Appalachian State student from Raleigh urges administration to make changes as coronavirus cases spike
Appalachian State in Boone has seen coronavirus cases spike in the last couple of weeks.
The latest numbers from the week ending October 2 show 8.4 percent positive cases among those tested, slightly down from the previous week's 9 percent.
But two weeks ago, the rate of infection was 3.5 percent.
About 800 cases have been reported on campus since March, with 202 active cases currently, according to Monday's dashboard.
It's also where Chad Dorrill, a 19-year-old from the Triad, died last Monday.
Chloe Dorin, a 24-year-old grad student from Raleigh, is calling on the chancellor and administration to end all athletics, close all the dorms, disband Greek life and and go to all online instruction. She posted a letter on Facebook and sent it to administration.
"I felt a lot of grief over what has already come and what is going to continue to come if there are not changes made," she said. "I felt a lot of anger over the refusal to take ownership and responsibility.
This past Friday, the chancellor emailed a letter to students and staff, saying most students already take a majority of their courses online.
She says students in classrooms are physically distanced, "on-campus density is low," mask-wearing is "nearly universal."
Dorin's three-page letter ended with the words: "Our lives are in your hands."
