University students weigh in on vaccine promo

Both universities have thus far made no move to consider a vaccine mandate for students, nor is there any evidence they will do so in the future. Instead, Northwest Student Senate President Bailey Hendrickson said an effort to persuade rather than force remains the best way to go about it.

“I personally think that this is a great idea and an opportunity for Northwest as a whole,” she said. “I think that there have been a lot of students that have benefited from it. It’s been a great opportunity for Northwest to say ‘thank you,’ but also give them an incentive to get vaccinated.”

Northwest announced at the end of August that it will draw names from registered students who have received a COVID-19 vaccine to grant a grand prize of $10,000 in scholarship money. A combined value of $50,000 in other new prizes is on offer in addition to the previous drawings for individual $2,500 grants, parking passes, Bearcat Bookstore gift cards and on-campus dining vouchers. The next drawing is Monday, Sept. 13, and the final drawing is Friday, Oct. 1.

For its part, Western is granting a $5,000 grand prize in cash to one student and also one staff member, to be drawn on Friday, Oct. 15. A $2,500 cash prize is coming down on Friday, Oct. 8. Various other prizes are to be determined on Friday, Sept. 17, and subsequently on Sept. 24 and Oct. 1.

However, Western sophomore Alyssa White said that no incentive will persuade her to get a vaccine, and, she said, the constant talk of the need to get one makes her feel unduly pressured. She would leave the university in the event of any mandate coming into force, she said.

“I feel like students should have their own opinion on what to do,” White said. “And just adding an incentive makes it feel like you’re pressured to get it ... instead of having your own opinion, your own free will.”

William Russell, professor of health and exercise science, registered for a staff drawing and received a $50 on-campus dining voucher. He likewise is opposed to the idea of a vaccine mandate but said he sees no harm in trying to persuade people to get the shot, a decision he made months ago.

“As serious as (the virus) is, with just several simple precautions — masks being one of them, hand washing, utilizing the vaccine — with more and more people doing those things, just being disciplined about those things, we should be OK,” Russell said.

Fred Flores, a junior at Western, is dedicated to following the campus rule of wearing a face covering indoors at all times, and he has been vaccinated. The question of an incentive, he said, is mostly not applicable to him as he would have done these things anyway. There also doesn’t seem to be as much awareness among students about the offer as there could be.

“I think it’s at least an effort,” he said. “I don’t how much of an effort it really, or how much of a push, it really makes people consider a vaccine.”

Russell said he understands that students may not necessarily engage well with an internet campaign about incentives, so he brings the matter up regularly in class.

“Getting the word out there face to face can never hurt,” he said.