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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) – Before the school year even started, students and faculty at Oakwood University said they knew things would look different.
Leadership at Oakwood University told WAFF they’re doing everything possible to keep a COVID-19 spike from happening.
Oakwood University senior, Brianna Dean, said she and her peers are embracing the rules.
“We understand the severity of this pandemic. The people who are on campus wanted to be here so we’re all making sure we have a safe semester,” Deans said.
According to Dean, seniors have even started an accountability group on campus; the COVID Patrol. One COVID patrol in particular lead the patrol group confidently through campus.
“He gathered some of us upperclassmen, juniors and seniors. Created some COVID-patrol shirts and some COVID patrol masks, went around campus and if he saw a student wearing a face mask as a chin strap he would say pull up that mask. And they would do it immediately,” Dean said.
“The students know that this is very, very serious. Because we put lives at jeopardy when we don’t take it seriously,” says David Knight, VP of student services.
Dean said she feels safe and grateful the administration is prioritizing health.
“I walk into any building and I’m getting my temperature checked with an iPad. That’s crazy and that’s amazing. It’s one of the small things that they do to make sure we’re safe,” Dean said.
Take a look at some of their safety precautions below:
- All students have to test negative before coming on campus.
- Random testing for staff and students throughout the semester
- Moving curfew back from 1 a.m. to midnight on weekends. And from midnight to 11 p.m. on weekdays
“The lifestyles that our students lead is a little bit different, so they’re not concerned about this constant partying, or I’ve got to be out, so the students tend to be a lot more responsible,” says Karen Venn Marshall, Assistant Provost and the Chair of Responsiveness Task Force.
Students are also not attending worship services in person at the moment. Instead they are doing that online.
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