Occidental is proud to do what it can to show our support for those who continue to put their lives on the line for our community.
Oxy Community:
Given the heroic role of hospital staff in fighting the coronavirus pandemic—a group that includes many Oxy alumni and parents—the College recently reached out to our local hospitals (Huntington and Glendale Adventist) regarding the use of empty residence halls as temporary housing for front-line medical personnel. After some thoughtful conversations with hospital officials and consultation with College staff, we have made arrangements to welcome our first guests in the next few days.
A single residence hall will be dedicated to each hospital: Huntington personnel will be in E. Norris and Glendale Adventist personnel in Erdman. The College will work directly with the students who still have belongings in the two halls to ensure that they are returned to them safely and securely. Before occupancy, all rooms will be cleaned by Oxy Housekeeping. Thereafter, all cleaning and trash disposal in the two halls will be handled by an outside contractor.
Rather than visiting the Marketplace, our guests will have the opportunity to have meals delivered to the hall lounges following detailed safety protocols. If Campus Safety needs to respond to calls, officers will wear appropriate personal protective gear. As medical professionals, our guests are used to observing strict health protocols. They will remove all hospital clothing before returning to campus and will wear masks while on campus. I’m grateful to everyone in REHS, Facilities Management, Dining Services and Campus Safety whose hard work and positive attitude has made it possible for Oxy to contribute to helping our first responders in this meaningful way.
All of us have heard accounts of how people around the world have stood on their balconies and porches to applaud our front-line healthcare workers. Occidental is proud to do what it can to show our support for those who continue to put their lives on the line for our community.
President Veitch