Utah State announces more changes to housing, fitness services due to COVID-19

By Sydney Kidd and Marcus Lamb

More students are trying to find their way home from Logan now as growing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic have brought about updated policies at Utah State University.

On Monday, the university sent out an email requesting students staying in on-campus housing return to their permanent homes “if possible.” 

According to the email, Utah State will also be closing the Aggie Recreation Center, USU Fieldhouse and recreational facilities in the Health, Physical Education, and Recreation building starting Tuesday. 

Last week, USU told students not to make any immediate decisions about leaving campus. The school also sent out an email saying that housing services would remain open. The new announcement said USU would continue to provide services to those unable to leave.

“I honestly don’t know what I’m doing yet. I don’t really want to leave,” freshman Mattiekay Rackham said. “If I stay I can study with people and still be with my friends.”

Rackham lives with her cousin, Anna Gustin, in on-campus housing. Both women are from Kuna, Idaho. Gustin has elected to move out and will get the prorated rent refund being offered by the university.

“It’s not because I am panicked or too concerned,” Gustin said. “I just have the opportunity now to finish up the school year from home.”

The closure of recreational facilities is another way USU is trying to limit the spread of COVID-19. 

“This decision was not made lightly,” director of Campus Recreation Daniel Lawerence said. “This was a university-wide level decision to help mitigate the virus.”

Previously, the school had elected to keep these facilities open, closing them down twice a day for hour-long sanitation procedures. 

“We kept our cleaning up to a strict schedule,” Lawerence said. “... doing everything we possibly could to give our athletes the cleanest and safest gym to exercise in.”
Students who attend the gym regularly have expressed disappointment over the closures. 

“I’m very sad; I think it’s a great way to help keep students’ mental health in check,” Bently Fife said. “Thanks to the online classes and the closing of the ARC, students will be in their apartments more and it will affect them in a negative way.” 

Fife is a junior at USU; she has been attending the ARC regularly since her freshman year of college. 

But Lawrence said there may be other options for the gym aficionado to try out while the gym was closed.

“We're trying to do the best we can to make sure our top athletes are healthy, safe, and in top shape,” Lawrence said. “We are planning on using online videos and online regimen to keep the students active whenever they go.”