Today: Mar 28, 2024

No guest in RESIDENTIAL halls still continues

Abby EpsteinNews Editor

Socializing is a major part of college, but COVID-19 has taken much of this away. With recommendations from the Health Department, residence life has suspended allowing guests into residence halls for the moment.  

I understand the caution of residence life wanting to keep the students safe and healthy. Students being forced to meet outside of the dorms could possibly expose them even more. 

To hang out with friends, students have to go out to restaurants or to friend’s apartments. While residential students go to friends’ apartments even when it is not COVID-19, they are more likely to go more frequently now since commuters cannot come into dorms.  

I agree with not having commuters inside dorms because it is hard to judge where those students have been. Commuters are also not being tested as regularly as residential students so if a commuter did come into the dorms there would be no way to know if they were negative or not.  

With being a residential student, I can relate to the frustration of not allowing guests in residential halls. It has been more difficult to hang out with many of my friends since they do not live in the same dorm as me. The only way for me to see them is to meet outside of campus which could potentially increase the risk of me getting COVID-19.  

While the school cannot stop students from going off campus, by allowing residential halls to allow other residential students inside this could limit the amount students are leaving campus. Which will result in less students risking greater exposer to COVID-19.  

Last semester, the rule was that residential students could have guests from other residential buildings but no outside guests. The testing was also done at random for residential students, which means one student could get chosen three times while another could get chosen once during the semester.  

This semester, residential students are getting tested weekly, but the guest rules have become stricter with not allowing guests unless they live in the same dorm. I understand the recommendation for limiting gatherings came from the Health Department, but with having residential students tested on a regular basis, I think it is safe for residential students to be able to visit other residential halls.  

Keeping students safe and healthy should be the number one priority, which I would say is the university’s, but what also needs to be kept in mind is the mental health of the students, as the pandemic has been a difficult time for everyone. One way to help through the difficult times is to hang out and talk with friends.  

While keeping an outbreak of COVID-19 from spreading on campus is important, students should still be able to have friends over. There has been more caution put in this semester that the school should feel safer with residential students visiting other students in other residential halls.  

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