{"id":1428316,"date":"2022-04-11T08:15:38","date_gmt":"2022-04-11T12:15:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1428316"},"modified":"2022-04-11T08:15:48","modified_gmt":"2022-04-11T12:15:48","slug":"will-mandatory-covid-theater-ever-end-for-college-students-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/will-mandatory-covid-theater-ever-end-for-college-students-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Will Mandatory Covid Theater Ever End For College Students?"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwill-mandatory-covid-theater-ever-end-for-college-students-2%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1428316&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/iowa-e1649201613621.jpg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" alt=\"image\" \/><\/div>\n<p>Universities across the country have increasingly rolled back Covid restrictions in recent weeks, giving many high school seniors hope their college experience will not be marred by the policies that, for more than two years, ruined that of their older siblings and peers.<\/p>\n<p>Most commonly, this rollback has entailed quietly dropping policies pertaining to forced isolation and social asceticism, as well as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidehighered.com\/news\/2022\/02\/15\/colleges-follow-states-lifting-mask-mandates\">lifting mask mandates<\/a> in near lock-step with local and state <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/health\/2022\/02\/09\/mask-mandate-end-governors-politics\/\">political shifts on mask policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Some schools, such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.uiowa.edu\/spring-2022\">University of Iowa<\/a>, largely operate as if it were 2019, without any broad requirements for masking, social distancing, regular Covid testing, or Covid vaccination.<\/p>\n<p>Universities in <a href=\"https:\/\/gov.texas.gov\/uploads\/files\/press\/EO-GA-40_prohibiting_vaccine_mandates_legislative_action_IMAGE_10-11-2021.pdf\">Texas<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.capitol.tn.gov\/Bills\/112\/CCRReports\/CC9002.pdf\">Tennessee<\/a>, likewise, operate without requirements for Covid vaccination due to restrictions on such requirements enacted through executive orders in the former and the state legislature of the latter.<\/p>\n<p>In Virginia, although universities are not strictly barred from mandating Covid vaccines for students, many state universities <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/three-major-virginia-universities-scrap-covid-booster-mandate-after-ag-calls-them-unlawful\/\">dropped<\/a> their student Covid vaccination requirements following the release of a non-binding <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oag.state.va.us\/files\/Opinions\/2022\/22-004-Youngkin-issued.pdf\">opinion<\/a> by Virginia Attorney General Jason S. Miyares that opposed them.<\/p>\n<h2>Vaccine Force Likely for Many Students This Fall<\/h2>\n<p>However, outside of a handful of red and purple states where local political leadership has expressly prohibited Covid vaccine mandates at universities, many incoming college freshmen this fall will likely need to contend with the strong probability that they will be expected to be vaccinated for Covid-19.<\/p>\n<p>This is regardless of whether they have concerns over reports that the Covid vaccines can induce <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nejm.org\/doi\/full\/10.1056\/NEJMoa2110737\">myocarditis<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.lww.com\/greenjournal\/Fulltext\/9900\/Association_Between_Menstrual_Cycle_Length_and.357.aspx\">menstrual irregularities<\/a>. It is regardless of whether they and their physician have determined vaccination against Covid may be unnecessary for them as individuals due to <a href=\"https:\/\/brownstone.org\/articles\/79-research-studies-affirm-naturally-acquired-immunity-to-covid-19-documented-linked-and-quoted\/\">natural immunity<\/a> acquired through prior infection, or simply their youth and therefore extremely low risk from the disease.<\/p>\n<p>Many of the nation\u2019s top schools <a href=\"https:\/\/brownstone.org\/articles\/covid-19-at-college-which-institutions-stayed-sane-and-which-went-insane\/\">still had Covid vaccine mandates<\/a> in place as recently as March 3, 2022. Some universities, such as <a href=\"http:\/\/health.rutgers.edu\/medical-counseling-services\/medical\/immunization-requirements-allergy-shots\/\">Rutgers<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/health.tcnj.edu\/new-students\/pre-entrance-health-requirements-undergrads\/\">The College of New Jersey<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fullerton.edu\/studentwellness\/immunization\/fall2022.php\">California State University, Fullerton<\/a>, already have Covid vaccination requirements quietly listed among required immunizations for incoming students for fall 2022.<\/p>\n<p>According to an email from Lucia Sinatra, the co-founder of <a href=\"https:\/\/nocollegemandates.com\/\">NoCollegeMandates.com<\/a>, a grassroots organization comprised of parents and students attempting to push back against university Covid restrictions, \u201c[M]any schools are communicating these policies [Covid vaccine requirements for Fall 2022] to students that have applied, have been accepted and\/or are interested in visiting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sinatra noted this is even if these universities have not formally made their policies for the fall publicly available. In a phone interview, Sinatra said, \u201cThe big fear is they\u2019re not going to easily let go of those vaccines mandates for this coming fall, even if there\u2019s not data or no science to support the efficacy of vaccines in this age group.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Restrictions May Return<\/h2>\n<p>Some universities already seem to have confirmed these fears in communications concerning the lifting of other restrictions, by implying the removal of these other restrictions is contingent upon the continuation of vaccine and booster requirements.<\/p>\n<p>For example, in a February 8 <a href=\"https:\/\/news.northeastern.edu\/2022\/02\/08\/lifting-covid-19-restrictions\/\">announcement<\/a> concerning in-person events and allowing vaccinated guests in residence halls, Northeastern University Provost David Madigan and Chancellor Ken Henderson stated, \u201cNortheastern is a fully vaccinated community with a booster requirement. Given the effectiveness of the vaccines, and the significant reduction in cases across North America, we are pleased to announce the lifting of restrictions across all of our North American campuses.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, it remains to be seen if any of the restrictions universities are slowly lifting might be reinstated if or when there is a new Covid variant or a rise in cases. The University of Pennsylvania, when <a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.upenn.edu\/announcement\/message-penn-community-8\">announcing plans<\/a> to lift some testing and masking requirements on March 15, 2022, simultaneously communicated plans to roll out a four-level system, similar to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.phila.gov\/programs\/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19\/guidance\/covid-19-response-levels\/\">that put in place in the city of Philadelphia<\/a>, that would presumably allow the university to perpetually rescind and reimpose various Covid restrictions based on local conditions or administrative whims.<\/p>\n<h2>Can\u2019t Adopt Their Minds to the Facts<\/h2>\n<p>Donald J. Boudreaux, an economics professor at George Mason University, wrote an <a href=\"https:\/\/brownstone.org\/articles\/a-memo-to-gmu-president-gregory-washington\/\">open letter<\/a> criticizing GMU\u2019s booster mandate and <a href=\"https:\/\/brownstone.org\/articles\/universities-follow-the-politics-not-the-science\/\">contemplated legal action<\/a> against the mandate before it was nullified following an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.governor.virginia.gov\/media\/governorvirginiagov\/governor-of-virginia\/pdf\/ed\/ED-2---Executive-Branch-Employees.pdf\">executive order<\/a> from Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin. When asked in a phone interview why he believes so many schools seem unable to let go of their Covid mitigation policies, Boudreaux replied, \u201c[University administrators and faculty] are wedded to the narrative that Covid is an existential threat and remains an existential threat to humanity\u2026 That\u2019s the ethos that prevails among the vast majority of college professors.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Somewhat optimistically, however, Boudreaux said, \u201c[Eventually] people are going to tire of this and people will forget about it\u2026 life will get back to normal. In states like Virginia where we have a Republican governor that is for whatever reason, political and ideological reasons for sure, is preventing state universities from being super-strict on Covid, [the process] is speeding up.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To speed up that process outside of states such as Virginia though, people like Sinatra continue to organize like-minded individuals to fight back. According to Sinatra, her group has been growing through social media and communication platforms such as <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NCM4Ever\">Twitter<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/nocollegemandates\">Telegram<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>Together they are exploring legal and legislative avenues to compel universities to drop their Covid vaccine mandates. They are also working at a grassroots level to achieve these changes by encouraging more people \u2014 parents, students, and faculty \u2014 to speak out and resist.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf we can get one school to flip,\u201d Sinatra stated, \u201cwe can get a lot of other schools to pay attention. If we can get a blue state or a blue school to flip, we can use it as a model to take to all the other schools.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n<p>\n  Daniel Nuccio holds master&#8217;s degrees in both psychology and biology. He is currently pursuing his doctorate in biology at Northern Illinois University and is a regular contributor for The College Fix and The Brownstone Institute.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Universities across the country have increasingly rolled back Covid restrictions in recent weeks, giving many high school seniors hope their college experience will not be marred by the policies that,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":637,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1428316","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1428316","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/637"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1428316"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1428316\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1428316"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1428316"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1428316"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}