CHARLOTTE EHRMANN Copy Editor
I will be the first to admit that being back on campus in trying times such as these is definitely not the move, but I can’t help but to feel a little blessed to be able to see my friends in person again. After months in quarantine of only seeing my cat, my sister and her million cats, and my grandparents, fresh faces are a very welcome sight. As a college student, I am a much better in-person learner than I am an online learner. I tend to find myself slacking or putting off work when it comes to online classes. While this semester is full of lots of firsts for me, I am glad to be able to have some sense of normalcy. That being said, I fear that there is a chance that we may have to switch to solely an online campus experience again. Most of the students have been good when it comes to wearing their masks and staying socially distanced, but this is college. I have heard of several parties happening on or around campus that students are attending.
I do not have words to fully express my anger towards the individuals who think it is safe to throw a party. While you may not think you are putting yourself or anyone else in harm's way, I cannot truly express just how selfish you are being. Living through a global pandemic is not fun for anyone, but it is because of people like you that America is doing so poorly. People who do not stop to think about the consequences their actions might have on the lives of others. For those of you who have been partying, I have just one question for you: Is drinking with your friends worth risking their lives, or even their loved ones’ lives?
The scariest part of COVID is that you may think that you are a healthy individual, but it does not discriminate. While some people are lucky enough to be asymptomatic, it has reduced otherwise healthy people to hospital beds and ventilators. Without a true grasp on how the disease fully works, the CDC released cautions about masks and staying away from unnecessary interaction. Part of me wishes we could go back to a normal life, but I know that we cannot while the world is burning around us. All of us have a responsibility as a part of the Bethel community, as a part of being a human being. We all have a responsibility to take care of ourselves, but more importantly of the community around us. A few months of a pandemic-adjusted lifestyle are worth the restlessness if it means others are not dying due to your negligence. Please wear your mask, wash your hands, and do not go to parties. Your loved ones will thank you when they are not struggling to breathe from a hospital bed where you cannot visit them due to a pandemic that you could have prevented.
