Isaiah Williams

Welcome back Delaware State University Hornets! For the first time since Fall 2019 Delaware State University is gearing up for its first year back to a full capacity campus. Although it’s very exciting to be back on campus, Delaware State students are having a different move in day experience than what they are familiar with.

In the Past Delaware State University Move in Day consisted of a warm welcome from student leaders, then a trip to the Wellness Recreational Center to pick up room assignment key and, then, a long day filled with dorm decorating and meeting new people. But 2021 fall move in day called for a different experience.

In just few months, the COVID-19 pandemic caused by a unique coronavirus, has radically impacted the lives of masses of human beings around the globe, especially college students.

According to the University of Nevada College of Business as of April 1, 2020, the number of learners required to stay at home due to the closure of their educational institution at all grade levels reached a peak of 1.598 billion from 194 countries. Apart from the devastating health consequences for those directly affected by the virus, the COVID-19 pandemic holds major implications for the way higher education students live and work, affecting their physical and mental well-being in profound ways.

Delaware State University’s staff worked extremely hard, put together safety protocols and, created a new norm on campus so that their students can experience getting a college education as normal as possible. With COVID-19 testing two times a week, daily screenings and online and hybrid classes, a select few of DSU students are poised to have a college experience that most schools around the US may not have.

The Industrious Delaware State University Staff and President Tony Allen were able to pull it off again and managed to get campus almost100% vaccinated, allowing to reopen all its facilities and dormitories. This allows DSU students to experience the same activities and learning experience that students at DSU did in the past.

Even though campus is 100% open there are still some new protocols and a new norm to get used to. Now that all on campus is mostly vaccinated, weekly testing is still mandatory but now only once a week. To live on campus, you must be vaccinated and in all campus buildings mask are still mandatory to be worn.

There was excitement all throughout campus from students, factuality and parents for the Fall 2021 move in day. There are always struggles on college move in day and getting adjusted to the new norm will be a challenge, but from the energy that was out there this week, it looks like it will be a great semester.