Dear Lafayette Community:

This week, President Byerly informed our community that due to the COVID-19 outbreak, commonly referred to as the coronavirus, the college will be moving to remote learning after spring break from March 23 until April 5. Additionally, from March 16 to April 5, all students must return home, and stay home, unless extenuating circumstances permit otherwise. Normal classes are expected to resume April 6, though that is subject to change.

This disruption of the spring semester is certainly not an easy one, and can especially be difficult for students who do not have the capability to return home during this time. Additionally, for many students, Lafayette provides a home away from home, where growth and development are fostered in an environment virtual lectures and papers cannot replace. For seniors like myself, the uncertainty of the continuation of the rest of the semester is unsettling and, frankly, disheartening.

While the Lafayette community cannot be equally created online, we are a community, and the health and safety of the community must come first. How to ensure the health and safety of the community is up for debate, as many institutions have made the choice to cancel the remainder of their semesters entirely. Students from these campuses have expressed discontent with these decisions, and I am not qualified to say whether or not I agree with Lafayette’s. I do, however, recognize that the decision will require future patience, support and, hopefully, transparency.

During this time, The Lafayette will also unfortunately have to suspend its normal weekly publication and coverage. While the suspension of most college activities may imply there wouldn’t be a lot to cover anyways, we view this situation as the very one in which we are supposed to provide the most up-to-date coverage and information for our community. To that end, our editorial staff is committed to maintaining communication with college administration in an effort to provide updates and any additional information during this time of uncertainty.

Lastly, we urge everyone to be responsible and take any necessary precautions for ensuring the health and safety of themselves and our community.

Sincerely,

Claire Grunewald