By RYAN DICK
BG Independent Correspondent
Two months into the Fall semester, BGSU students have adapted to the new way of life on campus.
“They require masks, a six-foot distance and we have random testing. I think they’ve done a really good job at keeping us safe,” freshman Jake Miller said.
According to Bowling Green State University, on average COVID-19 cases have been on a steady decline. On Sept. 29, the university reported 130 active positive cases. On Oct. 21, BGSU reported 25 active positive cases, 22 are students.
VIEW VIDEO: Life on Campus during a Pandemic from a student’s perspective
BGSU has COVID-19 protocols in effect all around campus. From face mask mandates to handwashing stations scattered across campus, students said they are satisfied with the protocols in place.
“Ultimately it is pretty hard to contain everything, but I feel they have done a pretty good job to contain it on campus,” sophomore Jasmine Bullard said. “I just think they need to reinforce the ‘no large gatherings’ a little bit more and everything will be fine.”
Bullard said the hardest change this year was the switch to online and remote classes. “It’s a struggle because we don’t ultimately get the resources that we usually get during a normal year.”
Freshman Robert Curry, an art student, said classes tend to be harder with the remote style. “It’s been a little more difficult, especially studio-wise, getting in and asking professors questions on my drawings or models.”
Sophomore Reagan Satterwhite said online classes present a challenge to social life. “It’s harder to meet new people, especially because you can’t go to class.”
When the semester began, the university did not allow students to have any guests in the residence halls.
On Oct. 6, Residence Life announced an updated guest policy allowing students to have one guest in their residence hall room at any given time. Curry said he thinks the updated guest policy will not cause a rise in cases.
“If you’re already hanging out with that person, you’d be hanging out with them outside of the dorms. So if they had COVID, you would probably get COVID,” he said.
“There’s always a risk of an increase,” said Miller. “But if we’re going to stay jailed up forever, not many people will want to stay on campus.”
BGSU also canceled spring break. When the university canceled spring break, they added four “wellness days”—Feb. 12, March 11, March 30, April 14—on which classes will not be held.
For students like Curry, four one-day breaks are enough. “I don’t mind it because we still get days off.”
But Bullard said spring break would have been helpful for mental health reasons.
“A lot of my friends are very stressed out from this semester. I feel spring break would have been another break that we could have gotten to get ourselves together.”
