Students returning to campus for in-person instruction will be required to take a COVID-19 test on a weekly basis. Photo by Mufid Majnun on Unsplash.
By Raven Brown, Opinion Editor
The beginning of another semester is here, and with it comes the excitement and anticipation for how students will be able to participate. With the approval for some classes to return to campus on a limited basis, we are now being faced with a tough decision. Do we want to attempt to return to some sort of normalcy by getting weekly COVID-19 tests or would we rather keep our distance?
At first, I was hesitant about the idea. I have yet to get tested this entire year and I held onto this idea that I was somehow better off continuing to abstain from the dreaded nasal swab. I’d like to think I’m capable of most real-world responsibilities as an adult, but when it comes to medical procedures, I turn into a big baby. Being poked and prodded is not something I’m terribly keen on.
I’m rarely sick or under the weather and throughout this pandemic, I have maintained my health. Being a person who hasn’t been personally affected by the coronavirus, I thought I could get away with never getting tested. As silly as it sounds, I viewed my avoidance of the COVID-19 test as a badge of honor. But the reality is that if I want to engage in face-to-face learning, I will have to get tested weekly in order to keep myself, other students and faculty safe.
Do I have to agree to this? Absolutely not. I don’t have to step foot on campus if I don’t want to. But this is my last semester of college and I want nothing more than to interact with people on campus for one last time. I want to walk into a classroom with my peers and get that coveted student experience before I graduate in May. This past year I have found myself wishing I could go back to campus in some capacity and the opportunity has finally presented itself.
I could either hold onto this imaginary (and self-imposed) membership to an upper echelon of people who have yet to get tested, or I could suck it up and get swabbed in favor of the educational environment I’ve been longing for since the pandemic started. For me, getting tested is worth it. Am I going to like the testing procedure? Probably not. Will I whine and complain the first few times? Without a doubt. But sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to do in order to get where we need to be.
Throughout my college career and this last year, in particular, I have learned that no matter what plans I have made, I am going to be called to reevaluate them or set them aside completely in order to reach my end goal. The decision to get tested wasn’t an easy one, but it is a testament to my commitment to be a part of the solution, not just for me, but for everyone returning to campus this semester.
