Campus emptying out: Week 1
Editor’s note: This story is part of an ongoing series documenting campus growing emptier by the week.
It’s 12:03 p.m. on Friday.
As the sun beats down and a slight breeze stirs the 54-degree March day, four students stand on the Utah State University quad passing around a football.
The quad sits between six campus buildings and, on days like Friday where the weather climbs above 45 degrees, is packed with students studying, playing games, socializing and enjoying the sun — especially around noon.
But after a series of emails telling students all campus events until April 8 would be canceled, and classes would be moved online due to a potential COVID-19 outbreak, a normally crowded campus of at least 20,000 students shrank to sparse groups of students spread out through the 450-acre campus.
Emily Harris, Renae Curtis and Sarah Flint sat at a table in the TSC Hub — USU’s food court. On another Friday at this time, one would be hard-pressed to find a spot.
But on this day, the three friends sat at a table with no one in a 20-foot vicinity of them.
“It doesn’t feel real,” said Harris, a sophomore studying elementary education. “The virus thing feels like a fever dream. It doesn’t feel real.”
The three students were among the few on campus Friday after the series of coronavirus announcements. While campus was noticeably emptier, many students continued their daily routines — minus attending classes.
Homework at the library, hot chocolate at the Quadside Cafe and dining at the Aggie Marketplace were all part of Danielle Weinerman’s everyday life.
Fears of catching or spreading a virus and warnings to avoid large crowds didn’t stop her from an afternoon visit to the Marketplace.
“It definitely feels emptier than normal,” Weinerman said. The Marketplace was about half full, which an employee said is “pretty standard” for a Friday at 3 p.m.
Weinerman is a freshman living in the Living Learning Community on campus. Her diet revolves around her campus meal plan, and she “hasn’t figured out” what she’ll do if USU Dining Services closes their operations.
“I can go grocery shopping and home (Pleasant Grove) isn’t too far, but I haven’t really thought about it,” she said.
USU Dining Services director Alan Anderson did not immediately return a request for comment, but dining services locations — which include all campus cafes, dining halls and concession stands — were open during normal business hours Monday.
Additionally, USU emailed all students Monday asking on-campus residents to “return to their permanent homes,” and alerting students the Aggie Recreation Center and Fieldhouse will be closed beginning Tuesday.