Family Weekend is an adored tradition at Syracuse University. It gives students the opportunity to see their families midway through the semester, allowing students to let their parents into their lives at SU. Although COVID-19 is still a concern, SU made the right decision in hosting Family Weekend this year.

COVID-19 hit every student hard, but it was especially hard for freshmen. They were forced to navigate a new school, and their parents were unable to visit them. On top of that, for the safety of everyone on campus, travel restrictions prevented students from leaving the central New York region last fall, which hindered many students from visiting home. 

Now, with COVID-19 cases remaining low and restrictions laxed, Family Weekend takes on a new meaning. SU’s decision to have Family Weekend gives students reassurance that life is returning to normal.

Being on campus last year was hard. Students and faculty were constantly concerned that the university would hit a certain number of cases and shut down, resulting in a return to online learning.

In November 2020, the COVID-19 dashboard ended up reaching a high of 283 active cases. This semester, we have reached a high of 163 cases and are currently at 54 cases. 

When judging SU’s decision to host Family Weekend, we must take into consideration that COVID-19 cases are decreasing across the United States and that SU’s student body is approximately 98% vaccinated. This means that while COVID-19 transmission is possible as a result of the influx of people to campus, it is somewhat unlikely that the virus would rapidly spread.

People from all around New York and nearby states are already coming to campus for Syracuse football games, campus tours and work in the city. Parents coming to campus do not pose more of a risk of COVID-19 transmission than other visitors to central New York do.

SU freshman Benjamin Gruber has parents visiting from Long Island this weekend. People from outside of CNY have frequently been on campus this semester already, he said. “We have people from everywhere, all around New York who are Syracuse fans, come to the football games already. And we only have about 40 kids on campus who have COVID-19 currently, so an outbreak stemming from Family Weekend is unlikely,” he said. 

Additionally, SU has relaxed many of its COVID-19 restrictions this semester. Students are allowed in each other’s dorms, and vaccinated students do not have to participate in weekly testing, while SU has also removed many restrictions surrounding campus facilities like dining halls and gyms. Based on the SU administration’s loosening of restrictions, it makes sense that Family Weekend has returned. 

SU made the right decision in allowing families to come to campus for Family Weekend. While we must all remain cautious about how we move forward in regard to COVID-19, SU has provided enough support and guidance to allow us to enjoy the moments that make our college experience special. Students need to see their families and remain connected to loved ones, and COVID-19 has taken that away from them for long enough.

Skylar Swart is a junior political science major. Her column appears biweekly. She can be reached at saswart@syr.edu. She can be followed on Twitter at @SkylarSwart.

Published on October 6, 2021 at 11:23 pm