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The weight of COVID-19 on campus


In 2020 COVID-19 changed the social landscape of places around the world, arguably none more than in college universities. With the sheer number of students who are in college around the country administrations have been forced to adapt their curriculum and schools to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Oklahoma Christian University is no exception to this change. 

Following the decision to send students home last spring break, Oklahoma Christian began to develop a COVID-19 task force to guide the university’s response to the pandemic. Required testing, on-campus mask mandates and free COVID-19 testing have done wonders to keep not only the university population safer, but the local community as well. However, there is still room for improvement. 

A lack of consistency in the COVID-19 protocols is working against the goal of keeping positive tests down. I understand there are no easy answers for our administration because this type of situation is unprecedented. Most of the time around campus the mask mandate does what it is supposed to. But looser mask policy in hot spots such as the cafeteria and the gym make the reality of COVID-19 a little more real. As someone who goes to the gym regularly, oftentimes there are older people who use the same equipment as a student body who may or may not be wearing their masks while working out. I cannot help but think this puts them in greater danger than in a gym with enforced COVID-19 policies. 

All that being said, the real weight of COVID-19 spreading on campus falls onto the students. With universities being hot spots for the coronavirus students are put in a unique situation where we hold a lot of power. We can choose to be smart about what we are doing and follow policies, or go about our life and ignore the reality of the pandemic. I believe the Oklahoma Christian student body should be applauded for our handling of the coronavirus. Outside of a handful of COVID-19 outbreaks the student body has worked hard to try to stay healthy. Criticisms facing college students are often that we are selfish and care more about ourselves than we do the public. I’m not saying our problems are more important than the safety of the public; they aren’t. But the problems confronting us are not dismissible. For seniors such as myself the job market is not what it was before the pandemic hit the U.S., making the pressure to stand on our own two feet once we have graduated all the more real. The underclassmen of today will have a completely different college experience than anyone before them. Freshmen at Oklahoma Christian have seen a completely different way of living than in the past. From intramurals to Spring Sing, one of Oklahoma Christian’s biggest events, the experience just won’t be what it used to be and this is important to remember. 

From 18 to 22 years old and up, everyone at Oklahoma Christian has been affected by COVID-19. With the vaccine rolling out to students hopefully we can soon look back on the coronavirus as a thing of the past. Until then our student body will continue to do what we can to keep everyone as healthy as possible.

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