With the coming out of Iowa State’s new policy of hitting students with conduct violations for gatherings both on- and off-campus, I think it is time to hold the university accountable for its own feckless nature.

Iowa State, as well as many other universities, have engaged in hypocritical behavior by hosting all of its normal events with barely a thought about the ramifications. It is unfair that Iowa State holds all of its sponsored events without any real change to its structures and then immediately chastises students for attending them. It is hypocritical that Iowa State still holds campus-wide events that endanger the health of everyone but then immediately attack the students for following their lead.

We are in constant threat of having classes pushed to an online-only format if COVID-19 gets too out of hand, but all Iowa State does about it is send a daily link to a Qualtrics survey about our immediate health with three options of sick, still sick or healthy and shames the students for acting in the same manner as the university. The stressfulness of a threat looming over the student body is clearly not a deterrent to engage in healthy behavior.

With all that in mind, Iowa State should practice what it preaches. Restructure classes in a way that promotes safety rather than the faux “wear a mask but sit one foot away from four other students in this lecture hall filled with 75 students.” Restructure events in a way that reduces transmissions of COVID-19 or cancel university events. Students will, to some degree at least, follow the example set by the university. If the university does not hold events and does not promote large social events on campus grounds, students will likely follow suit and not hold their own large social events off campus grounds. Students will rise to the expectations the university sets as long as Iowa State follows their own expectations.

Students should also demand a consistent response by Iowa State to the epidemic with no clear end in sight. The inconsistent set up of hybrid courses and the inconsistent treatment of the pandemic by professors is appalling. There are many stories circulating around of professors taking off their face coverings and making light of the current situation and then students following their lead. This reckless behavior by figures we are supposed to learn from can and will trickle down to students, which will further the issues at hand.

So I will leave it at this: Does Iowa State actually care about the health of their students? Or is Iowa State planning on using the students as a scapegoat for its own carelessness?

Omar Waheed is a junior in marketing.