An Open Letter To My Partying Peers

To Whom it May Concern:

For the first time since March of last year, I stood outside of Benson, but instead of hearing the sound of skateboards thundering behind me, I heard the empty rustling of the bushes. The footsteps of students had been replaced by an eerie sense of stillness.

I couldn’t help but close my eyes and picture the Multicultural Center clubs tabling outside of Benson. The lunch conversations filled with friends catching up. The late group of students running to class. The occasional professor meeting a student in the sandwich line.

I get it. Truly, I do. I miss the Santa Clara lifestyle and everything that came along with it, from the late-night study sessions to the social gatherings.

It’s easy to disregard situations that make us uncomfortable and succumb to the pressure of willful ignorance. I too find myself dreaming of ways to recreate the comfort we found in the normalcy of the past, rather than the omnipresent dilemmas that currently haunt us. 

Unfortunately, there’s no denying the existence and implications of COVID-19. This virus has taken more than 400,000 lives and infected 25 million. Yet, dozens if not hundreds of Santa Clara students have ignored such dooming consequences.

These past few weeks, multiple images have circled the virtual Santa Clara community. Students, gathered en masse, have attended not just one, but multiple parties during a pandemic.

Santa Clara County has been no stranger to the impacts of COVID-19. The New York Times reports that on Jan. 24, over 1,800 new cases were recorded, and 53 people passed away in our county alone. The fatal implications of maskless social gatherings are quite literally in our backyard.

Which brings us to the timely and pertinent question: is your incessant need to party worth your neighbors’ pain?

While you were dancing, students were grieving. While you were partying, many mourned the loss of family members. As I saw these disgusting pictures on Instagram, I stewed in a mix of anger, frustration and sadness as I attended my great-uncle’s Zoom funeral.

While you may never have to confront the consequences of what you’ve done and what you may continue to do, your actions shift the burden onto others, from families that have already suffered far too much from avoidable pain to those who might suffer from the virus for the first time in the coming months. Any excuse to dismiss such juvenile and selfish behavior is nothing more than a feeble attempt to save one’s ego. We’re past excuses, and we’re beyond justification.

Recently, Santa Clara released a statement denouncing the actions of the party-goers. According to the schoolwide email, any party-goers “are subject to a fine of $500 and suspension from the University.”

Too little, too late.

Santa Clara students have been going out to parties since the pandemic began. It shouldn’t have taken two massive parties and clear violations of Santa Clara County health standards for the University to have taken action.

Let me be perfectly clear: these are the right steps for the University to take. In fact, I would encourage the University administration to take more stringent measures to ensure that these types of events don’t occur again.

There may be some students—perhaps even after reading this article and the schoolwide email—who may feel unperturbed and still inclined to attend large social events. I write this letter not only to express frustration at the clear lack of respect students have for one another, but as a warning of what could be.

Some may believe that they won’t be afflicted by COVID-19, or that the death rate is so low that it won’t impact you or your family members. These arguments, often rooted in false optimism, don’t hold much merit. The unfortunate reality is that the virus spreads rapidly and without remorse.

Over 4,500 young adults passed away from the virus during the first five months of the pandemic. According to the CDC, new variants of COVID-19 have made it more transmissible—a lethal trait for a virus that often goes undetected. Given the virus’ ability to pass to vulnerable adults, catching the virus is not only undesirable, but can easily lead to death.

For students that have continued to stay inside or meet people in a safe manner—I applaud you. You have continued to prioritize the mental and physical health of those around you, and you deserve more recognition.

For those who continue to party: if the penalties and the threat of suspension still don’t deter you from partying, I hope for your sake that any remaining sense of empathy and moral consciousness will.

Until we can meet again on campus,

Joshua Raymundo