It has been almost a month since Marist College reopened its doors, allowing for a seemingly normal campus for the first time in over a year. From students gathering on the campus green to to athletic teams competing with stands full of spectators, to any passerby the college has regained its sense of self. However, does this picture-perfect image of a college reborn mean that its students are feeling equally as rejuvenated despite the lingering fear of a possible COVID outbreak? The student body may not be as comfortable as you think.
“When I hear [that] someone has COVID that I know I still clamp up,” Senior Lauren Hanley says. Hanley, a senior from Shelburne, Vermont has faced a number of challenges returning back to campus for the fall semester, especially being chronically ill. “Being immunocompromised, it’s very terrifying and I don't want to get it”.
Yet, Hanley has struggled balancing enjoying her last year of college with remaining consciously aware of her own physical health. “I’m definitely being more cautious. My parents are always checking up on me, making sure that I’m okay and making sure that I know I’m immune compromised - it’s kind of weird to say that because sometimes I forget but during this pandemic it’s become very evident and kind of terrifying at the same time”.
A key factor in her hesitancy returning to campus is vaccines, and the stigma around the need for additional vaccinations. According to Marist’s COVID-19 Dashboard, as of September 17th, approximately 95.8% of the student population and 95.3% of employees have been fully vaccinated. However, with conversations surrounding a possible need for a booster shot, and more active cases arising - 38 cases as of the 17th - the familiar eerie feelings of distrust and paranoia is slowly encroaching again.
“The thing I am worried about with [my] peers is more the idea of getting a third shot because I’ve seen a lot of people be like ‘I thought this was a one and done deal, I’m not getting a third shot’ and it doesn't make sense to me”. Junior Matthew Moraski explains. A likely catalyst of this mindset is news sources, Hanley poses, “The fact that false news is overshadowing medical [advice] is very frustrating and complicated and I just don't understand”.
Senior Ani Stein mentions that the vaccine is crucial - not only for the campus to continue moving on its upward trajectory - but also for the community at large. “Of course everyone has the right to make their own decisions but unless it’s for a really specific and really good reason that’s when I feel like [a vaccine exemption] is okay. But other than that it’s just for the greater good of the community - the people not only in the college but even outside in Poughkeepsie”. She mentions that she also recognizes that a fully vaccinated community is unfortunately unlikely.
Yet, if the campus is more than 95% vaccinated, why is it that feelings of hesitancy are still so prominent in the student body? According to Psychologist Stephanie Marcello, these feelings are not uncommon, especially in young adults. To “more than 134,000 college students from 28 countries [...] fear of contracting the virus and worry over changes in coursework resulted in “loneliness, compromised motivation, and sleep disturbances, as well as anxious and depressive symptoms.”
“I remember that my room became this sanctuary”
“I remember that my room became this sanctuary” Stein says. “That’s where I did classes, that's where I did my internship, where I would work out, where I would go to sleep [...] and it just became so crowded and overwhelming that it was just a very hard environment to be in”.
Senior Meghan Darigan has also found socializing again particularly challenging. “At first it was definitely super stressful seeing everyone again, going out again, being in class” she mentioned, “I already have such bad social anxiety and so with COVID I was just at my house in my room [...] there was no ability to go out and socialize. I feel like I had to re-meet all my friends because I hadn’t been out in so long”.
“It kind of just makes everything harder” Matthew Moraski agrees, “Regardless of the mask mandate or covid in general [there’s] just not enough interaction so I have a little bit more social anxiety with that”. Another topic that has been a popular conversation around campus is protocol. From wearing masks in the classroom to the reponing of indoor dining, protocol has been something apparently gone from campus, adding another cause of worry for students.
To Moraski, the very sense of protocol seems unclear. “I literally feel like the only [protocol] that there is on campus - it feels like, personally - is masks in classrooms” Moraski stated, ''Not that there’s not other ones, but whether or not people follow them is [because] no one really knows them. I think it’s more not knowing rather than following”.
“Obviously when we’re on campus we have to wear masks but outside of that I highly doubt that anyone is actually following the exact protocol”
However, could this lack of knowledge lead to problems down the road? “I think as of right now people are [following protocol]; I think once the cases start really rising more gatherings will not be allowed so then they won’t be” Hanley states. Darigan shares this sentiment, “Obviously when we’re on campus we have to wear masks but outside of that I highly doubt that anyone is actually following the exact protocol. I think everyone’s just happy to be back and have so many less restrictions on them”.
Compared to September of 2020, the Marist community has surely changed how its campus responds to COVID outbreaks accordingly, and its campus looks a whole lot different to prove it. However, despite the ability to see the smiling faces of its students for the first time in what seems like an eternity, behind the masks are still the same frightened students that perhaps will last until the very end of this pandemic. Until they can reach a true normal, one without the possibility of outbreaks or uncertainty, can Marist students finally take a deep breath.
Frankie the Fox receives a vaccine at the Marist College Health Center in an Instagram post from the college on October 26, 2020
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