Current students at Cabrini University struggle to balance COVID-19 restrictions with the social aspects of residential life on-campus.
Since the early months of the pandemic, government officials and public health organizations such as the CDC have communicated the serious nature of COVID-19 and have attempted to provide a series of guidelines for how to lessen the spread of the virus. Efforts such as mandating face masks, enforcing a six-feet apart rule between people and decreasing the amount of individuals that can gather in both indoor and outdoor spaces have all been put in place as a way to protect the public, especially those who are in high-risk categories and are more susceptible to infection. One area of concern that arose over the summer was how to ensure the safety of college students when they returned to campus. While it has only been a few weeks into the semester, it has become clear that COVID-19 restrictions have become increasingly difficult to enforce in residential life.
Cabrini University has taken the necessary steps to comply with the CDC regulations for higher education that were put in place to keep the student body and faculty safe. According to the Facilities and Operating Procedures on the school website, residence halls on campus have made sure that there is a maximum of two students to a room who form a “family unit.” This means that when students are in their rooms, they do not have to wear a face mask. However, in common spaces, students must follow all of the social distancing restrictions. Cabrini has also extended its “no visitor policy,” meaning that students are not supposed to gather in private rooms. The restrictions on visitors to different residential buildings has been the toughest rule for students to follow.
“COVID-19 restrictions make it more difficult for residents to connect with students from different residence halls,” said Alisa Takala, a Resident Assistant on campus.
One of Cabrini’s biggest issues is how to handle student socialization and dorm life during a pandemic. The role of the RA is to oversee residential life and make sure that students follow the dorm’s code of conduct. This puts them in a position of authority as they help to ensure student safety.
“In my experience, RAs are principal enforcers of Cabrini University’s policies,” Takala said.
If RAs are to be the enforcers of policies on campus, it puts them in a challenging position because they want to make sure that students follow the rules while also making sure that they feel comfortable coming to them with problems. One of the biggest issues that students are having is following the COVID-19 restrictions on large gatherings. RA’s need to be diligent about making sure gatherings stay under control and that students are maintaining social distance guidelines and proper mask protocol.
Senior Taylor LaPergola reflected on what she has observed in regard to residential life.
“Friends of mine who work as Resident Assistants often have to break up large gatherings on campus because they are breaking the rules,” LaPergola said.
This can be frustrating for students who are trying to follow the guidelines. However, not everyone is out partying or not wearing masks. A lot of students on college campuses know that the virus is real and the better they practice and listen to the rules, the more the numbers will go down and the less risk there will be to others. Those who are doing everything they can to stay healthy are not only being incredibly responsible, but understand that this is a real world crisis.
“I believe the people who take responsibility, take action and understand what is currently happening in our world are doing exactly what they’re supposed to do,” LaPergola said.
She continued by saying that “unfortunately, there will always be people who focus more on themselves and having fun. I know there are parties still taking place, and I know some people are not being as careful as they should be, and that is frustrating to people like me who would just like to safely adjust to our new normal.”
Heath and Safety Guidance. Photo from Cabrini website.
Since the virus will continue to affect universities around the country until a vaccine is created, schools like Cabrini will need to continue to enforce policies and practices within residential facilities to ensure the safety and security of their students.
