As cases of COVID-19 are on the rise throughout the United States and hospitals, state and local officials and American citizens are bracing for what is looking like the third wave of the pandemic in the country. But you certainly wouldn’t know it if you walked down the streets of most American cities. Bars, restaurants, gyms and salons are largely open. People are gathering in big groups without masks. Although rising cases have led some areas to reintroduce stricter regulations, many are continuing on as if life is normal and there have not been over 200,000 deaths from this illness over the past nine months.
Unfortunately, Notre Dame falls into this camp. Despite more than 800 cases in the past two months, the university has chosen to carry on with its regular programming of football, dorm activity and in-person classes. These cases have not resulted in any deaths within the Notre Dame community, but it is highly likely that the school’s cases have infected members of the wider South Bend community, and most likely resulted in deaths. Just like President Trump and his administration, Father Jenkins and Notre Dame have simply decided that we are done with COVID-19 and that we want to resume our regular lives, so that’s what we’re going to do. Although I’ve often disagreed with decisions made by the federal government and by Notre Dame, I’ve never been more embarrassed to be an American and a student here.
Even though I disapprove of the country and Notre Dame’s coronavirus response, I am not arguing to go back into a complete lockdown again. That is both impractical and far too damaging to people’s mental states. But there is an in-between of what Notre Dame is doing and being completely virtual or not having students on campus. Take Dartmouth, for example. Dartmouth has welcomed students back to campus (with a two-week quarantine period at the start), and all classes are virtual. Students can gather in groups of up to nine people and must wear masks and remain socially distant. They have adjusted their dorms so all students live in a single. Since July 1, 2020, Dartmouth has had 13 cases among students and faculty total. By bringing students back to campus but continuing with virtual classes, I believe that Dartmouth has struck an excellent balance between keeping their campus and wider community safe while still allowing for human connection and growth.
Some might read this article and accuse me of being ungrateful for the opportunity to return to campus and participate in all the wonderful things Notre Dame has to offer. This is not the case at all. I recognize what a privilege it is to be able to do things like attend football games while so many throughout the country and world cannot, but I also think it’s crucial to acknowledge the ramifications of this activity. As much as we like to think ND exists in a bubble, it doesn’t, and our actions affect South Bend and beyond. I don’t know what the solution to this problem is. The coronavirus may be around for many more months and some semblance of normality might return. I think that the best thing we can do, as we muddle through this huge obstacle together, is to simply remember that actions have consequences and we are all in this together.