As yet another semester begins, COVID continues to ravage our world.

At the start of the fall semester, many colleges and universities around the nation including Massachusetts have made the vaccine mandatory in order to return to class. However, NECC has taken a slightly different route. The college announced that vaccines would not be mandatory until January 2022. NECC continues to engage and encourage every student and faculty member to get vaccinated before then.

When it comes to the vaccine, Erica Schwane an art student, believes it should be mandated.

She says, “Yes, for the safety of students and staff. Not like schools having vaccine mandates is a new concept anyway.” Schwane goes on to say, “On one hand, it almost feels as if NECC is falling behind considering other schools have already implemented vaccine mandates.” She continues, “We’ve had the vaccine long enough where if a school decided to allow in-person classes already after the vaccine was released, then it should have been mandated already.”

Zachary Cutter, a journalism student, doesn’t necessarily agree that NECC is falling behind in some way.

“No, I don’t think so but better safe than sorry.” He says.

Many other colleges and universities have been adamant about the mandates, in order to keep students safe and return to a deeper level of normalcy. However, Cutter says that “most students may adapt.”

For more information on the NECC coronavirus response, including guidelines for visiting both campuses and other pandemic related policies, visit https://www.necc.mass.edu/public-safety/coronavirus-information/ .