My name is Oren Schweitzer and I am a rising sophomore in Morse College. When Covid-19 hit the US, I was found stuck quarantining with my immunocompromised parents. In the beginning of spring break, I learned of my sister’s pregnancy, putting even more stress on my family with respect to quarantining and the need to stay safe. Over the past two months of quarantining, my dad had to self-isolate for two weeks due to fevers and it is very likely he had Covid given a ten pound weight loss, which is a common symptom.
All throughout this time, I had to take classes without the certainty of universal pass, which we eventually won due to student activism, as well as a general lack of transparency from the Yale administration. Throughout this time, it has felt like Yale is playing games with us, with the almost surreal suggestion that there is a potential of safely going back. Despite all these extraordinary circumstances, we still don’t have a clear understanding of what the fall is going to look like and it is clear the school is not going to give additional financial support to students who already during non-extraordinary times are struggling financially.
My family is fortunate in that we have been financially insulated from the worst effects of this crisis but any one of the experiences my family has faced in the past few months would have been devastating without. And especially since Yale is not providing support, I worry for my friends and classmates who are going through similarly difficult times, often without financial security. Yale must get rid of the Student Income Contribution and commit to fully supporting the New Haven community and working-class students.
Oren Schweitzer, he/him, Morse College ’23
