OPINION: Skyhawks we can do better

By Georgiana Ploss

Like most people on campus, I have mixed emotions about the school’s decision to go remote for ten days. I’m ecstatic that I have a chance to finish my senior year on campus, but I also am rather angry that our actions have led us to this extreme of an outcome so early on in the semester.

One category of the culprit for the fast-spread of COVID-19 is party-goers. During a typical semester, I wouldn’t think twice about the parties. However, as I’m sure everyone is aware, this is not a normal semester. I understand that college students are excited to be back on campus and seeing friends again - and I am too - but risking each other’s health isn’t the best way to express these feelings.

“Partying during a time like this is a very irresponsible thing to do, especially since the number of positive cases are so high right now,” senior Olivia Gilbert said. “By throwing parties, they are endangering not only the outside community but also the Stonehill community.”

Another reason it’s frustrating that students are partying is because it undercuts Stonehill students’ sense of doing what’s right.

“During the last semester, I was impressed with how the students were taking responsibility, and looking out for each other,” junior Julia Goslin said. “However, now I feel disappointed in my peers.”

Despite these party-goers risking everyone’s well-being, I recognize the administration should have tightened security measures when inviting students back on campus. One way in which the college could have done this would have been to require all students to quarantine immediately when they got back on campus. Although students were requested to submit a negative COVID test at least 72 hours before returning to campus, there was still plenty of time for students to contract the virus. Additionally, since there’s a period between contracting the virus and having a COVID test show as positive, a quarantine period seems most sensible.

Agreeing, junior Ashley Nagle said, “I think everyone quarantining on campus for two weeks would have significantly reduced the spread because people came back to campus not knowing they had COVID.”