While the rest of the world has been attempting to slow down the pandemic with online classes, social distancing rules, and mask mandate, UT Austin hasn’t taken its severity as seriously.
University of Texas at Austin students are caught throwing huge maskless parties, despite two schools staff members dying from coronavirus.
UT’s administration seems to take the covid pandemic lightly. Allowing big gatherings at school’s football games, and not limiting activities within their campus. With over 50,000 students, this affects more than just on-campus students. Their reckless behavior could wreak havoc on hundreds of thousands of people.
On Saturday, October 10th UT Austin’s football team faced Oklahoma University in their annual rivalry match. The students attending the match started celebrating the event by tailgating, and carried their festivities into day partying within their campus. One of those parties was captured on a now viral-video, and shared all across social media.
ut students when you tell them there’s a pandemic going on: pic.twitter.com/dLRYAvFFXP
— casey (@degromdotcom) October 11, 2020
Could you imagine risking it all to sing Icona Pop’s “I Love It” in a frat house?
All jokes aside, UT Austin has a bad track record regarding Coronavirus so this party does not come as a surprise too many.
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1300 Cases and 2 Deaths
A group of UT Austin students returning back from spring break were previously pinned as the source of a massive Covid-19 outbreak early this year. According to the school’s most recent testing data – the university has seen over 1300 positive tests since March 1st.
Unfortunately, some of these cases resulted in casualties within the school faculty. The first death took place back in July, However the second case was just a few days before the events of this viral video. UT Austin seems to hesitate on closing campus despite the losses, and a big number of positive cases. At what point will you decide enough is enough? How many people will have to die before the administration takes this seriously?
The school released official statements for both cases, and further detailed their policies. The school chose not to name both of the staff members out of respect for their families’ privacy. After the first death they also released a list of triggers that would result in the immediate closure of the school. One of which included the death of a student from the virus, but not an employee.
However the internet, and students of the school seem to have a stronger reaction towards the recent events that took place at UT Austin.
Twitter’s Reaction
This first tweet is from the student who shared the viral video from a friends Instagram story “In all seriousness. Yes these people are being shitty, but we should be angrier at UT admin for letting people come back to campus and do this shit, and angrier still at the government for allowing things to open back up and creating conditions in which science denial is acceptable.”
https://twitter.com/onlinelonghorn/status/1315428771806273536
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Elizabeth says “A total waste of the top 5% students that are eligible to apply to this university” referring to the school’s rigorous admissions process which is highly selective.
A total waste of the top 5% students that are eligible to apply to this university.
— Elizabeth (@BubbieisNoOne) October 11, 2020
Another tweet attaches a video from the game, which took place before the party with the captions “Shoveling Covid directly into my mouth.”
Shoveling Covid directly into my mouth pic.twitter.com/VL6PEkDX26
— I.G.Y. azalea (@HaitianDvorce) October 10, 2020
There were also comments poking fun at the quality of the party in exchange of the ridiculous danger. Why risk getting/spreading/dying from Covid-19 just to be in a hot, sweaty apartment drink a Natty Lite? The first jab at the party says, “Not worth it, party don’t even be lit.”
Not worth it, party don’t even be lit pic.twitter.com/1pgkpIdVwB
— I Am Kenough (@slowitdownb) October 11, 2020
This twitter user tweets “I never wanna lose myself to the point where this song gets it done for me at a party.” OUCH!
I never wanna lose myself to the point where this song gets it done for me at a party.
— Philip (@1Philomoney) October 11, 2020
Jolee expresses her confusion with “Y’all are going out during a pandemic to hear…this song?”
y’all are going out during a pandemic to hear…this song? https://t.co/tyhXRhWTWU
— jolee (@joleelachelle) October 11, 2020
We hope that UT Austin manages to have a better control over this messy situation for the safety of its faculty members, student body, and their families.
