Cal Poly COVID-positive students decry deplorable conditions

January 9, 2022

By BEN DIGUGLIELMO

With COVID-19 surging through the campus community, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo administrators have packed groups of eight infected students in small isolation apartments normally occupied by four, leaving some students feeling discarded.

During the past seven days, 1,022 students tested positive for the virus. Of those, 436 live on campus, according to Cal Poly. After filling the 62 on campus isolation beds, school administrators began housing COVID-positive students in hotels or offering students $400 gift cards if they agree to move home for isolation.

Students packed in the on-campus isolation apartments have voiced concerns about what they call deplorable living conditions.

Ellie Abundo, a freshman currently isolating in the Cerro Vista apartments, has lodged complaints with university administration regarding the cramped conditions.

“During studying, we are forced to switch off between the floor and the one desk that we are supplied,” Abundo said. “Every time we have to move to another part of the room, we have to maneuver around each other. There is no such thing as isolating in these isolation apartments.”

Each 1,000 square feet apartment includes a kitchen, two bathrooms and four 100 square feet bedrooms. Students are not allowed to leave the apartment for any reason, even to walk outside for some fresh air, sophomore Katherine So said.

“The worst part for me is how we can’t even go outside, not even on little walks where we could still wear masks and social distance,” So said.

Abundo is also frustrated with the food delivered and the cost. Cal Poly provides forms for students to check which meals they would like to receive — breakfast, lunch and dinner — but the forms do not include meal or dietary options.

“Many of our meal plans can’t afford to spend $300 in 10 days, and we will have to tighten our budget in the future because of it,” Abundo said. “My roommate had to call and specifically ask for a dietary restriction.”

Isolated students also need to find a friend to bring plates and cutlery, which the campus is not providing, So said.

Abundo is concerned that Cal Poly staff has failed to address the concerns of students forced into isolation apartments.

“No one is listening,” Abundo said. “Mentally right now I am so much worse than I am physically.”


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I have omicron. It is a mild cold


Ellie Abundo should move back to Utah. Is anyone surprised there is a CV19 outbreak Poly??? No!


Poly President Armstrong fails again and adds to his list of failures. What is he being paid for? Maybe Armstrong should be investigated.


His job is to con wealthy alumni and busineses into donating to the university, everything that goes wrong is someone else’s fault.


Apparently, Armstrong has given up looking for donations; his new approach is to “adjust” student based fees, which are already the highest in the CSU system. This adjustment in fees is another way of saying he’s raising the fees.


Armstrong is a fukn idiot who is a classic case of The Peter Principal, and a failure at whatever he does and is associated with.


One need look no further than the history of his failed hiring of CP’s AD, and the failed hiring’s of the AD’s coaches. It’s a classic case of “trickle down” theory and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.


Are one or two students living in each 100-sq. ft . bedroom?


Read the article, then do the math. 8 students divided by 4 bedrooms equal 2 students per bedroom.


follow the money, the city of slo and cal poly both know they lose money if the students don’t come back. its all about the almigty dollar.


And for 1% of President Armstrong’s compensation every student could be a private room.


Find a more rational state to attend school in and get out of here….


Screw that! I’d like to see them try to keep me in there!


About the most they could do is hold your enrollment in some sort of jeopardy. Undoubtedly the campus cops would bully or threaten some sort of sanction but to do so would be patently illegal as it would amount to house arrest and or unlawful detainment without either due process or arrest. Either way, students and young people are usually not aware of such things and can be easily intimidated.

You don’t automatically sign away or give up your constitutional rights upon enrolling in a public university.