Campus COVID-19 case rates surge as students return to in-person classes

As of Jan. 13, Chapman University reports 236 known, positive COVID-19 cases on their dashboard. The active case count reached 284 Jan. 7, nearly surpassing the fall’s surge in positive cases, which peaked at 290. Graphic by HARRY LADA, Art Director

One student, who spoke out against Chapman’s decision to return in-person, requested anonymity for protection from harassment by peers and professors for their beliefs. This student is identified by year and major instead of name.

After Chapman University released updated COVID-19 guidelines requiring two negative tests and a booster shot before students, faculty and staff are able to return for in-person interterm classes, the campus community had a week to comply with the new protocol. By Jan. 7, the university’s known COVID-19 active case rate peaked at 284 as increasingly more individuals fulfilling the two-test requirement were met with positive results. 

Since Jan. 7, case rates have slowly dropped as five-day isolation periods come to an end. Norma Bouchard, Chapman’s executive vice president, provost and chief academic officer, said if students test positive after the return to campus, faculty will be able to provide alternate instruction for students who have to quarantine, similar to last fall’s protocols.

“If students, faculty or staff test positive, they need to isolate for the mandated period,” Bouchard told The Panther. “Faculty are asked to provide alternate instruction to students so that they do not fall behind.” 

As of Jan. 10, students who successfully completed the first-week protocols resumed in-person instruction, but not without criticism of how Chapman is handling the return. In a Jan. 7 Instagram poll created by The Panther, 55% of 184 respondents said they are unhappy with how Chapman has been handling the new COVID-19 protocols and the return to campus.

One student respondent, who asked to be identified only as a sophomore integrated educational studies major, also argued spring classes should be online for at least the first two weeks instead of just one. 

“With the extreme rise in cases, it’s not okay for (Chapman) to be forcing students back to campus and putting their health and lives at risk,” the student told The Panther. “I feel like they should have waited until case counts slowed down a little bit or actually enforced quarantine when students returned.”

The Orange County Register reported 22,945 new cases in the county the weekend before courses returned to campus. On average, the weekend totals equal about 7,648 new cases each day. This surge has also caused hospital staff shortages as employees test positive.

Hulukoa Nunokawa, a senior film production major, related the current pandemic to various historical epidemics that have affected his home of Hawaii, including cholera, mumps, measles, whooping cough and smallpox throughout the 1800s.

“I think the policies are a joke,” Nunokawa said. “How are they supposed to actually protect anybody? Explain to me how testing (only) at the beginning of the semester is going to be acceptable in actually combatting COVID-19.”

Although he has one semester left before he can graduate, Nunokawa said he is considering transferring to another university out of fear of getting stranded in Southern California if the pandemic worsens and not being able to get a flight back to Hawaii.

“The reality of the situation is, Chapman is doing the very least — in my opinion — to be able to say, ‘We are doing something to the best of our legal ability’ to cover their asses,” Nunokawa said. “It just isn’t working.”

Katharine Johnson, a senior broadcast journalism and documentary major, was also in Hawaii from Jan. 5 to 11 filming her documentary thesis, which prohibited her from fulfilling Chapman’s return-to-campus protocol during the first week of January. 

Prior to leaving for the shoot, Dean of Students Jerry Price advised her to either get tested twice before her departure to Hawaii or once before her trip and once upon arrival in order to attend class in person upon return, Johnson said. 

However, Johnson will also be traveling to Oregon for another shoot from Jan. 14 to 16. Per the COVID-19 travel guidelines, Johnson is required to get tested three to five days after her arrival back from Oregon, but she will still be required to attend class until she gets her test results.

“If I got exposed on either one of those fights, then I'm putting every single person on campus at risk, but because of the policy, I still have to go to class,” Johnson said. “That doesn't make any sense.”

Johnson also said she wished Chapman would stay online for the entirety of interterm to avoid the risk of COVID-19 transmission altogether, especially as county cases rise.

In contrast, sophomore history major Jordan Rose said the guidelines are too strict and reinforce students to unnecessarily fear COVID-19.

“Chapman has the complete wrong idea,” Rose said. “It seems to me like Chapman has been increasing their restrictions and increasing their protocols even as COVID-19 — in my opinion— becomes less of an issue. While (Omicron) does spread more, it’s been putting less people in the hospital and not killing as many people.”

Rose emphasized that students should be able to make their own choices regarding the pandemic, vaccinations, testing and masking.

“Things should start loosening up instead of becoming less restrictive,” Rose said. “I don't know why Chapman doesn't let students make their own personal decisions at this point.”

Rose also conceded the one-week online period is fair and gives students the opportunity to get tested. But he doesn’t think the university should mandate the booster shot or mask-wearing. 

Chapman President Daniele Struppa released updated masking protocols Jan. 7 requiring the Panther community to wear medical-grade surgical masks while indoors on campus. Cloth masks, scarves, neck gaiters and bandanas will no longer fulfill the indoor mask requirement, though these masks can be worn over a medical-grade surgical mask for improved fit and layering.

Additionally, Struppa’s announcement noted Chapman will make free, disposable, medical-grade surgical masks and KN95 masks available to all students.

This change is the result of a petition created by Daniel McGreevy, a junior political science major, calling for Chapman to provide high quality masks for all students. The petition gathered 339 signatures and was created just two days before Struppa’s notice.

“I want to acknowledge and thank the Chapman students who have contacted the administration to request this new mandate be put into place,” Struppa wrote in the announcement of the new mask mandate. “I also want to thank you all for your continued cooperation as we manage COVID-19 on our campuses.”

Ashleigh Hahn, a freshman TV writing and production major, said the new mask policy is a step in the right direction and may have the potential to turn the surge in cases around.

“The new masking policy, if enforced, will help to better protect from Omicron as well as give students access to free, high quality (personal protective equipment),” Hahn said. “The key thing, though, is that it has to be well-enforced, and people have to honor the new guidelines. I want to have faith in my fellow students, so I’m trying to stay optimistic.”