Campus Closures over Coronavirus Leave Students Panicked

CAMBRIDGE, MA - DECEMBER 16: A gate sits locked on Quincy Street at Harvard University du
Darren McCollester/Getty

Students around the country are panicking over decisions to shut down university campuses in response to the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus.

According to a report by Business Insider, college students are panicking over decisions to shut down their campuses and residential halls in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

“The decision to move to virtual instruction was not made lightly,” Harvard President Lawrence Bacow said in a statement on Tuesday. “The goal of these changes is to minimize the need to gather in large groups and spend prolonged time in close proximity with each other in spaces such as classrooms, dining halls, and residential buildings.”

After reading Bacow’s email, one Harvard student broke down in tears. Student Tomasz Wojtasik told Business Insider that could be homeless as a result of the decision to shut down Harvard’s campus. Wojtasik said that his parents kicked him out of their home after learning that he was gay.

“I barely kept from crying. I’ve managed for the past summer and winter break, but now I have five days to figure out what I’m going to do,” Wojtasik said.

Other students are concerned that they won’t have a sufficient internet connection to participate in online courses. The report highlighted stories about families in rural communities that were forced to travel to local McDonald’s to use the restaurant’s WiFi service to complete homework.

“We’ve published numerous stories about families that have to go into town and park in the McDonald’s parking lot to get their kid’s homework done,” Tim Marema, an expert on rural communities, said. “Students coming home for just Thanksgiving or Winter Break and not having enough access at home to be able to do research, submit information, or gather the things they need to keep up with coursework.”

Students at the University of Dayton rioted after being informed they would have to leave campus due to Wuhan coronavirus fears.

Stay tuned to Breitbart News for more updates on this story.

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