When you receive an email stating that you have been randomly picked to take a COVID test, it might seem like a waste of time. 

But getting tested is necessary to keep our university safe

According to the CDC, institutions of higher education should have serial testing if they have the capacity to do so.  

This is why ULM began to randomly test students and employees on Sept. 7.

Because the variant is spreading rapidly, ULM chose to test both those who are vaccinated and unvaccinated.

The COVID pandemic has spread across the world, infecting millions of people and causing illness and death. 

Nobody is safe from COVID unless the appropriate safeguards are taken and followed. 

That is why, at an educational institution where a vast number of individuals assemble on a daily basis, testing is a necessity. 

Even though the health and safety guidelines are followed by the university, we all come in contact with many different people every day. 

It would be impossible to know if any of those people are infected with COVID. 

The chances of a carrier being among the students and faculty is highly likely, and in the case of an outbreak at the university, the results would be disastrous.

Since there have been cases where vaccinated individuals are the ones who cause virus transmission, it is important to test both vaccinated and unvaccinated students, faculty and staff. 

However, testing unvaccinated individuals should be prioritized because the chance of them being a carrier is much more likely. 

Everyone wants to be safe from COVID. This is the main reason students and faculty should be tested. 

Random testing is beneficial because it can help remove students and faculty who have or carry the virus out of classrooms. 

Random testing gives a high likelihood of detecting an outbreak in its early stage.

If a certain percentage of the people being tested are found to be infected, testing should be made a requirement for all students, faculty and staff. 

The health and safety of the ULM community should be of the utmost concern for ULM because the overall well-being of the university depends on it.