The second floor of Lucas Hall is under orders to quarantine following several residents testing positive for COVID-19.

According to several residents, they were not informed about the potential risk of infected floormates until Monday, Aug. 21.

On Monday morning, students living in the vicinity received emails about mandatory testing and infected individuals being relocated to the Tau Center on West Campus.

However, according to first-year student Isabelle Ellias, the confirmed infected individuals moved halls at 8 p.m. Monday night after testing on Friday.

    When students on campus have a meal plan and are under quarantine, the university is supposed to send them meals through the Chartwell’s system. All second floor Lucas Hall residents were tested on Monday afternoon and, due to the delay in the cafeteria reservation system, received no food on Monday.

The university did not provide an alternative for residents that day and several residents confirmed that individuals were expected to have friends deliver their food until residents spoke out.

After university administrators heard these complaints, they allowed quarantined to leave the building to pick up their own food, but are still being charged their swipes for the cafeteria.

Ellias commented on how frustrated she was with the university’s public relations silence, saying, “It seems like they’re trying to hide it.”

The residents are not allowed in common spaces, and are still uncertain if they can do laundry. In addition to that, several residents’ sinks are not working.

Elias said that this experience changed her perception of the university and housing services, saying she will likely not live on campus again because “none of the housing people helped us.”

However, Elias was not only frustrated with the housing services, but also with the university as a whole.

“They did a really bad job, there was so much they could have done they didn’t do, and so much that needed to be done that just didn’t get done,” Elias said.

After university administrators heard these complaints, they allowed quarantined students to leave the building to pick up their own food, but the students are still being charged their swipes for the cafeteria.

Elias commented on how frustrated she was with the university’s silence.

“It seems like they’re trying to hide it,” Elias said.

The residents are not allowed in common spaces, and are still uncertain if they can do laundry. In addition to that, several residents’ sinks are not working.

Elias said that this experience changed her perception of the university and housing services, saying she will likely not live on campus again because “none of the housing people helped us.”

However, Elias was not only frustrated with the housing services, but also with the university as a whole.

“They did a really bad job, there was so much they could have done they didn’t do, and so much that needed to be done that just didn’t get done,” Elias said.

Elias said that if there was one thing she is thankful for in this process, it is her roommates and how the hardship has helped them to bond.

The opinions expressed in this paper are not necessarily those of Winona State University, the Minnesota State Colleges and University system, or the Winona State University student body.