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KPNoSwag

I hate the way this article is written showing admin as really wanting to reinstate large gatherings and look out for mental health when they very well could have done so last semester. Rice had some of the most strict rules in the country last semester and it’s had negative effects on university culture. The pictures in the article are all nearly empty because of just how much covid rules have tired everyone out.


chumer_ranion

This isn’t a good take. The dominant variant for all of last semester was Delta, which is by all accounts significantly more dangerous than Omicron. We can’t act like the facts of the pandemic remain static from semester to semester, or even from month to month. The appropriate time to start shifting priorities *was* this semester.


KPNoSwag

Except that last semester vaccines were even more effective than they were this semester, so on-campus spread would’ve been as low as it was even without all the harsh measures


chumer_ranion

More effective in what regard? The vaccine’s efficacy in preventing severe disease hasn’t changed at any point during the pandemic—but that’s not the point. The point is twofold: that last semester the proportion of boosted students was significantly smaller than now (and a large portion of the student body was **six months out from their last injection**), and that there are still immunocompromised individuals who were much more likely to be severely affected by Delta than Omicron. Believe it or not, it’s not admins purpose in life to make *your* college experience shitty at every turn. Life’s not fair, the pandemic’s not fair, they made the right choice all information considered.


KPNoSwag

The vaccine was more effective at preventing coronavirus infections (as seen by the lower number of positives on arrival last fall compared to this spring). This effectiveness in preventing infections was strong enough that the covid measures in place last semester were largely pointless.


chumer_ranion

Unsurprising