Using the Stories feature, NYU Abu Dhabi’s official Instagram account, @nyuabudhabi, recently posted recommendations for restaurants in Abu Dhabi. A Return to Campus Memo sent out in the same week encouraged community members to “limit gatherings and in-person interactions both on campus and off.”

Aathma Nirmala Dious, Class of 2021, said that these two messages contradict each other and point to “an overall … issue of communication that the [NYUAD] admin has with students.”

“It’s very contradictory, right? It’s like, ‘Oh you know there’s a pandemic, be safe … don’t go out, don’t [meet] in groups’ and at the same time, it’s also like ‘you should go out into the city, you should really take your time here'," she explained.

For Dious, recommending off campus activities comes with potential ramifications. “Cases are rising and … we have so many students on campus, so obviously that’s something I feel like social media pages should take a little care of when they are suggesting either places to go or things to do,” she noted. “I’m very split on my opinion … because I understand the value of being able to go out once in a while and eating out or like, being able to do things sort of normally even with masks on.”

Manav Mody, Class of 2024, shared that although he believes there are discrepancies between the RTC Memos and the recommendations, he does not have any qualms about them as he believes that “during times like these, it is important to [occasionally] get out in the open.”

He, however, thinks that the university’s decision to cap the number of shuttles available to students in a bid to reduce movement off campus is misguided. “It actually encourages us to buy bus cards. These buses are more crowded [and] no one is tested. Taxis too have the same problem. So the shuttles are the safest way of transportation and seeing a cap on them was disappointing,” he explained.

Other students have expressed similar concerns about the cap on the shuttle service.

The Gazelle reached out to the Department of Public Affairs and Communications to learn about the context behind the Instagram Stories and whether they were posted in consultation with the Return to Campus Initiative.

The department explained that the Stories in question “are targeted towards prospective students, as well as our current student population, who are interested in learning about life at NYUAD and Abu Dhabi from a student perspective.”

It laid out the rationale behind the Stories, stating that it was “trying to show [its] audience one aspect of the unique multicultural setting of Abu Dhabi, which is reflected in the diverse range of cuisines available in the city, while engaging in a fun way with [its] online community.”

The department added that the decision to post the Stories was made with campus guidelines in mind as it is “closely involved in the Return to Campus Initiative, with a communications representative embedded in each portfolio group.”

The Gazelle also reached out to Kyle Farley, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, for a comment on the seemingly contradictory nature of the Instagram Stories.

“There is no opportunity, invitation, or advertisement that supersedes the requirement that students follow [health and safety] protocols anywhere on campus or anywhere they go in the city,” he explained in an email to The Gazelle. “If you see a compelling restaurant recommendation, awesome! That doesn't mean you are expected to go today, perhaps you are going in April if restrictions are different and you can do so safely. If there are restaurant recommendations that would require a student to not follow Covid-19 restrictions, they should not go to the restaurant at that time.”

“I hope students better appreciate the spirit of communications and guidelines,” said Farley. “I want every member of our community — students, staff, faculty and contract staff — to have as fulfilling a semester as possible, with strong social connections and rich cultural experiences.”