Class News

The Bay Area Zoom group debates pandemic policies and mandates

February 16, 2022

The monthly Zoom Group in the Bay Area, organized by Owen O’Donnell ’64, has been focusing on different topics that are teed up in advance. In February, Sandy McKleroy proposed “How do you assess governmental policies during the pandemic, including mandates, vaccines, masking, etc?” It was contentious, to say the least. Some regular participants did not join the Zoom, but nine classmates did.

John Wylie, a doctor, offered up a humorous cartoon to take the edge off (see below). The story starts in 1798 with Gloucestershire doctor Edward Jenner successfully testing the country lore that a dose of relatively mild cowpox infection gave protection from smallpox. Within five years, Jenner's discovery was being used across Europe and a decade later it had gone global. But opposition was swift and savage. The cartoon depicts vaccination as a diseased cow-like monster being fed chicken.

A number of classmates invoked the “Facts Matter” presentation that Sam Francis made at our 55th reunion. Lots of facts were exchanged. (Click here or the campaign button at the right to see Sam’s talk.)