A group of Syracuse University resident advisers presented university administrators with a list of nine demands Tuesday, claiming that the university has not done enough to protect them from the coronavirus.

Though being an RA is no easy task, many take on the role. As both an employer and a place of higher education, SU should implement the demands and really think about what the RAs are saying.

The RAs are asking to be seen both as essential workers and as students taking on the extra responsibility of being the eyes and ears of SU, which are needed to care for the student body during the pandemic.

Universities, including SU, are asking RAs to be willing to put themselves in harm’s way. Think about it: While being an RA is not the same as being a health care professional on the front lines of the pandemic, both roles come with a higher risk of being exposed to the virus.

But unlike health care professionals, who can often clearly see who has symptoms of COVID-19, RAs often cannot. Not all young people show symptoms of the virus immediately, and their attitudes toward the disease may be relaxed and, in some cases, downright selfish. Many believe they’re too young to contract COVID-19.

This is the wrong attitude to have, especially when living in the close quarters of dormitories. For this reason, the demands of the RAs are not only fair but also necessary.

Why would any place of business, including a university, not go above and beyond to protect their employees when returning to work? If anyone is going to have a direct influence on keeping students safe, it will be their RAs, who are not only students but also employees.

Protecting RAs physically, emotionally, mentally and financially is not just the right thing to do — it’s the only thing to do. Is the university prepared for a situation in which something happens to an RA due to COVID-19? Why take that chance? SU must accept the demands of the RAs in full.

Camille Daniels is a graduate student in the magazine, newspaper and online journalism program. Her column appears bi-weekly. She can be reached at cdaniels@syr.edu.

Published on September 15, 2020 at 8:58 pm