CU Student Government logo. (CUSG/Twitter)
The University of Colorado Boulder’s Representative Council, which resides within CU Student Government, released a statement Sunday listing a number of factors it believes to have been overlooked with the issuing of Boulder County Public Health Order 2020-07.
Until Monday, the public health order prohibited gatherings of any size for those 18-22 years olds in the City of Boulder in an effort to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus. The statement was released from CUSG on Sunday. Monday morning, the health order was amended to address the concerns and extend its definition of a gathering to more than two individuals.
The Representative Council, comprised of CUSG’s nine Representatives-at-Large, assured in their statement that they support the university’s efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19, although the council expressed concerns regarding some of the county’s measures which could have a negative effect on the safety of students; unrelated to the pandemic.
The council first drafted its statement to “reflect and amplify the concerns of CU students,” said Emmett Grundy, CUSG Representative-at-Large. “Concerns were especially pronounced among the young women of this University.”
“Any woman who has lived in Boulder for any stretch of time can attest to the fact that Boulder is not a safe place for women to travel alone on foot, especially at night,” the statement read while addressing the fact that according to the previous version of the order, a gathering constituted as any more than one person.
“As long as young women of this University must fear for their safety, the City of Boulder has no right to prohibit them from taking even a single companion with them as they walk their dog, exercise, or carry out any number of essential activities,” the statement continued.
The statement also noted that many students do not have cars and rely on the bus as well as their friends for transportation.
“If this public health order is not amended accordingly, students of the University of Colorado will be faced with the abhorrent truth that their safety is not a priority for the City of Boulder,” read the statement.
While CUSG has not had direct conversation with the county, Grundy feels that with its revised order their statement was heard loud and clear.
As a result, Grundy hopes this will show CU Boulder students that they have more power than they realize as well as solidify the fact that CU’s Student Government is a powerful tool for students to have their voices heard.
Contact CU Independent Senior News Editor Noelle Videon at noelle.videon@colorado.edu.
