The entire editorial board of the Grand Valley Lanthorn has received the COVID-19 vaccine, and each of us has written why we decided to get vaccinated. While we’ve already written about why students, faculty and staff should get vaccinated, the Sept. 30 deadline of GVSU’s vaccine mandate is less than two weeks away, and anti-vaccine and vaccine-hesitant sentiment on campus is still strong. 

In lieu of simply ignoring the critics of the mandate and our paper’s coverage of COVID-19, we hope to open up a dialogue by acknowledging them and continuing to encourage the GVSU community to get the vaccine.

The Lanthorn thanks you for hearing the stories of our editorial board, and we encourage you to write in or post a comment telling us why you got vaccinated, whether it be to safeguard the community or just make life during a pandemic a little more tolerable. 

Xavi Golden, Web Editor: I got vaccinated because I wanted to protect myself and others in the GVSU community; professors, students, and staff are all susceptible to the virus, despite the claims made at the beginning of the pandemic that COVID-19 was only a threat to the elderly and the immunocompromised.

Mary Racette, Associate Editor: I got vaccinated to do my part in protecting myself and the people around me. Not only do I feel a responsibility to not spread the virus to loved ones, but to the people I interact with who may or may not be immunocompromised.

Meghan Landgren, Photo Editor: I got vaccinated because I wanted to be able to protect myself and those around me. While I know others have mixed feelings about the vaccine, I feel as if my decision to get vaccinated acts as a contribution to get back to some normalcy.  

Zack Goodrow, Editor-in-Chief: I got vaccinated because I was diagnosed with cancer in high school. My mom is also diabetic. I chose to get vaccinated to protect myself, my mother and others with health concerns in the GVSU community. 

Audrey Whitaker, News Editor: When statistics say that 1% of people who get COVID-19 will die, do you know how many Americans that number includes? According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. population is 332 million people and rising. 1% of 332 million people is 3,320,000 (three hundred, three million, and twenty thousand) dead people. While the majority of those 3,320,000 people may not be college-age people, they are the parents, grandparents, coworkers and community members of our age group. 

You can tell me that this is a small portion of the population, but it won’t feel small when you lose a friend, family member or coworker- I know the feeling firsthand. I got the vaccine because I will do anything in my power to reduce the number of lives lost to COVID-19 and the suffering it causes for those who are sick as well as their families. I’m also tired of wearing a mask and vaccines will help us get back to normal.

Sabrina Edwards, Laker Life Editor: I chose to get vaccinated earlier than most because my mom is immunocompromised. During the pandemic, I had to take a leave of absence from work in order to not potentially pass COVID-19 onto her. I also wanted to do my part to stop the curve, it’s important to me to get vaccinated so I’m not putting my family at risk.  

Holly Bihlman, Sports Editor: I got vaccinated because I wanted to get back out into the world and do all of the things I loved again. Obviously, sports games are back on my radar, as well as concerts and going out with my friends. I also feel a great responsibility to protect my professors and classmates, who could be unable to vaccinate or are more at risk than myself. I would hope that all of my peers have the same urgency and respect for me and my family so that we can all get back out into the world and start enjoying our lives again. 

Viviana Rubio, Layout Editor: I got vaccinated to protect my parents and grandma. I had to separate myself from them because I was afraid to get them sick without knowing. Getting the vaccine gave me an extra layer of protection to feel comfortable being around them. 

Before the vaccine came out three of my family members died from COVID-19, it was horrible. They died alone, no one was able to be around them and I didn’t get to say goodbye. It was really painful and I never wish that on anyone. We have the chance to protect ourselves and others, we have the chance to go back to some sort of normal and we are lucky this vaccine is widely available to us, while people in other places don’t have access to it. My heart goes out to anyone who has lost someone to COVID-19. 

Khoi Tran, Layout Designer: I got vaccinated because I want to protect myself, get back to normal life and protect my family and people around me. Being stuck in my house throughout the whole pandemic was hard and it affected my mental health because all my plans got canceled, including an exhibition that I worked hard for. Therefore, as soon as the vaccine was available for people my age, I got it.