Is anyone even surprised?
At least five students from the University of Tampa have tested positive for coronavirus after partying for Spring Break.
Last week, a video about Spring Breakers in Florida went viral. The video by NowThis and Reuters showed college students partying on Florida beaches despite increasing concerns about the coronavirus. While many states and cities were ramping up calls for citizens to stay indoors, several college students continued to party.
“If I get corona, I get corona. At the end of the day, I’m not gonna let it stop me from partying,” said Brady Sluder, one spring breaker in the now-infamous video. “I’ve been waiting, we’ve been waiting for Miami spring break for a while. About two months we’ve had this trip planned, two, three months, and we’re just out here to have a good time.”
Now a week later, we’re getting reports of COVID-19 diagnosis from at least one group of college partygoers. According to Wink News, the University of Tampa announced last Friday that one student, who lives off-campus, tested positive for the virus. Then later, the school learned that five students who participated in spring break festivities tested positive as well.
“UT has been notified that five UT students, traveling together and with other UT students during Spring Break, have tested positive for COVID-19,” the school wrote in a Twitter statement. “We sincerely wish our students, and any others who may be affected, a full and rapid recovery.”
UT has been notified that five UT students, traveling together and with other UT students during Spring Break, have tested positive for COVID-19. We sincerely wish our students, and any others who may be affected, a full and rapid recovery. https://t.co/MXl4e1v3gh
— The University of Tampa (@UofTampa) March 21, 2020
But with the news of these diagnoses, the increasing intensity of the pandemic, and the major online criticism to the viral video, at least one of those spring breakers has come forward to apologize.
According to USA Today, Sluder has apologized for his viral statements about partying on spring break.
“I wasn’t aware of the severity of my actions and comments,” Sluder posted in an apology on his Instagram account. “I’d like to take this time to own up to the mistakes I’ve made and apologize to the people I’ve offended.”
As he wrote to caption the post:
“I’ve done a lot of things in my life that I’m not proud of. I’ve failed, I’ve let down, and I’ve made plenty of mistakes. I can’t apologize enough to the people i’ve offended and the lives I’ve insulted. I’m not asking for your forgiveness, or pity. I want to use this as motivation to become a better person, a better son, a better friend, and a better citizen. Listen to your communities and do as health officials say. Life is precious.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-C2M7knHvx/?utm_source=ig_embed
