On Feb. 1st, President Denise Battles sent another email about updates in campus COVID-19 restrictions. In this email, Battles stated that athletic practices will resume, safety permitting. Many students find this unfair due to increased restrictions in other campus organizations. Although sports teams were permitted to practice beginning the week of March 1st, other student clubs and organizations must wait until March 15th to hold in-person events.
Geneseo is adhering to the rules outlined in the “Reopening New York: Sports and Recreation Guidelines.” These guidelines limit indoor sports to 50 percent of the maximum occupancy, although Geneseo’s COVID-19 restrictions state that “college-sponsored small group activities will adhere to NYS group-size limits … and no more than 25 percent of maximum occupancy for indoor or no more than 33 percent of the maximum occupancy for outdoor.” It is unclear which of these guidelines applies to campus activities.
Some students are also upset with the allowance of sports to resume when their basic college lives remain heavily restricted. On-campus students are not permitted to hang out with friends in their dorms, nor can they eat in dining halls.
Meanwhile, New York Sports and Recreation Guidelines state that sports must “ensure 6 ft. distance between individuals at all times ... unless safety or core activity (e.g. practicing, playing) requires a shorter distance. If a shorter distance is required, individuals must wear face coverings, unless players are unable to tolerate such a covering for the physical activity.” It is hard to understand why such exceptions can be made for athletics while all other gatherings on campus are strictly prohibited.
If it is possible to re-open sports practices, Geneseo should also consider re-opening other campus spaces and events with similar safety protocols. The New York Sports and Recreation plan does a thorough job of outlining rules for hygiene, including requiring the use of hand sanitizer, cleaning shared equipment and spaces and prohibiting shared food. Other student organizations should be given similar guidance on how to safely resume meetings. This pandemic has created an isolating environment for many, but with increased safety and hygiene procedures, students should be permitted to participate in more campus events.