Various offices and departments at Winthrop University hosted a campus safety week from Sept. 21-26 in order to raise awareness and provide training on how the Winthrop community can be proactive in its safety and security measures for all students.
“The purpose of Campus Safety Week is to highlight the importance of taking care of ourselves and those around us. Campus Safety Week informs individuals that it is our responsibility to make our campus as safe as possible,” Student Body President Brandon Jackson said.
Due to the pandemic having a big impact on Winthrop’s campus this year, safety week was mainly focused on protecting the student body from spreading germs and staying healthy, whereas past years have been dedicated to various other types of safety measures.
“This year, Campus Safety Week focused on personal safety,” Jackson said. “Students learned the importance of protecting themselves and others in the midst of a pandemic by washing their hands, remaining socially distant, and masking up. Students also gained further insight on the university’s COVID-19 protocol and how that will impact the student experience.”
The itinerary for Campus Safety Week looked a little different this year, as it was hosted remotely rather than on campus.
On Sept. 21, a Q&A about COVID-19 was hosted on Instagram and Facebook, sponsored by the Council of Student Leaders and the Dean of Students Office. Students were encouraged to ask questions regarding their safety concerns.
On Sept. 22, health kits were distributed in the Digs lobby that were sponsored by the Critical Incident Management Team. The kits contained a free mask for anyone who dropped by to pick one up.
A “Mask-Up” student leader video was put out on Sept. 23 on Instagram and Facebook to encourage students to wear their masks on campus to keep themselves and others safe.
On Sept. 24, there was a panel–style lecture entitled “Harsh Reality” which talked about the racial and social justice issues that are currently prevalent in America. Topics that were covered at this lecture were police brutality, discrimination snd racial injustice. Students who wanted to learn more about these topics could either attend in person or online.
Throughout the week students were encouraged to post their most original and creative masks on social media and vote for their favorites. The winners would receive a prize. If a student was caught wearing a mask during the week the student would be given a pamphlet with a QR code they could scan to enter a giveaway for the chance to win a prize.
On Sept. 25 and 26, the school offered free drive-thru COVID-19 testing at the Winthrop Coliseum from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Testing for COVID-19 is an important part of keeping the campus community safe and making sure people who are sick are not coming to school and spreading the virus.
“I would just like to say a big thank you to all Eagles doing their part to make our campus environment as safe as possible,” Jackson said. “These are unusual and difficult times, but together we can make the best of the pandemic. I’m overjoyed to serve you all this year as student body president and look forward to making this a great year at Winthrop University.”
