By Abby Paras '24
Photo Courtesy of Abby Paras '24 and Savannah Neuner '24
As the number of cases at the College of William and Mary continues to grow steadily, it seems as though the school has no regard for the impact of super-spreader events occurring around campus. Although the official school Instagram account posted a series of stories addressing student concerns like the spread of COVID-19 via in-person classes quarantine housing, but surprisingly did not address the large school-sponsored gatherings that happened recently, like Convocation, the football game against Lafayette College, and the Echosmith concert held at the amphitheater.
Although everyone who attended the Convocation on September 10 was required to be masked, the football game held on the following day was very different. Dozens of guests tailgated outside Zable Stadium unmasked and clustered together. Furthermore, at the Echosmith concert that occurred slightly later that day, a large group of students formed a mosh pit close to the stage, and social distancing measures were not enforced.
The COVID-19 dashboard indicated that the College had a little over a hundred cases that week, leading to the change in COVID policies. Indoor dining was suspended, student organizations were encouraged to go virtual, and masks were reinstated outside. Many students wondered why the school was implementing these policies but continued on with Convocation and the football game in that same week. The exact nature of the spread and rise in cases is not revealed on the dashboard, one cannot help but connect the dots between super-spreader events and COVID cases.
Of course, this is not to say that these events shouldn’t have happened. They are important parts of the typical college experience that, freshmen and sophomores especially, haven’t gotten to experience. Most students agreed the concert was an overall enjoyable experience, there were several ways that it could have been kept under more control. Giana Ferraiolo, ‘24, stated that she “honestly think[s] it was fine being held” but she “wasn’t a fan of the big mosh pit by the stage.” She “saw people leaving their masks at their seats”, and thought that the school should have told people to spread out more.
While students have lost the privilege of dining indoors, the school is continuing to allow super-spreader events, such as the Parent and Family Weekend. However, the College isn’t requiring vaccinations for the visiting parents, rather “it is strongly encouraged for all external visitors in alignment with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance”. There is a high possibility that there could be a spike in COVID cases if enough unvaccinated parents and family members come to campus.
The new freshmen, transfers, and even the class of 2024 deserve to enjoy their first ‘real’ year on campus, without increased fear of COVID spikes. The more the College ignores the impact of these super-spreader events on the case levels, the longer that students will go on without basic experiences, like using the dining halls.
Students who were on campus during the Fall of 2020 and the Spring of 2021 will remember the numerous restrictions placed on things like dining and visiting friends in other residence halls. Although the College boasts a high vaccination rate, this doesn’t mean that students can’t get COVID. It is crucial that the school actually enforce its own mask and social distancing guidelines, especially when visitors arrive on campus. Of course, a large amount of responsibility falls on individual students to ensure that they and their guests are following the campus guidelines. However, this does not absolve the administration of blame.
Most people on campus can agree that we’d like things to return to normal. No one wants to continue with the masks outside and no one wants to have classes moved entirely virtual again. Everyone, students and administration alike, needs to continue to practice caution so everyone can have the college experience they deserve.