In the midst of a pandemic, people are seeking guidance for how to safely carry out their lives. The protocol seems to vary from state to state and person to person, so it’s difficult for people to know which actions won’t put their communities at risk of a COVID-19 outbreak.
Colleges and universities are taking social distancing violations seriously and are rightfully suspending students who don’t take necessary precautions. However, their unclear policies for social gatherings and lack of safe alternatives has many college students unsure of how to proceed.
Humans are naturally social creatures, so being unable to physically interact as often as one would like can take a poll on mental health. This isn’t to say that college students should disregard social distance protocol—social distancing is vital to keeping the pandemic under control and saving lives. Instead, colleges should make protocols very clear for their students and faculty.
Students are going to socially gather—off-campus especially—so how many are allowed? Why have parties of 30 been shut down, but there are often parties of 30 clearly visible on Main Street? Students need clearer guidelines to follow; this isn’t a case by case issue.
The Geneseo administration should inform students about how many people are allowed to gather in one space at a time rather than vaguely stating that any social gatherings will be shut down. For instance, what is the protocol for a living space that houses ten or more students? Is there a limit of people that can occupy a single room?
Geneseo itself has had large gatherings for Weeks of Welcome events, so how does that differ from other gatherings if people are wearing masks?
Furthermore, different settings require different regulations. For instance, the amount of students allowed in each dining hall and academic building differs, yet these limits are unknown to the students. Likewise, there doesn’t appear to be a limit on the number of students that can occupy the College Green at one given time as long as they space themselves out. Is there a limit of people that can walk around campus together in a single crowd or a limit of people that can occupy the tennis and basketball courts?
Students should be made aware of the limits and regulations that impact how to safely socialize.