It has officially been one whole week since I have returned on campus and I must say, things are quite different.
In response to COVID-19, Clark has placed several rules and regulations to make this semester as safe as possible for students and staff. While the new rules and regulations are understandably reasonable, it doesn’t change the fact that we all (including myself) had to adjust.
Here are a few things that have changed (other than now needing to wear a mask at all times):
- Entrances and exits
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All (or at least most) buildings now have a designated side for entering and for exiting. This includes dining halls and rooming halls. By doing this, Clark is attempting to avoid traffic and clusters.
- “Stand here” stickers for lines.
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There are now floor stickers marking where individuals should stand while in line. These are located in the Bistro, Jazzman’s, The Den, and around Higgins Cafe. These markings are meant to space out individuals (social distance) while waiting in line.
- Card scanning system
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Instead of handing your ID to the cashier, you can now quickly scan your card and go. This is probably one of my favorite features that Clark has added.
- Regular COVID-19 testing
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This is probably one of the most significant changes that Clark has added. For the first three weeks of the semester, all students are expected to get tested every three days. After three weeks, students are to be tested at least once a week for the rest of the semester.
- Take out boxes, grab, and go meals.
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All food on campus is packaged for takeout, and there are now more options for grab and go meals. Note: although meals and snacks are packaged for “to-go,” there are spaces available to eat in.
These are just a few changes that were made for this semester. While some other rules and regulations were added, I think these five are a few of the more important and useful daily ones to make a note of.