Michigan State University allowed housing for an additional 2,500 students on campus during the spring semester.
Freshman Maggie Neumaier moved into Bailey Hall in Brody Neighborhood.
Neumaier said, “The reason I decided to move into the dorms is because I felt like I was missing out staying home. I already had friends up here, so I wanted to get the college experience in the dorms and move out here.”
Neumaier said she enjoys living in the dorms, but the pandemic has made it hard to meet people because there are not a lot of students in the dorms.
She said, “My building is not very lively. It is very quiet here.”
MSU students living on campus have to follow health and safety measures. Those include wearing a face covering indoors and outdoors when outside of their rooms, maintaining physical distance, and participating in the COVID-19 early detection program.
“We do the spartan spit program, and when we leave our room we have to have the mask on, in the bathroom–walking from the shower to the sink we have to keep our mask on,” Neumaier said. “You also are not supposed to have more than one guest in your room. You’re not really supposed to have guests at all.”
Students are required to do the spartan spit program once a week. Students who contract COVID-19 and are living in community-style dorms must quarantine at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center. Students who contract COVID-19 and are living in suite-style dorms must quarantine in their private room.
Freshman John Sobah moved into East Holden Hall in South Neighborhood for the dorm experience.
Sobah said, “The main contributing factor to my decision was the fact I missed out first semester, so I kind of wanted to get that college experience my freshman year knowing that sophomore year I will be living in an apartment.”
Sobah said living in the dorms has been different than expected but he’s enjoying living on campus.
Sobah said, “When we were here, we were not even allowed to have our suitemates in our rooms, so it’s been a little weird, but it definitely has been a lot better than living at home.
“I really like the aspect of having my own freedom and being able to go walk around campus because it is such a big, beautiful campus, there’s so many new things to see,” Sobah said. “I just wanted the experience of just being able to find my way around campus before in-person classes really started.”