Moving back to East Lansing for in-person classes was supposed to be exciting, especially for freshmen and sophomores who have never gotten a real college experience. The problem with going back in person is that there has to be a balance between normalcy and safety. MSU’s administration has completely failed at finding that balance. It is great that the administration requires masks and vaccinations, both important tools to stop the spread of COVID-19. Yet to allow and even require students to come to class when they are not feeling well by preventing professors from incorporating an online option is simply wrong.
There is no way of knowing if the person sitting next to you is sick because now professors aren’t even being notified when someone in class has tested positive for COVID, unless they were in “close contact.” This is unacceptable. We deserve to know if there are risks to our health by coming to class. When students are not given an online option and attendance is required, how can MSU expect them to just sit back and let their grades suffer? While I hope students are not going to class with COVID, it’s understandable why they might be doing so when there is no alternative being provided by the school.
Many students have expressed their frustrations with the way the school has been handling COVID procedures, and it is clear that we are not being listened to. The Triage Team that is supposed to be taking information on cases is clearly understaffed, and those that are working are doing their best with little support. In addition, there are no attempts to maintain social distancing in classrooms, which makes little sense when we are greeted by the pleasant sounds of coughing and sneezing everywhere we go.
One user on twitter called MSU’s policies “disgusting” while another said “This is why people are scared.” It certainly has not been easy to deal with such a big public health crisis, but the people making these decisions seem to be making them without the consideration of students in mind. I am not saying we need to move back online, but I do think MSU can do better to ensure that in-person classes are as safe as possible. It’s the least they can do.