NORMAN, Okla. — More than a dozen University of Oklahoma students gathered outside the university’s administration building Thursday to protest what they say is an inadequate response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Student Kellie Dick, a senior from Shawnee, told The Associated Press that students are violating the university and the city of Norman’s mask mandates at bars, restaurants and fraternity and sorority functions.
In her words: “We really need people to wear their masks. I don’t want this to kill any more people than it already has.”
The protesting students presented a list of 12 demands that include online classes for most subjects, twice-weekly free coronavirus testing for the university's students, faculty and staff, and the prohibition of social gatherings of more than 25 people.
The university's chief COVID-19 official earlier Thursday told the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education that there have been no known transmissions of the virus in classrooms, but that the virus spread occurs in areas OU cannot control.