John Alexander Nunnery

Editor

Mississippi University for Women officially re-opened its doors to students last month, but many classes were moved online in an effort to reduce the number of students on campus.

That is just one of many changes that were implemented across campus this semester, and President Nora Miller said safety is at the heart of what to expect as the university moves forward.

“It’s been a lot of adjusting so far, but I think things are going well,” said Miller. “I am pleased to see how everyone seems to be cooperating and following the protocols. There was a bump in cases around the second week, but it did not balloon and continue. We had a plan in place, and we exercised it.”

Miller said she hopes that the student body will be able to have events again soon, but she remains uncertain about what capacity they will be hosted in. She said she is happy to at least see students on campus, though the semester promises to be strange. She recommends that anyone new to campus and looking to get involved search out organizations to join, even if it must be done via Zoom.

“I know it is difficult. I can’t imagine how hard it must be for freshman to be away from home for that first time and not having that community building,” Miller said. “Try to make connections with people, email people in your classes, call them, stay connected one way or another, and make sure you are taking care of yourself and reach out for help if you need it!”

Despite the challenges, Miller said she is looking forward to the future. She plans to put safety at the forefront of all plans going forward.

“Mask wearing will be continuing, because that seems to really help. You’re wearing them not only to protect others but to protect yourself,” she said. “I’m hoping we will be able to have some looser restrictions soon and be able to have events, but we have to see what is going to happen, as we will continue to follow CDC and the Department of Health guidelines.”