Following the Indiana University football team’s 38-21 win over University of Michigan on November 7, celebrations could be seen and heard from places like the parking lot outside of Memorial Stadium and along the sidewalks on Kirkwood Avenue.
The problem with these celebrations?
Many participants were without masks, clustered in tight, crowded groups.
“I remember when I got to the Sample Gates, I saw all of these heads turn and look down Kirkwood,” IU junior Luke Christopher Norton said. “And I looked down Kirkwood and I went, ‘Oh my goodness.’”
Norton had watched the game on television and then went to check out the scene along Kirkwood Avenue following the win.
“I want to say I’ve never seen that many people on Kirkwood before. But the thing is, I might have seen that many people, but these people were all together,” he said. “They were all bunched up like sardines.”
A crowd of IU fans gather outside of Memorial Stadium following the IU football team's 38-21 victory against the University of Michigan on Saturday, November 7.
(Courtesy: Phil Steinmetz, The Hoosier Times)
Fans of both Indiana University and the University of Michigan clustered next to businesses on Kirkwood, most cheering without masks on.
“It is definitely not advisable to be doing any of that stuff. We know that this disease spreads silently and that it is prevalent in our population of students, faculty and staff,” Dr. Cole Beeler, director of symptomatic testing for the IU Medical Response Team said.
In apartments above the businesses, speakers played songs like “This is Indiana” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” with tenants singing along, waving their arms in the air.
“One notable thing that happened was that when I was standing by the Upstairs [Pub], someone exited without a mask and he had a beer in his hand,” Norton said. “He looked over at me and he said, ‘Take your mask off buddy. Have some fun.’”
The scene after the Michigan game looked familiar to the scene following the IU football overtime win against No.7 Penn State a week before, on October 24.
IU junior Luke Christopher Norton talks about the importance of wearing a mask, especially in large gatherings.
The celebrations, mostly made up of IU students, also gathered on Kirkwood Avenue after trying to get inside Memorial Stadium. However, security guards blocked the main entrance to the stadium.
Several weeks later, IU spokesperson Chuck Carney announced that some students were suspended for attending large gatherings following the Penn State celebrations because they were in violation of IU’s public health policy and student code during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As we’ve said since students returned to campus, per the student agreement all students signed, any violation of COVID health protocols is subject to disciplinary action up to and including suspension and expulsion,” Carney said in an email to IU NewsNet. “Any students responsible for such violations can and will be held responsible. All of that is outlined in the student code passed in August and referenced in the student agreement.
Carney did not say an exact number of how many students were suspended
Twelve days after the Penn State celebrations and two days before the victory over Michigan, an email was sent to IU students from the executive associate dean of students, Kathy Adams Riester that read, “Sadly, the virus only likes to celebrate fall football by spreading itself to as many people as possible, and we want you to stay safe and healthy. This means all of us need to continue strictly following the public health regulations and policies for gatherings that are laid out by IU, the City of Bloomington, and Monroe County.”
Guidelines included physical distancing, wearing a mask, and keeping gatherings under 15 people.
As was displayed in pictures and videos from the celebrations, hoosier fans did not adhere to the health guidelines mentioned in the email following the IU versus the University of Michigan football game.
A portion of an email that was sent to IU students on Thursday, November 5.
In situations where there is little to no social distancing, contact tracing becomes incredibly difficult.
“In these large group gatherings, it’s almost impossible to do contact tracing. We know that the only way we can really slow down this virus is by choking it off,” Dr. Beeler said. “So, making sure that not only the people that are infected are isolated but also people who are close contacts to those who may be affected are also isolated so that they are not able to become infectious and spread it around.”
With students heading home for Thanksgiving break and the rest of the semester conducted online starting November 21, Dr. Beeler encourages students to follow health precautions to keep themselves, and their families, safe.
He suggests getting a pre-departure COVID test before traveling home. IU is offering these tests free of charge for IU students, faculty and staff November 15-19. You can sign up for a pre-departure test here.
Dr. Beeler mentions that the CDC has “very practical guidelines on how to manage Thanksgiving and the holidays.” Some of those guidelines include limiting the number of attendees at events to ensure 6 feet of social distance, hosting outdoor events instead of indoor events and requiring guests to wear masks.
Dr. Cole Beeler, director of symptomatic testing for the IU Medical Response Team, talks about some important safety precautions students should take while they are home for the holidays.
