MIAMI (NewsNation Now) — Colleges and universities across the country are dealing with coronavirus outbreaks. And some schools have had to discipline students for not taking precautions.
Video surfaced of young people packed together and partying on a lake over the weekend near Indiana University in Bloomington. The university is aware of the video and says the students involved could face discipline.
There was also video from New York City Saturday night that showed NYU students partying in Washington Square Park. Some of the people in the video could be seen not social distancing or wearing masks. NYU administrators say they are investigating.
At West Virginia University, classes have been moved online, and 29 students were suspended after a fraternity member tested positive for the virus. University officials say the student attended a party even -after being told to self-isolate.
James Madison University was sending some students home after 671 students and staff were listed as having active cases of COVID-19 since July 1.
Freshman Jacob Boykin is one of the students who contracted the virus.
“There are all of these people who are following the rules who have to suffer because the people don’t want to follow the rules are so ignorant and they only care about themselves,” Boykin said.
At San Diego State University in California, administrators say they have issued almost five hundred citations to students for not abiding by COVID-19 restrictions.
The school even hired a private security company to monitor students. They also put a stay-at-home order in place after nearly 300 students became infected.
“It is definitely scary. It is something we were kind of expecting coming here because we are going into dorms and there is a pandemic going on. Kids are not that disciplined at this age,” student Jacob Matro said.
The University of Miami has a dashboard on their website that tracks COVID cases on campus.
According to the dashboard, none of the students or staff infected have required hospitalization.
They tested all students before classes started, and say they will now do random testing.
“Now we are expanding to the next phase. Random testing of students, faculty, staff and essential vendors to estimate asymptomatic infections on campus,” UM President Julio Frenk said in a video statement posted to the university’s Twitter.
At the University of Kansas there are nearly 500 cases of students who have contracted the virus.
A group of students organized a strike at KU on Monday, demanding administrators close the campus down.
“We believe their response has been so far inadequate and they should be doing more, and even at this point closing down campus if they cannot control the virus,” student Sam Sokoloff said.
But not all students agree.
“From what I have seen people are doing enough. People are mostly doing their part,” student Lillian Hines said.
