At this point in our lives, we are unfortunately all too familiar with the concept of a pandemic. For those of us with common sense, face masks have become second nature. College students around the nation are — mostly — adept at using Zoom and Canvas for school. After almost two years of this lifestyle, there’s no reason for anyone to not understand the basic safety guidelines. So why are students still partying as the UO continues to see the impacts of its biggest COVID spike in the academic year?
While I’ve never actually been to a frat party, I can certainly say I’ve made an effort to understand the allure. I’m sure it’s terribly fun to drink cheap beer and dance with strangers to terrible music in a sweaty basement. And many students think it’s harmless. After all, over 96% of UO students are fully vaccinated, and much of the student body is young and relatively healthy.
Unfortunately, as the New York Times and many other newspapers have reported, these parties are some of the biggest sources of COVID transmission on college campuses across the country. While many UO students would likely survive COVID without too much difficulty, consider the elderly and/or immunocompromised people you’re in contact with every day. Is your fun Friday night worth risking someone else’s life?
Since I’m clearly too much of a stick-in-the-mud to fully understand the appeal of partying, I reached out to an anonymous former (“and hopefully future”) partier living on campus.
She explained, “look, we as college students love to go out, we love to party, but there’s a fine line between having fun and putting yourself and your peers in danger. Being young doesn’t excuse the severity of COVID, and if you’re going to parties right now, you’re just being selfish,” she explains. “I went to lots of parties and shows fall term, but right now it’s just common sense to stay in. Party in the dorms like the responsible person you can be.”
As someone who lives next door to an RA, I can’t speak to the last part of her opinion, but it’s true that there are countless COVID-safe ways to have fun with your friends. Whenever you can, spend your social time outside. This can be harder in the winter months, but Eugene offers amazing hikes and natural scenery, and campus is full of accommodating outdoor study spaces. Since the fraternity houses are off-campus, there’s not much the university can do to stop these parties. That puts the responsibility on students to make the right choices. It shouldn’t be difficult.
Of course, simply getting COVID isn’t a reason to feel guilty, especially as most classes continue in-person. However, getting sick and continuing to put yourself and others at risk at parties is inexcusable. Before you go out, consider whether it’s worth it to endanger your friends. Frat parties have played a role in increasing COVID cases at UO, and Oregon residents are taking notice. This information, easily accessible in newspapers, shapes public opinion of the university. Is that what we want their first impression to be? Boring as it may be, this stick in the mud has no intention of partying any time soon, and will continue to silently judge you for it from the comfort of her bed.
