Residence students use garden for personal growth
June 9, 2020
Written by Farnaz Kouchaki, Communications Intern
Despite the complications of the COVID-19 situation, students at King’s Residence have been keeping their spirits high and making the most of the spring weather by starting a vegetable garden.
Victoria Goldsack, 4th year Catholic Studies for Teachers student and a summer Residence Assistant for King’s, was excited to begin a new challenge over the next four months.
With restrictions on many other activities, she found it a perfect opportunity to try gardening for the first time in her life.
Goldsack says that the activity has been effective in managing the current stressful situation and created new short and long-term perspectives for her.
“In my personal life, the pandemic has carried a lot of uncertainty and change. Even though I don’t know what the months ahead will bring, I know that I will continue to have responsibilities in caring for this garden. Gardens are significant because of the anticipation of new life in both the short and long term. In the short term, I like being able to check on the space daily, to do little things to make sure the garden is on the right track. Gardening can be a lot of hard work, but It can also be very relaxing and therapeutic. In the long term, I look forward to seeing plants progressively grow and yield fresh food. It is the long-term goals that motivate me the most to continue with this task,” says Goldsack.
The garden has also created an opportunity for her to bond with other residents and her family while respecting the social-distancing rules.
“I am managing the garden with a few other residents who are staying at King’s over the summer. My mom has also been a huge help with the process, assisting with some of the labour, and giving me advice when needed. Since I am currently social distancing from the rest of my family, the gardening gives me an opportunity to spend time with her outdoors while we still maintain the ‘six-foot physical distancing rules’,” says Goldsack.
While not yet sure how successful the crop will be, she would like to use it to feed the residence community and potentially even expand it beyond just King’s Residence. “There is still a group of students living on campus, unable to return home for various reasons. If there is an abundance, then I will look to see if we can share some of our vegetables with the greater London community,” says Goldsack.
The whole experience has proven to be a great way to foster the bond among King’s Residence community and create an opportunity to develop and grow both individually and as a community. “I think it is fantastic how a small piece of land can bring so many people together. Like the vegetables that will grow in this garden, I am excited to see how I will grow over the next few months with this new challenge,” says Goldsack.
For more on the King’s Residence, visit https://www.kings.uwo.ca/current-students/student-affairs/residence/