When the Office of Student Life granted students the green light for in person meetings and activities, I cried tears of joy. After spending countless months inside a Zoom bubble and becoming a prisoner to my own dorm, I can finally give my sorority sisters a giant socially distanced hug.
Despite some restrictive policies still in place, this newfound update is currently lifting the campus-wide slump. Organizations can finally transform their ideas to socialized events in order to increase student involvement on campus.
“No social gatherings on campus has made school feel like Halloween all semester long: a dead ghost town,” said Andrew Dalton, a student of West Liberty.
Some students are wary to step outside the easement of virtual interaction while others are raging with anticipation, but it’s crucial for everyone to appreciate this opportunity and adhere to the rules while it lasts. The goal is to keep everyone healthy and avoid the dreaded email that sends students packing.
Safely building student morale during phase three of social distancing may seem impossible, but it can be achieved by keeping gatherings at a maximum of 25 people, making sure meeting spaces allow for distance of six feet and wearing masks at all times. We are living in a world where not wearing a mask is the equivalent to walking around without a shirt. Without it, we just feel naked.
Lambda Psi Sigma and the Criminal Justice Society recently hosted a domestic violence awareness walk in support of the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) that showcased the potential for safe events on campus. Students gathered on the quad and bonded over a shared message while following the COVID-19 guidelines.
Mental health among higher education is a growing concern, but the added stress of completing an education during a pandemic has caused rampant growth in anxiety. The US National Library of Medicine conducted a study that indicated 86 percent of students find decreased social interactions to be a main reason for stress.
By taking off your mask and exceeding the preferred capacity, you are sentencing yourself to a life of poor emotional health and virtual activities. So, the task at hand is simple: wear your mask, social distance, meet in small groups and keep track of people in contact with each other. Is defying these simple rules truly worth the risk?