Exonians Grapple with Virus Protocols

By Jeannie Eom, Brian Son, David Chen, Tucker Gibbs and Clark Wu

The coronavirus pandemic has led to a host of health and safety guidelines for Exeter students, faculty and staff alike. Though these policies keep students safe, they have also raised new challenges to day-to-day life. The Student Guidebook, last updated Sep. 4, states that adults and students must remain six feet apart, whenever possible. In addition, masks are required at all times, and most activities are virtual.

Students reported slow adjustment to new day-to-day patterns. Upper Toby Chan noted, for example, that “getting used to the arrows and one-directional staircases” has been difficult.

Additionally, maintaining six feet of distance on paths and at meal times has proven tough for some students. “[Distancing] does seem to have been the hardest of the guidelines to follow,” Dean of Health and Wellness Johnny Griffith said. “[But] there does seem to have been improvement in that regard.”  

Griffith noted that faculty reminders, given to accidental rule-breakers, have been effective. In addition, Dean of Students Brooks Moriarty recently patrolled campus in a golf cart to ensure physical distancing. However, these measures only go so far; to ensure the safety of others, administrators said, students must be responsible and proactive.

The Music Building, one of few places to house certain instruments, has introduced protocols to ensure student safety while allowing practice room use. On the schedule posted outside of each room, teachers leave thirty minutes between available time slots for disinfection and air flow. According to Music Department Chair Kristofer Johnson, students have largely respected the policies. “Students seem to be conscientiously spraying the disinfectant to be sure that surfaces will be safe to touch for the next musician,” he said.

Athletes noted that masks have made some sports more difficult, while others have seen negligible impacts. All sports programs require the wearing of masks, but “as a cross country runner, at least, they have not diminished the quality of my training much,” upper Bradley St. Laurent said. “Although I know that may be a different case for other sports.”

 The pandemic has also resulted in broader impacts for student life. Assistant Director of Student Activities Kelly McGahie stressed that, this term, being flexible has to come first. Few major events can be organized ahead of time as pandemic circumstances may change rapidly. “For that reason, I can’t hire people. I can’t make plans or spend money. We need to see where we’re at,” she said.

Additionally, bonding and recreation typically done in-person has had to migrate online; casual opportunities for engagement have also been replaced by more formalized online events. For students’ first weekend on campus, typically a vibrant time, the Student Activities office organized a speed-friending event. The event was designed to offer students, new and returning, a chance to engage with one another in an online environment. “This makes it less intimidating,” McGahie said. “Assuming it’s the weekend at school, and new students had to go to a big dance without knowing anyone, they probably wouldn’t want to come.” Last year, Student Activities hosted a similar event in person.

According to McGahie, students enjoyed the speed-friending activity both times it has happened. “Based on the feedback we got both of those sessions, [students] seem to like it. I also heard separately from a lower who had heard that some of her upper friends had done this, and she wanted to know when they were going to do it,” McGahie said. “I know that Mr. Caldwell did speed friending with the preps, and they also really liked it.”

Though student recreation poses unique challenges this term, faculty and staff have come together to devise new ways to connect. Matt Carboni, a Campus Safety officer, noticed students on skateboards or just sitting in a circle. “They looked quite bored,” he texted McGahie. “So I arranged to have the corn holes and Frisbees put back down so that students could kind of self selectively get together around these games.” 

While the guidelines can be tough, many believe that they are well worth the sacrifice. “COVID guidelines make social activity more challenging everywhere,” upper Kira Ferdyn said. “[But] I absolutely feel like the challenges we’re facing are worth the reward of being able to communicate in person and spend time on campus.”