It has been over seven months since the University of Mississippi announced that students would not return to campus because of the initial surge in coronavirus cases in the United States in March. Since then, administrators have put many safety measures in place in order to help control the spread on a college campus of over 20,000 people — though some argue it isn’t enough.
In addition to remote learning for most students, face coverings and social distancing are still major requirements for those who still come to the Oxford campus. As cases continue to rise across Mississippi, students continue to adjust to “the new normal.”
Oxford, Mississippi. October 27, 2020. Two students walk through the Grove on the way to class. Of the 4,387 classes offered this semester, over half offer no face-to-face contact. Only 25.46% of the courses are hybrid and 23.8% of the courses meet face-to-face regularly.
A crumpled mask lay on the pavement of a campus parking lot. There are no specifications on what types of face coverings are accepted at the university, but they are required in all buildings.
The J.D. Williams library cut its hours this semester in order to adjust to smaller on-campus crowds and to allow more time for cleaning. Students are not allowed to browse the bookshelves.
Savannah Hubbard, an art history major, contracted the virus in June, and she still has no sense of smell. “I know I’m lucky I didn’t have the worse symptoms, but I really want to smell a fall candle,” Hubbard said.
In the Union, tables for eating are spaced six feet apart in order to lessen the risk of virus spread. There is no other seating in the Union, and all chairs and seating areas that would be set up during a normal semester have been removed.
All seats in the Union that were previously study spots for students have been gathered and stored behind a blue tarp and fence. The only seating in the Union is used for dining.
