Those who are staying on campus despite the remainder of Spring Semester being moved to online instruction have experienced difficulties with the transition.
On March 13, Ohio University announced the remainder of Spring Semester will be online, instructing those staying in the dorms to move out during an assigned time frame.
Students are allowed to stay in the dorms, however, if they have extenuating circumstances. Students who want to stay in the dorms are required to fill out an application and be approved by Housing and Residence Life.
Kayla McDowell, a freshman studying language arts education, is currently staying in the dorms with her roommate. McDowell said she was staying in the dorm because she had extenuating circumstances.
“I had a house fire, and so I don’t really have anywhere to go right now,” she said.
Students staying on campus have had access to meals at West 82 while the dining halls remain closed.
West 82 is open for lunch from 11 a.m to 1:30 p.m. and for dinner from 5:30 p.m to 6:30 p.m., Cheyenne Knavel, a freshman studying political science, said.
McDowell said West 82 will be closed to the public starting March 29.
“Starting Sunday, we have to put in an order form for meals by noon the day before, and we go to pick them up in a laundry room,” McDowell said. “It’s kind of wild.”
McDowell said it is difficult working with Culinary Services and Housing and Residence Life.
“Working with housing and culinary had been an absolute nightmare,” McDowell said. “We virtually get no information ever about anything ever that’s going on.”
In addition to the complications with meals, Hunter Uhl, a sophomore studying environmental studies and geography, said it can be hard staying in the dorms because she has none of her friends on campus.
Despite having complications on campus, students believe that staying on campus has benefits for their academics.
“I can’t focus at home, but I can focus better at school,” Uhl said.
McDowell believes that staying on campus has better health benefits in regards to COVID-19 than going home does.
“There’s a very low number of cases here in Athens,” McDowell said. “So people who live in Cuyahoga County are at a higher risk going home than they are staying here.”
