WVU pays $925K to settle Mon. Clothing and food fest comes to Gee says playoff expansion is on Boulevard boulder suits Star City this weekend ‘life support’ p. 4 p. 5 p. 9 @DailyAthenaeum Th e Daily Athenaeum dailyathenaeum [email protected] WVU’s Independent Student Newspaper THURSDAY AUGUST 26, 2021 www.thedaonline.com Gee mandates common sense, not vaccines would reevaluate any possible vac- BY TRENTON STRAIGHT cine requirements — the University NEWS EDITOR chose not to mandate vaccination, saying in a statement that it will con- Read more of the While hundreds of universities tinue to ‘strongly encourage’ people DA’s interview with around the country are requiring to get the shot. Gee on page 3. students and employees to get vacci- Gee pointed to a recent increase nated against COVID-19, President E. in student and employee vaccination Gordon Gee said getting people vac- numbers as a reason not to mandate cinated is a matter of common sense, the vaccine. not of force. “I’m not sure the mandates really “But I hope that we don’t ever work,” he said. “I think that the com- come to the point in which we are munity and human choice is more having to mandate anything other important. What we do, though, and than common sense,” Gee said in an the reason I say that our numbers are exclusive interview with the Daily refl ecting that is the fact that our vac- Athenaeum. “I always believe in cination numbers are going way up.” mandating common sense.” As of Wednesday, just over 70% of And while the University will not students and employees had been yet be mandating the vaccine for stu- fully vaccinated. dents and staff , Gee had direct words Th e end of last week marked the for the unvaccinated. deadline for unvaccinated students “Well, fi rst of all, my message to and employees returning to campus everyone is get the damn shot,” he to get tested. As of Wednesday, just said. “I mean, it’s pretty simple to under 1,500 students had not com- pleted COVID-19 testing. me. I cannot understand why any- PHOTO BY MALIA RICHARDSON Students who fail to do so by the one would not get this vaccine.” staff end of the week will be referred to Gordon Gee talking with members of the DA on Aug. 24, 2021. Following the Food and Drug Ad- vaccinated against COVID-19. to the Chronicle of Higher Education. the FDA’s full approval. ministration’s (FDA) full approval of Student Conduct. While WVU has not mandated the Over 750 college campuses have Indiana University issued a vac- the Pfi zer vaccine Monday — a point required vaccines of at least some cine mandate for students earlier at which WVU had previously said it vaccine, other universities are rush- See Vaccines page 3 ing to require students and staff to be students and employees, according this month, despite the absence of WVU faculty to vote on vaccine mandate resolution BY DUNCAN SLADE COVID-19 vaccinations for all stu- interview Wednesday. “It’s listed as University, that’s set by the admin- fective plan moving forward it’s just dents and employees with limited a faculty thing, but we listen to our istration,” Sims said. “Th e end goal to simply have people show up.” EDITORINCHIEF legally mandated exceptions,” the students. Th is is part of what our stu- with the resolution is that we want Th e resolution mentions the fac- proposed resolution reads. dents are telling us.” to have everybody who is an em- ulty’s commitment to in-person in- After WVU decided not to man- Th e special meeting of the Uni- Sims posted a petition around ployee or a student to be vaccinated struction and the mental well being date the COVID-19 vaccine fol- versity Assembly, a body of almost noon Tuesday and within several just for health and safety of every- of students. lowing full approval of the Pfi zer every faculty member, will be held hours received signatures from at one who is on campus.” It also makes note that the WVU vaccine by the Food and Drug Ad- on Wednesday, Sept. 1 at 3 p.m. over least 5% of University Assembly He said many faculty have asked Health System has mandated the ministration this week, the Faculty video conference. members, as required by the Faculty what they can do to help. COVID-19 vaccine for employees Senate has called a special meet- Jared Sims, an associate profes- Constitution to call a special meet- “Th ey simply need to attend the and that WVU already requires a ing of all faculty to vote on a res- sor in the College of Creative Arts ing of the body. meeting at 3 o’clock on Wednes- number of other vaccinations. olution in support of mandatory and director of jazz studies, wrote Th e Constitution also requires day,” Sims said. “Th e signatures -- “It would be premature for us to vaccinations. the resolution. seven-day notice of any non-emer- that was just a small phase. We got comment at this time,” said April “Be it resolved, the Faculty As- “Th is coming from my students gency meetings. the signatures that we need to move Kaull, university spokesperson. sembly supports mandatory and not from me,” Sims said in an “We do not set the policy for the forward. Now in order to have an ef- Chateau Royale Apartments NOWNOW LEASING!LEASING! 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THURSDAY AUGUST 26, 2021 3 Editor: Assistant Editor: Tenton Straight Sadaf Nikzad [email protected] NEWS [email protected] Gee talks vaccines, masks and international students different model, do you BY DUNCAN SLADE mean some sort of vaccine EDITORINCHIEF requirement? Gee: Yeah, I mean, that’s Th e staff of the Daily Ath- always a possibility. But I enaeum sat down with WVU hope that we don’t ever come President E. Gordon Gee on to the point at which we are Tuesday for an interview. having to mandate anything Answers have been edited other than common sense. I for clarity and length. always believe in mandating common sense. DA: On Monday, the FDA DA: Why was there a deci- fully approved the Pfizer sion made to require masks COVID-19 vaccine and you in specifically classrooms chose not to mandate the and labs and not other in- vaccine. Why was that? door areas? And what went into that Gee: Well, because we’ve decision? taken a look again — at the Gee: Well, because of the data — and I think that what fact that our numbers look we really have discovered is really good. And you know, the fact that masking in class I would just say this, individ- provides a level of protec- ually. I’m not speaking on tion and comfort.