It was early Thursday morning when I received a health alert with the following in bold red letters: Vaccination Mandate Lifted Beginning Summer Intersession. Those words I had hoped to NOT read so soon had become a reality.

But unfortunately they did.

COVID-19, these words we have all grown to hate and fear at the same time, has been back on the news as cases have began to rise again, following spring break vacations. The biggest outbreak is being recorded during the first week at Coachella with a sharp 21% increase in new cases.

It makes me wonder as to how we can continue our daily routine as if nothing was wrong. Are we seriously going to pretend that there is no pandemic that is once again threatening to shut us all down? It seems like we just don’t get it.

Which brings me back to Mt. SAC’s questionable decision. What exactly do you think will happen once vaccination requirements are lifted? Unvaccinated personale will be able to walk around freely unvaccinated and unmasked as well? Disaster. That’s what will happen.

The vaccination requirement and mask mandate is set to be lifted beginning June 13, and summer registration starts on May 4. If Mt. SAC wants their students to fully feel safe then they should continue to enforce the vaccination requirement. There are many things in this world that I can tolerate but this vaccination lift is not one of them, I will not stand back and let slide.

I think I can speak for many when I say that we do not want unvaccinated people walking around freely on campus. Call me whatever you want but my safety as well as others’ safety should come first. This is not a time to be crying over masks and how this violates your freedom.

A measly vaccine won’t hurt you. Wearing a mask does not harm you. It’s time everyone grows up and understands that this pandemic does not care who you are. If we continue on this downward spiral of complying with a small group’s complaints about a vaccine or mask then we truly do deserve this prolonged pandemic.

We need to understand as a society that the risks of new variants are possible. The email sent out early this morning reads the following: The college also maintains its commitment to safety protocols, which includes carefully following public guidelines through contact tracing and increased cleaning and air filtration.

Let’s be honest, as a student, the college’s decision to end vaccine requirements feels more like a punch to the gut. What seemed more like a “safe environment” with only vaccinated students has now turned into a real life version of the Hunger Games, replaced with an ongoing pandemic with no end and maskless individuals walking around freely.

Vaccines have been shown to help against COVID-19. Although vaccines cannot fully eliminate your chances of being infected, vaccines can help you fight off COVID.

A new mutation of the omicron variant known as BA.2.12.1 has been found in Maine that has been driving an uptick in cases. To further add to that increasing worry the new mutation has now become the dominant strain in New York. This can push us towards another possible wave of shutdown.

At the time of writing, Mt. SAC’s COVID-19 dashboard has not been updated which is another call for concern. It has been four days since the last update on the dashboard, the threat of a new mutation and the worries about a new wave are making me feel very uneasy.

How does Mt. SAC expects us to be okay with vaccination requirements ending when new variants continue to emerge? I do believe the pandemic will end, but it will take 100% effort from every single person in the world to put an end to it.

As for now, the only thing I can really say is: Mt. SAC please do NOT end the vaccination requirement. It will put all of us at risk. Your students’ and staff’s safety should be your No. 1 responsibility. It’s better to enforce the mandate than deal with a hoard of sick students and staff. Your call.