A message to Laurier students about Homecoming weekend
To all Laurier students,
The Medical Officer of Health for the Region of Waterloo has declared we are now in Wave 2 of the coronavirus pandemic. The safest path to a full campus re-opening is for all of us to step up and take responsibility for protecting ourselves and others from the virus – especially protecting those who are most vulnerable.
This week, Sept. 24 to 27, Golden Hawks will celebrate homecoming virtually. This is a new twist on an old tradition that usually brings together our alumni and students, and this year we urge you to celebrate by respecting public health and university guidelines to contain the spread of COVID-19. This includes maintaining physical distancing requirements, wearing a mask where required, and rigorously adhering to the limits on social gatherings.
We have confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our Laurier community. This is unfortunate, but our preparation for the semester means we know what we have to do to limit the impact. I need to ask you, our Laurier students, to make smart choices and follow public health guidelines to keep yourselves, your families, and the community safe by not engaging in some of the most risky behaviours, such as backyard parties, house parties, and unsanctioned street gatherings.
The Ontario government recently reduced limits on the number of people permitted to attend unmonitored private social gatherings across the province to a maximum of 10 people at an indoor event, and no more than 25 outdoors. There is a minimum fine of $10,000 for organizers of gatherings exceeding these limits and a minimum $750 fine for attending.
In addition, Waterloo City Council has approved a temporary special nuisance bylaw which will be in effect from Sept. 25 to 27. It prohibits loud noise arising from parties or unsanctioned public gatherings on roadways. The bylaw imposes fines up to $750 for noise violations and is in effect through the entire city, not just the university district. The message of these fines is that the province and the region are serious about deterring the kind of irresponsible and dangerous behaviour that has been all too common in other jurisdictions, with predictably unpleasant results.
As in past years, our municipal, public health, and post-secondary partners are prepared to act quickly to prevent gatherings. Students will be held accountable for breaking the provincial rules around gathering and knowingly coming to campus. The university is prepared to employ sanctions under the Non-Academic Student Code of Conduct — up to and including suspension — as required.
As young adults, it’s true that you are generally less likely to become seriously ill from COVID-19. But that simply makes it that much easier for you to unknowingly transmit this virus to others more vulnerable —people you live with, parents and grandparents, and those of any age with underlying health difficulties and compromised immune systems. As leaders of tomorrow, now is the time for you to exercise the good judgement we know you have, to put the greater welfare of the community first, and to model—to your friends and others here in the community, as well as to universities and institutions elsewhere—that Golden Hawks know how to balance enthusiasm and pride with discretion and consideration for others. It will be a different kind of celebration—in future years certainly a unique story to tell. Make it a good story, with a positive ending.
Wilfrid Laurier University’s top priority in this challenging time is to keep people safe and prevent the spread of COVID-19. For more information on how to stay safe and prevent the spread of COVID 19, visit wlu.ca/recovery.
Be well,
Maureen Mancuso
Interim Vice-President: Student Affairs