Off-campus parties
Dear Lutes,
This is really tough. There’s just no way around it. It’s tough not being able to have classes like normal, it’s tough not being able to compete on the athletic field, it’s tough not being able to have our concerts and performances, and—perhaps most of all—it’s tough not being able to be together and have fun in the ways that PLU students have always done.
As we near the halfway point of the semester, let’s not lose sight of why we’re undertaking this challenge together. Let’s not lose sight of why we need to practice physical distancing, of why we need to wear our masks, of why we all need to get our flu shots, and of why we need to follow the university’s COVID-19 safety policies. We’re doing this together because, as of earlier this month, this pandemic has killed more U.S. residents than live in the city of Tacoma. Your PLU community members have lost mothers, fathers, siblings, aunts, uncles, and best friends to COVID-19. Please let that sink in for a moment.
Listen, we know how hard everyone is working to follow our COVID-19 safety guidelines, and we are proud of how well we all have done. And we know it’s getting harder with every passing week. But on Monday, when we heard multiple reports of an off-campus party attended by more than 40 students last weekend, our hearts sank. We know that none of you who attended that party, or similar recent gatherings, meant any harm to anyone. PLU classes are a challenge, and we want nothing more than for you to be able to unwind and even let loose a bit with your fellow Lutes at the end of the week. But please don’t lose sight of the fact that as a small university community, we are navigating one of the great crises in modern human history. We need to dig deeper, we need to care deeply for each other, and we need to stick together to get through this.
Halloween weekend is just over a week away. We know that Halloween is known to many as “the best party weekend of the year at PLU.” That’s why we know this is disappointing to hear—and as folks who have all had a ball at Halloween parties ourselves, we find this message no fun to deliver—but we just can’t gather in large groups right now. Not without putting members of our extended community in danger. So if you’re thinking of hosting or attending a large Halloween gathering, we strongly urge you to reconsider and choose to safely gather in a small group instead.
In community,
Allan Belton
President, Pacific Lutheran University
Gracie Anderson
President, Associated Students of Pacific Lutheran University
Sam Ebner
President, Student-Athlete Advisory Council
Joey Grabowski
President, Residence Hall Association
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