And in the wake of the pandemic, a University of Texas group shared with Austin students in Mexico during the spring break and spread the virus to 64 people, according to a June CDC report. The agency said during its investigation into the outbreak, 211 students went to Cabo San Lucas, 49 students on the trip tested positive for the coronavirus, and 298 people were identified as having come in contact with people testing positive.
Now, colleges and universities say they have figured out the party issue. Since the infamous spring breakers case, UT Austin has banned parties altogether, for example. UGA restricts meetings, but will allow some, such as fraternality and sorority rush activities, to continue virtually.
Local politicians are left without many options, and put their faith in pledges, such as those at Purdue. Forty percent of institutions surveyed by EAB, an education consulting firm, reported that they planned to ask their students to sign a plan or agreement to maintain physical distance when they arrive on campus. Purdue has its promise, and so does Virginia Tech, which includes a behavioral agreement as part of its lease.
“Does this mean that there will be absolutely no violations, we will have 100 percent compliance? No, we do not have that now, “said West Lafayette Mayor John Dennis, who believes the pledge is a way to successfully repopulate the college town.
“But there is a lot of self-policing in our neighborhood,” he added. “There is a strong social network and a strong peer pressure to treat them. And again, I’m not naive, but that does carry a lot of weight. ”
Arielle T. Kuperberg, a sociologist and professor at UNC Greensboro, said pledging can be a good start, but it can not be expected that students will stop partying – especially since undergraduates are in the age group who may be ready to take more risks.
“Making a promise and specifically saying, ‘I’m not going to do these things,’ I think it’s going to make a difference, but it’s not going to be a cure, ‘she said. “People are not going to party at all because college still has very strong expectations of partying and networking.”
“All their lives they’ve had this expectation of ‘College. It’s the time I’ll really break away from my parents and I saw the movie where people get drunk in college and cling to them,'” Kuperburg said. “To expect them to be like ‘Oh wait, I’m just going to the education section now,’ I do not think it will realistically stop anyone.”
Purdue President Mitch Daniels is campaigning this fall for college openings, and testified before Congress in early June that his university, with an enrollment of more than 30,000 students, would prepare for their return to campus. He also deserves praise from President Donald Trump for his decision to welcome students back to campus.
Masks will be worn, there will be reduced occupancy of the classroom, extensive screening and testing of students upon their arrival and the university bought more than a mile worth of Plexiglas to protect staff, Daniels told the HELP committee of ‘ the First Chamber.
‘I’m excited about returning students, because you know you’re talking about our local economy, when you talk about the added diversity to our community, which is already very diverse, and it just sheds a bright light. our community, ”said Dennis. “It just helps to revitalize our lives.”
“I know what those wonderful years empower between 18 and 25 people to do,” Dennis said. “It’s the time for experimentation, it’s the time for challenging authority, but there’s a bigger good here.”
At a town hall meeting Monday, UVA top brass tried to allay community members’ concerns about students returning to Charlottesville on Sept. 8. About 2,000 students are already back on campus.
“In preparation for returning students, we have set a set of expectations and requirements for students, faculty and staff to follow, including wearing masks, maintaining good physical distance and limiting social gatherings to a maximum of 15 people, which is not a big party “We also have criteria that we will check every day to determine if we need to change course.”
But in places like Georgia, where Republican Gov. Brian Kemp has opposed security measures, including mask mandates, local officials are worried they won’t have the tools to keep their cities safe when students return.
Kelly Girtz, the mayor of Athens, Ga., Said that mask mandates were challenged and that was also his early last call for bars. Local officials in Georgia also have little to say about whether the university should close or not a coronavirus outbreak.
“The governor has prevented localities from doing anything more linear than stricter than his orders,” Girtz said. ‘He does not think that the regulatory environment is important, and I am at the other end of the continuum, where I think that, especially in the midst of human life and health and safety, the regulatory apparatus should become part of the conversation. ”
After a series of parties last month at Tulane University in New Orleans, student dean Erica Woodley urged students to stop partying, calling their behavior “irresponsible and genuinely shameful.” She also said her actions “have the potential to undermine our significant progress against this deadly disease.”
While the college is re-focusing on opening up for personal instruction, Woodley said if students host parties of more than 15 people, they will have to face suspension or dismissal from the university.
To her students, she wrote, “Do you really want to be the reason Tulula and New Orleans have to close again?”
