12 april 2022
opinions Red & Black
Opinions 13
Letter To The Editor: Frustrations & Pitfalls of W&J’s Masking Response JONATHON CLIFTON RED & BLACK CONTRIBUTOR On February 25th, 2022, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced indoor masking was no longer necessary, including in schools. Since the announcement, Washington & Jefferson (W&J) has developed a controversial and problematic Covidresponse plan in regard to indoor masking guidelines. On the day of the CDC’s announcement, an ill-informed statement regarding the threat level of Covid-19 from the Division of Student Life led many students to the controversial discussion app, Yik Yak,
where frustrations and questions arose. The following day (February 26th), W&J announced another statement from their Covid-19 response team which recognized they were looking at outdated CDC metrics for Washington County. However, what became an issue for many was the way they went about dictating indoor masking guidelines. Rather than completely dropping masking requirements, the school decided to create a plan that would allow everyone on campus to live life without a mask, except for in the library, academic buildings, and classrooms. These loopholes suggest a number of things, including W&J’s failure to adhere to science, which it could be debated the school has not been doing since the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year. Looking at numerous studies, they have shown insufficient evidence that masking has actually
done anything to protect communities at large and reduce Covid rates. Additionally, considering the tightknit environment on W&J’s campus, if we were to apply the 70% herd immunity threshold set by the CDC to the college then our covid vaccination rates exceed that number meaning masks have been useless since the beginning of the academic year. Since W&J’s February 26th announcement, a sense of frustration has grown amongst students, and to no surprise, as they walk from a crowded dining hall to a half empty classroom, the difference being a mask is not required in one area, but it is in the other. Adding to these emotions, is the freedom other students enjoy at nearby, larger, and more urbanized colleges than W&J such as Duquesne, Point Park, Penn State, and Pitt, all of which have completely dissolved their indoor masking requirements.
C ontac t
E ditorial P olicy The Red & Black is the official, registered student-produced newspaper of Washington & Jefferson College. It is published Tuesdays with the exception of exams and break periods. Editorials are based upon the opinion of the respective writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the newspaper, the College or its students, faculty, or administration.
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W&J’s administration seems to either not notice the inconsistencies in their ridiculous and counterintuitive guidelines, or they just do not care and will continue to disregard the science, the feelings of W&J students, and the advice of their own Covid-19 response team. These actions and lack of communication fall in line with recent years of requests being made by students but being ignored and not taken seriously by the college. It would have been simple for W&J to trust the science, take initiative to rebuild the foundation between students, faculty, and the administration, plus set an example for other colleges looking to end their mask mandates. Instead, it seems as if they are believing in listening to a small group of righteous fear mongers who refuse to give up on the idea that society can and should return to normal.
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