UT Students Forced to Move Out of Dorms

By Marco Ramirez

Reporting Texas

AUSTIN – After getting a two week long spring break, students at the University of Texas were met with disappointment as President Greg Fenves announced all classes would be moved online for the remainder of the semester. This in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

But, that wasn’t the only bombshell announcement UT made. Students were also told not to return to campus following their extended spring break, and the university required everyone living on campus to move out.

Patrick Frain, a freshman engineering major, was one of those students forced to pack up his dorm in the Jester Residence Hall and go back to his hometown of Houston. All this before the semester even ends.

“After President Fenves cancelled school for a second week, my first reaction was happy because I get an extra week to do nothing,” Frain said. “Then they told everybody just not to come back, I was mad because now I’m stuck at home.”

While UT responded the same way to the COVID-19 outbreak as other universities across the country, college parents like Patrick’s mom are sharing in their child’s disappointment in having their school year cut short.

“I just remember seeing his face when he opened up the email and he was really upset, which I would have been too” Carrie Frain said.

Despite this inconvenience, she is happy Patrick, along with her other two children, will all be together during this public health crisis.

“It’s nice to have all the chickens under one roof and really a blessing that we can all be together.”

While Frain prepares to finish out the semester online, he wishes he could have spent his time on campus more wisely had he known he would have to go back home early.

“I definitely would have tried interacting with friends more because now I won’t get to see them all until the fall,” Frain said.

But even though the university’s decision to send students home has disrupted Frain’s freshman year, he believes it was the safest option as the number of cases of COVID-19 grows.

“These next few weeks, nobody knows what’s going to happen,” Frain said. “Obviously, nobody is happy about this, but at the end of the day I do support the university’s decision. It was the right call.”

Unlike Frain, there are some UT students who don’t have a home to go back to. University Housing and Dining Services will provide students with emergency housing through May 20 for those who apply. According to a university spokesperson, 145 students have applied for emergency housing.

Though the coronavirus pandemic has seemingly affected every student in the world, Frain hopes things will get back to normal so everyone can return to campus in the fall.

“Right now, this is all a train wreck,” Frain said. “I just hope that this just ends, the semester ends, we get through this and fall we’re able to start fresh with a new year.”