CLARE NORMOYLE
Special to The Leader
The fall 2021 semester has been a little different for Fredonia students this year.
It’s the first semester in almost two years where students and faculty will have a full day of classes in person.
But with this physical luxury comes safety requirements.
SUNY Fredonia President Stephen H. Kollison sent out a campus-wide email last Thursday letting students and faculty know that when they are inside of campus buildings, they are required to wear masks at all times.
This announcement comes after the spike in positive cases in the county in the last couple of weeks.
“If you look at the CDC data tracker for Chautauqua County, the numbers are not good. The seven day positivity rate is 12%. The number of positive cases in the county is up 13% over the past week,” said Kolison.
So, with these mandates set forth, campus clubs are looking to find ways to still enjoy their clubs and activities while still remaining safe.
Emily Cammarata, president of The Riveters, an a capella group on campus said, “As a group, we are still holding attendance as a way to enforce active participation, but we are modifying it to be more lenient when it comes to health concerns. If a member is sick or was exposed, we encourage them to stay home! It is not worth the stress and worry to come to rehearsal if someone feels they could be spreading the virus.”
Cammarata’s goal with The Riveters is to make sure their club finds ways to stay active.
She wants to make sure that everyone feels safe and comfortable in the environment created for them, even if it means adjusting activities such as their audition process..
Other clubs, such as PRSSA, are making changes to their group’s agenda as well.
“Public Relations Student Society of America will be doing their meetings in a more hybrid format, meaning some will be in-person and others will be on zoom,” said Ariana Tooker, the club’s president.
While the weather is still cooperating, many organizations are looking to move their larger activities outside if possible.
Tooker is also the Vice President of Latinos Unidos.
Although most of LU’s events are in person, Tooker explained that “movie night, for example, will be outside to make it safer for those not comfortable attending indoor events on campus.”
Many clubs on campus recognize that COVID-19 is still around, and the numbers are increasing.
Thus, they support the President’s decisions and the guidelines given in order to reduce the spread.
Kolison also wanted the campus community to know that, “…wearing a mask can be an inconvenience. But, compared to the impact of getting infected with COVID-19, the inconvenience associated with the mask is far better.”