TCU’s COVID-19 cases more than quadrupled in a week. Current outbreak is over 250.
On Friday and Saturday nights at TCU, Diandria Beals, a 21-year-old senior, has seen the crowds of students walking toward the distant hum of house parties, not wearing masks or social distancing.
The attitude on campus, to her, has often felt as it did before the coronavirus pandemic changed life in America and in Texas, she told the Star-Telegram Wednesday morning. That’s part of why she believes her small private university has recently seen dramatic growth in cases.
There were 257 active coronavirus cases at TCU as of Wednesday — almost all students, except for two employees — and there have been a total of 529 cases since March, according to the university’s online COVID-19 portal that’s updated daily.
A New York Times database of the coronavirus at American colleges reports TCU has had a total of 384 cases during the pandemic, which is among the highest numbers reported by the Times, but fewer than at some larger public schools. Though the Times believes this is “the most comprehensive survey” out there, the newspaper acknowledged some of the numbers could be off due to discrepancies in how colleges report cases. “Given the disparities in size and transparency among universities, this data should not be used to make campus-to-campus comparisons,” the Times website noted.
The school with the most cases reported by the Times was the University of Alabama at Birmingham, with 972. Texas A&M had a reported 500 cases, and the University of Texas at Austin had 483.
A TCU spokesperson said in an email on Wednesday, “TCU has been transparent with our data, and our cumulative numbers are reported for six months, beginning March 2020. Note that the timeframes for cumulative cases is not standardized among universities (in the Times report,) but instead is based on when reporting began, in some cases at the onset of the semester or at the beginning of August 2020. This discrepancy is outlined within the story in a four-paragraph disclaimer. Therefore, timelines and data provided is not comparable. The chart presented does not align with the universities listed, but instead, represents weekly cases in the county. Of the first 13 universities listed, note that most began reporting in the late summer.”
Per the college’s numbers, active cases at TCU have risen dramatically over just the past week, from 55 cases on Aug. 20, to 177 cases on Tuesday, to Wednesday’s highest total yet of 257 cases. No students are currently hospitalized.
Members of two sororities with positive cases were ordered on Tuesday to quarantine for two weeks, according to the student media publication TCU 360.
Though she’s not involved with Greek life, Beals, a McKinney native, said a friend of hers who’s in a fraternity told her the chapter leaders instructed them to get tested off-campus so the college’s numbers don’t go up. The full count of cases, she believes, could be even higher than reported.
“The big thing is you don’t know who has it and who doesn’t, because some students aren’t saying if they’re positive or not,” said Beals, who has been living on campus. “I would really like to see (TCU) have some sort of repercussions for students who aren’t wearing their masks on campus or are caught out partying and stuff. Because it doesn’t really seem like anything is happening.”
The rise of coronavirus cases at the Fort Worth university has happened in spite of a messaging campaign reminding students to wear face masks and practice social distancing, and that gatherings of more than 10 people are forbidden. Testing is available at the Brown-Lupton Health Center, according to the college’s COVID-19 webpage, and anyone with a positive result must go into quarantine.
But with the rapid spike in cases, people on social media have posed a question: Will the school have to join other colleges in reverting to strictly online classes? If so, they wonder, when is that going to happen?
A college spokesperson didn’t respond to a list of questions, including what it would take for the school to move back to online courses for all students. Hundreds of colleges across the country that reopened for their fall semesters have since reversed course, from the University of North Carolina, to Michigan State University, to Notre Dame.
The Star-Telegram also sent the spokesperson a question about the status of the upcoming college football season, which the college has announced will go on with limited capacity in the stands at home games and a mask mandate.
Students who spoke with the Star-Telegram said they believe it’s hypocritical of the college to tout its upcoming football season, even with precautions in place.
“In one email they tell us no gatherings of more than 10 people,” Beals said over the phone. “And then the next one it’s get your tickets for the football game.”
Sean Atkinson, the chairman of TCU’s faculty senate, penned an open letter in July expressing frustration over the university’s handling of multiple issues ranging from allegations of systemic racism to the coronavirus pandemic. Atkinson said in a text message to the Star-Telegram on Wednesday, “While I’m not surprised that student numbers are increasing, I’m glad to see that positive cases among employees remain very low as of today.”
‘Better to graduate from home than not graduate at all’
While students like Beals have chosen to come back to campus to attend classes, others have opted to continue taking classes online for the safety of themselves and others.
Cristian Argueta-Soto, a 21-year-old senior, is taking virtual classes as he lives with his family in his hometown of Fort Worth. He wrestled with the decision, he said, considering the implications of giving up his final year on campus with all of his friends. But in the end, the choice was fairly straightforward.
“I was just like, ‘You know what, better to graduate from home than not graduate at all or get sick,’” Argueta-Soto said. “That kind of just sealed the deal.”
The journalism major, who serves as the managing editor of TCU 360, believes money has been a big motivator in reopening campus and bringing back the school’s most profitable sport, football. He also thinks officials have tried to communicate that “everything’s going to be OK” and to “continue with what we’re used to, even though that might be dangerous for some people, or even life-threatening for some people’s family members.”
An eventual return to online classes feels inevitable to him.
“I do believe that maybe even by the end of September, we’ll be back online,” he said.
For junior Annie Ogrin, 21, the rapid uptick in cases has been disappointing “but not surprising.”
Though all but one of her classes are online this semester, she has gone to campus as part of her involvement with the rowing club, and she also helped welcome freshmen in the first-year experience program. She has been concerned by the sight of students not wearing masks, or letting their masks hang below their nose. She has been concerned by the talk of large parties.
Ogrin credits the school with taking some action, such as handing out helpful tools like thermometers and face masks. But she would like to see accountability for students who have disobeyed guidelines.
Living with her severely asthmatic mother off-campus, “it’s a little terrifying” to think of catching COVID, she said.
“I’ve been trying to take all the precautions. I try to do everything right,” Ogrin said. “It’s just a little frustrating to see that not everybody else wants to put that effort in.”
This story was originally published August 26, 2020 at 2:42 PM.
