THE CALENDAR REMINDERS continue to pop into Emily Arbuthnott's phone.
On Wednesday, the Stanford senior was reminded of the opening of the Pac-12 women's tennis team tournament. On Saturday, it was the Pac-12 final. Friday will be the first round of the NCAA championships.
Arbuthnott may see these reminders while walking across the empty Quad, or biking through a silent Tresidder Union.
She is among fewer than 500 undergraduates still at Stanford after the campus was cleared in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A majority are international students, like Arbuthnott, who chose to stay. Others did not have a choice, without positive living situations to return to.
On March 3, Arbuthnott earned her 100th collegiate singles victory, achieving a season goal. Nine days later, the season was canceled. The No. 9 Cardinal was 10-2 and aiming to win a third consecutive NCAA team title.
Now, the only tennis Arbuthnott is playing these days comes on a concrete basketball court tucked in a small plaza between Branner and Toyon halls. Perhaps two days a week, an hour at a time, Arbuthnott serves against a tall flat wall. Then she works on her forehand, and perhaps some footwork.
During those confusing days when the state and campus were shutting down, "I wasn't sure what I wanted to do," said Arbuthnott, from Harpenden, England.
"I wasn't sure what the situation was like in the U.K. and whether it would be better for me to stay here," she said. "I was concerned about being very isolated if I stayed, but concerned that if I left, there could be issues getting back. So, I made the choice to stay."
It's a semi-lonely existence. Arbuthnott is heartened that several of her housemates from French House also moved to the Schwab Residential Center, used for the executive education programs at the Graduate School of Business.
"There's a small community here," said Arbuthnott, who emphasized social distancing still applies. "But we're all trying to keep it positive."
Arbuthnott, an economics major, was accepted into Stanford's management science and engineering master's program last week. She planned to turn pro after graduation in June, but now is strongly considering returning for a fifth season.
A junior champion in England, Arbuthnott represented Great Britain internationally at the under-18 level, and coming to Stanford "was a scary prospect."
Her hometown of Harpenden serves commuters with a rail connection to central London and has a fascinating history. Romans occupied the area long before the village was first settled in 1060. The Battle of St. Albans during the Wars of the Roses was fought in Nomansland Common just south of town. In more recent times, children were evacuated to Harpenden during the London Blitz, the German bombing campaign of World War II.
Emily's grandfather, Geoffrey Davies, was among those evacuated to the area, to Hatch End, now part of northwest London, establishing family roots in the region. Emily attended the same school as her mother, aunt, uncle, and some cousins.
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Photo by Lyndsey Radnedge/ISIphotos.com.
COMING TO STANFORD had its emotional risks, but despite only one brief visit, Arbuthnott felt she could grow as a person.
"I'm so glad that I made that choice," she said.
It wasn't without its challenges. During her first quarter, Arbuthnott felt overwhelmed, but tennis relieved those feelings.
"When you're getting all caught up with other things in your life, there's nothing better than to go out and hit a tennis ball really hard," she said.
Being on a team was new to Emily, so used to the individual side of the game. The team gave her a much-needed feeling of family.
Early in her freshman season, Arbuthnott was locked in a battle against No. 7 Vanderbilt with the teams tied, 3-3. Her No. 5 singles match would decide the winner but things were looking bleak for Stanford when Arbuthnott blew a 5-2 third-set lead and fell behind in the tiebreaker. Arbuthnott, however, rallied and won the tiebreaker, 7-6, with a passing shot down the line. The team rushed the court to embrace her and fans at Taube Family Tennis Stadium cheered wildly. Someone even waved the Union Jack.
"I really wanted to show the team that if it came down to me, I could be trusted to give my best and hopefully pull through," she said. "I felt I showed my true self to the team quite well."
That memory and confidence from that match remained with Arbuthnott through two NCAA championship seasons. She was a CoSIDA Academic All-America first-team selection last year and played at No. 1 doubles (with Angelica Blake) and No. 2 singles this year.
On campus, Arbuthnott was active with The Social Project, a student association looking to expand campus social opportunities for juniors and seniors. Her responsibility was a bar, called The Arbor, on the Tresidder patio.
"Especially being an athlete, I choose not to drink very much or very often," Arbuthnott said. "But I was pretty frustrated at the kind of all-or-nothing approach to drinking on campus.
"That's why I wanted to create this environment where it's a little bit more casual and more about meeting friends and having one drink rather than drinking for the purpose of drinking. I think there was a demand for that."
After a trial run last spring, some red tape and minor construction prevented The Arbor from opening until late fall, and cold weather prompted the decision to shut it down for the winter. However, Arbuthnott was excited about the possibilities this spring, and planned several events. She's hoping the project will continue and become a focal point of student culture next year.
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BEFORE LAST CHRISTMAS, Arbuthnott had a chance to host teammate Janice Shin in England. She showed her the all the sights – Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London. Tower Bridge. They had afternoon tea, sang along with carolers, and admired the Christmas lights that illuminated London.
Unfortunately, their celebrations won't include more championships on the tennis courts this season. Scattered throughout the country, the team stays connected through weekly video conferencing, with coaches Lele Forood, the Peter and Helen Bing Director of Women's Tennis, and assistant Francis Sargeant providing ears to listen and wisdom to consider.
"We're definitely very aware of what we would have been doing at this point in time," Arbuthnott said. "It's quite sad. We're just trying to keep each other's spirits up."
Arbuthnott is the only player still on campus and when she emerges from her room, "It's just so quiet," she said. "You definitely notice the absence of people when normally in the spring everything's so busy.
"It's just very weird."
With a racket and a tennis ball, walks the short distance to the concrete basketball court. She tucks the racket between her knees as she ties her hair into a ponytail.
Then, she begins to smash a ball against a wall … breaking the silence.
Photo by Bob Drebin/ISIphotos.com.