In an effort to encourage wearing masks, Wayne State College has instituted a new position open to students: Peer Safety Monitors.

These students are in charge of encouraging the mask wearing policies at Wayne State. Suppose you forget your mask in your dorm room but don’t realize until you are on the other side of campus, and almost late for class as it is. That’s where these students come in.

Each monitor will have a mask dispenser, and if you should forget your mask, these students will provide you with one.

“We struck upon this idea to have peers help encourage other students to wear masks when they’re in academic buildings,” the dean of students, Ronald Loggins, said. “Just to follow those rules.”

Loggins also said this is not intended to be punitive. Students will not be punished for declining to wear a mask. “It really is just to promote wearing a mask when you’re in the hallways or working in an academic building and can’t social distance,” Loggins said. “It really is that simple.”

This position will fall under Academic Affairs, with Loggins as the head of the position. It is only open to students to reinforce the idea of having peers encourage mask wearing, rather than adults.

The paid position already employs five students.

The President of Student Senate, Adam Smith, said this is proof of WSC’s dedication to the safety and well-being of its students.

“I think the fact that Wayne State College is going so far as to establish a hall monitor program to make sure that we are safe shows their dedication to providing a quality in-person educational experience for us despite the fact that we are in a global pandemic and schools all across the country are shutting down,” Smith said. “They are going the extra mile to ensure that we are safe while also being able to provide the experience that students desire here at WSC.”

These monitors will be in halls whenever students are between classes. They can be identified by their mask dispensers and will help with following the mask wearing policies.

If there are any questions concerning this position, please direct them to Ronald Loggins.