The following is a Letter to the Editor for the Opinions section. 

To the Editor,

DU’s response to COVID-19 will make the school safer. As a transfer student in the undergraduate Computer Engineering program at DU, I did a lot of research on the school’s preparations for returning students in Autumn Quarter 2020. Based on my research, DU is doing the best they can with an extremely difficult issue. DU’s response will allow the university to provide a quality education in a safe environment for students, faculty and staff. As anyone can imagine, this is not an easy problem to tackle for any university. It would be fair to assume that most universities have not had to deal with this issue or similar ones in recent years.  

I have also completed the “Trail Back to Campus” course in Canvas, which I was impressed with. As I look at other colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and their responses, it appears to me that DU is doing everything possible to protect students and staff. I say this confidently, while admitting that I am a disabled vet with respiratory issues who could get seriously sick from COVID-19 and not recover. 

I have heard complaints from people who claim they have trouble breathing while wearing a mask. Most veterans have worn gas masks at one point or another in our careers. Some of us have even had to run with gas masks in peacetime or combat in extreme weather. We know what it is like to have our breathing restricted or choke from tear gas. 

Wearing a piece of cloth over your mouth is uncomfortable, and it can make breathing more difficult. But the alternative may be mechanical ventilation for yourself or a loved one.   

Only one of my courses is online, while the other three are not. It is not logical to have students participate in hands-on courses virtually, so I will attend campus for those courses. I am proud of DU and their response, which is further elaborated upon in the “Trail Back to Campus” course in Canvas. 

Some notable methodologies to protect us include: a 14-day quarantine, requirement of a negative nasal RT-PCR COVID-19 test result to arrive on campus, daily electrostatic cleaning by janitorial services, Spit Lab testing of students and staff every 7-10 days, social distancing, an adherence to protocols requirement and providing wipes and hand sanitizer to students in every classroom. DU is doing all they can to keep campus safer, and I will feel at ease if the rest of the student body adheres to the new protocols.

Ray Miller

Third-Year Undergraduate Student