With the number of new Covid-19 cases in North Carolina still consistently reaching over 1,500 daily it is unreasonable for High Point University to require all its students to return to in-person classes this fall. The total amount of cases in NC reached 112,713 this Sunday. Governor Cooper recently extended phase two of reopening until August 7th saying that "our numbers are still troubling, and they could jump higher in the blink of an eye.” As universities ask their students to return from across the country this number can only be expected to increase, endangering the lives of our students, faculty, staff, and community.

While other universities have extended the option for students to attend their classes online while living on or off-campus HPU has not done so. High Point  University has taken precautions such as creating a contact tracing app, installing social distancing markers, and will be providing masks to students. However, the student body has been left voiceless and without a choice but to return to campus this fall.

A recent study conducted at UNC chapel hill reported that "84 percent of students surveyed would wear a face mask when they return to classes next month. However, it also reported that about 30% said they would still go to parties and other large gatherings. The people in the 30% will undermine any effort by students, staff, and faculty in ensuring that everyone’s risk of contracting COVID-19 is at a minimum."

The Covid-19 pandemic is far from being under control in the US. Bringing our students back to North Carolina from "50 states and more than 37 countries" increases the risk for a large outbreak and unnecessarily endangers the lives of thousands of people. If just one student returns to campus as an asymptomatic positive case, they could potentially and unknowingly start a chain of infections. While in-person learning is largely preferred to the online option, it should never be worth risking the lives of those in our community. If conducting classes online saves just one person's life, then it should be a no-brainer.

Our students are attending this institution to obtain their education, this is lost if they fall ill and are not able to complete their classes. A student should never be afraid of obtaining their education! The staff members at HPU should not have to go to work in fear of exposing themselves and their families to a potentially deadly virus. Our faculty members have dedicated their lives to providing higher education to the next generation, but this does not mean that they should have to risk their lives in this pursuit.

With students planning to return to campus as early as August 1st, it is unreasonable to ask HPU to halt all travel back to campus and in-person classes. The goal of this petition is to demand a choice for the student body, ensuring that no student must live in fear as they work tirelessly for their education. We do not wish to interfere with the procedures and operation of HPU, rather we wish to ensure the safety and health of our students, faculty, staff, and community. High Point University has provided the student body with information about the steps they are taking to potentially mitigate the spread of Covid-19, but we must first and foremost prioritize the health of those in our community. We believe that if all of our students return to in-person classes and dorm housing the safe environment HPU is trying to provide will not be maintained.

HPU’s motto is "choose to be extraordinary." Highlighting very eloquently that we have a choice in our lives to hold ourselves to a higher standard and to strive for excellence. Yet, the student body is currently left without a choice but to return to in-person classes endangering the lives of so many that we care for.

Give HPU students a voice! Give us a choice!