Brianna Bracey
Student Senate President

I am deeply disappointed and disgusted by the administration. First and foremost, I want to set the record straight and ensure the student body that Stockton’s Student Senate had nothing to do with the decision regarding the vaccination requirement. Student Senate was completely blindsided by this decision and we had no knowledge of the decision prior to the email being sent. We have again and again been kept in the dark by the administration and I am tired of it. They present us as the voice of the students, but they continuously fail to keep us in the conversation. And yet, the Wellness Center has no problem telling the student body that the decision was made by us. Regardless of our own individual thoughts on the pandemic and vaccinations, we as a Student Senate feel this is completely unfair and too short notice for students. All in all, I am genuinely hurt by the direct lack of communication between us and the decision-makers when one of our primary purposes as a Student Senate is to bridge the gap between administration and students.

Irenonsen Eigbe
Student Senate Vice President

We on Student Senate have had many concerns about this new booster requirement. Not only does it give students and faculty less than a month to get their COVID-19 booster shot, but Student Senate has also been blamed for this lack of transparency. I personally hadn’t even found out through the email but through word of mouth from other senators. This is a monumental decision that affects the entire student body and should reflect more than the administration’s views. In addition to that, the Wellness Center should take accountability and not point fingers at Student Senate when faced with complaints. This is not the first time students have been excluded from major decisions that affect their mental, physical, and academic wellness. This does not reflect the values of Student Senate, which takes pride in prioritizing student feedback.