Wyatt Brugge
Contributing Writer
I think that due to the dangerous examples set by the conditions in the cafeteria, 50 percent of the chairs should be removed from the tables.
Now, you may be thinking, “Dangerous example? What the hell is that supposed to mean?! All I do is sit in my room all day on Zoom and you are trying to limit the only time we’re allowed to see other people? Asshole!”
Now, now. Take a deep breath. You like eating with your friends. All of us do.
All I’m saying is that because Lowry is how it is (multiple people, maskless, around a table for long periods of time), it will become easier for people to justify partying or hanging out in small rooms together. Hell, they’re already maskless in indoor spaces together surrounded by other people, so why not just be maskless in a dorm room? Why not have friends over on a Friday night to drink and play games? Why not go to a small kickback at a house?
Then, before we know it, three superspreader events bomb our campus in one week leaving hundreds sick, campus on lockdown, graduation cancelled and maybe a few people in our community passed away.
Call me a downer, but that doesn’t seem impossible. We all know the deal around the country. New strains are spreading. The vaccine rollout is slow.
Sure, someone could say that if students can’t see each other in Lowry, they’ll be more likely to break rules because they’ll be deprived socially.
This I find unlikely. Sure, people might become desperate. However, if Lowry were to set a safe example by distancing people even further, then this constant reminder to be careful and vigilant would establish a culture of caution.
I implore the administration of Lowry to reconsider the dining situation due to the dangerous example it is setting. Removing a few chairs from each table doesn’t seem like too much to ask.
Still, if the administration decides that the current dining situation does not need to be changed, this next message is for the entire population of the College of Wooster community:
Stay careful. We are almost there, and even though it may not feel like it, the light at the end of the tunnel is glowing brighter each day. But we’ve gotta stay careful. Just because you eat dinner with someone doesn’t mean you should go to some “epic rager” they’re planning. Just because Lowry is crowded doesn’t mean other crowds are okay. People’s lives still depend on your actions.
So, yeah. That’s my speech. Stay safe and stay sane, everybody.
