Students have positive things to say about the university’s policies for the pandemic during an uncharted school year.
By NICK DILL, Student Reporter
The fall semester at Northwestern Oklahoma State University has been unlike any other semester before.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the university had to implement new policies and procedures. Some of the ways Northwestern has handled COVID-19 is by implementing some new procedures, which include wearing masks in all campus buildings, making sure everyone is six feet away, seating charts in classrooms and posting the number of active coronavirus cases across all three campuses.
How do Northwestern students feel about the university handling of the coronavirus?
Maggie Peterson, a sophomore at Northwestern, said she feels the university is handling COVID-19 the best they can.
“It is new for everyone, and they are trying to take as many precautions as possible,” Peterson said. “Of course everyone can improve on something, but I believe Northwestern is doing extremely well with the circumstances.”
She said she has no worries with how the school is handling COVID-19. Peterson said they are working hard at keeping our campus healthy.
Kaitlyn Phillips, a senior at Northwestern, feels that the university is handling COVID-19 good. She said they are doing the best they can, and we should give them credit because this is all new to everyone. Phillips said she feels like we shouldn’t come back after Thanksgiving break.
She said once everyone goes home and comes back, the virus is going to spread even more than it already has, and she just doesn’t feel like we should take that chance.
Stephen McCluskey, a senior at Northwestern, feels the university is doing a good job of dealing with COVID-19 right now. He said they are making all students wear masks, which is great.
“I like how the school is making us wear masks, and how they have hand sanitizer everywhere,” McCluskey said. “I especially like how the school cafeteria has servers handing out food instead of having students spreading germs.”
Peyton McDonald, a junior at Northwestern, feels that the school is handling the situation the best that it can.
“We are learning more about COVID-19 with each passing day and adjusting the best way possible,” McDonald said. “They are following the guidelines set by the CDC, the United States, and the state of Oklahoma to the best of their abilities.”
He said his biggest worry about how the school is handling the pandemic is the decision to come back after Thanksgiving. McDonald said students are going to be gone for about 10 days and will be around many family and friends.
He said this could be a very bad situation if students are not careful with who they are around.
He also said he likes the way the university is handling COVID-19 in the classroom.
“I like that the school requires at least one seat between each student,” McDonald said. “This is beneficial because it limits the amount of close contact. I also appreciate the assigned seats used for contact tracing.”
Erika Hernandez, a junior at Northwestern, said she thinks the university is doing a good job of handling COVID-19 cases. She said her only worry is how the people in quarantine are being treated.
“I know our university is doing all they can to provide the necessary things they need,” Hernandez said. “Being in isolation I think we can provide them with activities or just something, so they don’t feel alone.”
She also likes how the University is taking all the precautions.
“The professors are enforcing the precautions that need to be taken to keep everyone as safe as we can,” Hernandez said. “I also like how the professors and faculty are willing to work with students to accommodate us during these difficult times.”
With these safety procedures in place, Northwestern Oklahoma State University plans to have students return to campus for two weeks and resume classes after Thanksgiving break.