Mya Melancon 

News Editor 

Cassie Tucker, a senior elementary education major at Northwestern State University, is hopeful that transitioning into Phase 3 will be good for the state but also recognizes that there are still some dangers present. 

“If sports teams have to quarantine when one person tests positive, I feel like we’ll end up with a lot of people not in class and mostly online,” Tucker said. 

On  Sep. 11, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards released a statement that Louisiana is moving into Phase 3 of COVID-19 recovery. Phase 3 will be in place for 28 days, ending Oct. 9.  

“We all want to see a return to normalcy, but it is going to take all of us working together to get us there,” Edwards said in an official statement. “There are still some looming factors that could come to bare on the fragile gains that we have made including students returning to schools at all levels.” 

These changes are also beginning to benefit NSU’s recruiting process. Forrest Middlebook, Jr., assistant director of university recruiter for the Louisiana Scholars’ College, believes that class formats will remain the same, but that recruiting efforts will now be more fruitful. 

“High schools are now allowing in-person visits, which will help a lot with recruiting efforts, especially with the Scholar’s College,” Middlebrook said. 

Dr. Gregory Granger, professor of history and political science, believes that this move will be good for the state and supports the governor’s decision. 

“I think Governor Edwards has taken a pragmatic approach,” Granger said. “While I am concerned that there are too many people who will take liberties resulting in a setback statewide, I also believe that the governor is acting based on the best information available.” 

According to Edwards’ press release, the statewide mask mandate will stay in place under the new order.  

“The more Louisianans who wear masks, the more Louisiana businesses can stay open,” Edwards said.