The past two years have been challenging for the entire world. They have upended the college experience here on GVSU’s campus too. If you asked people in February of 2020 what the next few years would look like, almost everyone would have gotten it wrong! It’s still difficult to predict what exactly will happen going forward, but there are reasons to be hopeful that we may be seeing a more normal normal in the coming months. In this end-of-winter blog on the precipice of spring, we will list a few reasons for optimism in 2022.
COVID Is Waning
Last year we had the delta wave in summer and then the omicron wave of COVID later in the year. That caused record high infections in December and January, as well as in February. The good news is that omicron is showing signs of receding.
Derel Glashower, senior epidemiologist at the Ottawa County Department of Public Health, stated this month, “All of the metrics that we have are definitely signaling a downturn and strongly suggest that we’re over the peak for this omicron wave.”
In fact, GVSU’s Virus Action Team has changed some of its policies. It is now requiring students to receive the COVID-19 booster shot in order to stay out of quarantine. It also shortened quarantine periods from 10 to five days in some cases. The university has been very proactive fighting COVID-19, and we at Meadows Crossing have worked with them to help create a safer environment for students in our community. Here on campus, students are vaccinated, and the university has clear protocols in place to prevent viral spread.
Help Is Available for Michigan College Students
Last September, Governor Whitmer launched Futures for Frontliners, a program offering tuition-free college to an estimated 625,000 Michiganders who provided essential, frontline services during the COVID-19 Stay Home, Stay Safe period between April and June 2020. The state of Michigan has set aside $24 million for this tuition-free college program. What a great opportunity for our frontline heroes!
The Economy Is Growing
The Right Place Inc. is optimistic about the West Michigan economy, expecting continued growth in 2022. When surveyed, almost 8 out of 10 companies in West Michigan stated they’d had higher sales in 2021, and 6 out of 10 said they were investing in new equipment, technology, or growing their business.
“First and foremost, without question, we are growing. It has been a very cloudy year. It continues to have some challenges, no question, on supply chain and other challenges facing us, but at the end of the day West Michigan has fought through this, we have grown, our companies remain very positive, they remain very resilient, and I expect a very strong 2022.” –The Right Place President and CEO, Randy Thelen
We Are Resilient
While the past two years have challenged and often exhausted us, we have survived them as individuals and a community. We are resilient, and the difficulties of COVID have shown us what really matters. That’s crucial for finding our place in this world, along with success and happiness.
At Meadows Crossing we worked continuously to make our community safer and more of a haven for our student residents. We are proud of the measures we have taken to fight COVID-19, and we’re proud of our students too. They’re tough, they’re compassionate, and they’re still working hard to meet their own personal goals.
We know 2022 is still something of a question mark. Many students may be delaying their decisions until they know more about what to expect. But things are going back to normal throughout the country and here in Allendale. The campus is vaccinated, and we have been moving towards herd immunity against COVID. It’s now time to live our lives and pursue our dreams.
If you are looking for a place to spread your wings here in Allendale, Michigan, we invite you to take a tour of Meadows Crossing. We know you will be excited to see the community we have created here. Contact our leasing office today for more information.