As the spring semester at North Dakota State University continues, campus has looked different from the fall semester. Students have noticed a busier campus compared to earlier in the spring semester and last fall. This could be due to the newly available vaccine, lower Covid-19 cases and warmer weather. 

One reason more students are on campus could be because Dean Bresciani announced that he expects students will be attending face-to-face class this fall semester. Ashley Potter, a sophomore at NDSU, stated, “I feel like students are preparing for next year when we have to be on campus to attend class.”

Vaccinations across the state and on campus are starting to increase as well. By March 29, the Covid-19 vaccine will be made available to the general public. Valley News stated that “As of Friday, March 19, 194,903 (27%) of North Dakotans had received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, with 115,524 (16%) being fully vaccinated.”

Higher Education was included in C1 priority which allowed NDSU staff and faculty. Some of the NDSU professors and staff have received a Covid-19 vaccine.

Cases at NDSU and around the state have significantly gone down since December. Rapid testing on March 4 concluded with 0% of participants tested positive and testing on March 11 concluding with 1.6% of participants. These March numbers are significantly lower than October testing with 6.9% positive cases out of the participants. The lower cases are also making students more comfortable to be on campus and able to safely participate in NDSU events. 

Another reason more students are coming out of isolation to enjoy the warm weather. Throughout the past month, the weather in Fargo has been warmer. Students have been enjoying the warm weather through walking, running, or doing class in the outdoors. “I have seen more people out of their apartments this last month and around NDSU,” Potter said.

By getting on campus again, students are not only able to socialize with others, but they are also returning to the old college experience.