Dylan Olive
Florida Southern College instituted the #MocsTakeAShot program on June 16, 2021, where eligible students, faculty and staff, and campus organizations and sports teams had the opportunity to win weekly incentives from June 18 to Aug. 20.
The #MocsTakeAShot COVID-19 vaccination goal was 80 percent of those residing on campus. Florida Southern College chose 80 percent because experts say that when 80 percent of a community is vaccinated, a return to a “more normal” campus life is possible. If 80 percent of a group is vaccinated, that classifies as herd immunity, according to MU Health Care. If more people are vaccinated, there will be less infections.
The winners of the organization incentive: Asian & Pacific Islander Student Association, Black Student Union, Vegan/Vegetarian Enthusiasts Group, Pi Kappa Phi, Association of Honors Students, Choreography Club, and FSC “No More” Campaign.
Out of the 180 organizations at Florida Southern College, only seven were able to reach the vaccination goal and win the prize of $300 for their respective club.
“The majority of our club is vaccinated, I’m not sure if the incentive is responsible but it definitely didn’t hurt,” President of the Choreography Club Kaela Wilks said. She went on to say that club members got vaccinated “on their own” and not out of motivation from inside the club.
“I think overall it was a success,” Wilks said.
The President of the FSC No More Campaign, Natalie Bauman, said “I believe that’s unethical” when asked if their organization pushed members to get the vaccination. Bauman went on to say that FSC No More has not received the $300 incentive yet.
“I think it will help us get started since we are a new club on campus,” Bauman said.
To be eligible, students and faculty had to submit their COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card to the FSC Portal. For campus organizations, that means the entire roster had to submit their vaccination card for eligibility. The question is whether or not this encouraged students to get vaccinated for incentives, and if it was being pushed inside of the FSC organizations.
Campus organizations and club sports teams (the first five groups to reach the 80 percent COVID-19 vaccination goal) did receive T-shirts designed by their membership for all group members. And every organization that reached the 80 percent COVID-19 vaccination rate should have received a $300 award.
On Aug. 20, the final week results of the #MocsTakeAShot program was revealed. The FSC community reached 70 percent of the 80 percent vaccination goal.
It can be difficult to determine if the #MocsTakeAShot organization incentive had an impact on various clubs and sports teams to influence their members in getting vaccinated. Since a total of seven campus groups did achieve the 80 percent goal and win the prize, it can be noted that the club incentive did not reach a high-level of success, but it did help to increase vaccination rates for FSC, and will hopefully impact the winning clubs in a positive way.
The current FSCares plan requires all unvaccinated students to get regular COVID-19 tests. All students who are symptomatic have to be tested. Students who do test positive are required to quarantine at home or at an off-campus facility.
Masks are to be required indoors with the exception of your residence room, but are not required when students are outdoors, dining or sitting alone distanced from other students. To limit the COVID-19 spread, FSC is contact tracing those who have tested positive.
