At their second meeting of the spring semester, Suffolk’s Student Government Association met with the Housing and Residence Life Department Director Shigeo Iwamiya.
The senate questioned Iwamiya about COVID-19 policies as well as concerns over security in the residence halls.
At the beginning of the spring semester, the university announced that residential students would no longer be required to participate in weekly surveillance COVID-19 testing. Class of 2024 Senator Antonio Nunziata asked Iwamiya whether this policy would change over the course of the semester.
“Assuming that another variant doesn’t come out […] in the next four months, I don’t see [reinstating mandatory testing] happening,” Iwamiya said.
Chair of the SGA Housing and Facilities Committee Maegan Kuhlman said she had been informed that last semester, only Miller Hall had isolation space for students who tested positive. Kuhlman asked whether this was still the case.
“We’ve expanded our quarantine isolation spaces to all four residence halls,” Iwamiya said. “We were concerned when Omicron first came out that there would be high numbers of positive [cases] coming back.”
However, the university announced last month that students who live in residential halls and test positive for the virus are encouraged to go back home to isolate themselves, instead of in their dorm room.
Iwamiya noted that students should always default to health experts for specific questions regarding COVID-19.
Senator-at-Large for the Class of 2025 Hana Wallen brought up concerns around security guards on campus. Wallen said security guards at the doors of residence halls have misgendered students, made fun of residents and ignored security cameras.
“I don’t feel comfortable […] as a person of color on campus with so much security,” Wallen added.
Iwamiya said that he meets with Suffolk University’s Police Department regularly to discuss policy, and that both SUPD and Residence Life would launch an investigation into the matter. Iwamiya also asked that students who witness this should immediately report the incidents to Residence Life staff and SUPD.
In other news, Senator Steven Murnane was appointed as chair of the Diversity Committee, and Senator Diana Margaryan was appointed as chair of the Public Relations Committee after multiple committee chairs resigned from their positions in the senate this past week.
Shealagh Sullivan contributed to the reporting of this article.
