ETSU is beginning to integrate back into routine activities, and Family Weekend is one of them. For one weekend in March, families were invited to come out, explore campus, see their student and go around Johnson City. For some families, this is the first time they have been able to see any part of ETSU and Johnson City, aside from moving. COVID-19 policies at ETSU have sought to ensure safety of all students, faculty and staff, meaning that not all families have seen our campus at its full glory. So, there lies the big question: does this mean ETSU is moving back into normal for the fall?
I surely think so. The mass number of vaccinations provided by both ETSU Health and the Tennessee Department of Health have created a large portion of students, faculty and staff that have been fully vaccinated or will be by fall 2021. I believe this will allow for regular sports seasons, homecoming activities, fall activities and many other events that are part of the ETSU atmosphere–things that students before us have experienced time and time again, things that not all ETSU students have had the privilege to experience, but hopefully will in the fall.
It is also likely that ETSU will have the benefit of being able to go almost completely in-person in the fall. The dropping rates of COVID-19 in East Tennessee, coupled with the number of vaccines, makes for the perfect environment to go back. ETSU’s on-campus testing sites and stringent COVID-19 policies will seek to ensure our safety. So, yes, I do believe that we will be here in the fall, completely in-person and ready for the benefits that come. For some, it will be an extension of the joy felt with Buccaneer memories. For others, it will be the first time they experience the magic of ETSU at it’s fullest. Nonetheless, it will be special for all of us.
