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Indiana University students implored their peers and administrators to act responsibly during the coronavirus pandemic, in a bold newspaper editorial titled “Don’t make us write obituaries.”
Friday’s review was posted by The observer, the student-run daily that covers current affairs at the University of Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s College and Holy Cross College in South Bend, Indonesia, all of which opened in-person classes on August 10 and have since battled COVID-19 infections.
The editorial suggested that school officials were attributing the infections to students attending off-campus parties, in a reported trend – according to ABC News, administrators at Iowa State University, Syracuse University, and Oklahoma State University berated students for their “irresponsibility” by organizing large rallies.
“While not entirely out of place, it was used to deflect responsibility from the very administrations that insisted they were ready for us to return to campus,” said The observer. “Obviously they weren’t.”
He further called for evading “testing, contact tracing, isolation and quarantine” and called for better communication regarding infections and hospitalizations. “At Notre-Dame, the gap of nearly two weeks between returning to campus and the implementation of surveillance tests, which should begin today, represents a gross oversight on the part of the administration and has put the health and safety of the tri-campus and the communities of South Bend at serious risk. “
The students recognized their role in the spread of the virus: “We – as students, faculty, staff and administrators – must share the responsibility for the epidemic on our hands. We felt like going back to South Bend during quarantine last semester. Now we risk harming the community we know and love. “
University of Notre Dame President Reverend John I. Jenkins on Tuesday, who said in May that the school’s opening was worth the risk New York Times story, suspended in-person classes until September 2 due to 147 infections. “The virus is a formidable enemy,” he said in a press release, pointing to off-campus parties as the main source of transmission. An updated university dashboard shows 336 positive cases since August 3.
In response to The observer “, A spokesperson for Notre-Dame told Yahoo Life:” … We have not missed tests, and most students say they are satisfied with the isolation and quarantine provisions. The school has also stepped up its contact tracing efforts, which has identified increases in positivity rates. “There have been times when the telephone banks of our health centers have been flooded, which has resulted in delays in returning calls to students,” the spokesperson said. “We have resumed surveillance testing on random samples among students today, which will continue in parallel with diagnostic testing.”
JudeAnne Wilson Hastings, associate vice president for communications and development at Holy Cross, told Yahoo Life two students are infected with COVID-19 and 22 people are in quarantine. The school requires students to monitor their temperature daily, wear masks, and stay out of each other’s dormitories. A 10-person contact tracing team is assisting COVID-positive students in campus isolation rooms for the delivery of meals and other necessities.
“[Regarding] For the sake of transparency, we have just announced our positive cases to our community, ”she told Yahoo Life. “We want everyone to be informed without compromising anyone’s medical situation.”
Saint Mary’s College, which has reported 11 positive cases since August 3 on its school’s dashboard, offers face-to-face, hybrid and online models. Students wear masks in public spaces, even outdoors, and record their health before going to class. This week, President Katie Conboy urged students to stay on campus to avoid “trends on other campuses,” adding, “We are alarmed by what we are seeing and it puts us on high alert.”
A spokesperson for Saint Mary’s told Yahoo Life: “We appreciate the concerns raised by The observer editorial board … while we are part of a community of three campuses, we operate independently of our neighboring institutions … “
The observer The editorial implored all members of the school “to do everything in their power to approach this virus in a proper and serious manner.” Otherwise, we fear the worst is yet to come.
He continued, “Don’t make us write an obituary for an employee on the three campuses. Don’t make us write an administrator obituary. Don’t force us to write a keeper’s obituary. Don’t make us write an obituary for a dining room employee. Don’t make us write a professor’s obituary. Don’t make us write a classmate’s obituary. Don’t make us write a friend’s obituary. Don’t make us write a roommate’s obituary. Don’t make us write yours.
Editors at The observer did not respond to Yahoo Life’s requests for comment. Maria Leontaras, senior student and editor, told CNN: “We wanted to make it clear that we all have a role to play in keeping the community on the three campuses safe. There are more people here than young students who could possibly recover from the virus. “
For the latest news and updates on the coronavirus, follow to https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus. According to experts, people over 60 and those with compromised immune systems continue to be at greatest risk. If you have any questions, please consult the CDC‘sand WHO resource guides.
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