By: Tripp Vistica
Sept. 8, 2020
With the University of Memphis (UofM) considering moving to phase-2 of their plan for moving more students and professors on campus from 5% to 15%, I have to ask this simple question. Why?
How many examples of Universities around the country does the UofM need to realize that this is a viral pandemic, and that it’s in everyone’s best interest to do anything to keep the virus from spreading? I don’t understand why we need to phase more students on to the UofM campus when universities like Penn State and Notre Dame have had increases in positive COVID-19 testing, and they’ve since decided to move their classes online. I don’t understand why the UofM wants to go in the opposite direction, and also risk an increase in positive COVID-19 tests.
From the beginning of the outbreak, I’ve believed that classes should remain online until we find a vaccine or a way to prevent the spreading of COVID-19. I’ve thought it’s better to be safe than sorry, so my opinion has never wavered concerning moving classes back to campus. I think classes on campus is an accident waiting to happen. However, some universities, including the UofM, have done a great job with a small amount of on campus classes. I believe the 5% of classes on campus has been working well for the UofM, but I don’t understand why they want to push the issue. I think the rewards are highly outweighed by the possible repercussions.
My aunt, Glo Ferguson, recently informed me that my cousin Brady, a junior at Texas Tech University, has been showing symptoms of the virus and is getting tested today.
“Students on campus are not taking the proper precautions to prevent spreading,” said Glo. “They’re not practicing social distancing, and often the students won’t wear a mask to class.”
I’m okay with the UofM having a 5% of students and professors on campus, because it’s worked well enough for them to consider phase-2 with 15% moving to campus. However, that just makes me wonder why they would want to push their luck and risk the spread of COVID-19 at the UofM.
I know the UofM has stressed social distancing and always wearing a mask, but I’m sure every school has stressed the same thing. However, it seems that no matter how much a university stresses those rules, it comes down to the students following those rules. How can we know for sure that UofM students will follow the rules? We can’t. Therefore, Penn State, Notre Dame and Texas Tech should be a cautionary story for the UofM and every other university.
The most important school for the UofM to look at is The University of Tennessee – Knoxville (UTK), especially because it’s another state-funded university in Tennessee. Over the past week, UTK’s number of active COVID-19 has nearly tripled from 210 to 590, and reported 29 new isolations yesterday, a 1.46% rise from Sunday, and they currently have more than 2,000 isolations. UTK has 984 nonresidential students, 955 residential students and 73 university employees in isolation. Data from the Tennessee Department of Health indicates that more than half of the new cases are from kids between the ages of 11 – 20, and that the spread was likely driven by UTK students since Knox County schools only reported 34 new active cases.
So, I have to wonder why the UofM would consider moving more students to campus after the outbreak UTK had last week? Since the UofM’s plans for the beginning of the semester have worked well enough that they feel like they can bring more students on campus, the university should be ecstatic about the data but not change what they’re doing by moving to phase-2 of their plan. Just because the data says the university can move to phase-2 does not mean they should do it.
The UofM should stick to what is working for them and not try push their luck, because it’s asking for trouble. UTK and their number of cases should be all the proof the UofM needs to keep classes the way they are for the rest of the semester. Is phase-2 worth the risk of a massive increase in COVID-19 cases for the UofM?
In my opinion, the UofM should stick with the format they are currently using, because it’s been a success. Also, that if you have a plan that is working, then stick to that plan. I’ve always believed that if something isn’t broken, then do not try to fix it, and I hope the UofM doesn’t try to fix a plan that is continuing to work well.
Tripp Vistica 