​Westy Plague

By Margee Mahoney ’24

For years, as long as Westminster has had a campus, students have been plagued with a certain disease. It runs rampant through dorm hallways, classrooms, and literally, the air. My freshman year, it was COVID-19, perhaps the biggest, baddest plague we’ve experienced firsthand. 

Now most Westy plagues we experience don’t send the school into full lockdown. While COVID takes the cake for the biggest deal, we’ve experienced plenty of contagious virus outbreaks overtaking our campus, sending people straight to death’s doorstep. We’ve had the “Mem Flu,” the regular flu, mono, the stomach bug, strep, and many, many more mystery diseases. Most recently, I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing the incredible sore throat going around, and let me just say, she is a cruel mistress.

Alas, life on campus continues. With nothing more than Advil, Tylenol, and our trusty neti pots, we must push forward. The incredible feat of strength students utilize to minimize absences --
even if excused — deserves an award in itself. Our health center does an incredible job with the resources they are presented with, especially with their toast, but I have a dream that maybe someday soon, the plagues will end. I don’t mean to sound progressive or radical, but I’ve heard great things about antibiotics, the ability to return to one’s own room, and urgent care.