By AUSTIN MORTON, Senior Reporter
With the omicron variant of the coronavirus spreading, Northwestern officials say they are still monitoring the pandemic’s impact on campus.
Northwestern Dean of Student Affairs Calleb Mosburg said the university’s leadership continues to meet weekly on Fridays to provide updates on the situation, the same routine the university started when the pandemic began nearly two years ago.
“I think we’re doing a really good job, students and employees alike, to limit the spread as much as possible,” Mosburg said.
Northwestern reported 16 active coronavirus cases among students and six active cases among faculty on Jan. 21.
These numbers reflect cases at all Northwestern campuses, and they do not specify where any cases come from.
Unlike other campuses in Oklahoma, Northwestern does not use a digital app for contract tracing.
“The communication we already have in place, be that phone call or email, enables us to work directly with our instructors,” Mosburg said. “People are staying in the loop and know what’s going on. It’s been working for us, and I feel confident with what we’re doing.”
Vaccines and virtual learning are two other steps that campuses around the country have used to help limit the spread of the coronavirus, with varying degrees of success.
Mosburg said he does not want Northwestern to return to virtual learning, though that remains an option for students who have to quarantine.
Deshawn Frazier, a health sports psychology major, said he enjoyed virtual learning when it was mandatory in spring 2020.
“I liked it better than in-class,” Frazier said. “I learned more through it, and I liked not having to wear a mask. Virtual classes are a ‘yes’ for me.”
Not every student thinks the same way about online learning. Nursing major Brenner Clark prefers having classes in-person.
“I’ve always been a person that enjoys talking to people face-to-face,” Clark said. “To have that taken away from me wrecked my mental and physical health.”
Northwestern’s Alva campus has hosted vaccination pods on campus, allowing students, staff and faculty to get immunized against the coronavirus. Another pod is planned for February, Mosburg said.
“If the need is still there, we will plan on having more throughout the spring,” Mosburg said.
Some Northwestern students were vaccinated elsewhere or chose not to get the vaccine.
“I got my vaccine at the health department and got my booster at Holder [Drug],” said Clark, who works at the local pharmacy.
Frazier said he chose not to be vaccinated.
While there are no vaccination pods planned for the Enid and Woodward campuses, school officials are working with local health officials to educate students on what options are available to them.
“If a student is needing more information regarding COVID on campus, they can come schedule a meeting with me, and I’d be more than happy to sit down and talk with them,” Mosburg said.