CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- The Chinese New Year is approaching. Unlike before when they all grasp tickets to rush home, many college students choose to spend the Chinese New Year in the city where their schools locate. In Southwest University, there are nearly a thousand students who choose to stay at the school for the winter holiday this year, and they will spend a different New Year with their “Dorm Mom”.

After the holiday, the “Dorm Mom” is worried that these plants raised by students will be left unattended, so she will kindly water the plants for the students who leave school to make sure their plants are alive. During the epidemic last year, the news that the dormitory manager at Southwest University helped students take care of succulent plants went viral on Weibo. The “Dorm Mom” was very surprised at that time, she never thought what’s common to her would go viral.

The winter in Chongqing rarely embraces many sunny days. Recently, the dormitory managers hung out the quilts of the students who had left school during the winter holidays with their consent in sunshine.

Before entering dormitory room, the “Dom Mom” will send messages to students on WeChat in advance for protecting their privacy. They also set up a WeChat group for students who stay at school. “Take the initiative to register, measure your own body temperature, pay attention to protect yourself and wear a mask.” The “Dom Mom” will remind students in the group every day.

Because of the need to prevent and control the epidemic in the university, the dormitory building will be disinfected every morning and night. The “Dom Mom” Yuan Biying of Southwest University’s Zhuyuan Eight Dormitory has been on duty since the beginning of last year, carrying a large canister of disinfectants to sterilize the common areas of the dormitory building every day. The sprinkler can hold 20L, and Yuan Biying can’t carry so much, so she will go downstairs to fill it up after using up. Yuan Biying needs to go up and down the stairs at least four times to complete daily sterilization work.

From the prevention and control of epidemics in the campus to the storage of keys and other small things, “Dorm Mom” is very careful and cautious to her work. Since she came to Southwest University in 2018 as a “Dorm Mom”, Yuan Biying has not been able to have New Year’s Eve dinner with her family for two years. Southwest University has 65 student dormitory buildings, each equipped with two or more dormitory managers of working hours for 24 hours a shift. They also live in the dormitory at night. “We are here, and the students will feel at ease,” Yuan Biying said.

When they are aware of that some students are not feeling well, the “Dom Mom” will make some brown sugar ginger soup for them. “All the children at home are taken care of by their parents, so let us take care of them at school.” 

These thoughtful actions make students have special connection with the “Dom Mom”. When talking to their families by video calls, the students will ask “Dom Mom” to join them. The children tell their parents in the video that even if they don’t go home for New Year’s Eve, they will be taken care of at school, so that their parents will have less to worry about.

In order for students to feel the festive atmosphere of “Chinese New Year” in their dormitories, “Dom Mom” have found ways to provide them a sense of New Year ritual to their dormitories. Yuan Jun, a “Dom Mom” at Southwest University’s Liyuan Dormitory, learned to cut window flowers online and worked with her students to decorate the students’ dorms.

Yuan Jun, together with the students who stayed at school, put the cut-out window flowers and Lucky Character in the dormitory. Although she couldn’t go home for New Year’s Eve, in Yuan Jun's heart, it was some kind of special reunion to be able to spend New Year’s Eve with the students here. (Translated by Wang Junli, Fathom Language Limited)