Utah State University confirmed this Wednesday that the campus indeed had an outbreak of October. Many students remain unsurprised as many have observed the classic symptoms of October. “You can definitely feel the October in the air today,” said freshman Lyle Fleming, “It’s crisp and cold, and you can see your breath sometimes.”
Aside from the obvious changes in the atmosphere, many students have come down with cases themselves. Sophomore Kim Hendricksen has been witnessing outbreaks of October for 19 years; she considers herself an expert on the subject. “It’s just that season,” she says, “you know, of cuddling and watching Netflix, wearing scarves, jumping in leaves, and drinking Pumpkin Spice Lattes.” It seems indeed, this seems that she is the first of many more to become infected with more extreme cases of October.
Over the past years, we have seen a steady recurrence of October cases in seemingly the same time of the year. Data shows that nationally there is a dramatic 100% spike in reported cases of October in the fall. Recent scientific evidence suggests that October outbreaks are likely to occur every year. As current scientific evidence suggests, October could possibly be the result of a subtle climate change, combined with certain unexplained sociocultural factors.
Despite this scientific evidence, some students remain skeptical of the reality of October. Ryan Larsen is one of these many skeptics, stating “Yeah, I don’t really know about [October], I mean yes, I recognize that it’s cold, and I can see the Halloween decorations, but where’s the proof that October is actually here on campus? I’ll just believe it when I see real proof is all I’m saying.”
Some students with even more radical beliefs disregard the idea of an October outbreak entirely, claiming that it is simply a month of the year, and happens regularly, every year, around the world. “Isn’t October just a month?” asks Louise Davis, a junior, as she expresses this unconventional idea, “It comes every year, during the fall, right after September 30th. It’s not an outbreak, it’s just a month in the year. One of twelve of them. I don’t understand why everyone is freaking out, or why people are referring to it as an ‘outbreak’.” This extreme claim remains merely a hypothesis, and is currently unsubstantiated by scientific data.
Despite all the speculation, the October outbreak has caused a dramatic effect on the student population of Utah State. It is unclear what percentage of the population has become infected with October, or if it will spread in more areas in the coming months. The public has been assured that there is no cause for alarm over the highly-contagious October, but the ramifications have left many students unsure.
