Avoiding germs like the plague
'It doesn't seem crazy to me to be cleanly'; sickness haunts students
Marieke Van Der Vaart
Issue date: 3/12/09 Section: Focus
For senior Hannah Mead, flu season at Hillsdale is a nightmare. For several weeks Mead is painfully aware of all the germs people cough and sneeze out around campus.
"I'm more aware of germs when there's a plague around in the spring," Mead said.
Although some of their friends may call them crazy "germophobes," Mead and senior Katie Barnes said they merely take simple precautions to stay healthy on campus.
"It doesn't seem crazy to me to be cleanly," Mead said.
Both women have ways of coping with the influx of disease circulating campus.
"I don't eat fast food, and I exercise regularly an hour," Barnes said. "I also try to sleep - eight hours is ideal."
For Mead, staying healthy requires extra thought as to where she puts her hands and care not to touch her face or the mouth of her water bottle after she's touched germ-covered surfaces.
"It doesn't take too much time to wash your hands before you eat," Mead said. "I always try to keep track of what I touch before I touch my face. Like this chair," she said, pointing to the cushioned chairs behind the fireplace near AJ's.
"I try not to touch it and eat my food."
Sometimes regular precautions aren't always enough, however, especially during flu season.
"Sometimes when it's flu season I grab the left doorknob because most people grab the right," Barnes said.
For Mead, it means stepping up the hand washing.
"I've gotten in the habit of washing my hands before and after I blow my nose," she said.
It's important not to get obsessive about germs though, Mead said. When preventing sickness disrupts your life, you have a problem, she said.
The main reason, freshman Laura Wegmann said, cleanliness is important is to get the most out a Hillsdale education.
"Time is money. I'm paying for my education here - I don't want to waste any money skipping classes," Wegmann said.
Mead said the prospect of getting sick is also off-putting.
"I don't have time to be sick," she said. "I hate - hate - being sick."
At the same time, cleanliness is a way to respect your fellow students, Wegmann said.
"We're living in close proximity - we should all watch out for each other," Wegmann said.
To the students who are already sick, Barnes offers one piece of advice.
"As far as spreading germs goes, if you're sick try to stay in your room, or your space," Barnes said. "Try to avoid people. We're so unaware of most of the ways germs spread."
"I'm more aware of germs when there's a plague around in the spring," Mead said.
Although some of their friends may call them crazy "germophobes," Mead and senior Katie Barnes said they merely take simple precautions to stay healthy on campus.
"It doesn't seem crazy to me to be cleanly," Mead said.
Both women have ways of coping with the influx of disease circulating campus.
"I don't eat fast food, and I exercise regularly an hour," Barnes said. "I also try to sleep - eight hours is ideal."
For Mead, staying healthy requires extra thought as to where she puts her hands and care not to touch her face or the mouth of her water bottle after she's touched germ-covered surfaces.
"It doesn't take too much time to wash your hands before you eat," Mead said. "I always try to keep track of what I touch before I touch my face. Like this chair," she said, pointing to the cushioned chairs behind the fireplace near AJ's.
"I try not to touch it and eat my food."
Sometimes regular precautions aren't always enough, however, especially during flu season.
"Sometimes when it's flu season I grab the left doorknob because most people grab the right," Barnes said.
For Mead, it means stepping up the hand washing.
"I've gotten in the habit of washing my hands before and after I blow my nose," she said.
It's important not to get obsessive about germs though, Mead said. When preventing sickness disrupts your life, you have a problem, she said.
The main reason, freshman Laura Wegmann said, cleanliness is important is to get the most out a Hillsdale education.
"Time is money. I'm paying for my education here - I don't want to waste any money skipping classes," Wegmann said.
Mead said the prospect of getting sick is also off-putting.
"I don't have time to be sick," she said. "I hate - hate - being sick."
At the same time, cleanliness is a way to respect your fellow students, Wegmann said.
"We're living in close proximity - we should all watch out for each other," Wegmann said.
To the students who are already sick, Barnes offers one piece of advice.
"As far as spreading germs goes, if you're sick try to stay in your room, or your space," Barnes said. "Try to avoid people. We're so unaware of most of the ways germs spread."
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