In the middle of a pandemic that is overwhelming the area’s hospitals and claimed 45 lives in Idaho on Tuesday, deaths that were completely preventable, the University of Idaho held a massive homecoming party with over a thousand unmasked students and community members.
Throughout all the homecoming events, the serpentine, the bonfire, the crowning ceremonies, the football game, it seemed like the core of the Healthy Vandal Pledge we took at the beginning of the semester was crushed and tossed out the window.
There was no social distancing, no masking, no care for other people or self.
Homecoming was the disaster Moscow didn’t need, and the university’s administration and student body let it happen.
![]()
The 2021 Homecoming royalty stand on a stage unmasked during the ceremonies last Friday | Anteia McCollum | Argonaut ![]()
With a giant blaze in the background, hundreds of unmasked students gathered shoulder to shoulder for the Homecoming bonfire last Friday | Anteia McCollum | Argonaut
The 45 deaths reported in Idaho on Tuesday, where we have a state population of nearly 1.8 million, was over twice the number of deaths reported in New York on the same day. Where their population dwarfs ours with just over 8.4 million.
It’s hard to believe that at one point New York was in a worse state of pandemic hell than we are now. All of Idaho’s hospitals are being overwhelmed, including Gritman Medical Center where they said in a release they “once again filled to capacity.”
The local hospital has been having trouble finding places to transfer patients with conditions unrelated to COVID-19, like heart issues, Gritman spokesman Peter Mundt told the Associated Press in early September.
But it isn’t just Idaho’s hospitals who are taking the brunt of people’s selfish decisions to not at least wear a mask. Hospitals in other nearby states are receiving Idaho patients because there are so many of them, and our fragile rural healthcare system can’t keep up.
This isn’t even half of Idaho’s issue with the pandemic. This problem is larger than Idaho’s people want to believe, and we get it. We don’t want to believe the pandemic is ruining our lives either.
But you have to.
People are dying, healthcare workers are beyond burned out, hospitals can’t care for conditions unrelated to COVID-19 and our fence-sitter of a governor isn’t doing a single thing to help prevent it. But the blame doesn’t just fall on him, it falls on you, too.
You, who chooses not to wear a mask because it somehow stomps on your freedom or your constitutional rights. You, who chooses not to get the vaccine because “I’m not putting something in my body unless I know what it is” or because you are waiting to see if anyone else sees negative side effects. You, who doesn’t socially distance because you don’t want to go through the hassle.
If you think wearing a mask is impeding on your freedom and your rights, you need to seriously reevaluate what it means to reside in this “free” country. You aren’t living in America, your beloved freedom safe haven, alone.
You live here with other people who need you to wear a mask, socially distance and get the vaccine. You live here with people who want to enjoy freedom as much as you do. But even freedom has its bounds where you can’t be thinking of me, myself and I all the time because WE live in America.
While the students of UI were out enjoying their massive Homecoming celebrations, unmasked and smashed together like peas in a pod, our nearest hospital was full of exhausted staff struggling to keep up with care for the number of COVID-19 patients admitted.
This is your sign to finally get the vaccine, to wear a mask the next time you go out in public indoor spaces, to start really caring for your community in some of the easiest ways possible.
We don’t know how long we’ll have to keep asking, begging and pleading but we will keep at it until this pandemic stops. Please, wear a mask and get vaccinated.
Anonymouse
COVID exposure does not even take in to effect immediately. That is why quarantine can last up to 14 days (two weeks); your point for adding in the hospitals in "maximum capacity" is laughable since you could and only did assume the situation would get even worse. Absolute horse crap.
Regnar3S
Do you know why the homecoming happened the way it did this year? It is because the pandemic is a joke and it is hard to live up to something that is joke, and to continue the mascaraed of pretending to mask up and social distance when our own US government officials do the very same thing. I cannot tell you how many times if have seen leaders in our own government conduct themselves the very same way as this homecoming, then stand up on TV and tell me that I need to mask up and social distance. If our government does not believe this pandemic is dangerous why should I? They want power and control over free people who make free decisions. The Government should not be in the business of mandating health care on people. People know the risks of catching a virus, if they want to walk around maskless and not social distanced, that is their right as people, grown adults to make grown decisions. If others are fearful of the .0001 percent chance of death by the virus, they can stay home or warp themselves up in a bubble and join in the fun. As I sit here and write this my house is currently 100% covid infected and guess what I am not blaming anyone for catching or how I caught it, and when I return to work I will continue to work as I normally did, without a mask or in fear of catching a stupid virus. Our rights and choices to make good and bad decisions are being taken away by the people who are afraid of this virus. Look at Australia, where cops are beating people for not wearing masks or staying inside, I do not want America to end up like this, but the more people are for government mandating stuff on its people the more power they get and we will end up like Australia. What makes America great is that everyone is allowed to make good and bad choices and suffer the consequences of those choices.
Anonymous Student
Who asked? this article goofy. Let me see your PhD in Pathology.
Christopher Bitikofer
AMEN. I'm really ashamed that the state unis didn't push back and enforce vacation mandates... If all the state schools banded together and enforced mandates the government would either have to sue or cave.
Heather D Flynn
Thank you! I was impressed with what the University did last year to help mitigate exposure. This year the university as a whole seems to think the pandemic isn't happening anymore. Very disappointed in the administration.
Kristin Haltinner
This is spot on. Thank you for being a voice of reason and compassion.