NCSU professor: If students hadn't congregated together we could have kept this at bay
THEIR DEBT WHEN THEY ARE NOT
HITTING WHAT THEY TRULY
INVESTED IN.
>> Reporter: I WAS OVER ON
UNC'S CAMPUS MONDAY WHEN THE
ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE.
TODAY OVER HERE ON STATE'S
CAMPUS THERE IS MUCH OF THE
SAME SENTIMENT.
MANY STUDENTS WORRIED ABOUT THE
SOCIAL RAMIFICATIONS OF THIS,
THEY SAY THEY WANT COLLEGE LIFE
TO GO BACK TO NORMAL.
>> I DON'T THINK THAT WILL BE
THE WAY IT IS CERTAINLY THIS
SEMESTER.
>>> DR. JULIE SWAN IS AN NC
STATE PROFESSOR WHO JOINED US
SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE ON THE
7:00 NEWS TO TALK ABOUT THE
PANDEMIC HE.SHE IS WITH US
AGAIN TONIGHT TO TALK ABOUT THE
DECISION MADE BY NC STATE.
THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US
ONCE MORE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> IN YOUR OPINION WAS THIS THE
RIGHT MOVE?
>> YOU KNOW WE HAVE TO KEEP THE
HELP OF OUR STUDENTS, FACULTY,
AND STAFF AT THE FOREFRONT
HERE.
AND THESE CASES THEY MOVE SO
QUICKLY AFTER STUDENTS GOT BACK
AND THEY WERE SOCIALLY
CONGREGATING.
UNFORTUNATELY IT IS NOT THE
SEMESTER THAT WE WANTED IT TO
DO BUT I THINK IT IS THE
DECISION THAT HAD TO BE MADE
BASED ON THE DATA.
>> HINDSIGHT IS ALWAYS 20/20
BUT SHOULD STUDENTS HAVE COME
BACK AT ALL?
>> I THINK THAT IS STILL A
GREAT QUESTION, A REALLY GOOD
QUESTION IS WHAT IS THE
BEHAVIOR OF THE PEOPLE AND IF
STUDENTS HAD NOT BEEN
CONGREGATING IN PARTIES AND
SOCIAL GATHERINGS WITH MORE
THAN 10 PEOPLE THEN WE COULD
HAVE KEPT US THAT THEY.
NOW EXPECTING COLLEGE-AGE
ADULTS TO NOT DO THAT IS REALLY
TOUGH.
BUT I HOPE THAT MAYBE SOME
OTHER UNIVERSITIES WILL SHOW
HOW IT CAN BE DONE.
>> WE HAD CHAPEL HILL ON
MONDAY, WE HAVE NC STATE TODAY
WHAT WILL WE SEE NEXT YOU THINK?
>> THE GREAT THING IS THE
UNIVERSITIES HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
MOVE VERY QUICKLY, AND USE THE
DATA THAT IS COMING IN FROM THE
DISEASES AND UNDERSTAND WHAT IS
GOING ON.
WHAT MY HOPE IS IS THE OTHER
UNIVERSITIES THAT START LATER
HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO
REALLY MAKE SURE THAT THEIR
STUDENTS ARE ON BOARD WITH
PLANS, AND THAT THE STUDENTS
UNDERSTAND THE RAMIFICATIONS.
I THINK BECAUSE WE WERE EARLY
IN THIS THAT WE DID START THAT
EXAMPLE UNFORTUNATELY, BUT
PERHAPS SOME OF THE OTHERS WILL
BE ABLE TO LEARN FROM IT.