Youngstown State University President Jim Tressel said he was
confident students would wear their masks, keep their distance
and follow all regulations during the day. He feared once classes
ended for the day, students would struggle to follow the rules
as carefully.
His prediction came true. During the first week of the
fall semester, there was already a large gathering at the both
University Edge and University Courtyard apartments. Social
media exploded with pictures of the party. Only a handful of
students spotted in the packed crowd wore masks.
The university released a public statement Aug. 17 about
the party, declaring it “violates health and safety guidelines
put into place by YSU to ensure the well-being of everyone at
the university. Such gatherings are unacceptable and put the
entire campus at risk. Only by working together and taking
responsibility for ourselves and others will we be able to keep
YSU safe and maintain on-campus operations. For Pete’s sake,
be careful!”
It’s frustrating to see a minority of YSU students making
unsafe decisions because it reflects badly on the rest of the
campus community. The large majority of students and faculty
willingly embraced the changes and maintained as little contact
with others as possible. We want to stay on campus as long
as possible. We hope our campus community makes better
decisions and resists the temptation to party.