SMU student leader Austin Hickle creates alliance to encourage Gen Z safety practices 

DALLAS (SMU) – College students have a vested interest in mitigating the spread of COVID-19: They want to stay on campus for fall term. 

To encourage students throughout Texas to do their part to fight the virus, SMU student body vice president Austin Hickle reached out to other student leaders throughout the state to create the College Health Alliance of Texas. The group’s goals are two-fold – to create a peer-to-peer campaign to encourage college students to follow responsible COVID-19 safety guidelines, and to effectively represent their age group before elected officials seeking best practices to fight the coronavirus.

“COVID-19 is the defining moment for our generation,” Hickle says. “Our generation can play a big part in spreading the disease or stopping the disease. I created this coalition to help stop the spread of COVID-19.” 

Hickle spent the summer contacting student leaders at colleges and universities across the state to create the coalition. To date, student body presidents and vice presidents from 35 colleges have joined, representing schools like the University of Texas, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, Abilene Christian University, Rice University, Baylor University and Texas Christian University.  

Like internal guides produced for students, faculty and staff by many universities, the coalition is finalizing a COVID-19 Resource Guide reminding students to wash their hands, practice social distance and mask up. But what makes this guide different is that it offers concrete alternatives to risky behavior – tips for filling the gaps in the social part of college life. 

“Students can safely socialize,” Hickle says. “Take a walk outside, go on a picnic, play noncontact sports. Our guide has some solid ideas that many students may not have thought of.” 

The College Health Alliance of Texas also will ask all Texas students to take part in a statewide survey to better understand their thoughts and concerns. Once complete, the alliance will release the results, and brief local and state elected officials on how to better communicate with a younger demographic. Next steps will be announced later this fall. 

The alliance also assembled an advisory board composed of Texas elected officials to be sure student voices are heard as state officials create plans to fight COVID-19. 

“A successful and sustainable opening of our schools depends on us,” Hickle says.