College confronts COVID-19

By Zoe Finholm//

 The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a lot of uncertainty to everyone’s life, leaving people wondering and worrying. The Hood College community is here to help ease some of that anxiety.

 According to Hood’s website, there are four confirmed cases of the virus on campus as of Aug. 25. The individuals were isolated immediately to prevent them from infecting others.

Some have expressed worries about having people on campus who tested positive for the virus. “Health experts state that as long as you are wearing a mask, washing your hands, monitoring symptoms and social distancing, the risk of contraction is extremely low,” President Andrea Chapdelaine said.

Every area of the campus has been rearranged to allow for social distancing. The dining hall has markers on the floor to keep students 6 feet apart and reduced self-serve options, seating in classrooms has been moved to the appropriate distance, and furniture in the dorm rooms have been moved 6 feet apart.

Hood College is partnering with Frederick Health to provide COVID-19 testing to students and staff.

Upon arrival to campus, students had to sign the Heart, Mind & Hands pledge. Chapdelaine said that the pledge is “a serious commitment” and “everyone signing that pledge is saying that they have the resiliency, courage and resolve to do their part to take care of each other.”

The Campus Clear app is essential for students and faculty members to complete before coming to campus. Vice President for Marketing and Communications Laurie Ward reminded everyone to “stay in the habit [of using Campus Clear],” to continue keeping the school’s population safe.

Ward also explained that there is an incentive for using Campus Clear. She said that students will be entered into a drawing for a $20 Amazon gift card. Students will get one entry per day they use the app. Three to five students will be chosen to win every spirit Friday, starting Sept. 4.

Chapdelaine said that Hood has an advantage over other schools regarding the ability to have in-person classes. She said, “We are a small community, and we have reduced the numbers on campus even more since some students chose to learn remotely and some faculty and staff are teleworking.” These factors “ensure social distancing everywhere on campus,” Chapdelaine said.

Chapdelaine said that everyone has been amazing with following the rules. She added that “We are going to start giving out free drink coupons at The Blazer when we see students following rules, because I am so proud to see how well everyone is doing.”

Ward described the indicators that would determine if the campus can stay open, or if the school should move to online instruction. A number of factors help the faculty to make that decision, including “how many positive cases we have currently, how many isolation beds we have available, what the positivity rate is in the county, if tests are available, [and] if hospital beds are available,” Ward said. These factors are being monitored daily.

Additionally, Chapdelaine reiterated that “being here is a privilege. I do not want any student to have to leave, but we will not hesitate to remove anyone from campus who is not following the rules.”

Although the college looks very different than it did before the pandemic, Ward said that “campus [has been] weird since March,” and that generally, faculty members are excited to go back to work.

If you have any COVID-19 related questions or concerns, please contact covidquestions@hood.edu.