Over 200 COVID-19 cases are infesting all Universities of California.. These colleges are all located in the south east of the United States and all of these cases are serious. People may not hear about other college cases because their administration has not released this data but this does not mean that there is not a wave of COVID cases happening. 

Auburn University has seen more than 200 hundred COVID cases a week alone because students choose to not follow the policies that were put in regulation at the institution. Auburn University junior Vanessa Flores has come across some obstacles throughout her school year due to people being “selfish.” Students have been hosting sorority parties, a huge contributor  to the rise in cases on campuses. UC Berkeley’s record on positive tests of the coronavirus has increased since the start of the  pandemic from 23 cases to 47  new cases in only one week. The United States already has a record that sees 60,000 new cases in a day. Vanessa mentioned that she thinks “students who participate in sorority parties are ignorant.” Students know there’s currently a pandemic going on but fail to follow guidelines. 

 In March when the state of California was getting a few cases Flores college decided it was going to have all students wear face masks and practice social distancing for a couple weeks. Students complied in wearing masks and following the rules. But then shut downs started to happen. Flores said  “ As COVID was closing business and schools in the district made up its choice to transition to online learning.” 

Having to transition from in person learning to online learning is a hard situation for Flores. She said “ It was easy to adapt to but kind of difficult to be able to learn since I learn better in person”. Many other students are feeling the same way as Flores. They feel the need to be in a class to be able to learn something. Students prefer to write on paper than have to do everything online which is some obstacles students are coming across with this decision the district made.

With COVID cases sparking up because of sorority parties this has ruined the plan UC Berkeley was planning on doing. The new infections caused a dent in the plan because they would affect the fall semester. Teams were working on trying to be able to allow some students and staff return to campus for the fall semester. 

UC staff made an order for students who have COVID to stay quarantine while getting requirements and to fix testing for students. If students continue to host these parties it will be hard for students and staff to return to campus anytime soon. Flores stated “ Wear a mask regardless of where you are going.”