Madeline Bryce/Daily Nexus

In an event that has experts desperately searching for solutions and the employed scratching their heads, approximately 1,000 students at UC Santa Barbara are in an irreversible state of hysteria after a professor said “six-seven” during a lecture.

According to chemistry professor Inna Leuchturr, this bizarre phenomenon began with something fairly innocent: an exam. 

“I was trying to explain to my class that their average on the midterm was … well, I’m sure you can guess,” she said. “The reaction that followed has me frightened for the future of humanity.”

According to passersby, raucous laughter could be heard from outside Campbell Hall, followed by a primal roar of the numbers that have defined internet culture for half a year. 

Second-year classics major Alice Aymsane, who uses a flip phone for the aesthetic and was therefore immune to the effects of the incident, commented on the situation. 

“It was crazy. They were spilling out of the building like zombies, chanting the same two numbers over and over again. Their eyes were glazed over. Is this the rapture everyone was talking about?” asked Aymsane.

Unfortunately, this bizarre phenomenon didn’t stop within the confines of the lecture hall. As the affected students left class, intermittently shouting “six-seven” at random passersby, more students began getting infected. 

Fourth-year biology major Mason Branerott, performing the popular up-and-down hand motion associated with the meme, also commented. 

“I honestly can’t stop thinking about it. It’s still in my head,” he said. “I’ve been doing this for the last six, seven hours. It’s exhausting.” Branerott, who just a week ago was looking forward to his medical school decisions, is now considering co-hosting a podcast with The Rizzler.

In order to prevent this epidemic from spreading to the rest of the student body, the University has decided to take drastic measures, including blocking TikTok on campus Wi-Fi and putting a temporary hold on any class that could potentially expose students to the problematic numbers.

“First the library hours, now our classes,” lamented first-year history major and frat pledge George Riggins, who was infected after learning about the date of Thurgood Marshall’s appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court. Riggins expressed disappointment that he can no longer go through with his hazing by climbing up on a desk and singing “Golden” during American History.

When asked if she felt any responsibility for inciting the epidemic, Leuchturr shrugged. “Not really,” she said. “I’d say it’s 10% my fault, 20 to 30% social media’s, and of course, 60 to 70% theirs.”

Ivanna Doomscroll is planning on quarantining in her dorm for the next six to seven weeks.