22,000 People in a Stadium, Zero People in Classrooms

Nicole Ardila/Contributing Writer

The Super Bowl has been the hot topic for the past week. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers victory, the Weeknd’s great performance and oh wait… the fact that we’re still in a global pandemic. 

Are we actually going to ignore the fact that 22,000 people attended the Super Bowl? 

A lot of people have been shamed and criticized for gathering with loved ones, traveling and going out in public. Yet, the Super Bowl was an exception for everybody. Look, I totally get it, I may not be a football fan, but if it were the FIFA World Cup, I wouldn’t want it to be canceled either. But the facts are that we’re in a pandemic, and sporting events aren’t more important than places that have gone out of business, and schools that are not 100% reopened. So, what makes the Super Bowl a higher priority than any of these other things? The billions of dollars it makes every year. 

Virtual learning has been affecting students negatively, but schools are still not allowed to fully repopulate their campuses, even though they’re following COVID-19 guidelines. Meanwhile, the Super Bowl is granted permission to host thousands of people, despite the current pandemic with a whopping 27,737,875 cases in the U.S. If the Super Bowl was able to have all of those people socially distanced, then businesses, public places, and schools should be able to gather as well. 

It has been a year now dealing with this pandemic, and people are tired of being restricted. We can’t just stay inside forever (even though it feels like it), because we all have to continue living our lives. Even though for some, the pandemic didn’t stop them from living theirs. 

Honestly, there’s nothing wrong with hosting the Super Bowl, because after all, we should be focusing on going back to normal again. But if that’s the case, then “going back to normal” requires much more than holding a sporting event that generates billions of dollars annually. 

If COVID-19 guidelines allowed 22,000 people safely and socially distanced in a stadium, it should allow schools and businesses to do the same. After all, many regulations like mask mandates, isolation, test requirements, symptom questionnaires, sanitation, temperature checks and vaccines have been established to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. 

Not much bothered me about the gathering at the Super Bowl, just the fact that it wasn’t canceled like the majority of things most of us were looking forward to. 

I can tell you, first-hand, that losing my prom and graduation ceremony was heart-breaking. It sucked being part of the Class of 2020. However, we all understood that we were in a pandemic, and we couldn’t risk a gathering, even if it was postponed later on. 

Months passed and starting out at FIU on Zoom, as a Freshman, was even worse. I had transferred from virtual high school to virtual college. The feeling of not being able to get to know the campus and its acclaimed intercultural ambiance, made me feel like I’m not a true FIU Panther. 

Freshmen haven’t been able to experience exciting events like Panthercamp, Homecoming, and the Panthermonium Concert. In all honesty, what I most looked forward to, was going to classes and meeting new people. Everyone has told us how college was going to be the best years of our lives, yet most of us are now entering our sophomore year soon and we still haven’t set foot on campus.

It hurts to see all those people enjoying The Weeknd’s amazing halftime show and the greatest football game of the year while still not being able to experience college classes and events. University students deserve to go back on campus since they’re paying for their education and its amenities. All grade-level students should be able to learn in-person again and socialize. 

The truth is, COVID-19 isn’t going to be eradicated, it’ll transition into a mild case, like the Flu. Students have to return to school at some point, and right now they’re either falling behind and slacking in class, or missing out on important milestones that they and their families were looking forward to. There’s no justifiable reason for this event to be prioritized over education or businesses during a pandemic. If the government is going to start allowing the repopulation of public places, then they should start at what benefits future generations, not the pockets of the NFL. 

I personally believe we shouldn’t worry about the number of people that gathered at the Super Bowl, since it was socially distanced and a majority of the seats were filled by cut-out boards.

Plus, 7,500 of those 22,000 people at the Super Bowl were vaccinated health-care workers, invited for free. What made the Super Bowl a problem to be held during the pandemic, was that it reopened and welcomed thousands of people before schools were even allowed to. Some people may see it as a super-spreader, but we shouldn’t worry as the virus has been more under control. 

All these regulations that were applied to the Super Bowl protocols should be applied to schools to make them safe enough to return to. While only four of the 50 states were ordered to open schools, the rest remain online until effect takes place. The focus should be on educational institutions and making students and teachers feel comfortable and safe, not making a stadium welcoming and inviting for 22,000 people.

The education and mental health of students is more essential than annual American entertainment that generates billions of dollars. Keep in mind how students are feeling, being stuck inside, struggling to stay on track, without socializing with teachers and other students like they’re used to. Mental health affects their education and work, which I believe matters more than a fancy football game, don’t you?

DISCLAIMER:

The opinions presented within this page do not represent the views of PantherNOW Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.