We all remember the call to action health officials and experts have expressed for all of us to do in response to the COVID-19; stay home and social distancing. The university, in response, has closed much of the facilities and minimizing the number of bodies on campus. The lack of student presence has been noticed and local folks have utilized the campus environment for their daily cardio activities, dog walks and is a playground for children — which shouldn’t be a surprise since the university is a beautiful sight that is routinely cleaned with enough space to do such activities. As more local folks come into this space, I couldn’t help but notice the demographic trend and, frankly, as an African American from Eastside Tacoma (the most diverse area in Tacoma) I was not surprised that most of the people who use this space during this pandemic are white people, it just speaks volume to the lack of diversity in North Tacoma.

Although it is understandable that being cooped up at home creates an urge for movement and exercise outside and the university is the nearest place to do it, students living on campus, however, might find the number of residences amassing on campus troubling and fearful that the university could turn into a public place that could be prone to the virus– risking contact with large groups of people will exacerbate transmission of the Coronavirus. We have to be socially conscious of our actions and priorities, and the wellbeing of each other during this strange time — staying home as much as possible, even if you believe you are healthy and well when performed en masse, has the potential to decrease the rate of spreading the Coronavirus.

On the Flip Side, We Love Seeing Dogs On Campus from Afar…