'No Other Names Are Acceptable': MSU Tells Students How They Are to Refer to Wuhan Coronavirus

Leah Barkoukis | April 07, 2020 7:22 AM

The mainstream media aren't the only ones patrolling “acceptable” terminology when referring to coronavirus.

According to the Morning Watch, Michigan State University sent an email to students, faculty, and staff informing them there are only certain names to use when referring to the virus: “novel coronavirus (or ‘SARS CoV-2’) and for the disease, COVID-19.”

“Use the correct term for the virus,” states Ray Gasser, the executive director of Residence Education and Housing Services. “No other names are acceptable.”

The instruction was one of eight things to consider and “adopt in hopes of making this process more manageable for all of us.”

The letter also encourages the university community to sign the “Hate Has No Home Here at MSU” pledge, which states: “I will work to make sure HATE HAS NO HOME HERE at MSU. I pledge to do my part in creating and sustaining a welcoming and inclusive environment at MSU. I pledge to not commit acts of hate. I pledge to be an active bystander and to prevent and address incidents of hate and bias.”

MSU isn’t the only school to give instruction on how to refer to coronavirus.

Last week, a University of Texas at Austin dean argued that the term “Chinese virus” is inspiring hateful acts against Asian-American students on campus.
At the University of Wisconsin, Madison, administrators condemned a series of “anti-China” chalk messages that appeared on campus — one of which mentioned the “Chinese virus,” while another blamed the pandemic on the Chinese government.
The University of California recently told students that it is inappropriate for them to use the term “Chinese virus.” The school also released a set of guidelines, which argued that the term projects “hatred towards Asian communities.” (Breitbart)