By Kiersten Hacker
Despite the risk of traveling during a pandemic and limitations in transportation services, University of Maryland students will travel away from campus as spring break begins on March 12.
Before returning to campus, students must take a PCR-based COVID-19 test within 72 hours of arriving back and must also confirm a negative test result in order for ID card access to be reactivated.
Students residing in North Campus residence halls must leave their rooms by 7 p.m. on Friday and will not have access to dorm buildings until Sunday, March 21 after 9 a.m. Dining halls will be closed during the break.
South Campus residents are permitted to remain in their rooms for the break while North Campus residents have the opportunity to request to stay on campus in emergency housing. North Campus residents remaining on campus will be moved to Carroll Hall on South Campus, according to the Department of Resident Life director Veronica Scales.
As other students prepare to make their journeys away from campus, they may face increased difficulties since many transportation services have been limited to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Usually, the UMD Department of Transportation offers free Shuttle-UM break transportation to New Jersey and New York, popular home areas for out-of-state students, and other common destinations. But this year, the service will not be provided and instead, the Department of Transportation website provided recommendations for different methods of transportation to airports, common areas and cities.
However, outside of UMD’s services, capacity limits and other restrictions may cause students to face increased struggles when planning their travels. Many bus companies, airlines or trains have reduced the amount of available seats or routes in general, making it more difficult for students to assess their options.
For Jessie Garten, a junior public relations major from New York, making plans to return home were different due to COVID-19. She will be driving home for the break.
“I think I would’ve been more inclined to take the train or find another way to get home but I’m getting a ride back,” Garten said.
Sydney Klapman, a freshman journalism student from Chicago, had no issues booking a flight home for spring break, but the last time she flew home from UMD, she was nervous because another passenger on the flight was not wearing a mask.
In addition to fewer transportation options, students and the campus community must also face the possibility of another spike in coronavirus cases from travel and group trips. Once students return, campus-wide testing will occur as well as a two-week period during which in-person activities will be limited and classes will be fully online.
Klapman said she is very worried about the possibility of a spike in coronavirus cases upon students returning from areas around the country, fearing that students will continue to partake in activities that spread the virus.
On the other hand, freshman mechanical engineering student Elan Rosenberg had a more positive outlook about the possible rise in cases.
“I’m not worried but I think that the university can do a good job about limiting the number of cases when everybody returns, so I think just requiring testing and other preventative measures is a good idea,” Rosenberg said.
While precautions are in place and vigilance against the virus is urged, public health is still a concern. The decision to allow a spring break was difficult for colleges and universities to face when assessing health risks and necessary mental health breaks.
“I think [a break is] important for students’ mental health, but it definitely poses a risk of a spike in COVID cases,” Liana Suttin, a sophomore public relations student, said.
Some colleges and universities across the nation decided to remove their spring break from the academic calendar, but instituted wellness days off to provide students with a necessary break.
Klapman agreed that a break is important, but would have liked the opportunity for all students to remain in their dorms instead of moving to emergency housing or staying off campus.
“I would’ve rather stayed in my dorm and not gotten my parents sick,” Klapman said.
Featured image: Shuttle-UM buses are still traveling to local destinations, although adjustments have been made to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Photo by Kiersten Hacker.