Dear students,
We hope this message finds you well in the midst of adjusting to the new academic year.
As your student newspaper, the Charlatan has always been dedicated to independent, unbiased reporting aimed at bringing students’ experiences, concerns and successes to light. Throughout the pandemic, our editorial staff has worked tirelessly to ensure as many students’ COVID-19 experiences as possible were heard, acknowledged, celebrated and affirmed through our platform—from investigating how Carleton’s policies will affect students at large, to reporting on initiatives taken by student leaders to ensure their community remains a supportive and engaging environment.
As many of you have now heard, the university has announced that three individuals living in residence have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past week.
First and foremost, the Charlatan’s editorial staff would like to make it known to these students that they have been in our thoughts since our first report on the outbreak in residence. We sincerely hope they are on a safe road to recovery and commend them for taking the initiative to get tested when they did. This action on behalf of these three students may have prevented hundreds of others from infection, and this should not go unrecognized.
Secondly, the paper would also like these students to know that they though they may currently be isolated in their rooms—likely hundreds of kilometres away from their families and closest friends—they are not alone. While the experience of testing positive for a pandemic-inducing virus is something most of the student body can only attempt to imagine, the Charlatan would like these students to know that we are here to support them in any way we can.
Should these students be inclined, the Charlatan would greatly appreciate the opportunity to provide them with a platform to share their experiences. Whether it be through a personal essay or a regular news-style interview, we want these students to know their stories deserve to be heard. As many Carleton students continue to live in fear of contracting the virus, hearing the perspective of ‘one of their own’ would offer much more than just an interesting read—it would offer needed caution and reassurance.
We would be more than happy to offer the students complete anonymity in publication, should they request it, as we understand the (unjust) stigma associated with receiving a positive COVID-19 test result.
We hope this message finds its way to these three individuals, and regardless of whether they choose to share their stories with us, we hope they are able to complete the school year having accomplished all the same goals they hoped to achieve when starting it.
Stay safe, Ravens.
Sincerely,
The Charlatan Editorial Staff (2020-21)
Featured graphic from file.
