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.�
