During the summer, many people were able to hang out with their friends doing activities that maintained the COVID-19 guidelines by staying outdoors. As the weather gets colder, Staples students are split on whether going inside their friend’s houses is safe or not. 

Some students think that going inside is safe if the number of people is limited.  

“Over the summer it was more outdoors, but as the school year started I have been going inside with one person,” Madison Lebowitz ’22 said. 

This sentiment is echoed by many students who believe that the fewer people indoors, the safer it is. This is largely because in many of the cases around the country a great number of them are spread from big parties. 

Even in the White House, the consequences of getting together in groups are evident, as President Trump held a large gathering that resulted in numerous cases in his administration. These fears, derived from our head office, have affected the way that students at Staples go forth with their actions regarding the virus. Some students believe that as long as a mask is worn when attending social gatherings inside, socializing should be allowed.

“With my group of friends, when we go inside we wear masks and we try to be safe,” Samantha Taylor ’21 said. 

This opinion is popular among Staples students because at school everyone wears masks and thus far there hasn’t been a massive outbreak. Some argue that if students have not contracted the virus at school, there is less of a chance of doing it at home. However, others believe that because home is a more intimate setting, students should adhere to the specifics of community guidelines. 

“I think it’s generally safer by the CDC guidelines to stay outside so there’s either going to be a cutback on social activity or going inside with more precautions,” Oliver Saitz ’23 said.  

The CDC guidelines state that people should maintain socially distanced activities and avoid going into other people’s houses to best protect themselves.

Throughout this pandemic, it has been hard to maintain a balance between safety and social connections. As the number of positive tests in Connecticut has lessened, and restaurants and schools have reopened, people have been more inclined to see their friends and family. The majority of students, however, believe that overall the Staples student body is doing a good job of staying safe while at school. 

“I think people at school are being really good about wearing masks all the time,” Ashley Sarelli ’22 said, “and not taking them off during the day.”