DUELING COLUMN: Summer Semester Should Remain Remote

Sergey Podlesnykh/Staff Writer

Summer registration is right around the corner, and FIU is struggling with its repopulation urges. With the number of new COVID-19 cases gradually going down nationwide, the temptation to fully resume in person education is high. However, I believe Summer 2021 needs to remain predominantly remote.

We made substantial steps on the way to pandemic’s end: multiple vaccines are already available, and the nationwide vaccination is slowly chipping away at the daily number of new COVID-19 cases. However, it is a process that takes time and, unfortunately, it doesn’t move along as fast as we wished. According to the National Public Radio vaccination tracker, most states have only 10-15% of fully vaccinated people, and an average of 20-25% of those who received at least one dose. At the moment of writing,  Florida reports 11.9% of fully vaccinated people, and 21.1% of those who received at least one dose. Dr. Fauci estimated we would need anywhere from 70% to 85% of the population to become immune to reach much anticipated COVID-19 herd immunity. Clearly, we still have a long way to go. That’s why putting younger, mostly unvaccinated students back in large groups on campus doesn’t sound like a good idea.

To put things in perspective, we can see why premature celebration can be dangerous using the notorious example of Spanish flu of 1918. That’s what the 1918-1919 pandemic death chart looked like, courtesy of CDC history of pandemics:

Lo and behold, the daily US deaths chart for COVID-19, as per Worldometer:

Side-by-side comparison of the two charts by an unassuming observer like myself suggests that we are coming to the bottom of the second big bump. If we want this to be our last big bump and our goal is to avoid that third surge circa-1919, we need to remain disciplined and refrain from premature return to normal activities. This includes keeping Summer 2021 predominantly remote.

Spring break was cancelled and moved to a later date, and more states have recently started to relax their pandemic restrictions. We could expect students to travel and visit their families after the Spring semester ends. Keeping the summer semester remote would provide additional quarantine time for students upon return to Florida, as opposed to running the risk of bringing new COVID-19 cases on campus from all over the country.

Summer semesters are shorter, more fast-paced and some students choose to take summer break and save energy for the Fall marathon. Therefore, keeping Summer 2021 remote will not affect that many students or overall education quality. FIU can take this Summer slow and ensure that all ducks are in the row for the potential return to business as usual later in the Fall.

In his first primetime address, President Joe Biden was hopeful to take the virus under control by the 4th of July. That would be the middle of Summer 2021. If we start acting in hopes that everything goes as planned, we might find ourselves in a sticky predicament, caused by the butterfly effect of our own premature optimism. Any Navy Seal will tell you that slow is smooth, and smooth is fast. This wisdom could come in handy now when we are giddy to break the chains of pandemic restrictions and fully embrace our normal lives. A slow and careful way right now might be the fastest way to get back to normal.

The best way to bake a golden-brown fluffy loaf of bread is to let it sit in the oven until it’s done. If you try to open the oven door too often, or pull the bread out to check for readiness, it will not cook properly. It will deflate and have undercooked spots inside, leaving you in desperate frustration: “If only I was more patient!”

After a year of the pandemic, we’re hungry for that promised golden-brown loaf of bread. I hope FIU does its part in helping us bake the perfect one and doesn’t open the oven door too early in the Summer. The reward is worth the wait. 

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.

Photo from FIU Flickr