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Speaker 1 00:00:09 Between the crowd noise and the hum of the backstage, it might be a little difficult to make out, but that was chance the rapper performing at Northwestern's very own di day in 2014 in front of a packed crowd of new Northwestern students, alumni, and the general public that roar people, armed arms swaying to the music. And generally large crowds have been sorely missed over the last two years of the COVID 19 pandemic. And as we get closer to dilo day 2022, the first time the performance will be held since 2019, Northwestern is starting to loosen their COVID policies to adapt both to national and local changes. But is it the right decision? Well, there are varying opinions from many different sources. My name is sh Flinner and let explore COVID on campus. And what people are thinking it has now been over two years since COVID 19 was first declared a worldwide pandemic.
Speaker 1 00:01:01 As we look more toward the future, that moment where the children were sent home and the United States asked for a quarantine period, seems more and more like a fixed point, a lens through which to look at life before or after COVID. In that time, the world has had to adapt and evolve severely going from quarantining to zoom meetings, to in-person masking indoors to now, as of law last week, going mask list, the Supreme court recently blocked an attempt of president Joe Biden's administration to implement a nationwide mask mandate, which prompted airlines to lift similar measures and all around the country. Businesses, schools, libraries, and many industries are starting to lift those same protocols. Still questions have arisen over, or whether it might be too early for such pullbacks, especially as schools across the country, seeing uptick in cases, although the days of 20% positivity rates from December, January, and February, 2022 seem to be in the rear view mirror, some worry that we might be moving too quickly away from masking policies with numbers, still relatively prevalent. It is a nuanced issue and Northwestern students reflect that in their opinion.
Speaker 2 00:02:09 Do, um, I think it's tricky because obviously at some point, like we will unask I guess we kinda have, um, but like at some point we would anyway, um, this
Speaker 1 00:02:20 Is sophomore transfer, Amelia Monte expressing an idea, the, that many students here feel to sum it up. It's complicated.
Speaker 2 00:02:29 It did feel a little premature for me, at least like in the classrooms, because if we're not testing, um, it just feels like there's no way to know. And for the people who might have underlying conditions or might have family who they like go to visit, or, I mean, there's a number of factors, but for people like that, um, like classes are the one place you have to go. And so I think it's a little bit tricky to, um, have that be a place where you don't have to wear masks. I think it makes sense, like other places like the library and social situations, um, more because like people are gonna unmask and socialize anyway, obviously. Um, but like those are places that you choose to go to, um, and they don't necessarily have to do with academic.
Speaker 1 00:03:13 And the idea of choice in non-academic areas is a popular one that was reflected by, in Northwestern, closer to the end of winter quarter, where they moved mask list in non-academic settings themselves. However, as recently as that was, there have been many new developments, prompting schools further on the east coast, notably Georgetown university, the university of Pennsylvania and John Hopkins university to temporarily reinstate mandates when spikes the BA two variant continue. But most Northwestern students are finding it hard to believe that masking right now will lead to anything but extending the pandemic, Jene Wilson, a current senior living in an off campus house with several other students believes that it might be time to move away from masking.
Speaker 3 00:03:58 It's never gonna be like a good enough of time, honestly. Um, cuz like I feel like COVID is gonna be around for a bit,
Speaker 1 00:04:05 But while it is true that masking at Northwestern must end at some point, the idea proposed is not to replace it with nothing.
Speaker 3 00:04:13 Yeah. So last year we had you tested like every week. Um, and I would, I feel like if the school doesn't want masks and we should just have like a testing requirement every week, like it's not like that much work honestly, but I feel like that would probably be the best plan of action for the school right now, especially cuz I feel like so many people have COVID or have been getting COVID lately, um, like way more than in the fall. And
Speaker 1 00:04:38 While the idea of a testing requirement may see, seem like an immense process to implement. There is already precedent within the student body already because of the mask list policy, many clubs from theater to journalism to dance groups have implemented weekly or biweekly tests this quarter because of that lack of mask mandates, regardless let's keep crossing our fingers that the spike is temporary and we can finally experience the dilo day an amazing end of the spring quarter that Northwestern always brings. And while testing to many students may seem like an annoyance to help keep Northwestern mask list, but COVID free. It might be the only option we have from Evanston, Illinois. This is sh Fluer w N R news.
