It’s almost the most wonderful time of the year — that time when we’re up to our necks in term papers, finals are right around the corner, and colds, the flu and germs in general are running amuck. Fortunately for those of us with weak immune systems, the Student Health Center is beginning a pilot program that will extend their hours. Those of you with poor timing might be in trouble as right now the Health Center will only be open late on Mondays and Thursdays, and for emergency appointments only.
Why Mondays and Thursdays? We’re not quite sure, unless they’ve released a study showing that those are the two days a week people are most likely to fall ill on that we haven’t seen yet. In addition, concerns were raised that if one hypothetically wanted to schedule a regular check up on a Monday or Thursday, they could not do so as these new hours are for emergency, day-of appointments only.
All kidding aside, we genuinely applaud these efforts to create more accessible hours at the Health Center. We’ve all been in the untenable position where we get sick and the Health Center is either closed or the only appointment available happens to be smack dab in the middle of that class we’ve already skipped twice. These new hours allow for greater flexibility so students can get the care they need — a move that the diseased person’s classmates, dorm-mates, or fellow shuttle riders wholeheartedly appreciate.
Back home, if you can’t get an appointment at the doctor’s office, mom or dad are usually there to help take care of you until you can finally get that coveted appointment. Here, unless you have that friend that assumes the pseudo-mom role (or worse, if you are that friend), you’re pretty much on your own until you can figure out what’s wrong with you. By extending their hours, the Health Center is providing us with four extra hours a week to get the medical help we may need. Yes, it’s only four extra hours but it is a good start.
We hope that the Health Center will continue to work towards meeting students’ needs more fully. We also hope that the Student Government will continue advocating for students. In the meantime, we applaud the Health Center for realizing the needs of students and extending their current hours of operation.
