The Cavalier Daily Vol

THE CAVALIER DAILY Vol. 131, Issue 12 Thursday, February 25, 2021 ANISHA HOSSAIN & MARTHA WILDING | THE CAVALIER DAILY ADVERTISEMENT 2 | www.cavalierdaily.com The Cavalier Daily NEWS COVID-19 cases spike at U.Va. Compiled by Eva Surovell & Ethan Fingerhut 1/26: Move-in for students living on Grounds begins and the IFC & ISC reverse their ban on in-person gatherings 1/28: Gov. Ralph Northam extends executive order banning the sale of alcohol after 10 p.m. and implementing a statewide curfew from midnight to 5 a.m. 2/8: After the identification of an outbreak of COVID-19 within Gibbons, residents are put under a 24-hour quarantine. 2/12: U.Va. extends its six-person gathering limit and confirms the presence of the U.K. variant within the 2/22: Quarantine space University occupancy hits an all- community. time high, with 50 per- cent of space occupied. 2/17: U.Va. hits 229 cases in a single day, shattering the pre- vious day’s record of 121. 7-day COVID-19 case average case COVID-19 7-day 2/16: U.Va. bans all in-person gatherings and urges students to restrict movement outside residences. Date Quarantine rooms Isolation rooms Positivity rate from last week Positivity Rate Positivity Case data was obtained from the U.Va. COVID-19 tracker, which was last updated Feb. 24. The tracker includes data from testing conducted through U.Va. Health and pre-arrival testing vendor LetsGetChecked. Quaratine is for those who may have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Isolation is for those who have tested positive for COVID-19. Date NEWS Thursday, February 25, 2021 | 3 COVID-19 violations brought against five fraternities Photo evidence shows breach of public health guidelines by Pi Kappa Phi fraternity and Kappa Alpha Theta sorority CD News Staff violations allowed the IFC’s Govern- ing Board to shut down events that would have broken policy if they had occurred. Andrew Huffman, IFC president and third-year College student, said in an interview with The Cavalier Daily that the IFC sought advice from the University as it modeled recruitment protocol after SEC-045. Huff- man could not disclose how many reports the IFC has received of fraternity noncompliance, but he said the organization is working with ODOS to investigate complaints. “We recognize that we took a risk,” Huffman said. “We took appropriate precautions and set guidelines that were appropriate, and we’re working on getting all of the violations that we’ve now heard about and are still hearing about in the present adjudi- cated and sanctioned appropriately.” As IFC and University investiga- tions into possible instances of noncompliance with health regulations are underway, the Governing Board EMMA KLEIN | THE CAVALIER DAILY, COURTESY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS has shifted all events online. Photographs obtained by The Cavalier Daily show clear violations of University, local and state COVID-19 guidelines during the recruitment period at the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity and Kappa “Our number one priority is the Alpha Theta sorority. safety of the community and of our members,” Huffman said. “Right now, Dean of Students Allen Groves and posted by a first-year student on “not representative” of the sorority’s “egregious violation[s]” during rush. that means we all need to stay at home confirmed during a town hall Friday social media. The student has not re- opinions regarding the pandemic. The organization categorized viola- and get cases back under control.” that the University has brought cases sponded to a request for comment. Witnesses who passed by the house tions into three tiers, with the worst An anonymous member of an against a number of individual stu- Phillip Griffin, Pi Kappa Phi the afternoon of bid day, however, offense being “intentional violations IFC chapter — unaffiliated with the dents and five fraternities for COV- president and fourth-year College said that this behavior continued for of large scale” which included events chapter in the photographic evidence ID-19 violations. student, said the fraternity is looking at least 20 minutes before the group with more than 10 people, refusal of — said that based on personal knowl- Many students have taken to social into this violation and declined to broke up. brothers to wear masks or no attempt edge of his own and other fraternities, media to call out the Inter-Fraternity comment further. In an email to The In an additional email statement at social distancing. and wider IFC leadership conver- and Inter-Sorority Councils’ decision Cavalier Daily, Groves confirmed that to The Cavalier Daily, McGreevy clar- The entirety of ISC recruitment sations, violations of public health to allow in-person recruitment events a report was submitted to the Univer- ified that the 16 girls pictured on the was held virtually with the exception guidelines were widespread across as a leading contributor to massive sity’s community concerns portal the second-floor balcony were residents of bid day, for which some chapters chapters. While he criticized the IFC spikes in cases. The University has night of Feb. 12, but a photo was not of the house, but did not address the held in-person components that were for allowing in-person recruitment in stated that while Greek life is likely originally included. 16 individuals congregated in front of approved by the ISC. The decision to the first place, the source added that one factor, the rise in noncompliance It is unclear if Pi Kappa Phi is one the house without masks and in viola- move forward with in-person events the organization was limited in its and case counts is widespread across of the five fraternities Groves revealed tion of the University’s then six-per- was made after consultation with ability to monitor chapter behavior the student body. violations were being brought against, son gathering limit. members of the University adminis- and enforce policies. Photographs obtained by The but Groves did confirm that the inci- “While I am unaware of the exact tration and public health officials. He added that many chapters Cavalier Daily show clear violations dent photographed is under review. amount of time that they were on While the ISC says it “mostly saw planned in-person events with no in- of University, local and state COV- Additional photographic evidence the terrace, I can assure you that they widespread compliance” in a letter to tention of limiting them to six people. ID-19 guidelines during the recruit- submitted to The Cavalier Daily were in accordance with all house the community posted Friday, some One tactic he described was individ- ment period at both Pi Kappa Phi shows violations of masking protocol, rules during that time and were far reports on social media and oth- ual chapters getting IFC approval for fraternity and Kappa Alpha Theta social distancing guidelines and gath- more than six feet away from any non- er platforms showed otherwise, the nonexistent events that would appear sorority. In the images, both fraternity ering limits by Kappa Alpha Theta so- residents,” McGreevy said. statement said. As a result of these to follow University guidelines, but and sorority members can be seen vio- rority on Feb. 14. At least 16 girls can Groves confirmed that the Uni- violations, several chapters and indi- then proceeding to hold their actual, lating the University’s universal mask be seen standing in front of the house versity has received a community viduals are now undergoing the Uni- policy-breaking events in alternate mandate, social distancing guidelines socializing while an additional 16 line concerns report involving the soror- versity’s judicial process. locations. and six-person gathering limit, all of the second floor balcony of the house. ity, but could not specify whether it “As an organization, we feel it is “I can say with a good degree of which were in place when the events Though a few individuals appear to be involved the same incident pictured critical to recognize the efforts our confidence that most fraternities took place Feb. 12 and 14, respectively. wearing masks in the photos, at least in the photos obtained by The Cava- members have taken to prioritize broke the six-person rule once or Photo evidence submitted to The 13 individuals are either wearing a lier Daily. safety and minimize the spread of twice, at least,” he said. Cavalier Daily relating to Pi Kappa mask below their chin or do not have The Inter-Sorority Council and COVID-19, and also acknowledge our The University itself should have Phi shows at least 13 individuals, in- one at all. Inter-Fraternity Council first re- shortcomings in this endeavor,” the anticipated that fraternities would cluding the photographer, socializing The photographs contrasted with versed their ban on in-person events ISC statement read. “The recklessness break the rules, he said, and been around beer pong tables at the frater- what the sorority posted to — and Jan. 26. When recruitment occurred, exhibited by some members of our firmer in its regulation of COVID-19 nity house the night of Feb. 12. The in- since deleted from — its Instagram the University’s regulations limited community is extremely disappoint- safety throughout in-person recruit- dividuals pictured are not practicing account featuring bid day celebra- in-person gatherings to six people, ing, and these utterly careless actions ment. proper social-distancing guidelines as tions, which only showed members in mandated mask-wearing and set put all of our health as risk.” required by the University at the time groups of six or fewer. strict social-distancing guidelines. The IFC released a statement the picture was taken.

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