The Optimist
  • Home
  • About
    • Advertise
    • Policies
    • Staff Contacts
    • Jobs
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Multimedia
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos
  • Features
  • Print Edition
    • The Pessimist
    • Special Projects
  • Police Log
  • Classifieds
You are here: Home / Opinion / Editorials / It’s up to us to stay in-person
Incoming students wait in line to get popsicles from Mary's Paleteria. (Photo by David Mitchell)

It’s up to us to stay in-person

August 22, 2020 by Optimist Editorial Board

As we enter this challenging semester, it is important to recognize that it is up to us, the students, to keep ACU healthy, safe and in-person.

ACU has many procedures in place to ensure the safety of students and staff, including mask requirements, social distancing and increased sanitation. These measures keep us safe while we are in class and on campus, but it is up to us to keep contact down while off campus.

The Universities of North Carolina and University of Notre Dame have both moved from in-person to online classes after only two weeks of moving in.

Both universities cite off-campus activities as the reason for increased infection, with one citing a large party and the other citing residence life and fraternity housing as hot spots for exposure. They are discussing sending the students home depending on levels of positive cases after the two weeks of online classes for quarantine are up.

When looking at cases in other universities that have had significant increases in cases, they are all attributed to off-campus activities.

Since such a significant portion of the student population lives off campus, it is more important than ever that we make good choices when it comes to what we choose to do and where we choose to be outside of classes.

We must have tough conversations with our housemates about social distancing protocols, limiting large get-togethers and checking up on each other’s mental health as well as physical health. It’s up to us.

While the CDC recognizes that COVID-19 is more likely to cause complications in older adults, college campuses aren’t exclusive to perfectly healthy college students. Faculty, staff, professors, older students, those with health conditions that put them at risk, those living with older people and those at risk belong in the ACU community.

It is up to us to protect them from contact as much as we can.

While professors were given the option to opt-out of in-person classes, most classes are harder to teach online. These professors are knowingly putting themselves at risk in order to give us the quality education we want.

Our decision-making could ensure that instruction at ACU remain in-person as long as possible.

Filed Under: Editorials

Other Opinion:

  • Tariffs are the last thing struggling students need

  • Gen Z won the election for Donald Trump

  • A Swift rebuke: When it comes to politics, celebrities just do not get it

About Optimist Editorial Board

Comments

  1. Cukrowski says

    September 10, 2020 at 1:44 pm

    I’m proud of our students!

You are here: Home / Opinion / Editorials / It’s up to us to stay in-person

Other Opinion:

  • Tariffs are the last thing struggling students need

  • Gen Z won the election for Donald Trump

  • A Swift rebuke: When it comes to politics, celebrities just do not get it

Follow us online

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Optimist on Twitter

Retweet on Twitter The Optimist Retweeted
optimistsports Optimist Sports @optimistsports ·
26 Jun

The United Athletic Conference is officially taking the place of the Western Athletic Conference in the 2026-2027 athletic year. The UAC is a joint football effort between the WAC and the ASUN but will now extend to all sports. #acuoptimist #acuathletics #wac #uac

Reply on Twitter 1938240320854008109 Retweet on Twitter 1938240320854008109 2 Like on Twitter 1938240320854008109 7 Twitter 1938240320854008109
Retweet on Twitter The Optimist Retweeted
ashleyh1607 Ashley Henderson @ashleyh1607 ·
3 Jun

My second year at ACU was full of opportunities that grew me as an individual and a journalist.

In my first year as editor in chief of @acuoptimist, we published six print issues, filmed a 3-hour live election show, and revamped our newscast, all while producing news weekly.

Reply on Twitter 1929734328445178254 Retweet on Twitter 1929734328445178254 1 Like on Twitter 1929734328445178254 1 Twitter 1929734328445178254

Optimist on Facebook

The Optimist

1 years ago

The Optimist

Video

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

The Optimist

2 years ago

The Optimist
"Ending my college education early was always the plan for me, but the things that I have been able to see, experience and examine about ACU’s community were not. I have found immense growth in ACU over the past three and a half years, but ACU still has a long road to climb if it wants to keep catering to students as the world changes around them." To read more of this article visit acuoptimist.com or click the link in our bio. #acu #abilenechristianuniversity #privatechristianuniversity #collegestudentopinion #acuopinion ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Videos

Optimist Newscast Feb. 28, 2024

Our top stories today include a recap of The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, the ... [Read More…]

  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 21, 2024
  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 14, 2024
  • Optimist Newscast Jan. 24, 2024

Latest Photos

  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Policies
    • Advertising Policy
    • Letters to the Editor and Reader Comments
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Multimedia
    • Videos
    • Photo Galleries
  • Features
  • Advertise
    • Paid Advertisement
  • Police Log

© 2025 ACU Optimist · All Rights Reserved