As the chaos of midterms arise amongst the student body and professors continue to maintain motivation towards the end of the semester, the seasonal flu and array colds infest the public of the UW-W community. As someone who has been sick for the past three weeks, I cannot help but notice the lack of support the UW-W community offers students who are struggling with this seasonal sickness.          

While I recognize class participation is crucial for courses and some professors provide grades for student’s attendance, I cannot fathom the difficulty students have attending classes, trying to maintain focus while battling the internal bacterial infections and viruses that may wreak havoc within themselves. As someone who struggles with an immune difficiency, it is very frustrating to me that students are forced to attend class, extremely sick, sharing the wealth amongst their fellow students for the sake of not wanting to forfeit their attendance grades. While I don’t blame the students for putting their grades and academic first, I grow frustration with professors and the department of those professors that enforce attendance policies and put students, faculty, and individuals like myself in contraction’s width to get that infection or virus.

As I continue the semester, sick for the fourth on-going week, I demand action to be taken for students who are struggling with the seasonal sicknesses, professors to not scrutinize grades due to this inconvience, provide more on-campus sanitary needs for students who are sick, and give students the opportunity to stay home and not share the wealth.

– Catherine Smith

  Editor