Written by Harold Carvajal
COVID-19 has changed the way of life for people all over the globe. With the cancellation of many events last semester and the removal of worship credits, as well as a change in attendance policy, Southern’s campus culture has been forced to endure a dramatic change. For this semester, credits have been reinstalled, attendance is now tied to grades and events are occurring more normally than they were last semester.
Some of these sports require contact with others or, at the very least, being near others. This lack of social distancing can possibly allow for COVID-19 to spread among players and teammates and then to roommates who these players will eventually go back to. The prevention of an audience being present also takes away from the morale and necessity of those playing, as many know that the fun in sports comes from playing in front of friends and people who cheer you on.
If even just one player has COVID-19, all team members and those participating might need to quarantine due to exposure through contact. Overall, it seems like an unsafe and unnecessary practice for the time being.
Being a student at Southern for the past three years, I realize that intramurals are an important aspect of Southern’s campus culture, and that many students bond over the chance to play their favorite sports with their friends and acquaintances. However, if we want to stem the spread of this virus and the increase in cases, then we need to put a hold on intramurals.