College students split on punishing those who don’t follow COVID-19 guidelines as classes start

KENNESAW, Ga. — Some college students believe schools should do more to punish those who defy coronavirus guidelines.

This comes after Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top doctor in this crisis, issued a warning about the holiday weekend.

“We don’t want to see a surge under any circumstances, but particularly as we go on the other side of Labor Day and enter into the fall,” Fauci said.

Channel 2′s Richard Elliot went to Kennesaw State University on Thursday, where some students told him that it’s hard to punish college students for simply being college students.

Some say if schools cracked down harder on bad behavior, COVID-19 might not be as big a problem.

KSU tweeted a reminder Thursday for students to follow COVID-19 protocols.

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The University of Georgia’s president also tweeted, saying, “For those of you heading out of town over the Labor Day weekend, be very careful and think about the health of everyone around you.”

Georgia Tech’s president wants his students to just stay on campus: " ... to reduce the risk of exposure and transmission, we are advising students not to travel over Labor Day weekend.”

“The safety aspect of having a traditional college experience has been ruined because of the lack of leadership,” said UGA student Adrianna Mbunwe, who is also with the Young Democrats.

She blames Gov. Brian Kemp’s administration for COVID-19 outbreaks on campus, but also blames irresponsible students.

She thinks students caught breaking coronavirus guidelines ought to be severely punished.

“Punishing students who are partying on campus, punishing students who are going out, having no regard for those students who are actually trying to make an experience out of this terrible situation that we have,” Mbunwe said.

“I mean, what are they going to do? Round up and arrest them?” said Georgia State University student Peter Minetos.

Minetos is the chair of the College Republicans of Georgia. He wants students to be safe but doesn’t think they should be punished for being college students.

“To, you know, punish college students because, you know, this is the way college has been operating in America for the last couple of hundred years is ridiculous,” Minetos said.

Some schools across the U.S. have suspended or expelled students caught violating certain safely guidelines.

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Cox Media Group