With two weeks left until students are set to return home for Thanksgiving, the university is experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak in Villiger Residence Hall.
“After noting positive and symptomatic cases in Villiger, Residence Life sent a communication to all Villiger residents asking them to self-disclose immediately if symptomatic or receiving a positive test,” wrote Cary Anderson, Ed.D., vice president for Student Life and associate provost, in an email to The Hawk.
Anderson said Residence Life also asked all Villiger residents to participate in surveillance testing. Villiger, the university’s newest residence hall, houses about 400 first-year students.
As of Nov. 8, there were an estimated 35 active COVID-19 cases on campus, according to the SJU Dashboard.
Makenna Thorpe ’24 and Carolyn Alfier ’24, who live on the fourth floor of Villiger, confirmed their floor has an outbreak. They found out on Oct. 28 that they had been exposed to someone in Villiger who tested positive for COVID-19.
The women were quarantined in Sourin Hall the next day, and then decided to go home on Oct. 30. Neither of them tested positive, and they are cleared to return to campus on Nov. 12. Both said they are excited to come back to campus, even though they will not be on campus long before returning home again for Thanksgiving.
“I think we are going to be aware of who we’re hanging out with,” Alfier said. “The kid who had it, we didn’t know he even got tested, and he didn’t tell us. So, we’re going to be more aware of who we’re hanging out with and just do the essential things.”
COVID-19 case numbers have been on the rise nationally and in Philadelphia. As of Nov. 7, Pennsylvania reported the largest spike in cases since the start of the pandemic, bringing the statewide total to 227,985. Philadelphia contributed 1,779 positive cases as of Nov. 9, bringing the citywide total to 49,394 cases.
On Nov. 6, Anderson sent a university announcement to students and parents, asking students to abide by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) recommendation that “all Philadelphia universities and colleges limit activities to those that are essential in the 14 days prior to leaving campus.”
According to an email to The Hawk from Gail Benner, director of public relations and media, the PDPH specifically recommends that until the break, “students should not attend any social gatherings and limit all contact outside of their campus household (roommates and housemates).”
Students are encouraged to attend classes, access grab-and-go meals and seek medical care if they are ill, but otherwise minimize activity on campus, the Nov. 6 announcement stated.
Various services will still be available for students until Thanksgiving break, including access to the Campion P.O.D. Market, Drexel library, O’Pake Recreation Center and Campion Dining Hall, Anderson confirmed in an email to the Hawk.
“Students should heed this recommendation, but we are not going to patrol on and off campus for people meeting in a safe manner,” Anderson wrote. “Students need to make responsible decisions about their return home.”
The announcement advised students who wish to quarantine on their own for 14 days prior to returning home to notify the university of their plans. Students are not able to use on-campus quarantine space or meal delivery if they choose to quarantine, however.
Anderson confirmed in an email to The Hawk that on-campus spaces are not available for asymptomatic students.
“As stated in the announcement, we do not have quarantine space for voluntary quarantine,” Anderson wrote. “Since every circumstance is unique, students should make a plan with their family.”
Anderson pointed to a number of virtual events and activities on the university calendar for students looking to be engaged over the next two weeks.
“We are a community,” Anderson wrote. “This is not a one-way street. We are looking for students to engage with us on solutions and enhancements to campus life. If students don’t see something on the calendar that is for them, get in touch with our office and let’s talk about planning something that is. We need student leadership, creativity and feedback.”
Nic Schoppe ’22, co-president of Hawk Hill Productions (HHP), said in compliance with the PDPH guidelines, the final two in-person events HHP had planned for this semester were canceled. One was a food truck festival, scheduled for Nov. 16. The other was a winter festival. He said although this outcome is disappointing, HHP is adapting their plans to continue to allow for students to remain active in the community.
“In the coming days, we’re planning on rolling out some of those grab-and-go events we think are going to be exciting for students to keep them engaged as we would with regular in person events,” Schoppe said. “We’re hoping for a good outcome with that.”
Both Schoppe and Jillian Garvey ’21, University Student Senate (USS) president, mentioned that social interaction among students, especially just before going home for an extended break, is important for students’ overall well-being.
“Bringing students out of their dorms, making sure that they’re having a good time when they come to these events and being able to see people in person and mingle at these events is what we’re looking for,” Schoppe said. “We really try to make it as exciting as possible and interactive and engaging so that people aren’t left sitting in their rooms.”
Garvey said she recognizes that trying to balance the needs of students and the need to monitor public health is difficult for universities nationwide. But she said the new guidelines are also a “devastating blow” for students who now find their activity on campus even more limited.
“Students end up having to accept the results and then try to figure out what can we do going forward with the cards we’ve been dealt,” Garvey said.
