It’s a gloomy Wednesday morning, and you arrive at your 8 a.m. Spanish class. It’s a miracle you woke up this time, considering you slept through your alarm the past two days. Nevertheless, you finally made it. You walk to your seat, and are (at least slightly) ready to learn.

But before your body even touches the chair, you hear a cough. And then another. Then another. And then a sniffle, a sneeze and a faint “bless you” from across the room.

Sound familiar? The University of Oregon is back in-person, and so is the common cold –– or the “frat flu,” as many call it. Dealing with sickness has never been more important, as almost every symptom could be a sign of COVID-19.
However, missing class because of illness can seem like a last-resort option because it always has been. Students were raised in a schooling system that places a premium on perfect attendance –– one that values productivity over mental and physical health. We all remember the rewards for perfect attendance in elementary school and how frowned upon it was when we missed class.
In Georgia, parents are sent a letter after their student has five unexcused absences “informing them of misdemeanor educational-neglect charges that could be filed against them,” according to The Atlantic.
This example, while extreme, reflects the mindset that can lead students to ignore what their body is telling them while ill, putting themselves and others at risk. First-year student Will Garrahan had just that experience. He missed three days of classes due to a cold he caught while partying with his fraternity on Bid Night.
“I didn’t realize how sick I was at first, and there was definitely a lot of pressure [to come to class],” Garrahan said.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, some professors, like assistant professor of history Steven Beda, didn’t think sickness policies were necessary.
“I never had felt the need to discourage students from coming to class who may be exhibiting symptoms,” Beda said. “I always figure [students] are adults, and they are old enough to understand when they can and can’t come to class.”
Much has changed since then for Beda, who now places a large emphasis on students staying home when they feel sick.
“The GEs and I will make sure to work with you to make sure your grade does not suffer,” Beda said. “[My policy] is in the syllabus. I mention it on the first day of class. I mention it other times… I think even in my introductory email I mention it, and my GEs mention it.”
But not everyone has the support they need from their professors.
“I’ve realized that there’s a lot of that work that I really can’t make up, especially in Spanish,” Garrahan said. “We had a quiz the other day, and about half of it I just didn’t know how to answer because it was all work they had done in class that I missed.”
Extended illness is also an issue. Professors often expect students to get over colds in just a couple days. However, even if major symptoms are gone, it can sometimes take up to two weeks for people to feel fully better.
“My teacher said I could make the work up, but now it’s been a while so I’m not sure if I really can,” said Garrahan, who has had a cough lingering more than a week since returning to classes.
This is the struggle that students face: come to class for lecture, or miss and run the risk of putting themselves behind for weeks.
“I think students are in a really difficult situation,” Beda said. “Especially students who are exhibiting light symptoms, ones that would be easy to ignore… There are a lot of classes that if you miss one class it sets you behind the entire quarter.”
It is apparent that students’ fears of falling behind can outweigh their traditional judgements, and the make-up policies for many classes, while well intentioned, can sometimes fall short. This may paint a bleak picture for the present, but the situation could open the door to explore possibilities for the future.

Before March 2020, most people had no idea what Zoom was. Since then, the program has exploded and allowed dramatic improvements for teaching, learning and meeting virtually. Professors and students should not disregard the skills they picked up from online learning, but rather put them to use for a more accessible classroom.

To encourage those with mild to severe symptoms to stay home and keep our overall community safe, UO should implement a policy requiring professors to record or livestream lectures. A “return to normal” should not be the goal this year; we must take this opportunity to improve our educational systems, because everyone has already lost enough. Having a cold should not incapacitate students and harm their learning.