For the first two weeks of Anna Baker’s first year of college, she had to self-isolate because she was near someone who tested positive for COVID-19.”I was stuck in my dorm room for two weeks,” Baker said.Now that the fall semester is nearing an end, Baker wants to make sure she doesn’t help the virus spread when she’s home with her family in Mason.”I’ve been trying to limit my contacts to just those around me,” she said. “Some of us have been through quarantine and we don’t want our friends to go through it.”Jean Griffin is Xavier’s Dean of Students. She said that kind of determined approach by Baker and her classmates has helped make this fall’s unusual stretch of in-person and online classes a success.”Our students want to be here,” Griffin said. “And I think 100%, they just really committed to that, and they did what it took to make that happen.”The next test for students, whether they’re traveling by car, like Baker, or hopping on a plane, will be to keep COVID-19 at bay during winter break. While Griffin said it’s best if students can quarantine at home for two weeks, she knows that might cause undue stress.”Maybe quarantine for four or five days once you get home. Get a test at home on that fifth day,” Griffin said. “We’ve encouraged students to think about all of those things together, so that they can go home safely.”Students leaving campus are not only dealing with stress caused by the coronavirus, they’re also worried about getting good grades. With all that in mind, Griffin said Xavier students will have free, weekly access to mental health counselors during their upcoming break.
For the first two weeks of Anna Baker’s first year of college, she had to self-isolate because she was near someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
“I was stuck in my dorm room for two weeks,” Baker said.
Now that the fall semester is nearing an end, Baker wants to make sure she doesn’t help the virus spread when she’s home with her family in Mason.
“I’ve been trying to limit my contacts to just those around me,” she said. “Some of us have been through quarantine and we don’t want our friends to go through it.”
Jean Griffin is Xavier’s Dean of Students. She said that kind of determined approach by Baker and her classmates has helped make this fall’s unusual stretch of in-person and online classes a success.
“Our students want to be here,” Griffin said. “And I think 100%, they just really committed to that, and they did what it took to make that happen.”
The next test for students, whether they’re traveling by car, like Baker, or hopping on a plane, will be to keep COVID-19 at bay during winter break. While Griffin said it’s best if students can quarantine at home for two weeks, she knows that might cause undue stress.
“Maybe quarantine for four or five days once you get home. Get a test at home on that fifth day,” Griffin said. “We’ve encouraged students to think about all of those things together, so that they can go home safely.”
Students leaving campus are not only dealing with stress caused by the coronavirus, they’re also worried about getting good grades. With all that in mind, Griffin said Xavier students will have free, weekly access to mental health counselors during their upcoming break.