Student Life Adapts to COVID-19 Guidelines

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Guidelines Bring Change

When it comes to student life at Olivet Nazarene University, the pandemic has caused some changes throughout. Olivet is working to provide a sense of normalcy for the community while following COVID-19 guidelines. Olivet’s 2020-2021 Academic Guidelines mention Olivet’s set of rules regarding COVID-19. According to the academic guidelines, this impacts residential life, “campus events, athletic contests, social activities, and music and theatre performances.” 

A Sense of Normalcy. Students are finding ways to bring a sense of normalcy. Students are able to work on homework together, casually hang out, or even work on group projects (such as a film project) with COVID-19 guidelines. (Photo Credit: Drew Case)

Resident Life

With up to 200 students living in each residential hall, this created some complications for the university. Each dorm room or apartment is considered a family unit. While students don’t have to wear a mask in their living space, once they leave their room/apartment they are required to wear a mask. 

Leaving the room with a mask. Junior, Jacob Baker walks out of his apartment with a mask on. Olivet requires students to wear masks in the public areas (including hallways). Once residents are in their living space (rooms/apartments). (Photo Credit: Drew Case)

In an effort to keep university cases low, open dorms (inviting guests of the opposite sex) was disbanded until further notice. In the mid-fall 2020 semester, the University decided to do a test and run open apartments for the apartment complexes, but no open dorms. But they were canceled before they occurred due to a spike of 40 cases. 

Thanks to saliva testing, as of the Spring 2021 semester, the apartment complexes and Dormitories are able to host open dorms. But there are still rules to follow.

Resident Director, Drew Benson, said, “Masks are required by all guests and apartment residents during the entire open house visit. They may be removed for active eating and returned to place after eating concludes.” 

To hear more about what’s going on in Residential Life, listen to the audio clip below.

RA of 2 years, Peyton Thibault, talks about how COVI-19 and saliva testing has impacted dorm life
(Credit: speaker-Peyton Thibault, Editor-Drew Case)

Student Events

Another challenging aspect of the 2020-2021 school year was providing events for students that cater to CDC’s guidelines. This caused campus events to pack up and move outdoors. 

Because of these new guidelines, Olivet introduced Nights at the Plex. This weekly event provided a variety of outdoor activities. This includes bonfires, cornhole, t-shirt tie-dying, and more.  In the Olivet Gazette’s report, The Origin Story of Nights at the Plex, it reports Olivet’s response to the Plex: “the Plex, ‘was created to help foster an environment for students to enjoy socially distanced activities.’” 

Night at the Plex. The Olivet Gazette features various students thoughts of ONU’s Fall 2020 weekly event, Night at the Plex.
(Credit: Olivet Gazette, Reported by Fes Reynel-Hernandez, Edited by Reyna Nolan)

But as snow begins to fall and the temperature drops below freezing, Nights at the Plex and other outdoor events didn’t seem possible. But thanks to the saliva testing, those at the university hold some comfort of hosting events indoors. As of Spring 2021, students can go to Rec City in Chalfant Hall. Similar to Nights at the Plex, there are a multitude of activities students can choose from: air hockey, foosball, arcade games, board games, and more. 

Taking a Step Forward

With saliva testing on campus and the option to get a vaccine, various students are hoping to take a step closer to normalcy. For more information on how COVID-19 has impacted universities such as Olivet, take a look at the CDC’s recommendations for Colleges, Universities, and Higher Learning.

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Author

  • Drew Case

    Growing up in Ohio, I grew a love for media and television. With the support of my parents and two older brothers, I am pursuing towards a Multimedia Communications degree at Olivet Nazarene University. With in my first few months on campus, I started working for the SRMA (Student Run Marketing Agency) in the business department. Through this job, I've grown through my video, photography, and editing skills. I hope to keep growing through new oppertunities.

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