Art by Madeline Duvall
Students used to hate the stairs to the CCB, but now they miss those “Stepperdine” days. Students used to complain about how the food at Pepperdine isn’t the best, but now they miss ordering the beef kabab and talking to Sammy at the HAWC at 1 a.m. These little moments are what make Pepperdine a home away from home for many students.
Unarguably, the essence of going to Pepperdine is actually attending Pepperdine and living in Malibu. With the University partially reopening, community members must be more cautious than ever.
Recognized as one of the most beautiful campuses by the Princeton Review, Pepperdine’s Malibu campus and its spectacular scenery are two of the University’s biggest selling points. Due to this, many Pepperdine students take pride in the fact that they live in the ‘Bu.
In March 2020, the Pepperdine administration made the difficult decision to suspend all in-person classes, ultimately sending students back to their home residences due to COVID-19.
Almost a year later, the Pepperdine community finally saw hope as Pepperdine announced the University’s partial reopening Feb. 19 via email.
In his Feb. 22 briefing, President Jim Gash said students and faculty are permitted to resume in-person activities in groups of up to 10 should they decide to abide by social distancing and masking regulations.
Pepperdine continues to utilize its Daily Wellness Check system to ensure the health of community members on campus. This system, also known as the “green dot,” determines whether the users are COVID-19 free, and grants them access on the Malibu campus if they receive a “green dot.”
As the Pepperdine community begins to see light at the end of the tunnel, community members must now begin preparing for the potential full reopening of the University in the near future.
Athletes and hardship appeal applicants are the only students living on-campus. Athletes must test negative for the COVID-19 test at least once every week to continue their training and matches. All on-campus students are given a single room and are prohibited from inviting outside guests to their living areas, according to the Pepperdine Housing and Residence Life website.
Despite these protocols, Pepperdine has seen 46 on-campus COVID-19 cases during the spring semester as of March 1.
The critical problem here is the possibility of rapid increase in COVID-19 cases when students return to campus and resume in-person classes.
The number of on-campus cases indicates that the University must focus on minimizing the possibility of COVID-19 clusters on campus while utilizing the “green dot” system.
The “green dot” system seems very promising at decreasing the risk of bringing the virus onto campus, but it unfortunately fails to identify asymptomatic carriers. Moreover, it does not trace student activity on campus. Users could also easily downplay an exposure to the virus.
Additionally, some athletes on-campus are expressing concerns regarding the “green dot” system and its inability to keep its users accountable. Those unable to visit campus are sharing both excitement and irritations via social media.
Even Chick-fil-A made it onto campus before most of the students. To celebrate the partial reopening, President Jim Gash invited students to enjoy a free Chick-fil-A meal or burritos in Mullin Town Square — a controversial incentive that could potentially defeat the purpose of social distancing protocols.
While the system may be flawed, the utmost priority is to maintain the safety and well-being of the Pepperdine community. Therefore, it comes down to the integrity of each individual. If students wish to resume classes on the Malibu campus, they must be mindful and respectful of other students’ boundaries.
Getting vaccinated will help the community, but even the vaccination only serves as a temporary tool preventing the spread of the virus.
Continuing to live with the pandemic seems to be the only solution.
Adapting to an unfamiliar environment with strict regulations may be difficult. But, being a Pepperdine student not on the Malibu campus is unquestionably more difficult.
As the University awaits further notices from LA County, the Pepperdine community must learn to be comfortable with the uncomfortable.
If students want those Malibu days back, they need to accept the reality that the campus will not look like what it did before. Everyone needs to make compromises. Most importantly, everyone needs to respect each other on a deeper level.
Right now, the campus seems like a tourist attraction for those with the privilege of living in the Malibu area. The bottom line is this: Pepperdine is, and will always be, the home for all Waves.
There is certainly hope and light after such lonely pandemic times, but the journey to reopening has just begun. If Pepperdine truly values all of its students, the community must come together to ensure every student is able to return to campus by next fall — not just those who can enjoy President Gash’s free Chick-fil-A.
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Follow the Graphic on Twitter: @PeppGraphic
Email Sawa Yamakawa: sawa.yamakawa@pepperdine.edu
