Devin Foster
COM 360
News Story 1
Covid 19 has impacted the whole way we have lived our lives over the last year. People have been scared to go outside, masks are required everywhere we go, everything was shut down, from museums, to arcades, sports leagues and restaurants. All schools got shut down, and even now some aren’t open. However, there are places in the world that are starting to open up. For example, the NBA is in the middle of their season, and the NFL was able to actually finish their season, and have fans towards the end of it. An example that is more close to home for us, is the school that we attend now, Bradley University.
Last semester, we weren’t allowed to do much of anything, we were put on a two week quarantine two weeks into the school year, the gym wouldn’t allow any games on the courts, the pool was closed, you weren’t allowed to dine in at the dining halls, or at the student center, and intramural sports had gotten cancelled for the semester. That hurt me personally because I was a ref for intramural sports last year. However with all the strict rules and restrictions, they weren’t allowed to have them. However, this year, things changed.
Over the course of the spring semester, things have been opening up more and more. We are now allowed to sit and eat in the dining halls, and in the student center. We don’t really have restrictions on visitation in each other’s dorm rooms, the gym is allowing more than one person on a court, and you can even play games now with others. The pool is opened up, and now, intramural sports are coming back. Currently, there is intramural 4 verses 4 flag football, and indoor soccer being played currently. Things aren’t completely normal yet however, since Covid is something that isn’t completely gone yet, players and referees are required to wear masks, and social distance as best as they can.
One of the things that could take place is people’s worries about getting Covid, and whether or not they feel safe, and the difference between playing intramural sports during Covid, and when it wasn’t even a thing. I asked one of my friends, who participates in indoor soccer, and he said “I feel safe when I’m playing. Obviously there is going to be a little getting used to playing with masks on, and you are a little more aware of the people around you and whether or not they are following the protocols, but that usually doesn’t take place. In terms of the difference between last year and this year, I feel like there isn’t too much of a difference to be honest. You don’t really have the time to try and not be physical while playing soccer, and touching is just going to happen, so there is no reason to overthink it. People wash their hands before and after games, so I feel safe.”
Although we are still living in times where we need to still be careful with how open we are, it is clear that people are ready to get back to some form of normalcy, and we are getting closer to that every day.