As COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on the daily lives of many, mine somehow seems a little more stable since I returned to the University of Indianapolis. I feel safe and secure about my health while on UIndy’s campus because it appears clean, with supplies such as wipes and hand sanitizer provided around campus for all to use.
While I believe UIndy has not handled COVID-19 as effectively as it could have, by not requiring a negative test before allowing people to return to campus, the campus now feels safer and cleaner than in previous years. Looking on the positive side of things, I believe that UIndy has tried its best to provide comfort to its community through these increased sanitation efforts.
I’m in my third year at the university and have had classes and studied in every building. I’ve seen how dirty this campus can be, especially since I lived in a freshman dorm my first year. Now, however, I feel as if the threat of the virus has made people care about each other more, or at least be more cautious around others, creating an atmosphere of respectfulness and courtesy as some have barely had social interactions since the campus transition to online classes.
The facilities are cleaned more often now, and it’s nice having sanitizing wipes in common areas and classrooms. This air of cleanliness should outlast the virus on UIndy’s campus because that would mean a healthier, happier community.
I don’t want to diminish UIndy’s efforts in previous years to clean its facilities. It has always been nice to have a bottle of spray cleaner in each of the bathrooms, just in case it was needed. There have always been cleaning staff in the dining hall constantly clearing off tables and workers cleaning the restrooms at night.
Overall, UIndy’s campus was clean before the virus, with lapses such as dirty tables in Shreve Atrium in Schwitzer Student Center the fault of the people who chose to eat there and then leave trash for others to pick up. But I haven’t seen these messes as frequently since coming back to school during COVID-19. Having a consistently clean, beautiful campus feels nice.
UIndy has provided resources for COVID-19 safety on every door on campus buildings to inform the public while also displaying guidelines on what to do if one enters a building. Even if one does not know about the symptoms or transmission of the virus, UIndy has helped educate and inform its community in efforts to create safety on campus.
As the pandemic continues, UIndy community members are being more respectful towards each other than pre-pandemic. We are farther apart physically if we follow social distancing, but closer than ever because we’re all trying to stop the virus and concerned about our health.
However, some disregard the health mandates and the means of transmission of COVID-19. For example, I have been in the bookstore and seen people closer than six feet, and that was the only time I didn’t feel safe. UIndy has taken precautions that comfort me, such as stairways that are only one way, designated entrances, and socially distant classrooms so people can have control how close or far they are from another.
Trusting in others may be difficult to do, but UIndy has done a ton to help ease my faith in others. All I can do is hope that even after the threat of COVID-19 is gone, people continue to respect each person’s space and safety.
