Reopening St. Bonaventure

Tom Doyle

St. Bonaventure University’s upcoming school year is still surrounded by question marks and apprehension due to the ongoing pandemic looming over the country. The Corona Virus has already cut Bonaventure’s final weeks of the 2019-2020 academic calendar. Students were sent home on the 23rd of March and finished the school year online. Seniors walked virtually hearing there name called in a video put together by St. Bonaventure- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnEUnRo5NHY. The president addressed the student body promising a commencement at St. Bonaventure sometime next year.

President Dennis Deperro has been an optimistic, but cautious figure heading into next year. He has been communicating with his students by video and email. He continues to promise them he is doing everything he can to start classes on time, come August 31st. But the safety and well-being of his students is at the fore front of his decision making.

In an email addressed to all students he said, “While we understand there likely will be health and safety guidelines to follow, we have every hope of resuming residential life on campus in the fall.” He went on to say, “Doing so will be contingent on the governor’s plan to reopen New York and consultation with our Board of Trustees.”

Currently many regions in New York have shown a drop in cases and have headed into phase two. Phase three is mainly the hospitality industry, allowing restaurants and other food-service businesses to reopen dine-in services along with spas and gyms. Phase four is the final phase in which education will be able to open up.

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced yesterday that New York tested 60,435 people and only 781 tested positive. That is only about 1%. If the state of New York continues to social distance and wear masks while re-opening, we will hopefully be on track by August to activate phase four.

For students, returning to school means so much more than attending class. They will be reunited with friends from all over New York and the country. Students will be living, dining, exercising, studying and learning from professors all in environments that have to meet the President and Board of Trustees expectations. While they will enforce strict rules to keep professors and students safe, many are still pondering questions about what it could look like.

At St. Bonaventure, the daily activities for underclassmen and women usually involve: going to class about two- three times a day, eating three meals at the Hickey Dining Hall, working out at the Richter center and going to the library or hanging out with friends in the dorms.

For an upperclassmen and women it is similar but may have more online classes and are off campus more. They typically are dining in Francis Hall or cooking their own meals and exercising at the Richter Center.

Student athletes do the same but will workout with their teams at the Reilly Center or fields on campus.

So, what will be different from the usual day at St. Bonaventure? Here are six things they potentially could enforce:

• There will be a limit to how many kids can be in one dorm room- enforced by RA’s.
• There will be distancing/limit of students in the classrooms, dining hall, library and Richter Center.
• You will be required to wear a mask on campus at all times.
• Limited attendance at basketball games and other events (also depends on NCAA rules).
• Classes could see major changes in attendance with some going online or making the classes longer and switching to one class per day with masks.
• The Hickey Dining Hall is usually at max capacity around 1 PM and 5 PM (Can’t distance). They may do more takeout options.

The bus that takes students from campus to town is usually at full capacity as well at the end of the night and they could make changes to that. Obviously, a big question remains as to how they could enforce all of this. Those are some options off the top of my head.

These are all major changes and big hurdles for freshman to jump. As freshman, it is so important to be on campus, in the dining hall, classes and at basketball games. You meet so many friends in the first few months. It will be important to have these available at some capacity.

For upperclassmen, bars are a huge hit on the weekends and business’s like the Burton and Other Place rely solely on the college students. A year without Piano Man at two AM Thursday through Saturday is unfathomable to students. I believe the bars may enforce limited attendance at the Burton and more students drinking at the Other Place porch early in the year. And perhaps some students may not want to go out.

The biggest question I have headed into the year is this: What will happen if/when a student or faculty member tests positive for the Corona Virus? Will we be sent home again? Will parents step in and take there kids back home? Will we go online and distance for two weeks? This is on the minds of every business/company/university headed into September. Testing is still scarce. Without testing or a vaccine, St. Bonaventure and every other business ultimately will be taking a risk.

I cannot imagine the reaction if a student or teacher passes during the year. At St. Bonaventure, it truly is a family. With about 2,000 students and one gym, two bars and one library to share you form strong connections. Let us pray no one gets sick.