This semester has certainly been an experience for those on and off-campus. COVID-19 has been running rampant throughout the world resulting in precautions being taken to control the spread. 

With the spread of COVID, many precautions were taken at Lakeland to ensure it would not spread throughout the campus. Masks, testing, sanitation, and many other guidelines about social distancing have been implemented to keep the campus from becoming infected with the virus. 

When it came time for move-in, students, as well as faculty, were required to get tested to gain admittance to Lakeland’s campus. There was exasperation by some, but in the end, it is all for the better.  

“We think, potentially, a lot of people who have it could be asymptomatic,” stated Vice President of Campus Life, David Simon. 

Asymptomatic is when a person is a carrier for an illness or virus but experiences no symptoms themselves. This means someone who appears and feels completely healthy could still pass it on to others. 

“We’ve been blessed to stay where our numbers are relatively low,” said Simon.  

He is right. Among over 600 students, there were only seven cases of COVID-19 detected, and among all the staff, only nine were found. Continued diligence has succeeded in maintaining this environment for Lakeland. Sanitation stations, with both hand sanitizer and masks, have been placed throughout the buildings and many rooms on campus.  

Along with the sanitation stations, social distancing of at least six feet has been encouraged among students and faculty. While it may seem excessive, it has kept more cases from popping up, and many students are grateful for this. 

“I think everything being put into place is good,” states student, Katelynn Gunderson. “We need to be harsh on the regulations because we want to stay safe and we want to be on campus.” 

However, both staff and students have taken note of something concerning; students leaving campus the entire weekend. While this is not against any guidelines “follow the residence life guidelines and notify residence life staff how long they’ll be gone…when they return, they should be self-monitoring,” Simon said. 

Simon continued to explain that they did not want to essentially, put the campus under lockdown, but this doesn’t make it any less concerning as students risk bringing the virus back with them from somewhere off campus. 

“I’m trying not to be rude, but it’s kind of selfish,” states Gunderson, “because there are families with underlying illnesses. I know I have a sick mother right now, and if I were to bring something back because of my being on campus, I’m scared to even go back home.” 

Students and faculty alike are encouraged to self-monitor as it is their biggest asset. Whether it is by keeping an eye out for one’s own symptoms or by being diligent and distancing from those that could potentially be positive. Always be, as Simon states, “…conscious of monitoring self-monitoring.”