This week was a dumpster fire. While everyone has been dealing with their individual issues, our entire community was engulfed in the chaos and anxiety of a COVID-19 outbreak on campus.
Through classes this week I have heard countless faculty and students complain about the mishandling of the COVID outbreak. People have pointed blame towards the administration and health center’s handling of testing and communication with the community. The frustration and anxiety on campus this week was palpable.
While I agree that the college could have provided clearer guidance and had more infrastructure in place prior to the outbreak, I don’t think that the student body has taken accountability for its actions. At the end of the day, it was not the administrative personnel or our professor who were attending Greek events or hanging out in Milo’s on a Saturday night. There is a large part of our student body who has made a conscious choice to disregard the health guidelines put in place by both the CDC and Bailey’s health center. Now, due to the recklessness of our student body, we are facing the consequences.
We need to consider the ramifications of our actions that extend beyond us.
Some to consider include: Being forced to expose your parents and family members to the virus as you quarantine. Accidentally exposing an immunocompromised person in the classroom, dining hall, or dorm without even knowing it.
Often, as young impulsive adults, we do not consider how our actions impact people beyond ourselves. It is time that each and every one of us looks at the bigger picture:
- We all attend Lafayette with the hopes of obtaining a high-quality education.
- We enjoy various activities, clubs and sports that are more fun when done in person.
- We have already lost part of our college experience in the past year learning on Zoom.
- We each have people we care about. We want to keep them safe and healthy.
Now that we are back on campus let’s not jeopardize the finite amount of time that we have on campus. I encourage you to reflect on the parts of your life that hold the most value and importance. Please think of these things before you decide to put yourself and our entire community at risk for a night you won’t remember 20 years from now.