Since a majority of Syracuse University students arrived on campus only three weeks ago, concerns about a potential coronavirus outbreak have continued to fester among students and faculty. Administrators, though, have expressed a sense of optimism since the start of on-campus classes. 

Such optimism may result in SU’s own demise and, even worse, create a problematic situation for the greater Syracuse community. 

We can’t let our guard down with this current issue. With the low number of students and staff testing positive for COVID-19 over the past two weeks, SU administrators continue to reassure the community that the university is doing extremely well compared to other institutions across the country and, by the numbers, we are. 

However, concerns among the campus community about a potential outbreak did not resurface until late last week, when SU’s public health team was called into action to test the wastewater in Sadler and Ernie Davis halls. The virus was detected, at different levels, in both buildings.

It would be no surprise to any SU community members living near or on campus that many students are not fully committing to the Stay Safe Pledge. Students continue to wear masks and adhere to social distancing requirements when directed to during the academic day, but for some, their actions change dramatically at night and on the weekends. 

Students continue to gather in large groups without masks both on and off campus. The university’s response to these continued actions was instituting a Daily Health Screening form. If one does not complete the form, they’ll be unable to access campus buildings, according to the form. The problem is, the form has not been enforced. Students have gone days without filling it out and have not faced consequences. Those students continue to have access to buildings and other spaces.   

Many students living in dorms are concerned about coming into contact with off-campus students who come to campus without being cleared of COVID-19 symptoms.

“I know there are parties going on off campus. I just hope they are being attended by students who know when to tell the university they’ve been exposed to COVID before they decide to do work on the Quad or eat inside at one of the dining halls,” said Michael Morrone, an SU sophomore who lives on campus.

Remembering that a COVID-19 outbreak at SU could burden the greater Syracuse community is important. One must realize the consequences the student body’s actions would have on the community in which we have are campus within. 

Many communities of color are at increased risk of contracting and dying from COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The disparity, according to the CDC, stems from “inequities in the social determinants of health, such as poverty and healthcare access.” 

These statistics matter because we’re not the only community that calls Syracuse home. Syracuse has the 18th worst poverty rate of cities in the U.S, according to CNYVitals. Many Syracuse residents lack access to proper health care and could face detrimental challenges if a spike of COVID-19 on campus spreads outward.

Despite SU’s low number of infections, it’s important to think ahead and see what a potential spike would do not only to our campus community but also to the city of Syracuse and Onondaga County. With a large number of locals living below the poverty line and others living close to it, a spike in cases on campus could leave those who call this community home unable to receive immediate, affordable and proper health care. 

In a time when we are constantly told to think about others, SU administrators should make the ethical choice to suspend in-person instruction to curb the potential socioeconomic disaster that would ensue in the city of Syracuse and Onondaga County with students potentially exposing community members to COVID-19.

In the meantime, it is of the utmost importance that both the SU administration and student body stay as vigilant as ever in preventing the spread of COVID-19. As our guard goes down, the COVID-19 case count will go up.
Christian Andreoli is a sophomore international relations major. His column appears bi-weekly. He can be reached at ctandreo@syr.edu. He can be followed on Twitter at @candreoli12.

Published on September 6, 2020 at 11:19 pm