Should Exeter Have Reopened?
By Angela Zhang ‘23
After six long months, Exeter finally reopened its doors to students from around the world—with strict restrictions, of course. Simultaneously, college campuses have also reopened, while others stay closed for the rest of the year. The reopening of schools, naturally, has become a contentious topic. After all, COVID-19 poses a significant health risk to wide swaths of the general population.
The New York Times completed a survey in early September, showing a 36,000 case increase in coronavirus patients on college campuses. While not all these cases were a direct result of campus reopenings, and were likely contracted elsewhere before the start of school, the results go to show that campuses have become a new hotspot for the virus.
This isn’t surprising news at all. Schools and health officials have known this risk to be real, and surely, they have been working tirelessly ever since early summer to mitigate the potential consequences of a known risk.
With that being said, I believe Exeter made the right choice in reopening. This belief is not at all a dismissal to the health risk. In fact, if Exeter hadn’t proven itself responsible in controlling the situation, I would not support its reopening. The Academy invested in many health resources and protocols, spent a great deal of time rewriting student guidelines and daily expectations and seems to have a plan for nearly every event that could happen, including the recent positive test. To see that plan, we need to revisit the Academy’s earlier response.
For example, on Sep. 10, the Academy completed a round of testing that had two indeterminate results. Staff consequently administered rapid antigen tests that came back negative. The two cases continued to be treated as positive cases until their second PCR tests turned out to be negative, and 13 people in close contact with them were immediately identified and tested. There were quarantine facilities in the Health Center for such individuals.
Even now, with a positive case on campus (to be expected), the school is rapidly identifying and quarantining close contacts. I admit I was worried at first; I am lucky enough to not personally know someone with the virus, so with someone on campus testing positive, the reality of the virus just got, well, much kore real. However, there isn’t mass hysteria, and no one is left in the dark. The school is doing everything it can to control the situation and is transparent in its notices to families. This calm and collected response reassured me my health would be taken care of once I return to Exeter in October.
Some believe the health protocols and campus restrictions are still not enough to ensure 100% safety, which is completely valid. That’s why the freedom of choice is so important. I trust families made decisions in their best interests. Those who would rather continue virtual learning, are concerned for their safety, are immunocompromised or have travel restrictions can choose to experience Exeter virtually. At the same time, there were families that needed Exeter to reopen. The current plan, though imperfect, tries to accommodate both groups.
Not every student has access to an organized learning space, stable internet connection or a quiet environment at home. Some families did not expect their children to be home for so long and are thud unprepared for or do not have the resources to support their children’s extended stays. Virtual learning is also a completely different ballgame than in-person classes, and many students find themselves unmotivated and struggling to keep up. The financial, emotional, physical and mental difficulties students may experience at home should not be overlooked. Being in a proper school environment, having access to more resources and being away from potentially stressful familial issues undoubtedly aids many students in finding a sense of normalcy during these difficult times. That, and simply being at Exeter, will also help improve the educational experience of the many Exonians who thrive on campus.
Reportedly, there were also a handful of students who considered withdrawal from the Academy if it did not reopen. Tuition is certainly not inexpensive, and some students did not believe a completely virtual educational experience would be worth the charges. Student athletes would also be missing out on opportunities to train and play for the Academy if it did not reopen. Especially for those seeking to be athletes at the collegiate level, access to training and sports teams is an important factor in deciding if a completely virtual experience with the Academy would be worth it. It’s a good thing we reopened, or else we would alienate and possibly lose members of our Exeter community.
Overall, I believe the majority of students still look forward to their return—and for good reason. Being physically present at Exeter is undisputedly a critical component of the Exeter experience. Campus serves various purposes for each student, and, granted strict and trusted health protocols are implemented, the reopening of Exeter provides many benefits to all families.