JACK REANEY, Staff Writer—
I think it’s time to bring back the hot tub in Mitchell.
In my time at Denison, I have always made use of our pool. I cannot emphasize enough my gratitude for the fact that you don’t need to be a varsity swimmer to jump into our world-class aquatic facilities during free swim times:
Weekdays 7:30-8:40 AM, 12:00-1:00 PM, 3:00-4:30, 7:00-9:00. Weekends 12:30-4:30 PM.
Swimming is an excellent way to stay strong, and it complements other forms of training like running or weight-lifting. Thankfully, the pool has been open to all students this year.
Another really great resource for the body is heat therapy, so I always made use of Denison’s hot tub when my muscles were sore. Whether it’s the day after a tough workout or a long night of extremely violent dancing in the Moonies, I’m always feeling some soreness in my shoulders, hips, or knees.
It’s also simply relaxing to sit there for 15 minutes after a long day.
Here’s the issue: I’m not sure if there’s evidence of COVID-19 spreading with any greater significance in hot tubs than any other setting. If that evidence exists, then I think students would appreciate it if the Trumbull Aquatic Center Staff posted a short explanation so that athletes and students like me will understand the ongoing closure.
Instead, since September, the same sign hasn’t moved:
“SPA NOTICE: To maintain social distancing, the spa will remain closed until further notice. We apologize for the inconvenience.”
I have heard that COVID droplets can spread through the steam from our hot tub’s water, and that’s why the spa remains closed. But the concern is probably not social distancing.
I have also heard that pathogens can spread when students are maskless at crowded parties, communal dining halls, and weight rooms. That’s why (almost) the entire student body is vaccinated against COVID, with more students getting booster shots. I think students are overwhelmingly in favor of taking those risks for campus life to feel normal as––in my opinion––the world moves away from emergency precautions and toward sustainable expectations, supported by vaccinated populations like the Denison student body.
When certain activities and resources do not return from COVID outages, I believe the affected people deserve to be told why.