Going into the 2022-2023 school year, Smith College is relaxing its Covid policy in a multitude of dangerous ways. Most egregiously, they are refusing to quarantine Covid positive students away from their roommates. 

The current system will force healthy students into dangerously close quarters with a Covid-positive person. Spreading Covid within a 12 X 14 room is close to unavoidable, especially when they are sleeping and eating in the room and cannot mask during that time. 

This decision will disproportionately affect vulnerable students. While privileged students may be able to avoid the inevitable transmission by staying in a hotel or friend's room, low-income or disabled students may not have that option due to transportation or cost. The population with the highest proportion of double and triple rooms is first-years, who are already working hard enough at adjusting to college and should not be subjected to the increased risk and stress. 

Students may resort to sleeping in masks, putting them at risk of suffocation. They might try and stay in another place out of fear and end up passing it to even more students, and may even resort to defying Smith's Covid policy in order to keep themselves and their roommates safe. 

Students should not be forced to pass Covid to their friends or to make these difficult decisions. Smith has the ability to quarantine students separately at the newly-purchased Ellery. They are putting the financial priorities of the school ahead of the safety and health of their security, which is absolutely unacceptable. 

Please sign this position and email the administration to protect our students!