University of Wisconsin-Stout’s “Do Your Part” vaccine incentive program has been highly promoted since the start of the 2021 fall semester. You may have seen this promotion in the form of an email, a poster, a brochure or signs across campus.
According to UW-Stout’s website, “Once your vaccine information is uploaded, you can win valuable prizes, including a $7 thousand scholarship toward your tuition when you ‘Do Your Part’ to help keep our community safe and healthy.” The university’s goal has been to hit a vaccination rate of minimum 70% students on campus, which was reached last week, according to an email from the Chancellor’s office on Sept. 29.
First-year student Lance Pfrimmer, a member of UW-Stout’s Cross Country & Track team, said he hasn’t heard many people talk about the vaccine incentive program. “I do have a teammate who is anti-vaccine, and he doesn’t care about the incentives. Maybe the incentives will push some people to get it, but I think by now the people who haven’t gotten it, aren’t planning on getting it any time soon.” Pfrimmer said.
Pfrimmer also said he was already vaccinated before he came to campus, and that even if he wasn’t, he would still take the vaccine because it’s “free money.” Ultimately, Pfrimmer wants 100% of students and faculty to be vaccinated. He says UW-Stout should focus more on caring for others rather than focusing on promoting incentives for receiving the vaccine. “If you don’t want to wear it [a mask], you don’t have to be here,” he said.
Much like Pfrimmer, second-year student Natalie Svoboda, a member of the Tri Sigma Sorority, says she doesn’t know everything about the vaccine incentive program. However, Svoboda does know about the incentives being highly promoted. “Honestly, I’m shocked they do that… I don’t think you should be publicizing it like that.” she said.
Svoboda believes (much like Pfrimmer) there’s a better way to promote the program. Svoboda says the better way is instead of leaning heavily on the incentives, lean heavily on caring for fellow Blue Devils. Svoboda further elaborated that if UW-Stout continues to promote the way they currently are, more people will be turned off by the idea, much like herself. “It’s literally a raffle now… This is the type of stuff you see on a billboard.” Svoboda said.