As college students return to campus — in Idaho and across the nation — the words of Paige Wirta deserve a few minutes of your reading time.

Wirta is opinion editor for the Boise State University campus newspaper, the Arbiter. She wrote about her decision to return to campus for her sophomore year. (Here’s the link to the full article.)

“Even though it was a struggle, I have decided to move into the Clearwater dorms on Tuesday, Aug. 18, and I am full of anxiety, dread and excitement,” Wirta wrote.

Two other takeaways from her piece:

• “If I chose to live at home with my parents and commute, I’ll be coming home every day and exposing my parents. … My parents are in their ’50s, and while they are not immuno-compromised, they still fall into a more vulnerable category when it comes to COVID-19.”
• “An outbreak on campus does not seem like an ‘if’ so much as a ‘when.’ … Mistakes will happen. Some students might refuse to wear a mask. Either way, students and staff will likely get the virus and spread it.”

Here’s a link to our Monday story on the fall reopening, at Boise State and other Idaho campuses.