The past two years we had to do it online.
There are advantages to having this sort of event online of course - there is a certain smell that you can never completely remove from the Lounge, and you don't have that in a video call. However, it simply isn't the same. Just being in the room and overhearing people yelling about great rolls or terrible luck in a distant game is a huge part of the joy, and you just can't get that online.
Also hugs. Those don't work well online either.
This year I am determined to go Back To The Lounge properly, and it seems that the government is cooperating as Ontario will have rolled back its covid regulations by the time the event takes place.
It is going to be *weird*. Tons of people, in a room, all breathing near each other!
It does raise all kinds of questions for me though. It is clear that legally speaking we won't require vaccination or masks, but I don't know for sure what rules the university will have. It may be that university rules end up deciding how I have to run the event, but if they don't I am not sure what I should do.
If I just say "Everyone welcome, do what you want" I may lose people who aren't yet comfortable going without masks, or who are worried that unvaccinated people might attend. If I try to insist on restrictions, I might lose people who aren't interested in masking anymore. (Also I have no legal authority to enforce any restrictions at all!)
There is going to be a lot of adjustment to the new normal. My crowd of people leans pretty heavily towards vaccination and caution in terms of covid, so it may take awhile before everyone gets back to being easy with being around other humans.
I, on the other hand, am *completely* ready to grind my naked body up against as many humans as possible, revelling in the breath and sweat and goo and raw physicality of it all. I have spent two years now in hiding from covid, and I am so ready to be done.
