never see the light of day. Even if I have a ton of work, just to take a breather. It’s definitely been beneficial.” 

David DePriest 

Year: 2nd year law student 

Hometown: Kansas City, Missouri 

“My first year, I spent a lot of time on campus either studying in the Law Library or just walking around. And there were always people out doing stuff, even on Saturdays and Sundays. But now you come to the campus and for the most part, it’s empty. And that’s very eerie.” 

Morad Suliman | Student Life

“There’s something of a mystique to studying in the Law Library surrounded by all the books. Not having that I think has at least in some ways detrimentally impacted my ability to sit down and focus for school.” 

“I’m looking forward to having competent leadership that might be able to make this crisis a little less of a crisis. And also just being done with school and also with 2020. A lot has happened this year, and I’m ready to close the book on it.” 

Simon Dawson

Year: Sophomore 

Major: Biology with a focus in Microbiology

Hometown: Rancho Cucamonga, California

Morad Suliman | Student Life

“I’m up in the fraternity housing. There’s only three of us, and everyone kind of keeps to themselves. Not a lot of talking. From what I’ve heard, usually the house is pretty lively but nothing’s going on right now.” 

Amulya Vallabhaneni 

Year: Freshman 

Major: Chemistry 

Hometown: San Ramon, California 

Morad Suliman | Student Life

“It’s just a beautiful place to be. And every day, there’s like a little part of Wash. U. that I find and I love the campus even more. But I’m going home Monday, because I live in California and California is reinstituting lockdown. And they’re going to start restricting travel from people out of state in the coming weeks, so I feel like it’s safer for me to go home and be in that space instead of here without housing over winter break.” 

Francesca Frkonja

Year: Freshman

Major: Undecided 

Hometown: Portland, Oregon

Morad Suliman | Student Life

“I was definitely expecting no social interaction whatsoever. I thought that I would not have any friends this semester, but things have worked out.” 

Kai Lacefield

Year: Sophomore

Major: Accounting and Finance 

Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia

Morad Suliman | Student Life

“I just joined a service fraternity, and we can’t do any of the in-person service things so it just doesn’t feel real. But I just like the feel of campus. I know I wouldn’t be able to study while at home, so I’m waiting until the end.”