BY CORIE LYNN
Now halfway through the fall semester, Fort Hays State University students have grown used to the changed campus life.
Guest speakers visit with student organizations through video calls. Students hold movie nights seated on lawn blankets under the stars. Sanitizing stations are easily accessible in each building.
One part of college culture many students hoped would remain, however, was the party and bar scene. And, despite advice against large group gatherings or being in public without wearing a mask, many FHSU students at the start of the semester continued to attend house parties, which were tied to COVID-19 outbreaks.
Three months later, the Hays community continues to fight against the spread of the coronavirus while searching for a semblance of normal activities. For some students, trying to maintain a sense of normalcy translates to pursuing what they see as the typical college experience of partying.
These group gatherings raise a question: in a time where communities are fighting for their safety and health, is it ethical to pursue activities that increase the chance of virus outbreaks?
According to FHSU Philosophy professor Phil Meckley, we encounter ethical dilemmas in clashes between what we believe should happen and what we want to happen.
“[These dilemmas] arise when people want something to be different,” he said.
How we determine what is ethical, however, is determined by each person’s character and desired outcomes.
Using the example of masks, Meckley explained that, because what we view as ethical is determined by outside factors, context influences what we view as our personal duties.
For instance, some community members view wearing masks as a duty because they see them as preventing the spread of illness. Thus seeing the mitigation of the coronavirus as a personal duty, they see not wearing a mask as unethical.
It’s when we are afraid and see others going against our own ethics that we begin to condemn their actions.
“[The COVID-19 pandemic] brought up questions we didn’t ask before,” Meckley said.
As with the case of attending parties, students, much like any Hays community member, want to return to their normal activities. The problem is that what they view as normal now goes against social distancing practices.
To outsiders, breaking these practices are considered unethical because they violate the duty they see in social distancing.
Meckley explains there may even be some students who attend parties that are violating their own ethical standards.
“It’s possible to go against your character when considering self-interest,” he said.
For college students, whom Meckley describes as a “connecting age group,” self-interest includes maintaining social lives outside of school or work, which is why many attend gatherings of any type.
“Students also attend parties to relieve stress, to celebrate, and to just have fun,” Bob Duffy, the FHSU Kelly Center’s coordinator of the drug and alcohol abuse network, said. “For generations, this has been an integral part of the college experience. Because of the pandemic we are asking students to modify this behavior and scale back the scope of ‘partying.’”
While Meckley sees students attending parties as part of their own self-interest, Duffy sees them attending parties because many of them are not at risk for serious impact from COVID-19.
“This leaves a situation where we are asking others to be conscientious of others who are at risk,” Duffy said. “Also, there are some who simply do not like to have restrictions put on them, and they react and draw attention to themselves.”
As Duffy points out, universities are not traditionally designed with these restrictions in mind.
FHSU itself is home to numerous clubs and organizations that meet in large groups, host physically close events like dances, and share meals together. These events have been put on hold as a part of campus safety measures.
Duffy explains that even now, it is important to continue socializing and maintain relationships. Doing so fights loneliness, anxiety and other challenges that are exacerbated by the pandemic.
However, he says there is a wrong way to socialize.
“When we do things the way they have always been done though, we put ourselves and others at more risk than before because of the pandemic, so this complicates the issue,” Duffy said. “Socializing during the pandemic is definitely different and comes with its own challenges, but hopefully these challenges are also temporary.”
When considering the ethical implications of partying, Duffy and Meckley said it is important to also consider the social nature of college students.
Whether it’s a party, a tailgate or a dance, students are drawn to socialize. It’s both natural and healthy.
According to Meckley, partying in the present climate is understandable, but that does not make it a good idea. He also believes that others should be more understanding of these students as they “don’t have the same pressures.”
Meckley says to answer the question of whether partying during the pandemic is ethical, we each have to examine what we believe to be our own duties to our community and our responsibilities to each other.
If you believe it’s your duty to not attend large gatherings or to socially distance and wear a mask, then the answer is no, partying is not ethical as doing so breaks each of the safety measures.
However, this also means that any group gathering, whether it is a wedding, a family reunion, or a football game, that does not follow mitigation measures is also unethical.
Going forward, as we consider our duties to our community, we should also remember that each of us, whether we are a student or not, are social by nature and are all trying to maintain a sense of normal throughout the pandemic.