Tucker Reilly, News Editor
St. Bonaventure University suspended 21 students for attending parties held in the village of Allegany over the weekend, in violation of COVID-19 health and safety policies and the university’s Community Compact. Students had to sign the compact upon arriving at the university last month.
In the second major wave of disciplinary action that the university has taken since the Sept. 8 suspension of 28, students were asked to drop their keys and ID to campus safety and leave campus by 7 p.m. on Oct. 3 while awaiting judicial hearings.
All Bonaventure students were required to sign a “Community Compact” agreement upon their arrival to campus, which focused on “protection of self, protection of others, and protection of the university and local community.” Among the listed policies was a ban on large gatherings and an agreement to social distance.
“I’m extremely disappointed,” SBU President Dr. Dennis R. DePerro said to a TAPinto Greater Olean reporter. “I know, because I see it with my eyes as I walk around campus every day, that the vast majority of our students are complying with the safety standards we need to abide by to allow us to finish the in-person portion of the semester on Nov. 24.”
One student, who requested to remain anonymous, expressed optimism towards the campus environment, despite the current situation and DePerro’s disappointment.
“I feel very safe in the Bonaventure community. Although there have been a couple blunders by some students, I think that the university has done an amazing job at keeping the campus community very safe,” they said.
While many students have become accustomed to COVID-19 guidelines, some are doubtful. One student, who requested to remain anonymous due to a possible conflict of interest, questioned the ways in which the university has enforced the policies.
“I think it’s stupid that these parties have been going for weeks and weeks and this one gets busted,” they said. “It feels inconsistent compared to the way they treat the on-campus groups.”
The university’s Office of Communications did not respond to a request for comment.
As of Wednesday, Oct. 7, there are 42 active COVID-19 cases in Cattaraugus County, out of a total 270 cases since the outset of the pandemic, according to the Department of Health. 38 new cases have been added in the month of October. There are 4 active cases at the university, out of a total 11 since Aug. 1.
All currently suspended students contacted for this article declined to comment on the situation.
Bonaventure may impose interim sanctions up to and including a summary suspension upon notification of alleged violations to protect and maintain the safety of the university community.
Updates on COVID-19 cases and testing can be found on the university’s COVID-19 tracker at www.sbu.edu/COVID-19.
reillyt19@bonaventure.edu
