We all saw the headline of the St. Augustine Record on Thursday, September 10.
“Swine flu hits Flagler campus.”
Although the swine flu had only one confirmed case at the college, the article made it seem like it was a widespread epidemic.
Junior communications major Ashley Wermick is worried that the school hasn’t been taking proper precautions against the spreading of swine flu.
“People aren’t being cautious enough. And where are the hand sanitizers that were supposed to be distributed in every classroom? If the school had put them up before the semester started, I wouldn’t be so worried about getting sick,” Wermick said.
While the school has made efforts to add hand sanitizers to the dining hall and library, they are still absent in the classrooms, and senior elementary education major Rebeccca Cooper is dissatisfied with the school’s efforts to keep things clean.
"We have received many emails and notifications about swine flu and ways to prevent catching the virus. One mentioned was that the cleaning staff would help with precautions by cleaning common areas more often than usual. As of yet, I have still not seen them clean it once, much less more often than usual. I know they clean it at least once, but how come no one sees them clean it during the most active part of the day? I know there are many of us this year that have the same mindset - we're going to stay healthy because we just don't have the time to get sick.”
It’s not uncommon to witness students sanitizing their hands before sitting down to a computer or wiping down their desks in Kenan Hall. This shows that students are being proactive about their health, rather than just waiting to get sick. As long as this continues, hopefully we won’t have to see the headline “Swine flu infects entire Flagler campus” splashed across the front page of the St. Augustine Record.
