We Have Legs Again

How Northwestern students are re-entering their bodies after a year on Zoom.

Eli Gottsegen is a second-year student at Northwestern, but he has never set foot in an in-person class until this fall. Gottsegen has found the transition to in-person classes a bit bumpy, saying he’s more "ultra-conscious" of his appearance, especially since he can't check his reflection in the Zoom camera.

"You can literally alter anything on Zoom," says Gottsegen. "You can have the light hit your face in a different way that makes you look good, so I think the whole image is something I'm much more conscious of nowadays. I'm thinking about my hair especially because I'm not looking at a camera 24/7, and I'm not seeing my picture back in my face."

Students at Northwestern are finally back in in-person classes — legs and all — after only having our heads visible in a Zoom box during the pandemic. 

For half of Northwestern’s student body, this fall has been their first time attending college classes in person. For many upperclassmen, it has been almost two years since they last sat in a classroom. 

Gottsegen’s inability to easily adjust his physical appearance has been extra prevalent during his acting classes, where the theatre major has to do warm-ups and stretches with his classmates. Just his glasses falling to his nose is enough to make him worry.

“It’s definitely just more to be conscious about,” says Gottsegan, “and I just feel my full self.”

In order to combat these feelings of self-consciousness, Gottsegen has completely changed his routine so that he feels like he looks presentable for his classes. Last year, Gottsegen could just roll out of bed (or sometimes even stay tucked in) and keep his camera off. 

However, without a “camera-off” option, Gottsegen has started to take more time picking out his outfits and showering in the morning rather than at night.

“You definitely have to try a little harder to present yourself and make sure that you look ready enough for the day,” he says.

Indeed, now that NU students have emerged from their Zoom boxes, they’ve begun dressing up to attend their classes. Some students, like second-year Avanti Parkhe, feel like they have to look nice for themselves and because they are aware that their full body is now being perceived by their classmates.

"I definitely feel like I have to dress better," says Parkhe. "I can't wear just sweatpants to class anymore, but I like it because it gives me an excuse to be put together every day.”

Second-year Sara Ibrahim, however, has not had this experience. She notes that just because her classmates can see her whole body doesn’t mean they’re seeing a complete picture of her. She doesn't like to dress up for classes, instead saving her best outfits for the weekend.

“Now people know how bummy I look all the time,” says Ibrahim. “You actually have to wear pants, jeans, etc.”

But Ibrahim doesn’t feel any more self-conscious taking in-person classes than she did on Zoom.

“When you’re wearing a mask, you still feel kind of hidden,” she explains. People are still hiding parts of themselves from their classmates; now it’s just their faces rather than their legs.

Emily Zhang, a second-year student, says she doesn't even notice the other people in her classes. Instead of sitting with perfect posture, nervous about what people think about her, Zhang prefers to be comfortable and "sit in class and slouch and slump."

Without having the ability to turn off her camera and easily distract herself, Zhang has found it much easier to actually learn from her teachers. 

"I pay attention in class now, and I go to class now,” says Zhang. “I do my homework now, so it's been good!"

School of Communications second-year Bridget Roberts says she’s realized that many of her perceptions of her classmates from last year have completely changed after meeting them in person. 

One major attribute of a person’s appearance is their height, but on Zoom, everyone’s heads are the same size, smushed into a little box. Seeing the rest of her classmates’ bodies forced Roberts to completely reconsider some of the assumptions that she’d made about them.

“Seeing people from my Zoom classes in person for the first time, you think that you recognize them, but you don't — like, the heights are so different,” says Roberts. “I've definitely been thinking about how people think about me.”

Everyone wants to make a good impression, and spending time online has only made students more appreciative of the little things that come with in-person classes, such as picking out an outfit or having fewer distractions. 

A person's appearance is a big part of who they are. Their fashion and styling choices are how they present themselves to the world without having to verbalize anything. Having their bodies back in the classroom has helped reconnect people to their studies, their classmates and themselves.