Dear President Jere W. Morehead,
My name is Hannah Vesper, and I am currently a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Georgia. I take pride in my position as a student here, and I have grown to love UGA and the Athens-Clarke community.
I do not doubt in my mind that you share a common admiration of this school. I would find it difficult to believe how you could put so much of your own time and effort towards the University without seeing UGA as being a reputable and impressive institution for higher learning. I would like to emphasize that I am not at all questioning your devotion to this school, but instead, I am drawing attention to how it is possible that you love this city and university as much as you do, yet still choose to make careless decisions when considering the safety of those who are just as devout members of the community like yourself.
I come to you to specifically address the intent behind the many conspicuous errors that have been made on behalf of myself and the rest of the University of Georgia’s student body. While I understand the comfort in generally practicing orthodox restraint following policies put in place by Governor Brian P. Kemp (which we already saw caused exponential growth in Georgia COVID-19 cases prior to the student body returning to campus), I do believe we are past the point of using incomprehension as an excuse for poor decision making.
Statistically speaking, it is no secret to the admitted students here (or the rest of the nation watching our foolishness for that matter) that the Athens-Clarke county COVID-19 case numbers have been ascending at rapid rates since students were allowed back on campus last month. While I entirely understand how facile it is to play the laissez-faire role in all of the student-led chaos amid the pandemic, I would like to suggest that you take partial (if not full) accountability for not properly performing your role as University President.
You released a statement on the second of September, explicitly stating, “All of us must take our responsibilities very seriously as we seek to reduce the spread of COVID-19.” I only ask that you heed your own advice, properly execute your full responsibility as University President, and revaluate the decisions that have been made thus far in the academic semester. Perhaps it’s time for a more innovative crisis response than simply wrapping caution tape around the water fountains and hoping that teenagers and young adults fill out a Qualtrics survey each morning before heading to campus.
The University of Georgia prides itself on a motto claiming that the institution’s mission is “to teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.” While I entirely see how important and apparent it currently is for you to continue the teaching portion of the motto (even if that includes allowing in-person instruction at the expense of student, faculty, and staff lives), I must ask as to where the “serve” aspect has disappeared to, as I certainly believe that the only things currently being served to the members of this institution are added stress and unnecessary COVID-19 exposure.
It was both an achievement and an honor when I found out about my acceptance and further enrollment to this university. However, I feel as though that feeling of eminent distinguishment has been entirely replaced by shame. As I watch friends of mine attend schools that seemingly value their lives much more than my own, it is now quite embarrassing to say that I am a student of this institution. I am wholeheartedly disappointed with the way that the University of Georgia has and continues to respond to the pandemic. I sincerely hope that you are not waiting for any students, faculty, or staff to die in order to take further action.
Yours truly,
A fellow Bulldog