Since coming back to campus, all of us have had to adapt to several new changes. The greatest change that might come to mind is the new policy of wearing masks; however, for boarding students, this isn’t the only major change to take over our lives. 

Several new dorm regulations have been set in place to keep boarding students socially distanced and safe. Every boarding student is required to follow these rules in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 amongst the dorms. 

Some examples of these rules are: not being allowed to have over two people in a room, having to wear a mask to the bathrooms (with the exceptions of showering and brushing your teeth), having temperature checks every night at check-in, having a maximum of three people in the bathrooms at a time, and maintaining at least six feet of distance at all times.

In addition to these new regulations, many dorm activities have also been cut in order to prevent large crowds of students from gathering. Even under these circumstances thanks to the partnership between proctors and dorm parents, many new activities have taken their place. 

These extensive changes have added onto the pile of struggles boarding students face, especially for the freshmen and new boarding students who already struggle with adjusting to life at a boarding school. Everyone has still been cooperating, no matter the difficulties that pop up.

While there have been some complaints amongst a few students regarding these extensive changes, the general majority is in agreement that these regulations are for the greater good of the community. 

“As long as people wear their masks and don’t screw up, I’m sure we won’t have to be as strict with the rules later in the year,” an anonymous student stated.

Some boarders have had trouble adjusting to these extensive changes, but everyone has been making an effort to stay safe and healthy during these trying times. 

“Everyone in the dorm is making an active effort to be safe and cautious.  Keep it up!” affirmed Emily Kalis, the new Dorm Head of Marshall Field. 

While for some, these changes have been difficult to adjust to, we are all aware of the importance of wearing a mask and following these new regulations in order to prevent further cases.