When Baruch College finally reopened its doors to students and faculty in the fall 2021 semester, the club suite also reopened, although individual club rooms did not. Clubs at Baruch are still only allowed to meet virtually.

Halfway through the spring 2022 semester, the Office of Student Life closed the club suite due to an overwhelming amount of noncompliance with the mask mandate. However, shortly after on March 7, the CUNY-wide mask mandate was lifted after it was first introduced in August 2021.

Due to these recent developments in the mandate, OSL should reopen the club suite and individual club rooms for student as soon as possible.

The club suite had been a quiet and safe space for many students, both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, to have lunch in between classes, attend their virtual classes or just relax with friends.

Opening the club rooms would also allow Baruch to once again be an open space for commuter students that often have trouble finding one in such a crowded campus.

Clubs need their own spaces to host meetings and events to foster a more professional and friendly environment for not only the meetings’ leaders, but also for the students and guest speakers attending the events.

It no longer makes sense to have these spaces closed off on the grounds of mask mandate non-compliance when there is no longer a mandate in place. It is also unfair to deprive students and clubs of these areas, leaving them unable to create a more vibrant student community.