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UNIVERSITY HOUSING OFFERS ALTERNATIVE LIVING OPTIONS
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SPORTS (B1, B2)
High hopes for cross country While remaining socially distant, the USD men’s and women’s cross country teams have resumed fall training. Read more about how the team is staying in shape while remaining healthy on B1.
VERVE (B3, B4)
Thursday nights on the Platz extended To engage more USD students and community members, Thursdays on the Platz will be continuing through Oct. 1. Read more about the weekly concerts on page B4.
COVID-19 TASK FORCE RE-EVALUATES PANDEMIC POLICIES Tyler Boyles
Tyler.Boyles@coyotes.usd.edu
Heidi Schneider | The Volante There are isolation floors located in North Complex, Coyote Village and McFadden. There are currently 18 students in on-campus quarantine. Sara Cappiello
Sara.Cappiello@coyotes.usd.edu
While the hallways of North Complex are usually full of students socializing, this semester, on-campus housing looks a little different. From campuswide mask-wearing to isolation housing, there are many new rules and regulations in place to keep students in on-campus housing safe this semester. Unlike previous years, movein weekend was spread over three days with no volunteers. Additionally, students living in North Complex and other on-campus housing are required to wear masks everywhere in the facilities, except their personal rooms. They are also expected to social distance whenever possible. Cody Burggraff, assistant director of University Housing, said even with the extra precautions in place due to COVID-19, there is still a sizable amount of students on campus. “The numbers stay pretty strong to where we were last year. I think that speaks to students needing and wanting social interaction,” Burggraff said. “And we’re happy to hopefully be able to provide some of that, but obviously following CDC guidelines.” Another new addition to housing this semester is isolation housing. Normally, all floors of
each dorm building would be full. Due to the pandemic, there are floors set aside for residents in the event they test positive for COVID19 and have to be isolated. If a student is concerned that they might have been exposed to COVID-19, Burggraff said University Housing’s first recommendation is to call Student Health and determine whether they need to get tested or not. “We are not medical experts, but we will do everything we can once we get advice from Student Health,” Burggraff said. “Going into isolation or quarantine is not a choice that a student needs to make. It’s based on recommendations from Student Health and the Department of Health.” Until the student gets their test results back, they may choose to be sent to alternative housing to self-quarantine, but they only need to be in full isolation if they actually become ill. Burggraff said it’s up to the student whether they want to isolate on campus, or return to their hometown for the CDC recommended 10 to 14 days. “Some students are choosing to go home because when you isolate here, you can’t really go outside or anything,” Burggraff said. “So some students want to branch out a little bit if they go home, but we want to keep our students safe here. So we’re allowing that with our quarantine spaces and isolation
spaces.” Because some students have chosen to go home to quarantine instead of remaining on campus, there is still isolation space available in the residence halls. In the event that these facilities fill up, there will be alternative accommodations available for students, Kate Fitzgerald, director of University Housing, said. “We believe we have enough space — but if we run out we will utilize hotels,” Fitzgerald said. Along with where to accommodate students, there is also the question of whether or not campus will close again. Due to the ever-changing nature of the pandemic, Fitzgerald said it’s hard to know the likelihood of this happening, but Housing is prepared. “We certainly hope this does not happen,” Fitzgerald said. “If we all take precautions we should as a community be able to stay here as planned.” In the meantime, Burggraff said he advises all students, faculty and staff on campus to do their part to stay safe and ask questions if they’re concerned. “USD has a great plan. And given the circumstances, I think we’re managing it fairly well,” Burggraff said. “So students can stay here and they can go to classes face to face and get the learning they deserve.”
Five and a half months after students and staff were sent home, classes are back in full swing. However, after 235 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the USD community and 637 students and staff quarantined in the first two weeks of classes, USD is making adjustments in COVID-19 policy to avoid sending students home once again. In an email from the Dean of Students on Aug. 28, the university announced it is taking new precautions to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. These new guidelines include the elimination of indoor dining at the Muenster University Center, a reduction to 30% patron capacity at the Wellness Center and the disallowance of outside visitors in the residence halls. “Due to a rise in COVID-19 cases on campus (the week of August 24-28),” according to the email. “(USD) must reassess our campus operations and take action to protect our community.” Kevin O’Kelley, a member of USD’s COVID-19 task force, said steps like these are done out of caution to enable USD to execute its mission as well as protect Vermillion’s local health care system. “If we are not capable of delivering our mission safely: education, research, and service; we have to consider changes,” said O’Kelley. “If our healthcare capacity is threatened in Vermillion, we would have to consider changes as well.” O’Kelley said the task force has been taking note of precautions universities across the country have taken. Some of these provisions include closing fraternities and sororities, masks being required
outside and all classes being moved online while students stay on campus. “If we went to Board of Regents level 4 risk, then we might move to online, but we wouldn’t kick people out of the dormitories necessarily,” O’Kelley said. “Some people live too far away, are international students or have a family member who is immunocompromised. Kids still need to be social too, and they could still do that in the dorms.” The actual limit of student coronavirus cases USD can house and isolate on campus is roughly 100, O’Kelley said. However, many who test positive either don’t live on campus and isolate on their own or move back with their parents to isolate. Consequently, the number of cases USD can hold will likely not be a limiting factor, O’Kelley said. “The threshold that would actually cause a move to remote learning is unknown as of now,” O’Kelley said. “The university is reevaluating circumstances every day for those kinds of decisions.” In the event campus would have to close, USD has had more time to prepare for remote learning as well as all of the other complexities it would bring, O’Kelley said. “In the spring we had only a week to prepare for the delivery of online courses. Now, our entire curriculum, with a few exceptions, such as labs, are prepared to go online with distance education,” O’Kelley said. “I am sure the university is considering giving housing refunds as they did in the spring as well.” However, O’Kelley said he believes USD can avoid this. He said if students and staff abide by guidelines set by USD on campus, as well as CDC guidelines outside of class and on weekends, the university will have a successful semester in Vermillion.
USD professors adjust to teaching in Aalfs Auditorium Kara Tesch
Kara.Tesch@coyotes.usd.edu
With social distancing measures in place on campus, every classroom has less space to seat students. In order to continue teaching large classes, Aalfs Auditorium has been turned into a classroom. Though the space is large, instructors with classes in the auditorium are making adjustments to effectively teach in the new environment. Analisa Gagnon, a visiting assistant criminal justice professor, is in her first semester at USD. Gagnon currently teaches an Introduction to Criminal Justice course of 90 students in Aalfs Auditorium. Gagnon said her students are expected to come to every class period. Designated seats in Aalfs Auditorium are marked with X’s to promote social distancing among students. These seats spread to all edges of the main floor of the auditorium.
“I think, overall, it’s as effective (as a regular classroom), except for when students are trying to participate in the discussions,” Gagnon said. Professors stand on the stage of Aalfs Auditorium to lecture to their students, Gagnon said this makes it harder to interact with her students and hold discussions. “For the ones who are actually wanting to participate and not being able to do so fluidly, I’m sure it’s really frustrating,” Gagnon said. Douglas Peterson, psychology department chair, teaches a hybrid class which is also held in Aalfs Auditorium. Peterson said his Introduction to Psychology class consists of 160 students; they are expected to attend class in person one day each week and over Zoom the other days. Peterson, who is used to teaching in the ChurchillHaines 118 lecture hall, said teaching in Aalfs Auditorium is a very different environment. “Churchill-Haines 118
is really well-designed for a large lecture,” Peterson said. “…(in) Aalfs Auditorium, I feel disconnected from all but the first six or eight rows.” I n f o r m a t i o n Technology Services (ITS) is tasked with running Aalfs Auditorium as a classroom setting. Shelby Brady, an ITS tech fellow, said ITS set up the auditorium to operate as a classroom and an ITS student worker is present during each class period to run technology. “This year we’ve… been assigned to Aalfs for making sure those classes run smoothly with our transition to hybrid classes,” Brady said. Peterson said ITS has done a good job adjusting Aalfs Auditorium for a class setting. ITS has microphones set up in the front of the auditorium for students to ask questions, and they also run the Zoom meeting, projector and sound while Peterson lectures. “Having someone in Aalfs that’s in the back of
the room adjusting the sound level for each class period is really helpful,” Peterson said. Brady said with the sound, lights and camera to worry about, a student worker will be needed in Aalfs Auditorium for the foreseeable future so the professor can focus on lecturing. “I think it’s just going to be a year of trying to work with what we have and trying to make sure everyone is getting the best experience possible,” Brady said. With the changes teaching a hybrid course from Aalfs Auditorium has brought, Peterson is optimistic for the future. “I believe that we’re going to see some changes that come out of this experience that I believe will be long-lasting,” Peterson said. “We’re learning and using tools to reach what we think of as our face-to-face students and now everybody’s going to have that experience.”
Sara Cappiello | The Volante
For larger classes, professors have adjusted to teaching in Aalfs Auditorium this semester.