Universities Deal with Infections While Keeping Campus Experience Alive

 

This week, the University of North Carolina at Chapel¹ Hill canceled in-person classes. It was just one week into the start of the new school year.

The university said it will move to online learning and assist students who want to leave campus housing. The decision came after officials reported 130 coronavirus infections among students living on campus. Five university employees were also infected.

Before the decision was announced, the student newspaper wrote an opinion article called, "We all saw this coming." The paper noted² that parties held by students during the first week of school were no surprise. It added that school officials should have decided³ to start the year with online-only classes.

No parties, no trips, no guests

Other American universities welcoming students back to campus this autumn are requiring promises from students to help contain the coronavirus. Those promises include: no wild parties, no long road trips and no outside visitors on campus.

At the University of Notre Dame⁴ in South Bend, Indiana, school officials have reported 58 confirmed coronavirus cases since students returned in early August. The officials said at least two off-campus parties over a week ago were identified as sources for new infections.

Paul J. Browne is vice⁵ president for public affairs at Notre Dame. He said the university is prepared to suspend or take other disciplinary action against the hosts of such parties.

Critics question whether it is realistic to demand that college students not act like college students. But the push for restrictions⁶ shows the high risks for universities planning to bring at least some students back. Widespread COVID-19 testing, quarantines and plastic barriers in classrooms will not work if too many students do not obey the rules.

Sanjali De Silva will enter her final year at Tulane University in New Orleans. She told the Associated Press she thinks most students will be "really respectful" of the restrictions. But, she said, she fears there will be some students who decide not to.

Tulane students have already gotten a strong warning from school officials. After a summer weekend of large gatherings⁷, university official Erica Woodley wrote to students to warn them not to meet in large groups.

"Do not host parties or gatherings with more than 15 people, including the host," the message said. If such gatherings are held, students could face temporary or permanent removal from school.

Woodley ended the message by asking students if they "really want to be the reason" Tulane and New Orleans close down again.

Scott Galloway is a professor of marketing⁸ at New York University. He told the AP that most college students are "civic-minded, responsible people." They are also young people, he said. So he thinks some will have difficulty ignoring their strong desire to socialize and find mates.

Galloway said he plans to teach online this fall and return to campus when there is a coronavirus vaccine⁹.

High cases of infections involving fraternities have been reported at other schools. They include the University of Southern California, the University of Washington and the University of Mississippi.

The University of California at Berkeley recently decided to start the autumn term with online classes after fraternity parties caused a local rise in cases. Carol Christ, who leads the school, told an online event that after weeks of careful planning, officials decided against in-person teaching.

The student promise agreements follow the advice public health officials have been giving since March for college settings. Yale University's agreement includes a promise to stay in Connecticut during the autumn term through November 21. It also includes one not to "invite or host" non-Yale visitors on campus without permission. Ohio State University's agreement includes a promise to complete daily health checks.

Students at New York's Cornell University must promise not to organize, host or attend events that may cause "safety risks." University of Pennsylvania students are warned in the school's agreement that alcohol and drugs are no excuse for risky¹⁰ COVID-19-related behavior. The agreement at New York's Syracuse University requires students to promise to get an influenza¹¹ vaccine and avoid social gatherings of more than 25 people.

At the University of Pennsylvania, Ben Zhao is hopeful that the new rules will be followed. He is entering his final year this fall.

Zhao, who is from the town of Northbrook, near Chicago, Illinois, says he is happy to be returning to campus after a shortened spring semester. He misses his friends, studying with students, and the school newspaper, where he is the lead editor.

"They're all big things that I don't want to necessarily miss out on" for my final year, Zhao said.

I'm Alice Bryant.

Words in This Story

campus – n. the area and buildings around a university, college or school

host – v. to be the person who is entertaining guests socially or as a job

discipline – n. orderly or prescribed conduct or pattern of behavior

quarantine – n. the situation of being kept away from others to prevent a disease from spreading

fraternity – n. an organization of male students at a U.S. college

influenza – n. a common illness that is caused by a virus and that causes fever, weakness, severe aches and pains, and breathing problems

editor – n. a person whose job is to prepare something written to be published or used

1 chapel   

n.小教堂，殡仪馆

参考例句：

• The nimble hero,skipped into a chapel that stood near.敏捷的英雄跳进近旁的一座小教堂里。
• She was on the peak that Sunday afternoon when she played in chapel.那个星期天的下午，她在小教堂的演出，可以说是登峰造极。

2 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 dame   

n.女士

参考例句：

• The dame tell of her experience as a wife and mother.这位年长妇女讲了她作妻子和母亲的经验。
• If you stick around,you'll have to marry that dame.如果再逗留多一会，你就要跟那个夫人结婚。

5 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

6 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

7 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

8 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

9 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

10 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

11 influenza   

n.流行性感冒，流感

参考例句：

• They took steps to prevent the spread of influenza.他们采取措施
• Influenza is an infectious disease.流感是一种传染病。