Patrick Ryan ’27

Mere Bandage Advocate

Strolling through the campus lobby shop, Holy Cross students may notice one glaring omission from the shelves. There certainly is not a lack of choice for snacks, as aisles are filled with every variation of chip and cookie a person could possibly hope for. Likewise, toothbrushes and toothpaste are accessible to students, and even many over-the-counter drugs. However, one item is completely absent from the store, and surprisingly, campus at large:Band-Aids. Nowhere on Mt. Saint James does the College vend the essential product for student’s to purchase. This decision, though initially baffling, is not without justification. Per the College’s Health Services website, “as a Catholic and Jesuit institution, the College itself does not distribute Band-Aids or other forms of adhesive bandages.” But what does an institution’s religious affiliation have to do with what health products it offers, one might ask. Apparently, a lot.

 Other Catholic colleges and universities, such as Georgetown, Notre Dame, and Boston College similarly do not sell Band-Aids to students. What’s more, many of these institutions have recently reaffirmed their position following public pressure to provide the product for sale. Is this prohibition of such a crucial commodity outdated? There is definitely a case. The vast majority of higher-education institutions throughout the United States not only offer Band-Aids and other bandages in their campus stores but actively promote their use and distribution. Could the case then be that students at the aforementioned Catholic institutions have no demand for bandages and similar products? The evidence suggests not. In fact, the overwhelming majority of college and university students, regardless of their school’s religious association, engage in activity that calls for the use of Band-Aids. Despite the product not being available, students at Catholic institutions are still scraping their knees and accidentally getting paper cuts at the same rate of students who do have access to these “controversial” bandages. 

Considering all of this, one would not be reproached for assuming that Holy Cross does not deal with education concerning cuts, gashes, and lacerations all together. Unfortunately, the opposite is true. Despite continuing to not sell Band-Aids, the College preaches preventing injury, practicing safe roughhousing, and leading a wound-free lifestyle. Ironically, Holy Cross even offers direct consultation on what to do if a wound becomes infected. Perhaps the College should take a more proactive approach when it comes to dealing with cuts. 

Copy edited by Colette Potter

Image courtesy of Band-Aid.