Wwu When Will I Be Able to Make a Roomate Group Again?

April 03, 2022 Post a Comment

Every bit fall quarter draws closer, the housing department and health officials explain what the mandate ways for students in the dorms next year.

131103F5-B13A-4D4F-B76C-D692F93FA780_1_201_a_1-4000x3000 — Buchanan Towers East located on the south side of campus on March 11, 2021. Western Washington University residents are able to live in the dorms with a roommate starting in fall 2021. // Photo by Adriannah Roman

As fall quarter inches closer, the announcement of a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for Western Washington University has the housing section and health officials buzzing.

Western made the mandatory vaccine announcement on Wednesday, May five. Vi days earlier, university President Sabah Randhawa said Western was waiting for "official directives and guidance from the governor's office and the Washington State Section of Wellness."

Randhawa's bulletin came after both the University of Washington and Washington Land University announced that the COVID-19 vaccine will be mandatory for students returning to campus in the fall.

With the mandate in place, associate director of Residence Life Vicki Vanderwerf said there may be challenges for Western students planning to live in the dorms next fall.

"One of the challenges would be accessibility," Vanderwerf said. "We're looking at giving students, especially new students, great access to vaccines through the Student Wellness Center."

Vanderwerf said the housing department has suggested bringing popular-upwardly vaccination tents to motion-in solar day.

"We're talking near it now just then we're prepared when motion-in happens just [we] know that we need to be flexible enough [that] when medical advice changes that nosotros are able to change our systems as well," Vanderwerf said.

A definitive answer regarding safe policies and practices in the dorms for fall quarter will not come up until the late summer months, Vanderwerf said.

Kaitlin Losansky, a third-year at Western, has been a resident adviser for two years. She considers mandatory vaccination necessary despite the challenges information technology might present.

"Personally, I recollect this was the most responsible choice," Losansky said. "To my knowledge, information technology has the best impact, healthwise, and it would permit residents to practice the things that they're begging for, which is hanging out in large groups, hosting large events."

Losansky said she believes a mandatory vaccine will alleviate the feeling of loneliness and depression that a lot of her residents are facing.

The render of Western students living with roommates likewise means a return to tedious issues that volition affair once more, such as resolving minor conflicts with those living in close quarters. Losansky said information technology will assist give residents company and will help build conflict skills.

"I do want to say having roommate conflict is not a bad matter, and it actually tin can assist develop conflict skills," Losansky said. "Some of the best remaining relationships that I saw develop happened because of a really respectful roommate arbitration conversation."

Losansky said the mandate comes with challenges.

"Information technology gets sticky," she said. "A lot of people can't have the vaccines or cull not to for various reasons. Sometimes they're medical, sometimes they're religious, sometimes it's just personal belief and I think that all of those should be respected."

And while these are considerations to make for the mandate, Whatcom County health officials recommend students and faculty receive their vaccinations before fall quarter.

"Public wellness policies work," said Whatcom County Public Health Section Public Information Officer Melissa Morin via email. "Policies like seat belt laws or no-smoking policies are proven to take benefits for the community'southward health; they better well-being and relieve lives. And many institutions, like hospitals, universities and police departments, already make certain vaccines mandatory."

According to Morin, students can contribute to herd immunity sooner by getting vaccinated themselves as soon as possible. Herd immunity is when a large enough percentage of a population is immune to or vaccinated against an illness and create a barrier to the spread of a disease

"Don't expect till fall," Morin said. "The sooner anybody gets vaccinated, the sooner we can all resume doing those things we've been missing. So why look?"

Priority housing applications concluded on May one simply students tin notwithstanding utilize hither. To discover data on vaccine availability and providers in Washington visit the vaccine locator webpage.

Nicola Wasmuth is a second-twelvemonth at Western and enjoys writing about social justice and the arts. When she is non reporting, Nicola enjoys making photos and plans to become a photojournalist through the Visual Journalism runway at Western. Y'all tin reach her at wasmutn@wwu.edu.

Nicola Wasmuth

Nicola Wasmuth is a 2d-yr at Western and enjoys writing about social justice and the arts. When she is not reporting, Nicola enjoys making photos and plans to become a photojournalist through the Visual Journalism rail at Western. You can reach her at wasmutn@wwu.edu.