Weekend of Unsafe Behavior Sparks Change at Penn State
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Videos of a wild off-campus apartment party are going viral, as the videos show what looks to be hundreds of students gathering together without masking and social distancing.
The party took place in a courtyard at the Rise apartment complex on the corner of Atherton Street and College Avenue.
Hugh Grey, a sophomore majoring in supply chain management, was concerned after seeing those videos.
“It just seems like a lot of people are not taking COVID seriously,” Grey said. “That amount of people together at once, it just shows a lack of care for everyone else around Penn State.”
Since the start of the academic year, over 3,000 University Park students and employees have tested positive for COVID-19.
University President Eric Barron said in an official statement on the off-campus party that the gatherings were “reckless and irresponsible” and “fly in the face of our efforts as a community to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.”
State College police and the university are investigating the situation. However, it’s unclear whether the students or the apartment complex will be at fault.
Tom Cronin, a sophomore majoring in information sciences & technology, worries about how much Penn State can really do about the incident.
“I don’t think there is anything anyone can do about it,” Cronin said. “It’s up to the people who live in the [Penn State] community… I think possibly the apartment complex is at fault.”
The university hopes that students will abide by coronavirus regulations for the Penn State football game this weekend. Many students plan on watching the game safely with some friends.
“I plan on watching it with friends that I’ve been seeing consistently,” Grey said. “Probably just at someone’s apartment.”
Mitch Broder is a junior majoring in digital/print journalism. To contact him, email mub584@psu.edu.
