Spring has sprung. The weather is getting nicer, the snow has long since melted, the grass is getting greener and most importantly, it is now nice enough to partake in outdoor activities.
This is great news for the mental and physical health of students. It is also great news for declining COVID-19 cases. People can now be in outside areas like patios and greens, they are less likely to congregate in inside spaces and there will be fewer people crammed into those indoor spaces.
Ohio University could be using this to its advantage; unfortunately, the university is doing everything it can to squash all outdoor activities and in turn eliminate the sole option for normalcy that college students can have right now.
Students that live on campus are tested every week. Students that live off-campus that have any on-campus presence (such as going to Ping Recreation Center or Alden Library) are tested once every two weeks. There is a process outlined by the university and Athens Health Department that students must follow if they test positive.
These protocols are in place for a reason, and if students do not follow them, they risk losing campus facility privileges. Students are getting testing. They quite literally have to.
There is also a mask mandate in all of Athens, including on campus. Wearing a mask helps stop the spread of COVID-19, as we all know by now.
The university, regardless of the several safety measures it makes students go through, has decided that students are not allowed to play basketball on the outdoor courts of South Green. These students are tested regularly. They wear masks everywhere they go and they have been shut in their dorms all year. The basketball courts are a great place to work out and meet people, and this is an activity that occurs outside where the spread of COVID-19 is much less likely.
The university has removed the hoops and nets from the basketball backboards, making playing basketball there impossible. OU has also refrained from putting the volleyball nets up at the South Green sand volleyball courts.
“I just don't understand why they'd take them down. I mean, they're practically the last piece of normalcy we had on campus,” Joelle Kennedy, a freshman studying wildlife and conservation biology, said. “It was great to get outside and be active with friends. As a freshman, the courts have been the most normal part of my college experience so far– meeting people organically and just having fun. Now, OU took that away from us too.”
It’s pretty clear that the university has put this restriction in place to try and avoid large gatherings, which could be considered commendable. It could also be a self-serving attempt at saving face. Cases both in Ohio and in Athens are way down, with more COVID-19 vaccines being administered by the day. Additionally, many students have likely had COVID-19 already and are immune to getting it again. Some students are even vaccinated. Ultimately, there is just an estimated 149 active cases of COVID-19 in Athens County, with the Athens City-County Health Department recording its lowest weekly case count since August.
It’s also worth noting that the Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams for OU are both wrapping up their seasons. The university believes that indoor basketball games against students from other schools – with precautions – is fine. Yet OU students playing outdoor basketball with the kids that they share a community bathroom with – who are also taking precautions – is a no-go.
“Honestly, I understand why they took the rims down, but I’m still not happy about it,” Christo Siegel, a freshman studying journalism said in a message. “Since I first got to campus in February, I’ve been out on the courts every chance I’ve been able to. It’s been such a great way for me to meet people and I feel that it’s safer to do since it’s outside.”
“Playing basketball with my friends has been my main source of exercise and both my mental and physical health have been significantly improved since I’ve been here. I know it’s a catch 22, but allowing people to socialize on the basketball courts is safer than indoors in my opinion. It’s not technically at the jurisdiction of the university, but packed bars with little restrictions seem far more dangerous than anything else here. I really hope they put the rims back up soon.”
With cases going down and all of the above safety measures in place, students and people in general should be allowed to return to a few types of activities that evoke feelings of normalcy. Especially if these activities are outdoors, where COVID-19 is much less transmissible. OU taking that away from students is just proof that the university does not care about following logical steps to move forward from the pandemic and help students regain a normal life. They just want to do whatever is easiest.
Mikayla Rochelle is a senior studying strategic communication at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. What are your thoughts? Tell Mikayla by tweeting her at @mikayla_roch.
