(Photo courtesy Tory Wesnofske) UMass Lowell’s Haverhill Innovation Hub offers a membership option for tech startups.

Kaitlyn Sullivan
Connector Staff

On Oct. 6, UMass Lowell students received an email from ResLife about an update on the Residential Guest and Visitor Guidelines on campus.

The email stated that officials came to the decision to advance the Guidelines from Level 2 to Level 3, meaning that all UMass Lowell students who are enrolled in in-person class, including commuter students, are allowed into the Residence Halls starting on Oct. 8 at 5:00 PM. After talking to some students on campus about this change, it seems that students are having an overwhelmingly positive reaction to this decision.

Jessie Daniliuk, a sophomore English major, is living on campus for her first time this semester. When asked about her feelings regarding the new guidelines, she said, “We have been making good strides. I, for one, I don’t have many commuter friends; I’m still glad that they have the opportunity to be in the dorms. I’m really excited for when we will be allowed to have outside visitors.”

According to Guest and Visitation Policy page on the UMass Lowell website, in order to get back to normal operations, officials would have to upgrade Guidelines to a Level 4. When asking if students felt this was a possibility, Daniliuk said, “I would say yeah. It seems like there is a new decision every month. Maybe next month things will open up again. Even though there are positive cases, which of course is excepted, I think that we’re doing a good enough job that they’ll reward us.” 

Kate Calvoni, a junior graphic design major, is also having her first semester as a commuter student. When talking about her experiences so far on campus, she states, “It is hard to be involved with the school a lot of the time due to the commute back home, but when I do get the chance, I feel very welcomed.”

In particular, she says that she is appreciative of the emails she receives from the university about activities on campus that help her feel like a part of the community.

Calvoni also believes that with the lift of the dorm restrictions, it helps commuters be apart of campus life. She says that the new guidelines allow her to visit the friends that she has made in her classes and that “it feels like we are part of the community.” 

Both believe that the university has been handling COVID safety well so far this semester. Daniliuk believes that “Overall it has been going well. They have made the overall decision to say that we should be wearing masks indoors, which makes sense, but I don’t always see it enforced. If you’re going to say something, follow through. For the most part, it has been going good.”

Calvoni agrees that she feels safe on campus and says, “Everyone tries their best in this aspect of our lives and you can see that with UMass Lowell. Everyone is still able to see each other at a safe distance while maintaining friendships.”

This is an exciting advancement towards returning to normalcy; and with November coming up, it is possible that ResLife will upgrade the Residential Guest and Visitor Guidelines to a Level 4.

In order to have more restrictions lifted, it is important for all students to play their part and oblige to the COVID Safety Guidelines.

At the moment of publication, the expectation for students is that masks are required to be worn inside all buildings. Vaccinations are also required, unless given explicit exceptions for medical or religious reasons. In order to receive more information about the university’s status regarding COVID safety, look on the UMass Lowell website under Coronavirus Alerts.

It has been almost a month since the new guidelines have been in place and it appears that many students believe that they are ready for Residence Halls to return to full operation. There has not been a spike in positive COVID cases thus far, and most students have been following the university guidelines.

After a long and stressful year of being forced inside our houses, students believe they deserve the opportunity to safely have visitors over in the Residence Halls. It is exciting to see that things are starting to open up once again. New doors are opening up for students on campus, and normalcy is finally in sight.