Asha Landes Beck Header
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EMU residents sit together on the top floor of the apartments to talk, eat lunch, and enjoy the sunshine.
EMU residents sit together on the top floor of the apartments to talk, eat lunch, and enjoy the sunshine.
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The VMRC Main building.
The VMRC Main building.
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Roommates Andrea (left) and Laura (right) sit laughing together with their finished lunches beside them.
Roommates Andrea (left) and Laura (right) sit laughing together with their finished lunches beside them.
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Andrea, Kate, and Laura (left to right) sit petting Clarence another building resident's cat.
Andrea, Kate, and Laura (left to right) sit petting Clarence another building resident's cat.
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Residents at VMRC sit together to catch up and watch the goings on of the campus.
Residents at VMRC sit together to catch up and watch the goings on of the campus.
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Hannah sits in her apartment doorframe playing ukulele and singing in the sun.
Hannah sits in her apartment doorframe playing ukulele and singing in the sun.
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Jenna eats lunch from the cafeteria and enjoys the fresh air.
Jenna eats lunch from the cafeteria and enjoys the fresh air.
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Jonas stands in the doorway to his apartment talking to people outside.
Jonas stands in the doorway to his apartment talking to people outside.
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Janessa, Anna, ad Kate (left to right) eat lunch together on their porch which they wound with lights and decorated for the Halloween season.
Janessa, Anna, ad Kate (left to right) eat lunch together on their porch which they wound with lights and decorated for the Halloween season.
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Darlene (left) and Roland (right) stand on the front porch of their home enjoying the sunshine together.
Darlene (left) and Roland (right) stand on the front porch of their home enjoying the sunshine together.
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Parkwoods Apartments: on-campus living at EMU.
Parkwoods Apartments: on-campus living at EMU.
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Reuben eats a sandwich.
Reuben eats a sandwich.
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Duane (left) and Lois (right) sit together talking on the front porch of their new home.
Duane (left) and Lois (right) sit together talking on the front porch of their new home.

Campus Porches: The Story

This project documented the use and function of porches between the campuses of Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) and Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community (VMRC) during the pandemic in the fall of 2020. This was the first semester that I was on campus during the pandemic, and I found myself drawn to my apartment porch in search of the sunshine and social connection.

Weary from many dark and heavy feelings and stories of the year, I began the project with the intention of capturing the daily connection between individuals as well as the larger points of connection between two campuses that are more similar than we think.

I also became interested in the similarities between the campuses of VMRC and EMU. Although distance is a necessity in this pandemic, there has been a noticeable distance between the two campuses in the past even though we are neighbors who share a border. Porches seem to be one way that people connect with each other and the outdoors in a way that prioritizes the safety of both the mental and physical health of those around us.

The following stories and experiences are from residents from both campuses shown through various mediums.


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