COLUMBUS, Ohio — As Ohio State University ramps up its re-opening plan, parents are taking extra precautions to make sure their kids stay safe while away from home.
What You Need To Know
- COVID bags and weekly assessments are at the top of parent’s precaution lists
- Asymptomatic testing and hotspot testing will take place
- Students opting out of mandatory testing may be forced to leave university housing and take online classes only
It’s move-in day at Ohio State University and mom Stacey Bachtel drove more than 100 miles to get to campus. It’s the second year she’s dropped her son, Jett, off at school.
This time it’s different.
“We are a little apprehensive,” she said.
She’s apprehensive about leaving him at the biggest university in the state and, more importantly, in the middle of a pandemic; but she’s got a plan. Bachtel said they’ll be monitoring things each week.
“We’re going to make assessments as to whether we feel that he’s safe here or being safe and just take it as it comes,” she said.
Bachtel feels pretty good about OSU’s proactive approach to handling COVID-19. Still, she made sure she and her son had “the talk” before he packed up and left again for year two.
That’s the COVID-19 talk that includes, “Sanitizing things, washing hands, being diligent about wearing our masks.”
Jett is an accounting major. While he’s glad to be back at school, he said it’s just not the same.
“Sort of bittersweet feeling moving back to campus,” he said.
Freshman Kennedy Coleman’s not nervous. Rather, she’s just anxious to get started, while finding creative ways to connect with people.
But her mom, Christine, has a different take, especially since Kennedy is her only child.-
“Very excited, but still tentative with the fact that we’re in the middle of a pandemic,” Christine Coleman said.
She, too, had “the talk” with her daughter about COVID-19 and the, “Dangers of that and, you know, being responsible while still trying to have a good time on campus.”
The university recently stepped up its original plans, to include:
- Mandatory, weekly testing of students living on campus or in university housing
- Asymptomatic testing
- Target testing for hotspots
- Sharing of data
“I think the weekly testing, I mean, if they think it’s necessary then I’m just going to roll with it,” Kennedy said.
Content with all of the precautions being taken, Christine decided to add one more.
“I actually made her pack a COVID bag. And then that bag it has a cough drop, some Tylenol, and comfy clothes, and an extra phone charger, and personal hygiene items, because I didn’t want there to be panic if she was randomly tested and tested positive and had to go to an isolation dorm,” Christine said. “That would be a quick grab, you know, along with her backpack and her laptop so that she could go wherever she needed to go for those two weeks, and at least feel comfortable.”
Comfortable, even though she’s miles away from home.
As the school year gets underway, students will be able to opt out testing; but for those who choose that route, university officials said it could result in the student being moved to online courses only. They could also jeopardize their ability to live in university housing.
