BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Thousands of college students start Thanksgiving break soon and universities are trying to keep the families they go home to safe.
Several have a plan to encourage COVID-19 departure testing. At the same time, Indiana University said some students have been suspended or face possible suspension for violating health guidelines by gathering in large crowds.
Student journalist and IU junior Luke Norton saw a lot of celebrating students in Bloomington Saturday, after IU's big football win over Michigan.
Any other year, it would make perfect sense. Students are thrilled with IU's success and want to celebrate together.
But it's 2020, and Norton's videos show crowds on Kirkwood Avenue during a COVID-19 crisis.
"Just, 'Oh my goodness.' I knew there was going to be a lot of people, but I was not ready for how many I saw down there," Norton said. "There were multiple students everywhere, unfortunately not a lot of masks."
And it wasn't the first time.
"We saw it happen against Penn State and it just happened again against Michigan," Norton said. "Since it happened after Penn State, IU sent an email out to students like saying 'Go Hoosiers, but make sure you celebrate responsibly' because there was so much craziness after that Penn State game."
13News has learned the university is now handing out suspensions, no word on how many, for students who violated health guidelines in large gatherings.
"There have been suspensions. There will be suspensions if students don't follow those health guidelines because it's a serious matter," said IU Media Relations Director Chuck Carney. "We're all excited about the football win, but you can't have everything throw out the window once the game is over. It's just, it doesn't make any sense. There will be a price to pay and it's not that we're looking to find punishment, we're trying to look to keep people safe."
After students stormed the field in South Bend Saturday, Notre Dame announced mandatory coronavirus testing on its campus.
Those who don't test can't register for spring semester.
All of this is happening as college kids prepare to go home for Thanksgiving break. Universities are doing what they can to keep families safe during the pandemic.
IU has doing regular mitigation testing, testing students randomly since August, which has kept positivity low, around 1 percent.
It's now offering free "departure testing" for students and staff, starting Nov. 15. Students, faculty and staff can register online to get a test on campus. The results come back in about 24 hours.
Purdue University is encouraging departure testing, too.
"If you need to travel, you'll have that clean bill of health as far as a COVID test is concerned when you get ready to travel," Carney said. "So it's a bit of reassurance for students and faculty and staff as they travel to possibly see family over the Thanksgiving holiday."
Luke Norton won't be going home for the holiday.
His mom is high-risk, so he'd already planned on staying on campus. He hopes students take precautions and take advantage of departure testing to keep their families safe.
"You just could be walking around asymptomatic, not have it, go home, say hi to grandma and I mean, that's a terrifying thought to me," Norton said.
After Thanksgiving break, IU students won't be back on campus until February. Their spring semester starts online.
IU will have mandatory coronavirus testing when students return, just as they did at the start of the fall semester.
To register for departure testing at Indiana University, click here.
Purdue University's departure testing plan can be seen here and you can read Ball State University's coronavirus plan here.
