The Student Government Association (SGA) is partnering with the Wellness Center to make vaccinations more accessible on campus, specifically through a vaccine fair that will take place on Sept. 13 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Mills Lawn.
“Many of us residential students did our due diligence and got vaccinated,” said Daniel Elliot (‘23), president of SGA. “The rest of our students who have not been vaccinated, we will guide them along the way, and we will not force anyone to do anything, but just encourage them and emphasize the importance of getting vaccinated.”
Within the last few months, Orange County has been the epicenter of the spread of COVID-19. After the FDA approval of Pfizer, Orange County COVID-19 positivity rates have stabilized at a high rate, according to WESH.
“We are focused on getting students, especially our most vulnerable populations, vaccinated— like commuter students and staff members,” said Elliot.
According to the Rollins dashboard, 55 percent of commuter students and 64 percent of staff members are vaccinated and presented proof of vaccination. The group with the highest vaccination rate is residential students, with 85 percent having presented proof of vaccination.
After analyzing and strategizing about the prevention of on-campus COVID-19, SGA has partnered with the Wellness Center to organize an on-campus vaccine drive for Sept. 13.
Elliot believes that this vaccination drive will encourage groups with lower vaccination rates to get vaccinated because of its ease and accessibility. For example, individuals will be able to schedule a second appointment for their second shot automatically and upload their proof of vaccination on-site.
Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines will be available at the event, and all members of the community— faculty, staff, and students— are eligible to be vaccinated on campus.
Elliot helped create a COVID-19 committee last year, in which senators and executive board members meet to discuss COVID-19 policies specific to SGA, as well as analyze risks for the rest of campus.
Elliot said that he also wants to focus on ways to represent students who are in quarantine this semester.
Since Rollins has switched to in-person classes, many students who are in quarantine are seeking a support system to keep up with their work and mental health. SGA has suggested that professors should either have quarantined students watch classes on WebEx like last year, or provide an audio recording of their lectures.
If you would like to keep up with SGA or have your voice heard, the first SGA senate meeting of the year will be held Wednesday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. in the Galloway Room of Kathleen W. Rollins Hall (room 300).
In addition, campus-wide elections for SGA senators have begun, and students may currently vote for first-year students here and second-year students here. Elections will remain open until Tuesday, Sept. 14 at 12 p.m.
[…] began, the Student Government Association (SGA) and the Wellness Center partnered to host a Vaccination Fair on Mills Lawn on Sept. 13. All three vaccines were available to Rollins students, faculty, staff, […]