Kent State University students plan 'die-in' to protest COVID policy

Diane Smith, Record-Courier
·2 min read

Kent State University students, upset about a policy that sends them back to class in person as COVID-19 cases continue to rise, are planning a "die-in" protest, and have launched an online petition demanding greater safety measures.

The protest will take place at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, the day students are to return to class. During the protest, which will take place on the K at Risman Plaza, students will simulate being dead in protest of the policy. Those attending are asked to wear masks and distance themselves from others.

"We demand that improved COVID-19 safety measures, hereby known as the Students Safe Six, be implemented to ensure a safer and more successful Spring 2022 semester," states the petition, which had nearly 700 signatures by Friday afternoon. The petition outlines six safety measures, which the group states are based on "the most up-to-date scientific information about the Omicron variant" and statements from the Kent Health Department.

Students at Kent State University plan to protest on Tuesday to urge the university to strengthen it's COVID-19 policies for the spring semester.
Students at Kent State University plan to protest on Tuesday to urge the university to strengthen it's COVID-19 policies for the spring semester.

What is Kent State's COVID-19 policy?

Students, faculty and staff were to have been fully vaccinated by Dec. 20, according to the Kent State website. This is what the university considers Phase 3 of a three-phase plan to get the university community vaccinated, but university spokesman Eric Mansfield said previously that there will be required weekly testing for anyone who is not vaccinated.

The student-led KSU COVID Safety Coalition is demanding six safety measures. They include remote instruction until Jan. 28 for all classes that don't need to take place in person, as was the case a year ago. They also are asking that KSU provide weekly N95 or KN95 masks to students free of charge each week, regular PCR tests for students, that KSU set a policy to return to remote instruction should cases rise again, adding booster shots to the university vaccine mandate, and "increased transparency" about decisions related to health.

Reporter Diane Smith can be reached at dsmith@recordub.com

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: 'Die-in' set to protest COVID-19 policy at Kent State University