The Undergraduate Student Government tabled a resolution to recommend the reinstatement of the mask mandate indoors. In its place, USG is planning a campaign to destigmatize masks on the BGSU campus. 

USG President Alex Chiarelott said the executive branch tabled the resolution to “take a step back, get a more broad scope and understanding of how the student body felt about the change.”

In order to conduct a survey of student opinions on masking on campus, Chiarelott said USG may work with BGSU Chief Health Officer Ben Batey, rather than sending one out themselves and potentially not reaching students who do not engage with USG.

During general assembly, which happens after the executive branch meets, Internal Affair Chair Nolan McHugh tabled the resolution instantly and brought up the campaign, “remove the stigma from mask-wearing even without a COVID-19 or whenever you’re sick just wearing a mask, being able to protect yourself and to look out for those who might be immunocompromised.” 

McHugh went on to explain the campaign as a promotion of unity and good intentions within the BGSU student body rather than trying to divide it in any way. 

The campaign will support wearing a mask out of kindness, not for any political reason.

Chiarelott said wearing a mask should not be a statement of political opinion but rather a gesture to keep others safe. 

“I do think that unfortunately, the masks have become pretty political and I would really want to offer to you that it really doesn’t have to be that way. It’s about the protection of yourself, it’s about the protection of others,” Chiarelott said.

Abby McNichols, a sponsor of the resolution, explained that the next steps for this campaign are to, “reach out to some community partners first and see if they’d be interested in participating before we move forward with anything.” 

“(It) was less about doing general preventative measures and it was more so about the shock of like ‘oh, this is being removed’ and like none of us had really thought of it before.”  McNichols said of the resolution

USG Treasurer Hobbes Treynor said, “a decent majority of the student population either is completely for the removal of the mandate and/or isn’t affected by it, in any moral or physical way.”

In an email the day after general assembly, Treynor clarified his statement “was made based on pure assumption and observation of the student body” and was not citing any specific quantitative data.

A ribbon-cutting event for the off-campus lounge within the library will be happening on March 21st and BGSU Panhellenic Council will be hosting a Walk-a-Thon to raise money for juvenile diabetes on March 27th. 

Four new senators were sworn in:

• Brenden Dean; Falcon Heights Senator

• Elyse Adrian; Senator at Large

• Noah Oettinger; Military Student Senator

• Tate Stewart; College of Music Senator