Junior Alex Schoucair, a Hatchet columnist, argues that the fervor over swine flu could better be applied to other University problems.
From the ubiquitous hand-sanitizer, to the free (non-H1N1) flu vaccinations, to blast e-mails, to posters on every square inch of campus, the school is running a full-court press against the perceived devastation that the formidable swine flu could wreak. While such an initiative may have seemed wise back in the spring when there was an all-out fear over the pandemic, the measures taken by the school now appear to be overkill. At what point will the school evaluate whether or not this extensive anti-flu campaign is worth both the money it costs and the fear it incites?
If we don’t fight swine flu, we let the terrorists win.
This is a very contrived argument. You compared the number of average global flu deaths per year to the number seen so far in the US, which doesn’t make much sense. You simply asserted that the anti-flu measures are costly when your only example was hand-sanitizers, which are extremely cost-effective. You saying that swine flu isn’t dangerous because it won’t kill us, but the main problem is that it can take students out of class for weeks. You’re totally fabricating the idea that GW students are unduly stressed about swine flu, but being a little worried about it is a good way to mitigate the spread. Taking a few small measures can halve the number of students who get infected which is more important than any of GW’s other priorities (examples of which are lacking in your article).
It’s a shame that Rustin doesn’t understand percentages…the absolute terms dont matter: the fact is that swine flu is killing a much lower percentage than regular flu. And how many students have actually been kept out of class “for weeks”? the fact is that when you take out young hildren and pregnant women, the danger of serious complications posed to an otherwise healthy college student is next to Zero. Add the cost of NON h1n1 vaccinations with the PR campaign and the sanitizer with everythig else and the amount of money isn’t so small anymore
Wait, so your argument is that you believe the regular flu is 2x as dangerous as swine flu and therefore the “Fight the Flu” campaign is a waste?
Is the “Fight the Flu” campaign even centered on fighting the deadly pig virus? Or is it about fighting the swine flu AND the regular flu (which you say is more of a threat anyway) in order to help keep students, faculty, and staff safe, healthy, and productive?