Penn State Students React To New COVID-19 Protocols
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa — In the wake of the growing coronavirus pandemic, Penn State is taking special measures to ensure its students are still safe, despite deciding to start the spring semester in person.
While Penn State students are not required to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, if students are not vaccinated and do not show up to weekly testing, the university is now taking a drastic measure.
Students that do not comply with weekly testing protocols will have their Canvas access revoked. As Penn State feels this is a good authoritative way to keep students safe, many students in the community feel this way as well.
Bralynn Clouser, a second-year majoring in biology, mentions that it’s a good way to ensure that everyone is going to get their weekly test.
“If you’re against going in to get your weekly test, that is an extreme and then you can’t do any of your classes,” Clouser said. “I think it could go either way depending on what the goal of the university is and how individuals are.”
With a similar reaction, Destiny Sanchez, a second-year broadcast journalism major, says that the university is making that decision because not enough people are getting tested like they are supposed to be.
“Canvas is the way that we do all of our schoolwork, so if that’s taken away from them they can’t do their schoolwork,” Sanchez said. “I think they are at the point that not enough people are doing what they are supposed to be doing so they have to take these drastic measures.”
With this new policy in mind, only students who have not submitted proof of vaccination are required to get tested for the coronavirus each week. Testing is completed at the white building on campus. This announcement on Canvas revocation was made on Jan. 13.
Brooke Steach is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email bas6464@psu.edu.
