By J1 Reporters Chioma Aloziem and Eliza Turco

Blowing bubbles during an airborne virus pandemic is problematic. With a motivational theme and the promise of bubbles, Marian students could not help but ask, “How’s that going to work?”

On Friday, Sept. 18 Marian hosted its annual Walk-A-Thon. Walk-A-Thon, or WAT, is a student-run fundraiser, with a main goal of providing tuition assistance. This year, observing COVID regulations, all girls wore masks except when blowing bubbles. 

Research from the Oxford Academic suggests the leading cause of COVID-19 spread is aerosolized particles, traveling from breath into the air. Therefore, bubbles containing breath could be potentially harmful when popped. Although some believe that the presence of bubble soap would kill viruses, the soap is not antibacterial. Before the day of WAT, Juniors Isabel Soto and Alyson Tule Martinez, had conflicting concerns on this matter. Soto worried that this could be a way of transmission, while Tule-Martinez did not identify it as a problem. 

However, on the day of  WAT these concerns were pushed aside when nearly no students were blowing bubbles. A majority of girls brought home the unused bubbles for use at a later time. Ms. Jessica Abel, student board co-moderator, clarified that blowing bubbles was not a sanitation concern, especially with bubbles blowing from a rented machine and not by students. The bubble machine was on at the finish line at the lower lot after students walked their two miles.

Students wore masks for the entirety of the fundraiser and were actively reminded to keep masks on and over the nose by the dean, Mrs. Kris Hennings, and the principal, Mrs. Susie Sullivan.  Teachers were posted at the corners of 78th and Crown Point and again at 72nd and Crown Point to keep students going the right direction and to remind them to keep their masks on.

With these precautions, the Marian community celebrated another successful WAT, bubbles and all. The students appreciated the opportunity to be all together and bond for the first time this school year. No COVID cases have been linked to the event as of mid-October. With such success in a year of a global pandemic, Marian foreshadows another victory next fall.