CLARE NORMOYLE
Special to The Leader
Written Sept. 21, 2021.
The Coronavirus pandemic is an on-going problem amongst students and faculty at SUNY Fredonia.
Case numbers are constantly fluctuating up and down, but never hitting zero.
Included in the President’s Office weekly email sent out last Thursday, SUNY Fredonia’s President, Stephen Kolison reported how the numbers are trending.
“As of this morning, we have had 69 positive COVID-19 cases among students since the start of the semester. Of the 69 cases, 32 are considered active cases, while 39 have recovered and been cleared to return to on-campus classes and activities,” Kolison said.
Kolison went on in his email to mention the new vaccination requirements for all students.
With the FDA now approving the Pfizer vaccine, many campuses, like Fredonia, are approving this mandate and even creating opportunities on campus for students to get vaccinated if they don’t have the means to do so.
By Sept. 27, 2021, all students need to show proof of vaccination to the school. If a student has not been vaccinated, nor has shown any proof by that time, the student will then be dropped from all of their courses and will have to deregister.
In the email, Kolison hyperlinked how and where to show your proof of vaccination to make everything a little easier for students.
However, as the date crawls closer, fewer students are remaining unvaccinated.
Students have also been wondering, will campus go back online for a two-week period if case numbers spike again?
“Unlike last year, SUNY has not set a number [of cases]. Also, unlike the last two semesters, we have a significant number of persons on campus that are vaccinated. I expect that vaccination rates and other evolving factors will be studied before a threshold for pausing is established,” said Kolison.
With that comes teamwork and longevity for everyone to remain healthy.
The mask mandate on campus is also helping keep positive case numbers down within classrooms, which no longer follow social distancing guidelines.
Some professors are using their resources to their advantage when it comes to class time.
Dr. Susan McGee, a Fredonia professor within the English department, said, “On days when weather permits, we have moved our class discussions and activities outside.”
“The open-air space has been a good mitigation tool, but our brains and bodies have also benefited from the trees, sun and fresh breezes. I maintain an open option to attend class via Zoom if they have any concerns about worrying symptoms or close contact with another student that tested positive,” she continued.
For many students, there’s been a lot of adjusting and re-adjusting that had to be done in the past few years. But with adjustment comes unwarranted change, which can have an effect on students’ mental health.
McGee wants her students to know she takes their mental health as seriously as their physical health, and she and other faculty members are always willing to listen and help students who are struggling.
Although students are now discovering more ways to make their own fun outside of the classroom, there are still precautions that need to be taken.
Bars are re-opening and extending their hours.
Because of this, many students are more inclined to go out, but this can also put them at risk.
The safety of students matters on and off campus.
Students are encouraged to wear masks in other places, such as stores, restaurants and bars.
“If you’re sick or showing any symptoms, do not go out. Many students will go to the bar or out with friends even when sick because they don’t want to miss out and evidently, this puts others at risk. I urge students to take the five to 10 minutes to go get tested at the health center and take advantage of the resources Fredonia has available,” said senior class president, Jenna Woods.
Woods feels that as a representative of the class of 2022, they and the entire student body are given immense opportunities to control the spread of COVID-19 on and off campus.
Thus, it’s up to the campus community to continue to keep themselves and each other safe.
It is a never ending effort for administrators, students and the surrounding community to make sure that everyone is doing their part to keep school in-person and in session.