After most of the student population at Syracuse University received the COVID-19 vaccine, SU alluded to a return to normal. The Carrier Dome has been packed for football games, dining halls are full and the bulk of student life has returned. But emails regarding the prevalence of COVID-19 on campus, news stories of COVID-19 related hospitalizations, and the “RED” alert level mask mandate show how abnormal the public health situation actually is. 

A year and a half after the direct effects of the pandemic began taking effect in the U.S., it is expected that students have some understanding on the danger of COVID-19. Navigating the pandemic right now, however, is different from past semesters.

Vaccines give the illusion of complete immunity and safety, leading some to ignore SU’s public health protocols. Parties and social gatherings have returned to sizes seen before the pandemic despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommending that people avoid large parties and gatherings. Public health reminders and easy-to-follow COVID-19 protocols have instead become easy to ignore. 

Students are trying to force the return to normal even though COVID-19 is clearly still spreading and dangerous. Going back to normal is not possible when the pandemic is constantly evolving. Regardless, many students hope that this fall will be a maskless semester. To achieve normalcy, we cannot ignore the pandemic.

While many students are frustrated that SU has implemented a “RED” level alert — which requires masks in the presence of others for everyone regardless of vaccination status — students’ should understand that SU’s COVID protocols should be followed to best prevent the spread.

Through public health reminders and contact tracing, SU is doing a lot to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In turn, students must accept responsibility for much of the on-campus spread and take action to prevent it.

Responsibility comes with an understanding of the evolving pandemic. Wearing a mask on campus is required by SU under the “RED” alert level, but SU has little jurisdiction over what occurs in students’ lives off campus, so the responsibility to keep the community safe falls on students. 

Last week, SU had the highest number of cases so far this school year. Students deprived of a normal social life for over a year are taking advantage of the sense of freedom compared to previous semesters during the pandemic. While understandable, getting COVID-19 is just as easy as in previous semesters, and this reckless behavior endangers our university community as well as the greater Syracuse community.

After hearing stories of and living through the pandemic, students should want to prevent it from occurring again. As students seek a traditional American college experience, ignoring public health measures will only prolong the pandemic and push away the return to normal.

Harrison Vogt is a junior environment sustainability policy and communication and rhetorical studies dual major. His column appears biweekly. He can be reached at [email protected]. He can be followed on Twitter at @VogtHarrison.

Published on September 22, 2021 at 9:42 pm