As Quinnipiac University students and new freshmen return to start a new semester, students have seen a natural increase in group gatherings where social distancing protocols aren’t always followed, as evidenced by recent posts on social media made by Barstool Quinnipiac.
Between social media posts and sightings of students walking around on campus without masks in the first week of classes, it’s clear that these are not one-time occurances at Quinnipiac.
In the Barstool Quinnipiac posts from a week before classes started, one post showed a group of students not social distancing at the Bobcat den while standing by the door and another showed students not social distancing while waiting in line. The first post, which was a photo received more than 2,623 likes and 82 comments. The second post, which was a video, was played more than 17,100 times and received more than 66 comments.
“Who wants to take bets on how long before we get sent home?” posted second-year health sciences major Ian Schoppe in response to the Barstool images.
Another student blamed the first-year students for causing issues before classes even started.
“Okay, but I blame the students here…it takes literally no effort just to space 6 ft apart. Class of 2024 ruining it before everyone comes back,” said second-year journalism and public relations major Nicole McIsaac in a comment on the video.
One student has also expressed their outrage towards the current situation.
“The group gatherings shouldn’t affect everyone. People shouldn’t gather in groups. It kinda sucks that people are still gathering and it could possibly affect everyone depending on how who is in charge deals with the situation,” wrote Jonathen Crisci, a second-year PA prep and track major said.
Quinnipiac has set out a firm policy of on and off campus gatherings.The policy is located on the Quinnipiac Website. Students were also sent an email with the policy before the new semester began that reads:
Quinnipiac Public Safety is working in collaboration with the Hamden Police Department to monitor off-campus gatherings and will take action if these rules are violated.
Students hosting off-campus gatherings face punishments that include suspension from Quinnipiac for second offenses. So far, there have been no reports of any off campus parties by the Hamden Police and no one has violated the rules so far.
Because of the high stakes involved, Quinnipiac is imposing firm limits this fall on off-campus group gatherings: Quinnipiac limited off-campus outdoor gatherings to 16 people and indoor to ten to reduce the risk of transmission. All students must maintain social distancing and wear masks.
The City of Hamden has set out guidelines more severe than the university, due to group gatherings being shut down completely in town. John Morgan, The Associate Vice President of Public Relations addressed the group gatherings happening on campus.
“Quinnipiac is requiring all students, faculty, and staff to wear face coverings when in public,” Morgan said. “Successfully implementing the health and safety measures must be a shared responsibility among students, faculty and staff.”
Even though Quinnipiac has set out guidelines, prohibitions on group gatherings and people not social distancing seem to not be uniformly enforced by Public Safety. Public Safety is just one part of QU that is in place to enforce guidelines and policies among students.
“Managing gatherings is a responsibility of the entire Quinnipiac University Community. A community that includes Public Safety, Residential Life, Facilities Management, Faculty, Staff, Student leadership groups, and students,” said James Nealy, Interim AVP and Chief of Public Safety in an email. “The overall safety of our university community falls on all our shoulders.”
Nealy said that everyone at QU should hold everyone else responsible for health and safety.
“We must encourage each member of the university community to adhere to the rules and to hold one another accountable for their actions. Accountability includes the following: wearing a face covering, practicing social distancing, and washing hands,” Nealy said. “The university has also put in place signs to help with social distancing, sent out emails with the guidelines that is also available on MYQ, set up on campus testing, a no visitor policy, and has told public safety to tell students who are gathering in more than 16 about social distancing policies.”
As for off-campus parties and group gatherings, Hamden Police said that things were generally OK.
“It’s been pretty quiet. We haven’t heard anything,” said Hamden Police Capt. Ronald Smith.
