The move University of Idaho Athletics made to allow fans into the football games was questionable. With so many people gathered into one indoor space, even one as large as the Kibbie Dome, it is a move that puts the safety of fans at risk.
Especially when so many of those fans are eating, touching the same handrails, sitting close to other groups not wearing masks, yelling and cheering. Frequently touched places, like handrails, were not being sanitized regularly or even at halftime.
As people left the stadium chatting about the game, which no doubt brought in a lot of money to Athletics after going so long without football, many fans walked out without masks. To make things even more unsafe, there have been outbreaks of COVID-19 on campus in the Greek chapters and cancellations to several basketball games, both men’s and women’s, due to COVID-19 protocols within the program.
How many of those students might have attended the football game last Saturday, before they had tested positive? Who knows. Athletics should not be putting the safety of students and fans in our community, as well as Eastern Washington’s community, in danger of infection just for the sake of getting the funds from a few football games. Safety policies need to be enforced to keep fans safe, and if the university can’t do that, we should go back to watching football from home.
Last month UI hosted the annual Lionel Hampton Jazz Fest, but unlike prior events, the entire festival was held online. Though the committee tried to keep the same spirits the festival usually has, there were drawbacks to the events which were able to take place.
There were fewer concerts presented at the festival, many being pre-recorded. These drawbacks were the price we all paid for other’s safety during the ongoing pandemic.
Outside of Jazz Fest, students at the Lionel Hampton School of Music have been experiencing their education differently. Concerts, recitals and performances have not been held in-person.Instead, they are all held over Zoom, which is tough on students and professors alike. There are first-year music students who have not experienced these events in-person, or performed for a crowd in-person, which is an important aspect of their degrees and future careers.
The choice to go completely virtual has many adverse effects on students, faculty and staff at Lionel Hampton, but their decision to remain virtual still stands. Jazz Fest creates revenue for the university and community, and holding all events online had to hurt earnings for the college. However, the decision was not made in consideration of finances, it was made in consideration of putting other’s health first. Why can’t Athletics do the same?
It’s clear that there is a discrepancy within UI’s decision-making process. There was a misstep somewhere along the line of making adequate COVID-19 precautions to allocating enough funding to keep the school afloat.
There is an issue of priorities and consistency, with athletics taking the higher priority than music. And making money takes a higher priority than keeping the students safe.
We understand that UI needs to make money to function. We understand that football is an illustrious source of revenue. We don’t understand why the university refuses to stick to their script.
From the beginning of the pandemic to now, the university has sent email after email addressing the issue, simultaneously assessing the pandemic as it develops. As things change so do the restrictions. Functions occur, places open, adjustments are made.
Why is this standard not the same across the board? If the CDC guidelines and advice from local health officials indicate that we can have in-person attendance to weekly football games, why can’t people attend the Lionel Hampton Music Festival?
The answer is clear: one makes more money than the other.
Attempting to reopen school activities and return to normal campus life is a noble feat. However, it’s discredited when they don’t stick to a script.
UI needs to be consistent. Otherwise, what’s the point of acting like they care about the health of their students.
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