A year ago, no one would’ve imagined the steps that have been taken in this pandemic. We have 3 effective (and safe) vaccines, and the world is coming back together. Even concerts, my favorite thing, are coming back! I actually just bought tickets this past week to see Shawn Mendes in the summer. Of course, there is the Delta variant, which is highly contagious and can sometimes break through vaccines, but a lot of the normality that was abruptly taken from us in March 2020 has come back.
Also just over a year ago, I started my first year of college at Denison University. To protect everyone’s health, our administration took covid very seriously and there were tons of restrictions. We had to wear a mask every time we left our dorm room, indoors and outdoors. Some classes were remote; in person classes were at a social distance. Big gatherings couldn’t happen, we couldn’t go further than 15 minutes away from campus without risking getting sent home, and we didn’t have fall or spring break. The rules were stricter than any of the rules at my friend’s respective colleges. To be honest, it sometimes felt suffocating. However, our hard work and lack of freedom did pay off. Covid cases were low, up until the vaccine became available. The covid guidelines shaped my first year of college. I didn’t know what a non-pandemic version of Denison was like, until 5 weeks ago.
Arriving on campus this year felt like a culture shock. Because about 98% of our campus population is vaccinated, there are way fewer covid restrictions; there is a true semblance of the “normal” Denison experience. I honestly felt like I was a first year student again at the very start of the semester because the entirety of my experience here thus far had been rooted in covid restrictions, which are now lifted. Masks are still required in classrooms and other indoor spaces, but they aren’t required outdoors or in all indoor spaces. Big events, such as Big Red Weekend that starts tomorrow (from when I’m writing this) are allowed to happen; we can travel as far as we want off campus, and we get our fall and spring breaks back. I also want to make it clear that covid is still being taken seriously, but because the overwhelming majority of the campus is vaccinated, the rules don’t have to be as strict. At times, it feels like a totally different school without the covid restrictions dictating every decision. So, I’ve felt like a first year student again probably because this may be my second year here, but it’s my first year experiencing the somewhat normal college experience.