OPINION: A cautious return to WCC

My experience with pandemic safety on campus

By Cydney Heed
Staff Writer

Students attend class outdoors while social distancing and wearing masks. Cydney Heed | Washtenaw Voice

One Monday, Sept. 14, I set foot in a WCC classroom for the first time since March.

While safety was a concern, the precautions that were taken by faculty, staff, and students helped me to feel comfortable with attending in-person classes.

The first thing I noticed on campus was the lack of cars. Before the pandemic, almost every spot in front of the TI building would have been taken. Now, I usually park in the first row. Since many classes are still taking place remotely, there aren’t as many people coming and going.

My professor emailed us ahead of time to remind us that only one entrance to the TI building was open, and that we’d have to go through a symptom screening before we would be allowed to enter.

Just outside the door, there was a large sign with a QR code that led to a survey about potential symptoms and exposures to COVID-19. I had to enter my name and student email and verify that I was not experiencing symptoms, had not been exposed, and did not have pending test results. Once I completed the survey, I was given a green check mark to show to Public Safety.

Inside, there were barricades set up and yellow stickers on the floor to help people maintain social distancing. A staff member took down my name and took my temperature by scanning my forehead with a contactless thermometer. I was given a wristband and sent on my way.

On Wednesday, when I had two on-campus classes back-to-back, the wristband allowed me to bypass the screening for my second class.

Our first day of class took place outdoors. We all wore masks, even outside.

Last semester, I often shared equipment with my classmates during workshops. This time, we each had our own camera and tripod. When I needed help with the settings on my camera, the instructor walked me through how to change them instead of touching the camera himself.

At the end of the class, we were each allowed to check out the cameras we had been using. The instructor also gave us the number to the equipment room so that we could schedule a curbside pickup whenever we needed things in the future. We were informed that all of the equipment is both quarantined and sterilized between each use.

On Wednesday, we met in TI 229 to work on editing. When we got to the classroom, two of the four computers at each table were turned around so that they would not be used. Since this limited the number of people we could have working in one classroom, one or two latecomers had to watch class via Zoom from the lab next door. There were also three or four students who chose to watch class from home to minimize their risk of exposure.

Each day as I was leaving, I filled out a short survey that was sent to my WCC email, indicating which buildings and classrooms I had been to throughout the day.

While it definitely wasn’t the same as the classes that I took last spring, I am still learning and being given the tools that I need to be successful. Based on my experiences so far, I am optimistic that classes will continue safely this semester.

Although the COVID-19 Pandemic has introduced uncertainty into all of our lives, it was nice to be back in school with my classmates and teachers—even if we were six feet apart.

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