Mass gathering? Fire alarms? Barrage of tales keeps YSU on The Edge

YOUNGSTOWN — Photos posted of a large gathering at an off-campus apartment over the weekend led to abundant speculation just as Youngstown State University resumed classes Monday.

Whether the photos — purportedly taken Saturday and posted Sunday evening by the @BarstoolYSU Twitter account — depicted students evacuating from a series of fire alarms at the University Edge apartments or who were involved in a series of back-to-school parties was unclear Monday night.

The photos showed hundreds of students, many without masks or observing social distancing. The tweet was accompanied only by the statement: "COVID-19? Never heard of her."

The university was quick to decry the "large gathering outside The Edge apartments," taking to social media to say it "violates health and safety guidelines put into place by YSU to ensure the well-being of everyone at the university. Such gatherings are unacceptable and put the entire campus at risk. Students violating safety guidelines are subject to action via the Student Code of Conduct."

The university did not mention fire alarms. Neither did Marlena DeFalco, account director for University Edge, who told Mahoning Matters the gathering was unauthorized and happened while the leasing office was closed.

"We are fully cooperating with the efforts of local authorities and the university to address the situation," DeFalco said.

Gina Morrison, a junior at YSU, told Mahoning Matters she lives at University Edge and saw the event going on. She said there are usually gatherings at the apartment complex on Friday and Saturday nights throughout the year, but they are rarely as big as this past weekend.

The university statement warned students who took part in the gathering, "If you have symptoms or if you have had contact with someone who has tested positive in the past 14 days, follow appropriate protocols by contacting the Office of Student Outreach + Support."

She said that made her feel safer that YSU sent out that direction to students. However, Morrison expects events like this to happen again.

"College students will do whatever they want," she said.

Later in the day Monday, a new narrative was developing: That multiple fire alarms were pulled, forcing students en masse out of the buildings, which is a 382-bed facility.

Youngstown Fire Department Battalion Chief Silverio Caggiano told Mahoning Matters the alarm went off three times throughout the night. Two times were due to smoke in the hallways, and the last one was due to a pulled alarm at 1 a.m., he said. He was not on the engine that responded, but he did read the report.

One student who said she lived at The Edge wrote on YSU's Facebook page to give a hybrid account of the night: "The mass gathering outside was both before and during the alarm evacuation. A lot of people [didn't] even leave the building they stayed in the hallways waiting for the cops or fire department to leave so they could continue on with the party."

Shannon Tirone, associate vice president of University Relations, said students can face consequences if found violating the university's code of conduct.

"It's really a case-by-case basis for us," Tirone said.

Students, faculty and staff are asked to maintain the university's health and safety guidelines even when away from campus and to hold themselves accountable to monitor themselves for symptoms.

Tirone said the university has strong communication with University Edge and the students who live there. After this incident, she said they will work to improve communication to make sure events like this don't recur.

Students living in the apartment complex range from sophomores to seniors.

John Cardenaz and Mark Slinn, seniors at YSU, told Mahoning Matters they heard about the gathering but did not attend or live in the complex.

Cardenaz said his professor for his class that day heard about the gathering and warned students to avoid such circumstances to prevent the potential spread of COVID-19.

Cardenaz and Slinn also said it will prove difficult to prevent a gathering like this from happening again.

"It's going to be hard to stop a bunch of 18- to 22-year-olds," Slinn said.

During his State of the University address last Wednesday, YSU President Jim Tressel said he believes the university can take charge of its future.

"If we can all have that unwavering faith that we can do this, we will do this," Tressel said. Students arriving to campus for the fall semester signed the Penguin Pledge, stating they will take care of themselves in order to keep everyone on campus healthy and safe.

"That we pledge to protect others, and we're going to keep in mind that it's not just our health and safety that's important — it's every other person on this campus that we pledge to protect," Tressel said last week.

This story was originally published August 18, 2020 at 4:11 AM with the headline "Mass gathering? Fire alarms? Barrage of tales keeps YSU on The Edge."