For first-year and returning students, App State move-in week looks different this year. For instance, only one guest is allowed to help the move-in process, students move into dorms over a week instead of a weekend, masks are required during move-ins and offer free COVID-19 tests.

First year students moved in Aug. 10-13; returning students moved in Aug. 14-16. These days had different time slots for move-in: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m.  to 4 p.m. This expanded time should be a new normal even when there isn’t a pandemic going on. It makes moving in less stressful and allows students time to get settled before classes start. 

App State also enacted a policy requiring masks when moving in. While App State provides students reusable masks, it doesn’t offer parents reusable masks. Instead dorms offer wasteful disposable masks. Out of all of the new rules on campus, mask-wearing is heavily enforced in the dorms and dining halls. App State, with the cooperation from Mako Medical Laboratories, also offered free COVID-19 testing Aug. 10-15 while students moved in. While this is great, it should have been extended until Aug. 16, when students were still moving into the dorms. Health services should work to continue having “drive-thru” testing on campus to maximize the amount of tests students take.

Some of App State’s policies are policies that should remain intact from here on out. For example, move-in weekend should stay move-in week, allowing students to become adjusted to being back in Boone before classes start. App State should also set up 24/7 testing on campus for those who need it. Testing shouldn’t just be set for the weekday: some people may not have time to go during the week. 

As move-in week comes to close in Boone, many have criticized the way that move-in was handled. Earlier this week, App State posted pictures on its Facebook page showing students moving in on campus, some violating the one-guest rule that the university put in place. This lack of enforcement shows that App State has little regard for their own rules. If they’re not able to enforce a rule during move-in week, how are they going to enforce other rules during the semester? Some dorms, like Gardner Hall and other close-together first-year dorms, are more risky for students than dorms like Summit that are more spread out. Especially in these confusing times, it’s more important to wear a mask, wash your hands, and practice social distancing.