by Leah Dwyer
With COVID-19 cases on the rise and the end of the semester approaching, Purchase is hoping to ensure safety for everyone.
According to Ariel Moscat, a sophomore journalism major, exit testing is the final COVID test before students leave campus for the winter. Students on campus were not allowed to leave before receiving a negative test result.
The exit testing was run the same as COVID testing has been administered throughout the semester. Students had to take an online survey, answer COVID screening questions, use a mouth swab test, and register for the test on their phones. Moscat also noted that throughout the process people remained socially distanced and hand sanitizer was used constantly.
Exit testing happened for three days, from Nov. 16 until Nov. 18, from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. in the student services building and campus center south.
Lilia Ambler, a dance and journalism major, mentioned that limited times made it a bit difficult.
If an exit test comes back positive , according to Dwayne Fralin, a junior theatre design and technology major, students are required to quarantine.
Ambler said, “A couple people on campus did receive positive tests and some of those people who are near those people in their group are also quarantined until they receive a negative test.”
However, not all students had to leave campus, and therefore, didn't participate in exit testing. Francis Pace-Nuñez, a junior acting major, is part of a handful of students remaining on campus through the break.
According to Pace-Nuñez, about 30 students are remaining on campus. He described the rules that have been put in place for those remaining on campus: COVID testing is still required, no guests are allowed and no traveling out of state, or traveling for more than 24 hours.
“They really just don’t want the danger of corona happening during the break,” said Pace-Nuñez. “Especially when they need to prepare for everyone to come back in the spring.”
Aside from exit testing, the school has made adjustments to help protect students while they moved out. Pace-Nuñez said that the school isn’t having the RAs check the rooms as they have done in the past.
Purchase has also threatened students who refuse to abide by rules. Fralin stated that if your exit test returns positive and you leave campus, you are ineligible for on-campus housing next semester.
Despite the praises and success of the school, the students did have some suggestions and hopes for next semester.
Moscat said, “I think the school has been doing the best they can, but they need to work on notifying students about important things like testing.” She said that students would receive emails the day before their test dates. “I hope for next semester there is just a better flow on campus in keeping up with the cleaning, having more accessible food options for the students and be more thoughtful about time management.”
Ambler was very positive in discussing her semester, and the semester moving forward. “I am actually pretty happy with how this semester has gone” she said. “It has been one of my favorites which is weird.”
She mentioned that the school didn’t give her much to complain about. Her only frustration came from the people who came from off-campus and didn’t wear masks. She also wants some teachers to be more empathetic.
“I wish that more teachers were being less strict about things because people are trying to leave for the holidays and there is a pandemic still happening I think it’s easy for teachers to forget that students are on campus,” said Ambler. “Nothing really needs to change, I just hope that we can make it as far as we did this semester.”