On Oct. 18, the deadline passed for all students to provide evidence that they are fully vaccinated. But when everyone came to CWU for the start of fall quarter, not everyone was vaccinated. CWU not only gave students enough time to get the vaccine but they also gave students the opportunity to be vaccinated here on campus. 

There are students here who don’t want to get vaccinated because of their own personal reasons, which is perfectly fine because you shouldn’t have to be forced to do something you don’t want to. 

I was one of those people who didn’t want to get the vaccine when I first got the news that it was required to be vaccinated to attend CWU this year. Like other students, I wanted to attend CWU this year, so I did what was safe for not only myself but for the other students and professors here on campus and got the vaccine. 

My roommates are athletes here at CWU and when they said they were told they could lose their scholarships if they didn’t get the vaccine, it surprised me. This showed me, athlete or not, CWU was serious about campus being 100% vaccinated. 

The purpose of this requirement isn’t to remove students from campus, but to keep everyone safe. We all want to get back to the normal days of not wearing masks and not having to be distant from friends, but in order to do that we have to take the steps needed to keep everyone safe.

It wouldn’t be fair if CWU allowed non-vaccinated students on campus because students like me solely got the vaccine to attend CWU.

Even NFL/NBA players must be vaccinated. Some of the most paid and watched athletes are required to be vaccinated or they must follow strict protocols and aren’t allowed to play in specific cities/arenas, such as Brooklyn Nets Kyrie Irving. Irving was told by the Nets he couldn’t participate in games or practice until he got vaccinated in line with New York City’s coronavirus vaccine mandate, according to the Washington Post.  

If you aren’t vaccinated then you can do normal things like go to the grocery store or go out and eat with your family. But you can’t experience life changing things like going to college, getting a job you always dreamed of or even attend a professional sporting event. 

It’s been a tough two years for us all. Experiencing classes online wasn’t easy for me and I’m pretty sure it was difficult for others too. We didn’t come to CWU to experience college life online, we came to go to classes with other students from around the world, to attend the events they hold here on campus and to meet new people and build friendships with others. 

In order to do those things, we have to do it safely, that is why I believe CWU is making the right decision by requiring students to be vaccinated. It’s not what we all intended when we dreamed of going to college, but the world has changed and CWU can only do what’s safest for everyone.