By Madeline Lanning, Opinion Editor
With presumptive positive wastewater tests hanging over the heads of faculty and residential students on campus, I have to wonder about a certain staff that seems to be left out of the mix.
Housekeeping has kept our dorms and suites sanitized and ready to live in while on and off campus. During this time however, their jobs have become much more strategic and time consuming.
With two residence halls being under quarantine off and on the past week or so, housekeeping staff have still been advised to go in and clean. They are fully masked up and prepared to do their jobs, but in some way I find this unfair.
All other parties on Susquehanna’s campus are either locked in their rooms or advised to stay away when there is a positive case or possible exposure. These men and women however are still submitting themselves to COVID-19 each time they go to sanitize one of these buildings.
From personal experience, my suitemates and I wrote a note to make our housekeeping staff aware that we were sent away to quarantine and to not come in and clean the suite. Upon return from quarantine, we had a note written back that they thought it was in our best interest to clean and sanitize the suite.
In some ways I found this as a kindness and something that the staff certainly did not have to do. Especially because we left in such a hurry, meaning that everything that we usually move so they can properly clean the suite, was left astray. Now they were tasked with moving our stuff and putting themselves at risk.
Each day, these staff are sent into buildings to collect garbage and do small tidying up or repairs. During these times though I feel it necessary to make them aware of what situations they are getting into and to give them the option of not entering a building if they feel uncomfortable.
I have made friends with plenty of the housekeeping staff and they always greet me with a smile. I truly cannot thank them enough for their continuous efforts during these uncertain times. Truth be told though, if you have the option to keep yourself safe, take it.
