GUEST COLUMN from MALACK AL-HARAIZAH

Students Expected

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As a senior at SUNY Oneonta, I should be shocked at the events that transpired in the return to campus.

At a place that has been a safe space for students, a place whose motto is, “Founded in Honor and Good Faith,” a place where we expect our leaders to do what is right by us, I should be shocked. And yet, I wasn’t.

Students from all over the state, and even beyond it, were going back to campus to meet with new friends and old, and none of them were required to test for the virus. Most dorms were packed with students as if it were a typical school year.

It was not difficult to predict the outcome of reopening so soon with so few safety measures put into place. So no, I was not surprised by the outbreak or the school shutdown.

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What was shocking to me was the lack of quick action and communication from the school.  My friends and I should not have found out through ABC News that over 100 students had the virus, and the school was shutting down for two weeks.

We should not have had to dig for information on whether these students lived on or off campus, and if it was likely that we were exposed.

I should not have had to make a video to inform my peers of this news. It should not have taken hours for the school to finally release an email detailing this crucial information.

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The response from SUNY Oneonta’s president was almost more frustrating than the whole situation itself. During her live chat with the student body on Sept. 4, President Barbara Jean Morris wanted to answer our questions. When talking about the decision to reopen, she said, “I don’t think we did anything wrong, and I stand by that.”

My roommates and I were gathered around the computer at a loss for words. After all that has happened, we expected more accountability.

Yes, students who were not maintaining social distancing and safety guidelines are also to blame
for the spread.

However, the least I expect of my school’s leaders is that they take accountability for their role in this.
The fact that they are essentially telling us that everything went according to plan astounds me. The fact that New York State approved this plan infuriates me.

The way I see it: College decided to reopen.  They scheduled hybrid classes that students had to attend. They assured us through this decision that we were safe in returning.

Therefore, when things go awry it is their responsibility to communicate with the students and own up to their mistakes.

When I found out there were over 100 cases, I called Fox Hospital to ask about testing. The woman I spoke to said they had limited supplies for Oneonta residents only. She sounded stressed and exhausted.

Did SUNY Oneonta think about the local Oneonta community in the decision to reopen? Or the fact that small towns will not have the resources needed to withstand an outbreak?

That woman, and every resident of this town, deserve an apology as well.
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Looking at the facts, it is clear how easily foreseeable this was.

Fact: testing was not made available to the students until after the virus spread so rapidly.

Fact: an outbreak of this severity did not occur at any other SUNY school.

Fact: I saw Oneonta students gathered in buildings without any staff requiring them to wear masks.

This has made it clear that the school did not adequately prepare for a worst case scenario – a highly probable worst case scenario amidst a global pandemic.

Returning to Oneonta, I did not expect the senior year I always envisioned. This hurts, but it’s necessary. I know what is necessary to keep myself and the people around me safe. I know that I am to sacrifice what I wanted for my last year of college – because it is what’s required of all of us at a time like this.

I just wish my school thought to do the same, and made sacrifices necessary of them to keep us safe. I hope the school will act on Good Faith, and do better next time.

Malack Al-Haraizeh is a senior Adolescent Education and English major from Pine Bush, in the Hudson Valley. She was interviewed on CBS national news in the past week after her video went viral.