USG President-Elect Mason Holland Hopes to Demystify Student Government, Fix Representation Issues
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT SINCE 1896 • VOLUME CXXVII, NO. 88 • dailycampus.com Wednesday, March 10, 2021 CONFIRMED 2021 COVID-19 Current Residential Cases Cumulative Cumulative Cumulative CASES AT UCONN STORRS 53 (positive/symptomatic) 200 Residential Cases* 221 Commuter Cases* 182 Staff Cases* as of 5:45p.m. on March. 10 *positive test results USG President-elect Mason Holland hopes to demystify student government, fix representation issues by Daniel Drainville it has been particularly helpful in CAMPUS CORRESPONDENT putting him in a position to suc- [email protected] ceed. Whether it was helping Hol- land meet with alumni, or go to the Mason Holland, the University congressional Black caucus, the of Connecticut Undergraduate Stu- ScHOLA²RS House helped set him dent Government president-elect, up for success. never had a dream school. “It’s a great group of guys,” Hol- Instead, the Lyndhurst, New Jer- land said. “It’s made me feel safe, sey native looked for a college that but it’s also been a place where I could o er two things: fi rst the can grow.” ability to save money for graduate And if anything can attest to school and second, the ability to Holland’s growth, it has been this experience something other than past Friday in the USG presiden- the Jersey cities and suburbs he’d tial election, as he and his run- known for most of his life. Holland ning mate Ethan Werstler brought got both when he chose UConn. home over half the student body Holland left the Garden State vote. for rural Storrs, a town with even It’s been anything but quiet in more gardens. the election’s wake. Since Friday, “It is kind of about getting out of Holland has been vocal about a where you’re from because I think number of issues concerning stu- sometimes to grow you’ve gotta dent involvement, diversity and be in a new place, you’ve gotta see representation that he feels need to Mason Holland was recently elected as the USG president for the upcoming school year. Holland says he hopes to address issues of representation and equity in the role. PHOTO BY MAGGIE CHAFOULEAS, ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR/ di erent scenery, you’ve gotta see be addressed. THE DAILY CAMPUS new people,” Holland said. The fi rst thing Holland said he’d UConn promised a community, like to focus on during his presi- them within student government. dressed was the lack of connection representation means absolutely and he found one in ScHOLA²RS dency is the equal representation The solution, Holland said, is in between USG and student groups. nothing.” House, a learning community de- of all identities both inside and cultivating an environment of ac- Having representation isn’t Holland also seeks to increase signed to support the scholastic outside of USG. cessibility and outreach to stu- enough, he said, if USG is not go- transparency in USG moving for- e orts of male students who iden- “The main reason I joined USG dents. “We need to have accessibil- ing out and talking to these groups ward, in the hope that students tify as African American/Black was to address equity issues at the ity to the point where everybody of that they is claiming to represent. can get a better idea about what is through academic, social and emo- university,” Holland said. every identity exists within USG to Holland paused, pondering the going on within the organization. tional support. Representation is necessary, then advocate for people who have topic, before he fi nally said, “I’m Transparency within the organi- Holland has lived in this learn- Holland continued, because there those same identities that exist Black and Puerto Rican. I’m also zation has been noticeably lack- ing community for both of his are still groups on campus that outside the institution,” Holland Muslim. If I’m not reaching out to ing. years at UConn now, and he says don’t have people to advocate for said. Another issue Holland ad- the groups that I come from, my See USG, p. 2 CDC COVID- guidelines lift restrictions University Senate approves for those who have taken the vaccine temporary alternative to by Mikhael Thompson CAMPUS CORRESPONDENT withdrawal grade, creates [email protected] New guidelines were released syllabi update Monday by the Centers for Disease by Jake Kelly previously withdrawn courses, eligi- Control and Prevention released new CAMPUS CORRESPONDENT ble students will receive an email later guidelines Monday for those who are [email protected] in the semester once the NRC request now fully vaccinated for COVID-19, portal becomes available. according to the CDC website. The University of Connecticut’s Uni- In order to have eligibility to con- These guidelines come as the CDC versity Senate approved a new tempo- vert the W grade to an NRC grade, the fi nds that vaccines, along with pre- rary grade to serve as an alternative to student must have been approved to viously established safety measures, the W (withdrawal) grade as well as withdraw from a course in a semes- help to greatly reduce the risk of fur- an updated syllabus policy to ensure ters held in 2020, along with winter ther infection spread. that professors are providing students and spring 2021. Students must also be Evidence suggests the U.S. with an accurate and comprehensive either undergraduate, Ratcli e Hicks, COVID-19 vaccination program has syllabi on the fi rst day of class, accord- graduate, non-degree or Pharm D. the potential to substantially reduce ing to University The Univer- the burden of disease in the United Senate minutes. “The [new grade] will sity Senate also States by preventing illness in fully These two poli- voted to amend vaccinated people and interrupting cies were voted on provide students who their by-laws, chains of transmission, according to during the March withdraw from courses an rules and regu- the CDC website. 1 meeting by the lations regard- “Preliminary results from the Unit- scholastic stan- option to note that the W ing professors ed Kingdom demonstrate that vacci- UConn students get tested for COVID-19 in the Sudent Union Ballroom dards committee grade was received during The current amount of residential students who have COVID-19 is creating and nation with two doses of Pfi zer-BioN- 53. PHOTO BY KEVIN LINDSTROM, PHOTO EDITOR/THE DAILY CAMPUS and subsequent the height of the pandemic.” distributing Tech COVID-19 vaccine was highly information was their syllabi for e ective against SARS-CoV-2 infec- said. “For example, if you are fully ing hands and avoiding large crowd- shared with univer- CARL LEJUEZ, PROVOST, EXECUIVE their respective tion and symptomatic COVID-19.” vaccinated, it is a low risk for you to ed gatherings. They also add that sity sta through VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC courses, which fi ndings from a CDC Covid-19 brief invite other fully vaccinated friends to fully vaccinated people should still Provost and Execu- AFFAIRS would ensure said. “In the United States, e cacy dinner inside your private residence.” be on the lookout for symptoms of tive Vice President students are was 74%.” The list of activities fully vaccinat- COVID-19 and should self-isolate and for Academic A airs Carl Lejuez. provided with the necessary informa- They add that a growing body of ed people are able to resume include be clinically evaluated for COVID-19. The new grade, refl ected on tran- tion they need to make wise decisions evidence showed that fully vaccinat- visiting other fully vaccinated peo- “We know that people want to get scripts as ‘‘No Record COVID’’ (NRC), regarding their course load. ed people are less likely to be symp- ple indoors without wearing masks, vaccinated so they can get back to will better show employers and high- “Instructors shall specify what will tomatic and less likely to transmit the visiting unvaccinated people indoors doing the things they enjoy with the er-education programs that the grade be taught, when and how it will be virus to others. without wearing masks if those who people they love. There are some ac- was received during the pandemic, taught, when and how learning will be The fi rst set of recommendations are unvaccinated are not at severe tivities that fully vaccinated people and heavily impacted by it. assessed, how grades will be assigned include information on how fully vac- risk, and can refrain from testing if can begin to resume now in their own “The [new grade] will provide stu- and (for distance education courses) cinated people can safely visit other exposed to a known asymptomatic homes,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle dents who withdraw from courses how student identity will be authenti- fully vaccinated people or non-vac- person. P. Walensky said. “Everyone — even an option to note that the W grade cated,” according to the March 1 meet- cinated people as well as how fully A person is considered fully vac- those who are vaccinated — should was received during the height of the ing minutes. vaccinated people should approach cinated two weeks after their last continue with all mitigation strate- COVID pandemic,” Lejuez said in the After April 5. 2021, instructors of isolation quarantine and testing. required dose of the vaccination, ac- gies when in public settings. As the email. any course, internship or independent “Indoor visits between fully vacci- cording to the website. science evolves and more people get Students can fi nd the form to re- study must provide students with a nated people who do not wear masks The CDC still urges fully vaccinat- vaccinated, we will continue to pro- quest a class withdrawal, as well as comprehensive syllabus in writing on or physically distance from one an- ed people to follow guidelines previ- vide more guidance to help fully vac- the NRC option on their transcript, the fi rst day of class.