Will students behave as they return to campus?

Welcome back students. Students return to UW-La Crosse today. They do so as we continue to see a surge in cases of Covid-19, now more than 1300 in the county. Some fear those numbers could rise rapidly if students resume their typical college behavior. Look no further than the sudden spike we have seen in Winona when college students returned there. Just two weeks since school began, nearly 100 new cases were reported, and Winona State is issuing new warnings about the need for safe behaviors and already thinking of returning to online instruction only. In Madison, there have been outbreaks at frats and sororities, with more than 38 students already in quarantine. Will we see the same at UW-La Crosse? That depends largely on student behaviors. The University is taking several safety precautions like limited class sizes and a mask mandate. But what students do when not in class is the bigger concern. The beer pong tables are set up in campus neighborhoods, the bars are doing brisk business and the house parties have already started up for the semester. Many students behave responsibly, but many do not. For the health of our entire community, let’s hope this year’s crop of students learn the valuable lesson that their  behavior can have an impact on many others.